17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

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17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:
thou wilt prepare their heart,
thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

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17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;[a]
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,(A)
18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:17 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read afflicted

17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek:
Thou wilt [a]prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:17 Or, establish

17 The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend,

18 To judge the fatherless and bruised: He addeth no more to oppress -- man of the earth!

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10 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16 The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Psalm 10

Why standest thou afar off, O Lord?
why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor:
let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire,
and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts.
His ways are always grievous;
thy judgments are far above out of his sight:
as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved:
for I shall never be in adversity.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud:
under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages:
in the secret places doth he murder the innocent:
his eyes are privily set against the poor.
He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den:
he lieth in wait to catch the poor:
he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself,
that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten:
he hideth his face; he will never see it.

12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand:
forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?
he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it;
for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand:
the poor committeth himself unto thee;
thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man:
seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever:
the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:
thou wilt prepare their heart,
thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Psalm 10

Lord,[a][b] why do You stand so far away?(A)
Why do You hide in times of trouble?(B)
In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue the afflicted;
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.(C)

For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings;(D)
the one who is greedy curses[c] and despises the Lord.(E)
In all his scheming,
the wicked arrogantly thinks:[d]
“There is no accountability,
since God does not exist.”(F)
His ways are always secure;[e]
Your lofty judgments are beyond his sight;
he scoffs at all his adversaries.(G)
He says to himself, “I will never be moved—
from generation to generation without calamity.”(H)
Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.(I)
He waits in ambush near the villages;(J)
he kills the innocent in secret places.
His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;(K)
he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.
He lurks in order to seize the afflicted;
he seizes the afflicted and drags him in his net.
10 So he is oppressed and beaten down;
the helpless fall because of his strength.(L)
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He hides His face and will never see.”(M)

12 Rise up, Lord God! Lift up Your hand.(N)
Do not forget the afflicted.(O)
13 Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”(P)
14 But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.(Q)
The helpless entrusts himself to You;
You are a helper of the fatherless.(R)
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil person;(S)
call his wickedness into account
until nothing remains of it.[f](T)

16 The Lord is King forever and ever;(U)
the nations will perish from His land.(V)
17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;[g]
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,(W)
18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Some Hb mss, LXX connect Pss 9–10.
  2. Psalm 10:1 Together these 2 psalms form a partial acrostic.
  3. Psalm 10:3 Or he blesses the greedy
  4. Psalm 10:4 Lit wicked according to the height of his nose
  5. Psalm 10:5 Or prosperous
  6. Psalm 10:15 Lit account You do not find
  7. Psalm 10:17 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read afflicted

A prayer for the overthrow of the wicked.

10 Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah?
Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
In the pride of the wicked [a]the poor [b]is hotly pursued;
[c]Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire,
And [d]the covetous renounceth, yea, [e]contemneth Jehovah.
The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not require it.
All his thoughts are, There is no God.
His ways are [f]firm at all times;
Thy judgments are far above out of his sight:
As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.
He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved;
To all generations I shall not be in adversity.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and [g]oppression:
Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages;
In the secret places doth he murder the innocent;
His eyes are privily set against the [h]helpless.
He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert;
He lieth in wait to catch the poor:
He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net.
10 [i]He croucheth, he boweth down,
And the [j]helpless fall by his strong ones.
11 He saith in his heart: God hath forgotten;
He hideth his face, he will never see it.
12 Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand:
Forget not the [k]poor.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God,
And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it?
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest [l]mischief and spite, [m]to requite it with thy hand:
The [n]helpless committeth himself unto thee;
Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked;
And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 Jehovah is King for ever and ever:
The [o]nations are perished out of his land.
17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek:
Thou wilt [p]prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:2 Or, he doth hotly pursue the poor
  2. Psalm 10:2 Hebrew is set on fire.
  3. Psalm 10:2 Or, They are taken
  4. Psalm 10:3 Or, blesseth the covetous, but contemneth etc.
  5. Psalm 10:3 Or, revileth
  6. Psalm 10:5 Or, grievous
  7. Psalm 10:7 Or, fraud
  8. Psalm 10:8 Or, hapless
  9. Psalm 10:10 Another reading is, And being crushed.
  10. Psalm 10:10 Or, hapless
  11. Psalm 10:12 Or, meek
  12. Psalm 10:14 Or, travail and grief
  13. Psalm 10:14 Or, to take it into thy hand
  14. Psalm 10:14 Or, hapless
  15. Psalm 10:16 Or, heathen
  16. Psalm 10:17 Or, establish

10 Why, Jehovah, dost Thou stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity,

Through the pride of the wicked, Is the poor inflamed, They are caught in devices that they devised.

Because the wicked hath boasted Of the desire of his soul, And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed, He hath despised Jehovah.

The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. `God is not!' [are] all his devices.

Pain do his ways at all times, On high [are] Thy judgments before him, All his adversaries -- he puffeth at them.

He hath said in his heart, `I am not moved,' To generation and generation not in evil.

Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue [is] perverseness and iniquity,

He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly,

He lieth in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor, He catcheth the poor, drawing him into his net.

10 He is bruised -- he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted.

11 He said in his heart, `God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'

12 Arise, O Jehovah! O God, lift up Thy hand! Forget not the humble.

13 Wherefore hath the wicked despised God? He hath said in his heart, `It is not required.'

14 Thou hast seen, For Thou perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand, On Thee doth the afflicted leave [it], Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, Seek out his wickedness, find none;

16 Jehovah [is] king to the age, and for ever, The nations have perished out of His land!

17 The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend,

18 To judge the fatherless and bruised: He addeth no more to oppress -- man of the earth!