Psalm 10
English Standard Version
Why Do You Hide Yourself?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them (D)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked (E)boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain (F)curses[a] and (G)renounces the Lord.
4 In the pride of his face[b] the wicked does not (H)seek him;[c]
all his thoughts are, (I)“There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, (J)out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he (K)puffs at them.
6 He (L)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I (M)shall not meet adversity.”
7 (N)His mouth is filled with cursing and (O)deceit and (P)oppression;
(Q)under his tongue are (R)mischief and (S)iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in (T)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like (U)a lion in his (V)thicket;
he (W)lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his (X)net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has (Y)hidden his face, he (Z)will never see it.”
12 (AA)Arise, O Lord; O God, (AB)lift up your hand;
(AC)forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked (AD)renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not (AE)call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you (AF)note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless (AG)commits himself;
you have been (AH)the helper of the fatherless.
15 (AI)Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
(AJ)call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 (AK)The Lord is king forever and ever;
the (AL)nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will (AM)strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to (AN)do justice to the fatherless and (AO)the oppressed,
so that (AP)man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Footnotes
- Psalm 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain
- Psalm 10:4 Or of his anger
- Psalm 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”
Psalm 10
Common English Bible
Psalm 10[a]
10 Why do you stand so far away, Lord,
hiding yourself in troubling times?
2 Meanwhile, the wicked are proudly
in hot pursuit of those who suffer.
Let them get caught
in the very same schemes they’ve thought up!
3 The wicked brag about their body’s[b] cravings;
the greedy reject the Lord, cursing.
4 At the peak of their wrath,
the wicked don’t seek God:
There’s no God—
that’s what they are always thinking.
5 Their ways are always twisted.
Your rules are too lofty for them.
They snort at all their foes.
6 They think to themselves,
We’ll never stumble.
We’ll never encounter any resistance.
7 Their mouths are filled
with curses, dishonesty, violence.
Under their tongues lie
troublemaking and wrongdoing.
8 They wait in a place perfect for ambush;[c]
from their hiding places
they kill innocent people;
their eyes spot those who are helpless.
9 They lie in ambush
in secret places,
like a lion in its lair.
They lie in ambush
so they can seize those who suffer!
They seize the poor, all right,
dragging them off in their nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed;
they collapse, falling prey to the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think to themselves:
God has forgotten.
God has hidden his face.
God never sees anything!
12 Get up, Lord!
Get your fist ready, God!
Don’t forget the ones who suffer!
13 Why do the wicked reject God?
Why do they think to themselves
that you won’t find out?
14 But you do see!
You do see troublemaking and grief,
and you do something about it!
The helpless leave it all to you.
You are the orphan’s helper.
15 Break the arms of those
who are wicked and evil.
Seek out their wickedness
until there’s no more to find.
16 The Lord rules forever and always!
The nations will vanish from his land.
17 Lord, you listen to the desires of those who suffer.
You steady their hearts;
you listen closely to them,
18 to establish justice
for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that people of the land
will never again be terrified.
Footnotes
- Psalm 10:1 Pss 9 and 10 contain part of an acrostic poem and might originally be one poem in Heb.
- Psalm 10:3 Or soul’s
- Psalm 10:8 Heb uncertain
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible