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Do Not Forget the Afflicted

Lamedh

10 [a]Why (A)do You stand afar off, O Yahweh?
Why (B)do You hide [b]Yourself in times of distress?
In his (C)lofty pride the wicked [c]hotly pursues the afflicted;
[d]Let them be (D)caught in the thoughts which they have devised.

For the wicked (E)boasts of his (F)soul’s desire,
And [e]the greedy man curses and (G)spurns Yahweh.
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, (H)does not seek Him.
All his [f]thoughts are, “(I)There is no God.”

His ways [g](J)prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, (K)out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
He says in his heart, “(L)I will not be shaken;
[h]From generation to generation (M)I will not be in adversity.”

Pe

His (N)mouth is full of curses and deceit and (O)oppression;
(P)Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

Ayin

He sits in the [i](Q)places of the villages where one lies in wait;
In the hiding places he (R)kills the innocent;
His eyes [j]stealthily watch for the [k](S)unfortunate.
He lies in wait in a hiding place as (T)a lion in his [l]lair;
He (U)lies in wait to catch (V)the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his (W)net.
10 He [m]crouches, he [n]bows down,
And the [o]unfortunate fall [p]by his mighty ones.
11 He (X)says in his heart, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Qoph

12 Arise, O Yahweh; O God, (Y)lift up Your hand.
(Z)Do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why has the wicked (AA)spurned God?
He has said in his heart, “You will not require it.”

Resh

14 You have seen it, for You have beheld (AB)mischief and vexation to [q]take it into Your hand.
The [r](AC)unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the (AD)helper of the orphan.

Shin

15 (AE)Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
[s](AF)Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 Yahweh is (AG)King forever and ever;
(AH)Nations have perished from His land.

Tav

17 O Yahweh, You have heard the (AI)desire of the [t]humble;
You will (AJ)strengthen their heart, (AK)You will cause Your ear to give heed
18 To give justice to the (AL)orphan and the (AM)oppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause (AN)terror.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 This poem continues the acrostic pattern started in Ps 9
  2. Psalm 10:1 Or Your eyes
  3. Psalm 10:2 Lit burn
  4. Psalm 10:2 Or They will be caught
  5. Psalm 10:3 Or blesses the greedy man
  6. Psalm 10:4 Or plots
  7. Psalm 10:5 Lit are strong
  8. Psalm 10:6 Lit To
  9. Psalm 10:8 Lit place of lying in wait
  10. Psalm 10:8 Lit lie hidden
  11. Psalm 10:8 Or poor
  12. Psalm 10:9 Or thicket
  13. Psalm 10:10 Or is crushed
  14. Psalm 10:10 Or is bowed down
  15. Psalm 10:10 Or poor
  16. Psalm 10:10 Or into his claws
  17. Psalm 10:14 Lit give
  18. Psalm 10:14 Or poor
  19. Psalm 10:15 Or May You seek
  20. Psalm 10:17 Or afflicted, cf. Ps 10:12

A Prayer for God to Throw down the Wicked

10 Why, O Yahweh, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide[a] during times of distress?
In arrogance the wicked persecutes[b] the poor.
Let them be caught in the schemes that they devised,
for the wicked boasts about the desire of his heart,[c]
and the one greedy for gain curses and treats Yahweh with contempt.
With bald-faced pride[d] the wicked will not seek God.
There is no God in any of his thoughts.
His ways[e] endure at all times.[f]
Your judgments are aloof from him.
As for all his enemies, he scoffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved
throughout all generations,[g] during which I will have no trouble.”
His mouth is filled with cursing,
with deceits and oppression;
under his tongue are trouble and evil.
He sits in ambush in villages;
in the hiding places he kills the innocent.
His eyes lurk[h] for the helpless.
He lies in ambush secretly,[i] like a lion in a thicket.
He lies in ambush to seize the poor;
he seizes the poor by catching him in his net.
10 He is crushed;[j] he is bowed down;[k]
so[l] the helpless host[m] falls by his might.[n]
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
He has hidden his face.
He never sees.”
12 Rise up, O Yahweh;
O God, lift up your hand.
Do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked treat God with contempt?
He says in his heart, “You will not call me to account.”
14 But you have seen; indeed you have noted trouble and grief
to take it into your hand.
The helpless abandons himself upon you;
you have been the helper for the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked,
and as for the evil man
seek out his wickedness until you find none.
16 Yahweh is king forever and ever;
the nations have perished from his land.
17 The longing of the afflicted you have heard, O Yahweh.
You will make their heart secure. You will listen attentively[o]
18 to render judgment for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that a mere mortal from the earth will no longer cause terror.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Or “shut your eyes
  2. Psalm 10:2 Or “pursues”
  3. Psalm 10:3 Literally “soul”
  4. Psalm 10:4 Literally “According to the height of his nose”
  5. Psalm 10:5 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  6. Psalm 10:5 Hebrew “time”
  7. Psalm 10:6 Literally “for a generation and a generation”
  8. Psalm 10:8 Literally “lie hid”
  9. Psalm 10:9 Literally “in the secret places”
  10. Psalm 10:10 Or “and he the wicked stoops”
  11. Psalm 10:10 Or “he the wicked crouches”
  12. Psalm 10:10 Or “and”
  13. Psalm 10:10 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  14. Psalm 10:10 Literally “mighty ones”
  15. Psalm 10:17 Literally “cause your ear to hear”