Add parallel Print Page Options

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

10 Why dost thou stand afar off, O Lord?
    Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them be caught in the schemes which they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his heart,
    and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him;
    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

His ways prosper at all times;
    thy judgments are on high, out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He thinks in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in hiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the hapless,
    he lurks in secret like a lion in his covert;
he lurks that he may seize the poor,
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10 The hapless is crushed, sinks down,
    and falls by his might.
11 He thinks in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thy hand;
    forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God,
    and say in his heart, “Thou wilt not call to account”?

14 Thou dost see; yea, thou dost note trouble and vexation,
    that thou mayst take it into thy hands;
the hapless commits himself to thee;
    thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The Lord is king for ever and ever;
    the nations shall perish from his land.

17 O Lord, thou wilt hear the desire of the meek;
    thou wilt strengthen their heart, thou wilt incline thy ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

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