Add parallel Print Page Options

10 Why do you stand far off, Yahweh?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak.
    They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings.
    He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.
The wicked, in the pride of his face,
    has no room in his thoughts for God.
His ways are prosperous at all times.
    He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight.
As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
    He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken.
    For generations I shall have no trouble.”
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression.
    Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
He lies in wait near the villages.
    From ambushes, he murders the innocent.
His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush.
    He lies in wait to catch the helpless.
    He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.
10 The helpless are crushed.
    They collapse.
    They fall under his strength.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
    He hides his face.
    He will never see it.”

12 Arise, Yahweh!
    God, lift up your hand!
    Don’t forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked person condemn God,
    and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?”
14 But you do see trouble and grief.
    You consider it to take it into your hand.
    You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked.
    As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
16 Yahweh is King forever and ever!
    The nations will perish out of his land.
17 Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble.
    You will prepare their heart.
    You will cause your ear to hear,
18     to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
    that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

Psalm 10

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

[a]Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
    let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.(A)

For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart;
    those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.(B)
In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”;
    all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”(C)

Their ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, out of their sight;
    as for their foes, they scoff at them.
They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”(D)

Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
    under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.(E)
They sit in ambush in the villages;
    in hiding places they murder the innocent.

Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;(F)
    they lurk in secret like a lion in its den;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
    they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.(G)

10 They stoop, they crouch,
    and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, “God has forgotten;
    he has hidden his face; he will never see it.”(H)

12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
    do not forget the oppressed.(I)
13 Why do the wicked renounce God
    and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?

14 But you do see! Indeed, you note trouble and grief,
    that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
    you have been the helper of the orphan.(J)

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
    seek out their wickedness until you find none.(K)
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
    the nations shall perish from his land.(L)

17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear(M)
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
    so that those from earth may strike terror no more.[b](N)

Footnotes

  1. 10.1 Psalms 9–10 were originally one psalm, as in the Greek and Latin traditions. In Hebrew, Psalms 9–10 formed an acrostic.
  2. 10.18 Meaning of Heb uncertain