1 W hy do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself, in times of trouble (distress and desperation)?

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

2 T he wicked in pride and arrogance hotly pursue and persecute the poor; let them be taken in the schemes which they have devised.

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

3 F or the wicked man boasts (sings the praises) of his own heart’s desire, and the one greedy for gain curses and spurns, yes, renounces and despises the Lord.

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

4 T he wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God.

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

5 H is ways are grievous at all times; Your judgments are far above and on high out of his sight; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them.

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

6 H e thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity.

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

7 H is mouth is full of cursing, deceit, oppression (fraud); under his tongue are trouble and sin (mischief and iniquity).

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

8 H e sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he slays the innocent; he watches stealthily for the poor (the helpless and unfortunate).

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

9 H e lurks in secret places like a lion in his thicket; he lies in wait that he may seize the poor (the helpless and the unfortunate); he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

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 i s crushed, sinks down; and the helpless falls by his mighty.

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

11 t hinks in his heart, God has quite forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see.

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

12 A rise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the humble.

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

13 W hy does the wicked condemn (spurn and renounce) God? Why has he thought in his heart, You will not call to account?

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

14 Y ou have seen it; yes, You note trouble and grief (vexation) to requite it with Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

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

15 B reak the arm of the wicked man; and as for the evil man, search out his wickedness until You find no more.

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

16 T he Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish out of His land.

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

17 O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen and direct their hearts, You will cause Your ear to hear,

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

18 T o do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man, who is of the earth, may not terrify them any more.

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