1 W hy do You stand afar off, O Lord ? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?

Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

2 I n pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.

3 F or the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, And the covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth Jehovah.

4 T he wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “ There is no God.”

The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not require it. All his thoughts are, There is no God.

5 H is ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.

His ways are firm at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.

6 H e says to himself, “ I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.”

He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; To all generations I shall not be in adversity.

7 H is mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

8 H e sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

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 helpless.

9 H e lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

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 H e crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

He croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless fall by his strong ones.

11 H e says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten; He hideth his face; he will never see it.

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

Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: Forget not the poor.

13 W hy has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.”

Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it?

14 Y ou have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan.

Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: The helpless committeth himself unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

15 B reak the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16 T he Lord is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land.

Jehovah is King for ever and ever: The nations are perished out of his land.

17 O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;

18 T o vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.