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

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

2 I n pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots 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 boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns 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, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “ 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 prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts 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 says to himself, “ I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not 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 curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue perverseness 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 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 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 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 H e crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

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

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

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. Do not forget the afflicted.

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

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

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

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, 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 and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

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

16 T he Lord is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from 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 of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

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

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 bruised: He addeth no more to oppress -- man of the earth!