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

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

2 T he wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; 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; He blesses the greedy and renounces 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 his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

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

5 H is ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he 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 has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never 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 and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

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 secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.

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 lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches 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 S o he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength.

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

11 H e has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides 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! Do not forget the humble.

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

13 W hy do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account. ”

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

14 B ut You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless 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 and the evil man; 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; The nations have perished out of His land.

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

17 L ord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; 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, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

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