1 o HERE, waarom staan U so ver weg en hou U verborge in tye van benoudheid?
2 In sy trotsheid vervolg die goddelose die ellendige. Laat hulle gegryp word in die listige planne wat hulle uitgedink het!
3 Want die goddelose juig oor die begeerte van sy siel; en hy seën hom wat onregverdige wins maak, hy verag die HERE.
4 Die goddelose, met sy neus in die hoogte, sê: Hy ondersoek nie: daar is geen God nie -- dit is al sy gedagtes!
5 Sy weë is altyd voorspoedig; hoog daarbo is u gerigte, weg van hom af; al sy teëstanders -- hy blaas op hulle.
6 Hy sê in sy hart: Ek sal nie wankel nie; van geslag tot geslag is ek die een wat nie in die ongeluk sal wees nie.
7 Sy mond is vol van vloek en van bedrog en verdrukking; onder sy tong is moeite en onreg.
8 Hy sit in die hinderlae by die dorpe; in skuilplekke maak hy die onskuldige dood; sy oë loer op die ongelukkige.
9 Hy loer in die skuilhoek soos 'n leeu in sy lêplek; hy loer om die ellendige te vang; hy vang die ellendige deur sy net toe te trek;
10 en verbryseld sink die terneer, en die ongelukkiges val in sy mag.
11 Hy sê in sy hart: God vergeet dit; Hy verberg sy aangesig; vir ewig sien Hy dit nie.
12 Staan op, HERE! o God, hef u hand op; vergeet die ellendiges nie!
13 Die goddelose, waarom verag hy God en sê in sy hart: U soek dit nie?
14 U het dit gesien; want U aanskou die moeite en verdriet, sodat 'n mens dit in u hand sal gee. Aan U gee die ongelukkige dit oor; U was 'n helper van die wees.
15 Verbreek die arm van die goddelose en slegte; besoek sy goddeloosheid totdat U niks vind nie!
16 Die HERE is Koning vir ewig en altyd; die heidene het vergaan uit sy land.
17 HERE, U het die begeerte van die ootmoediges gehoor; U sal hulle hart versterk, u oor sal luister
18 om aan die wees en verdrukte reg te doen. Geen mens uit die aarde sal langer voortgaan om skrik aan te jaag nie.
1 Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah?
Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2 In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued;
Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire,
And the covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth Jehovah.
4 The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not require it.
All his thoughts are, There is no God.
5 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 He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved;
To all generations I shall not be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression:
Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
8 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 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 He croucheth, he boweth down,
And the helpless fall by his strong ones.
11 He saith in his heart: God hath forgotten;
He hideth his face, he will never see it.
12 Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand:
Forget not the poor.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God,
And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it?
14 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 Break thou the arm of the wicked;
And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 Jehovah is King for ever and ever:
The nations are perished out of his land.
17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek:
Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.