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 do you keep far away, O Lord? why are you not to be seen in times of trouble?
2 The evil-doer in his pride is cruel to the poor; let him be taken by the tricks of his invention.
3 For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him.
4 The evil-doer in his pride says, God will not make a search. All his thoughts are, There is no God.
5 His ways are ever fixed; your decisions are higher than he may see: as for his haters, they are as nothing to him.
6 He has said in his heart, I will not be moved: through all generations I will never be in trouble.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts.
8 He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor.
9 He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net.
10 The upright are crushed and made low, and the feeble are overcome by his strong ones.
11 He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it.
12 Up! O Lord; let your hand be lifted: give thought to the poor.
13 Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it?
14 You have seen it; for your eyes are on sorrow and grief, to take it into your hand: the poor man puts his faith in you; you have been the helper of the child who has no father.
15 Let the arm of the sinner and the evil-doer be broken; go on searching for his sin till there is no more.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations are gone from his land.
17 Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing:
18 To give decision for the child without a father and for the broken-hearted, so that the man of the earth may no longer be feared.