1 Why, Jehovah, standest thou afar off? {Why} hidest thou thyself in times of distress?2 The wicked, in his pride, doth hotly pursue the afflicted. They shall be taken in the devices that they have imagined.3 For the wicked boasteth of his soul's desire, and he blesseth the covetous; he contemneth Jehovah.4 The wicked {saith}, in the haughtiness of his countenance, He doth not search out: all his thoughts are, There is no God!5 His ways always succeed; 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; from generation to generation I shall be in no 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 slay the innocent: his eyes watch for the wretched.9 He lieth in wait secretly, like a lion in his thicket; he lieth in wait to catch the afflicted: he doth catch the afflicted, drawing him into his net.10 He croucheth, he boweth down, that the wretched may 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, Jehovah; O *God, lift up thy hand: forget not the afflicted.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require {it}.14 Thou hast seen {it}, for thou thyself beholdest trouble and vexation, to requite by thy hand. The wretched 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 have perished out of his land.17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek, thou hast established their heart: thou causest thine ear to hear,18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed one, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.

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 luister18 om aan die wees en verdrukte reg te doen. Geen mens uit die aarde sal langer voortgaan om skrik aan te jaag nie.