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 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.