1 Why stand you afar off, O LORD? why hide you yourself in times of trouble?

2 The wicked in his pride does persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart' desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the LORD abhors.

4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

5 His ways are always grievous; your judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffs at them.

6 He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places does he murder the innocent: his eyes are privately set against the poor.

9 He lies in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to catch the poor: he does catch the poor, when he draws him into his net.

10 He crouches, and humbles himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

11 He has said in his heart, God has forgotten: he hides his face; he will never see it.

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand: forget not the humble.

13 Why does the wicked scorn God? he has said in his heart, You will not require it.

14 You have seen it; for you behold mischief and spite, to requite it with your hand: the poor commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break you the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till you find none.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble: you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear:

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

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.