1 Why stand so far off, O Lord? ♦︎
Why hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked in their pride persecute the poor; ♦︎
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their hearts desire; ♦︎
the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
4 The wicked in their arrogance say, God will not avenge it; ♦︎
in all their scheming God counts for nothing.
5 They are stubborn in all their ways,
for your judgements are far above out of their sight; ♦︎
they scoff at all their adversaries.
6 They say in their heart, I shall not be shaken; ♦︎
no harm shall ever happen to me.
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit and fraud; ♦︎
under their tongue lie mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in the outskirts
and in dark alleys they murder the innocent; ♦︎
their eyes are ever watching for the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in his den;
they lie in wait to seize the poor; ♦︎
they seize the poor when they get them into their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; ♦︎
the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, God has forgotten; ♦︎
he hides his face away; he will never see it.
12 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand; ♦︎
forget not the poor.
13 Why should the wicked be scornful of God? ♦︎
Why should they say in their hearts, You will not avenge it?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; ♦︎
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, ♦︎
for you are the helper of the orphan.
16 Break the power of the wicked and malicious; ♦︎
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever; ♦︎
the nations shall perish from his land.
18 Lord, you will hear the desire of the poor; ♦︎
you will incline your ear to the fullness of their heart,
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, ♦︎
so that people are no longer driven in terror from the land.
1 The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. ♦︎
Corrupt are they, and abominable in their wickedness;
there is no one that does good.
2 The Lord has looked down from heaven
upon the children of earth, ♦︎
to see if there is anyone who is wise
and seeks after God.
3 But every one has turned back;
all alike have become corrupt: ♦︎
there is none that does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers, ♦︎
who eat up my people as if they ate bread
and do not call upon the Lord?
5 There shall they be in great fear; ♦︎
for God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Though they would confound the counsel of the poor, ♦︎
yet the Lord shall be their refuge.
7 O that Israels salvation would come out of Zion! ♦︎
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
then will Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.