Psalm 10

Why do you stand so far off, O Lord, and hide your face in the time of need and trouble?

The ungodly in his pride persecutes the poor; let him be taken in the crafty schemes that he has imagined.

For the ungodly has boasted of his own heart’s desire; the covetous holds the Lord in contempt and blasphemes his Name.

The ungodly is so proud that he cares not for God; neither is God in any of his thoughts.

His ways are always grievous; your judgments are far above, out of his sight, and therefore he defies all his enemies.

For he has said in his heart, “I shall never be cast down; no harm shall happen to me.”

His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud; under his tongue are ungodliness and vanity.

He sits lurking in the thievish corners of the streets, and in his hiding places he murders the innocent; his eyes are set against the poor.

For he lies waiting secretly, even as a lion lurks in his den, that he may ravish the poor.

He ravishes the poor when he gets him into his net.

The innocent is crushed and humbled before him, and the weak cannot stand against his might.

He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; he hides away his face, and he will never see it.”

Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand; forget not the poor.

Why should the wicked blaspheme God, while he says in his heart, “You, O God, do not care”?

Surely you have seen it, for you behold ungodliness and wrong, that you may take the matter into your hand.

The poor commits himself unto you, for you are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the power of the ungodly and malicious; search out his ungodliness until you have brought it all to light.

The Lord is King for ever and ever, and the nations have perished out of the land.

O Lord, you have heard the desire of the poor; you prepare their heart, and your ear hearkens to it,

To help the fatherless and poor with justice, that the one who is of the earth may terrify no more.