Psalm - The Old Testament

¹ Why, Yahweh, do you keep so distant, stay hidden in times of trouble?

² In his pride the wicked hunts down the weak, who is caught in the schemes he devises.

³ The wicked is proud of his inmost desires, by his blasphemies the grasping spurns Yahweh,

⁴ the wicked in his arrogance does not look very far; 'There is no God,' is his only thought.

⁵ In all circumstances his step is assured; your judgements are above his head. His rivals? He scoffs at them all.

⁶ He says in his heart, 'I shall never be shaken,' free of trouble himself,

⁷ he wishes it on others. His speech is full of lies and browbeating, under his tongue lurk spite and wickedness.

⁸ In the undergrowth he lies in ambush, in his hiding-place he murders the innocent. He watches intently for the downtrodden,

⁹ lurking unseen like a lion in his lair, lurking to pounce on the poor; he pounces on him and drags him off in his net.

¹⁰ He keeps watch, crouching down low, the poor wretch falls into his clutches;

¹¹ he says in his heart, 'God forgets, he has turned away his face to avoid seeing the end.'

¹² Rise, Yahweh! God, raise your hand, do not forget the afflicted!

¹³ Why should the wicked spurn God, assuring himself you will never follow it up?

¹⁴ You have seen for yourself the trouble and vexation, you watch so as to take it in hand. The oppressed relies on you; you are the only recourse of the orphan.

¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and evil, seek out wickedness till there is none left to be found.

¹⁶ Yahweh is king for ever and ever, the heathen has vanished from his country.

¹⁷ Yahweh, you listen to the laments of the poor, you give them courage, you grant them a hearing,

¹⁸ to give judgement for the orphaned and exploited, so that earthborn humans may strike terror no more.