1 Why
standest thou afar
off, O
LORD? why
hidest thou thyself in
times of
trouble?
2 The
wicked in his
pride doth
persecute the
poor: let them be
taken in the
devices that they have
imagined.
3 For the
wicked boasteth of his
hearts desire, and
blesseth the
covetous, whom the
LORD abhorreth.
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; thy
judgments are far
above out of his sight: as for all his
enemies, he
puffeth at them.
6 He hath
said in his
heart, I shall not be
moved: for I shall
never dowr#
be in
adversity.
7 His
mouth is
full of
cursing and
deceit and
fraud: under his
tongue is
mischief and
vanity.
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
poor.
9 He lieth in
wait secretly as a
lion in his
den: he lieth in
wait to
catch the
poor: he doth
catch the
poor, when he
draweth him into his
net.
10 He
croucheth, and
humbleth himself, that the
poor chel@
may
fall by his strong
ones.
11 He hath
said in his
heart,
God hath
forgotten: he
hideth his
face; he will
never see it.
12 Arise, O
LORD; O
God, lift
up thine
hand:
forget not the
humble #
.
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
beholdest mischief and
spite, to
requite it with thy
hand: the
poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the
helper of the
fatherless.
15 Break thou the
arm of the
wicked and the
evil man: seek
out his
wickedness till thou
find none.
16 The
LORD is
King for
ever and
ever: the
heathen are
perished out of his
land.
17 LORD, thou hast
heard the
desire of the
humble: thou wilt
prepare their
heart, thou wilt cause thine
ear to
hear:
18 To
judge the
fatherless and the
oppressed, that the
man of the
earth may no
more oppress.