1. Why do you stand so far away, Lord, hiding yourself in troubling times?
2. Meanwhile, the wicked are proudlyin hot pursuit of those who suffer.Let them get caughtin the very same schemes they’ve thought up!
3. The wicked brag about their body’s cravings;the greedy reject the Lord, cursing.
4. At the peak of their wrath,the wicked don’t seek God:There’s no God—that’s what they are always thinking.
5. Their ways are always twisted.Your rules are too lofty for them.They snort at all their foes.
6. They think to themselves,We’ll never stumble.We’ll never encounter any resistance.
7. Their mouths are filledwith curses, dishonesty, violence.Under their tongues lietroublemaking and wrongdoing.
8. They wait in a place perfect for ambush;from their hiding placesthey kill innocent people;their eyes spot those who are helpless.
9. They lie in ambushin secret places,like a lion in its lair.They lie in ambushso they can seize those who suffer!They seize the poor, all right,dragging them off in their nets.
10. Their helpless victims are crushed;they collapse, falling prey to the strength of the wicked.
11. The wicked think to themselves:God has forgotten.God has hidden his face.God never sees anything!
12. Get up, Lord!Get your fist ready, God!Don’t forget the ones who suffer!
13. Why do the wicked reject God?Why do they think to themselvesthat you won’t find out?
14. But you do see!You do see troublemaking and grief,and you do something about it!The helpless leave it all to you.You are the orphan’s helper.
15. Break the arms of thosewho are wicked and evil.Seek out their wickednessuntil there’s no more to find.
16. The Lord rules forever and always!The nations will vanish from his land.
17. Lord, you listen to the desires of those who suffer.You steady their hearts;you listen closely to them,
18. to establish justicefor the orphan and the oppressed,so that people of the landwill never again be terrified.