Psalms 10:1-18

Psalms 10:1-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account.” But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:1-18 The Message (MSG)

GOD, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you? Full of hot air, the wicked are hot on the trail of the poor. Trip them up, tangle them up in their fine-tuned plots. The wicked are windbags, the swindlers have foul breath. The wicked snub GOD, their noses stuck high in the air. Their graffiti are scrawled on the walls: “Catch us if you can!” “God is dead.” They care nothing for what you think; if you get in their way, they blow you off. They live (they think) a charmed life: “We can’t go wrong. This is our lucky year!” They carry a mouthful of spells, their tongues spit venom like adders. They hide behind ordinary people, then pounce on their victims. They mark the luckless, then wait like a hunter in a blind; When the poor wretch wanders too close, they stab him in the back. The hapless fool is kicked to the ground, the unlucky victim is brutally axed. He thinks God has dumped him, he’s sure that God is indifferent to his plight. Time to get up, GOD—get moving. The luckless think they’re Godforsaken. They wonder why the wicked scorn God and get away with it, Why the wicked are so cocksure they’ll never come up for audit. But you know all about it— the contempt, the abuse. I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you. You won’t let them down: orphans won’t be orphans forever. Break the wicked right arms, break all the evil left arms. Search and destroy every sign of crime. GOD’s grace and order wins; godlessness loses. The victim’s faint pulse picks up; the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood as you put your ear to their lips. Orphans get parents, the homeless get homes. The reign of terror is over, the rule of the gang lords is ended.

Psalms 10:1-18 King James Version (KJV)

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, And blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: For I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: Under his tongue is mischief and vanity. 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. 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. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, That the poor may fall by his strong ones. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: He hideth his face; he will never see it. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: Forget not the humble. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. 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. Break thou the arm of the wicked And the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none. The LORD is King for ever and ever: The heathen are perished out of his land. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Psalms 10:1-18 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. He says to himself, “I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.” His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.” You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

Psalms 10:1-18 New Century Version (NCV)

LORD, why are you so far away? Why do you hide when there is trouble? Proudly the wicked chase down those who suffer. Let them be caught in their own traps. They brag about the things they want. They bless the greedy but hate the LORD. The wicked people are too proud. They do not look for God; there is no room for God in their thoughts. They always succeed. They are far from keeping your laws; they make fun of their enemies. They say to themselves, “Nothing bad will ever happen to me; I will never be ruined.” Their mouths are full of curses, lies, and threats; they use their tongues for sin and evil. They hide near the villages. They look for innocent people to kill; they watch in secret for the helpless. They wait in hiding like a lion. They wait to catch poor people; they catch the poor in nets. The poor are thrown down and crushed; they are defeated because the others are stronger. The wicked think, “God has forgotten us. He doesn’t see what is happening.” LORD, rise up and punish the wicked. Don’t forget those who need help. Why do wicked people hate God? They say to themselves, “God won’t punish us.” LORD, surely you see these cruel and evil things; look at them and do something. People in trouble look to you for help. You are the one who helps the orphans. Break the power of wicked people. Punish them for the evil they have done. The LORD is King forever and ever. Destroy from your land those nations that do not worship you. LORD, you have heard what the poor people want. Do what they ask, and listen to them. Protect the orphans and put an end to suffering so they will no longer be afraid of evil people.

Psalms 10:1-18 American Standard Version (ASV)

Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, And the covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth Jehovah. The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not require it. All his thoughts are, There is no God. His ways are firm at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them. He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; To all generations I shall not be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. 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 helpless. He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net. He croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless fall by his strong ones. He saith in his heart: God hath forgotten; He hideth his face, he will never see it. Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: Forget not the poor. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it? Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: The helpless committeth himself unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless. Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none. Jehovah is King for ever and ever: The nations are perished out of his land. Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.

Psalms 10:1-18 New International Version (NIV)

Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.” His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.” Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out. The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

Psalms 10:1-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Why do You stand far away, O LORD? Why do You hide [Yourself, veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble? In pride and arrogance the wicked hotly pursue and persecute the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts and sings the praises of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns [and even despises] the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his face, will not seek nor inquire for Him; All his thoughts are, “There is no God [so there is no accountability or punishment].” His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments [LORD] are on high, out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He says to himself, “I will not be moved; For throughout all generations I will not be in adversity [for nothing bad will happen to me].” His mouth is full of curses and deceit (fraud) and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness [injustice and sin]. He lurks in ambush in the villages; In hiding places he kills the innocent; He lies in wait for the unfortunate [the unhappy, the poor, the helpless]. He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair; He lies in wait to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. He crushes [his prey] and crouches; And the unfortunate fall by his mighty claws. He says to himself, “God has [quite] forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see my deed.” Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand [in judgment]; Do not forget the suffering. Why has the wicked spurned and shown disrespect to God? He has said to himself, “You will not require me to account.” You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find no more. The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations will perish from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear, To vindicate and obtain justice for the fatherless and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer terrify them.

Psalms 10:1-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble? The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others. For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD. The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies. They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!” Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues. They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims. Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets. Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked. The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!” Arise, O LORD! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, “God will never call us to account.” But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans. Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed. The LORD is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.

Psalms 10:1-18 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Lord, why do you seem so far away when evil is near? Why have you hidden yourself when I need you the most? The arrogant in their elitist pride persecute the poor and helpless. May you pour out upon them the very evil they’ve dreamed up against others! How they brag and boast of their cravings, exalting the greedy. They congratulate themselves as they despise you— these arrogant ones, so smug and secure! In their delusion the wicked boast, saying, “God doesn’t care about what we do. There’s nothing to worry about!” So successful are they in their schemes and prosperous in all their plans! Your laws are far from them; they scoff at their enemies. They boast that neither God nor men will bring them down. They sneer at all their enemies, saying in their hearts, “We’ll have success in all we do and never have to face trouble.” Their mouths spew out cursing, lies, and threats. Only trouble and turmoil come from all their plans. Like beasts lurking in the shadows of the city, they crouch silently in ambush, waiting for the innocent to pass by. Pouncing on the poor, they catch them in their snare to murder their prey in secret as they plunder their helpless victims. They crush the lowly as they fall beneath their brutal blows, watching their victims collapse in defeat! Then they say to themselves, “The Lofty One is not watching while we do this. He doesn’t even care! We can get away with it!” Now arise, YAHWEH-God! Crush them once and for all! Don’t forget the helpless and oppressed. How dare the wicked think they’ll reject God and escape judgment. They say to themselves, “God won’t hold me accountable.” Lord, I know you see all that they’re doing, noting their each and every deed. You know the trouble and turmoil they’ve caused. Now punish them thoroughly for all that they’ve done! The poor and helpless ones trust in you, Lord, for you are famous for being the helper of the fatherless. I know you won’t let them down. Break the power of the wicked and all their strong-arm tactics. Search them out and destroy them for the evil things they’ve done. You, YAHWEH, are King forever and ever! All the nations will perish from your land. YAHWEH, you have heard the desires of the humble and seen their hopes. You will hear their cries and encourage their hearts. The orphans and the oppressed will be terrified no longer, for you will bring them justice, and no earth-dweller will trouble them again.

Psalms 10:1-18 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.