10
1 Yahweh, it seems that you are far away from us.Why do you not pay attention when we have troubles?
2 People who are proud eagerly cause poor people to suffer.
So cause what they do to others to happen to them! May they be caught in the same traps that they set to catch others!
3 They boast about the evil things that they want to do.
They praise people who seize from others things that do not belong to them, and they curse you, Yahweh.
4 The wicked people are very proud.
As a result, they are not concerned about God;
they do not even think that God exists.
5 But it seems that they succeed in everything that they do.
They do not think that they will be condemned for their deeds,
and they sneer at their enemies.
6 In their inner beings they think, “Nothing bad will happen to us!
We will never have troubles!”
7 When they talk, they are always cursing, lying, and threatening to harm others.
They constantly say evil things that show that they are ready to do cruel things to others.
8 They hide in villages, ready to ambush and kill people who have done nothing wrong.
They constantly search for people who will not be able to defend themselves when they are attacked.
9 They are like lions that crouch down and hide,
waiting to pounce on some animal.
They are like hunters that catch some helpless animal with a net, and then drag it away.
10 Just like helpless animals are crushed,
people who cannot defend themselves are killed because wicked people are very strong.
11 The wicked people say, “God will not pay any attention to what we do.
His eyes are covered, with the result that he never sees anything.”
12 Yahweh God, arise and help us!
Punish those wicked people!
And do not forget those who are suffering!
13 Wicked people revile you continually.
They think, “God will never punish us!”
14 But you see the trouble and the distress that they cause.
People who are suffering expect that you will help them;
and you help orphans,also.
15 Break the arms of wicked people!
Continue to pursue and punish them for the wicked things that they do, until they stop doing those things.
16 Yahweh, you are our king forever;
cause wicked nations to disappear from the earth.
17 You have listened to afflicted people when they cry out to you.
You hear them when they pray, and you encourage them.
18 You show that orphans and oppressed people have not done things that are wrong,
with the result that human beings will not cause people to be terrified anymore.