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10 Why are you so distant, Lord?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

The wicked person arrogantly pursues oppressed people.
He will be caught in the schemes that he planned.
The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires.
He blesses robbers, but he curses the Lord.
He turns up his nose ⌞and says⌟, “God doesn’t care.”
His every thought ⌞concludes⌟, “There is no God.”
He always seems to succeed.
Your judgments are beyond his understanding.
He spits at all his opponents.
He says to himself, “Nothing can shake me.
I’ll never face any trouble.”
His mouth is full of cursing, deception, and oppression.
Trouble and wrongdoing are on the tip of his tongue.
He waits in ambush in the villages.
From his hiding places he kills innocent people.
His eyes are on the lookout for victims.
He lies in his hiding place like a lion in his den.
He hides there to catch oppressed people.
He catches oppressed people when he draws them into his net.
10 ⌞His⌟ victims are crushed.
They collapse,
and they fall under ⌞the weight of⌟ his power.
11 He says to himself,
“God has forgotten.
He has hidden his face.
He will never see it!”

12 Arise, O Lord!
Lift your hand, O God.
Do not forget oppressed people!
13 Why does the wicked person despise God?
Why does he say to himself, “God doesn’t care”?
14 You have seen ⌞it⌟; yes, you have taken note of trouble and grief
and placed them under your control.
The victim entrusts himself to you.
You alone have been the helper of orphans.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil person.
Punish his wickedness until you find no more.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever.
The nations have vanished from his land.
17 You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O Lord.
You encourage them.
You pay close attention to them
18 in order to provide justice for orphans and oppressed people
so that no mere mortal will terrify them again.

For the choir director; by David.

11 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird?
Wicked people bend their bows.
They set their arrows against the strings
to shoot in the dark at people whose motives are decent.
When the foundations ⌞of life⌟ are undermined,
what can a righteous person do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes see.
They examine Adam’s descendants.
The Lord tests righteous people,
but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
He rains down fire and burning sulfur upon wicked people.
He makes them drink from a cup filled with scorching wind.
The Lord is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face.

For the choir director; on the sheminith; a psalm by David.

12 Help, O Lord.
No godly person is left.
Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants!
All people speak foolishly.
They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another.
May the Lord cut off every flattering lip
and every bragging tongue
that has said,
“We will overcome with our tongues.
With lips such as ours, who can be our master?”

“Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will provide safety for those who long for it.”
The promises of the Lord are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times.
O Lord, you will protect them.
You will keep each one safe from those people forever.
Wicked people parade around
when immorality increases among Adam’s descendants.

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