1  ^wWhy, O Lord, do you stand far away?

Why do you ^xhide yourself in times of trouble?

2  In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;

^ylet them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

3  For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,

and the one ^zgreedy for gain curses¹ and renounces the Lord.

4  In the pride of his face² the wicked does not seek him;³

all his thoughts are, ^a“There is no God.”

5  His ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

6  He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;

throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

7  ^bHis mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;

under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

8  He sits in ambush in the villages;

^cin hiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

9  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.

10  The helpless are crushed, sink down,

and fall by his might.

11  He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

he has hidden his face, ^dhe will never see it.”

12  Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;

^eforget not the afflicted.

13  Why does the wicked renounce God

and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?

14  But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,

that you may take it into your hands;

to you the helpless commits himself;

^fyou have been the helper of the fatherless.

15  Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;

^gcall his wickedness to account till you find none.

16  ^hThe Lord is king forever and ever;

the nations perish from his land.

17  O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

18  to do ⁱjustice to the fatherless and the ^joppressed,

^kso that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

1  ^zThe fool says in his heart, ^a“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

^bthere is none who does good.

2  The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,¹

who seek after God.

3  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

^cthere is none who does good,

not even one.

4  ^dHave they no knowledge, all the evildoers

who eat up my people as they eat bread

and do not call upon the Lord?

5  There they are in great terror,

for God is with the generation of the righteous.

6  You would shame the plans of the poor,

but² the Lord is his refuge.

7  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord ^erestores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

1  ^xDeliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

2  who plan evil things in their heart

and ^ystir up wars continually.

3  They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,

and ^zunder their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

4  Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

5  The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,

and with cords they have spread a net;¹

beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

6  ^aI say to the Lord, You are my God;

give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!

7  O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

8  Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

do not further their² evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

9  As for the head of those who surround me,

^blet the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

10  ^cLet burning coals fall upon them!

Let them be cast into fire,

into miry pits, no more to rise!

11  Let not the slanderer be established in the land;

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

12  I know that ^dthe Lord will ^emaintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

^fthe upright shall dwell in your presence.