Gott, lass dir das nicht bieten!

10 Warum, Herr, bist du so weit weg?
    Warum verbirgst du dich, wenn wir dich am nötigsten brauchen?

Gottlose Menschen schrecken vor nichts zurück.
Auf den Schwachen und Hilflosen machen sie Jagd
    und bringen ihn mit ihren hinterlistigen Plänen zur Strecke.
Diese Gauner sind auch noch stolz auf ihre habgierigen Wünsche.
    Doch für Gott haben sie nichts übrig,
    mit wüsten Sprüchen ziehen sie über ihn her.
Hochnäsig behaupten sie: »Gott kümmert es nicht, was wir tun.«
    Ja, sie meinen: »Es gibt überhaupt keinen Gott!«
Noch geht ihnen alles nach Wunsch.
Dass du Gericht halten wirst, lässt sie kalt.
    Sie verhöhnen alle, die sich ihnen in den Weg stellen.
»Uns haut nichts um!«, bilden sie sich ein.
    »Kein Unglück hat uns je getroffen,
    und daran wird sich auch nichts ändern!«
Sobald sie den Mund aufmachen, fluchen, lügen und erpressen sie.
    Wie viel Unheil und Verderben richten sie an!
In der Nähe der Dörfer liegen sie im Hinterhalt
und lauern ihren hilflosen Opfern auf.
    Im Versteck bringen sie die Unschuldigen um.
Wie Löwen im Dickicht liegen sie auf der Lauer,
    um wehrlose Menschen zu überfallen und fortzuschleifen.
10 Sie stürzen sich auf ihre Opfer
    und schlagen sie brutal zusammen.
11 »Was wir tun, interessiert Gott gar nicht«, reden sie sich ein.
    »Er ist blind für das, was geschieht,
    und hat dazu noch ein schlechtes Gedächtnis!«

12 Greif doch ein, Herr! Lass dir das nicht bieten!
    Vergiss die Hilflosen nicht!
13 Warum lässt du es zu,
dass solche Schurken deine Ehre in den Schmutz ziehen?
    Warum dürfen sie sich einbilden,
    dass du sie nie zur Rechenschaft ziehen wirst?
14 Nein, du verschließt deine Augen nicht vor der Not
    und siehst dem Unrecht nicht tatenlos zu.
Die Wehrlosen können sich dir anvertrauen,
    den Waisen kommst du zu Hilfe.
15 Zerbrich die Macht der Gottlosen! Bestrafe sie für ihre Bosheit,
    damit sie nicht weiter Unheil anrichten!

16 Der Herr ist König für immer und ewig!
    Die gottlosen Völker müssen aus seinem Land verschwinden.
17 Die Hilflosen bestürmen dich mit ihren Bitten.
    Du, Herr, hörst ihr Rufen und schenkst ihnen neuen Mut.
18 Du sorgst für das Recht der Unterdrückten und Waisen,
    jeder Gewaltherrschaft auf Erden machst du ein Ende.

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

10 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride [a]persecutes the poor;
(A)Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked (B)boasts of his heart’s desire;
[b]He (C)blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
[c]God is in none of his (D)thoughts.

His ways [d]are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
(E)He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
(F)I shall never be in adversity.”
(G)His mouth is full of cursing and (H)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.
10 So [e]he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his [f]strength.
11 He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

12 Arise, O Lord!
O God, (I)lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the (J)humble.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.

14 But You have (K)seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless (L)commits[g] himself to You;
(M)You are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 (N)The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18 To [h]do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may [i]oppress no more.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:2 hotly pursues
  2. Psalm 10:3 Or The greedy man curses and spurns the Lord
  3. Psalm 10:4 Or All his thoughts are, “There is no God”
  4. Psalm 10:5 Lit. are strong
  5. Psalm 10:10 Or he is crushed, is bowed
  6. Psalm 10:10 Or mighty ones
  7. Psalm 10:14 Lit. leaves, entrusts
  8. Psalm 10:18 vindicate
  9. Psalm 10:18 terrify

Why Do You Hide Yourself?

10 Why, O Lord, do you stand (A)far away?
    Why (B)do you hide yourself in (C)times of trouble?

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them (D)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked (E)boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain (F)curses[a] and (G)renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face[b] the wicked does not (H)seek him;[c]
    all his thoughts are, (I)“There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, (J)out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he (K)puffs at them.
He (L)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I (M)shall not meet adversity.”
(N)His mouth is filled with cursing and (O)deceit and (P)oppression;
    (Q)under his tongue are (R)mischief and (S)iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in (T)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
    he lurks in ambush like (U)a lion in his (V)thicket;
he (W)lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his (X)net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has (Y)hidden his face, he (Z)will never see it.”

12 (AA)Arise, O Lord; O God, (AB)lift up your hand;
    (AC)forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked (AD)renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not (AE)call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you (AF)note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless (AG)commits himself;
    you have been (AH)the helper of the fatherless.
15 (AI)Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    (AJ)call his wickedness to account till you find none.

16 (AK)The Lord is king forever and ever;
    the (AL)nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will (AM)strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to (AN)do justice to the fatherless and (AO)the oppressed,
    so that (AP)man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain
  2. Psalm 10:4 Or of his anger
  3. Psalm 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”