Psalm 10
Young's Literal Translation
10 Why, Jehovah, dost Thou stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity,
2 Through the pride of the wicked, Is the poor inflamed, They are caught in devices that they devised.
3 Because the wicked hath boasted Of the desire of his soul, And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed, He hath despised Jehovah.
4 The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. `God is not!' [are] all his devices.
5 Pain do his ways at all times, On high [are] Thy judgments before him, All his adversaries -- he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, `I am not moved,' To generation and generation not in evil.
7 Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue [is] perverseness and iniquity,
8 He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly,
9 He lieth in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor, He catcheth the poor, drawing him into his net.
10 He is bruised -- he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted.
11 He said in his heart, `God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'
12 Arise, O Jehovah! O God, lift up Thy hand! Forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore hath the wicked despised God? He hath said in his heart, `It is not required.'
14 Thou hast seen, For Thou perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand, On Thee doth the afflicted leave [it], Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, Seek out his wickedness, find none;
16 Jehovah [is] king to the age, and for ever, The nations have perished out of His land!
17 The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend,
18 To judge the fatherless and bruised: He addeth no more to oppress -- man of the earth!
Psalm 10
New King James Version
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?
2 The wicked in his pride [a]persecutes the poor;
(A)Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3 For the wicked (B)boasts of his heart’s desire;
[b]He (C)blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
[c]God is in none of his (D)thoughts.
5 His ways [d]are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6 (E)He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
(F)I shall never be in adversity.”
7 (G)His mouth is full of cursing and (H)deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
8 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.
9 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
- Psalm 10:2 hotly pursues
- Psalm 10:3 Or The greedy man curses and spurns the Lord
- Psalm 10:4 Or All his thoughts are, “There is no God”
- Psalm 10:5 Lit. are strong
- Psalm 10:10 Or he is crushed, is bowed
- Psalm 10:10 Or mighty ones
- Psalm 10:14 Lit. leaves, entrusts
- Psalm 10:18 vindicate
- Psalm 10:18 terrify
Psalm 10
English Standard Version
Why Do You Hide Yourself?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them (D)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 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.
4 In the pride of his face[b] the wicked does not (H)seek him;[c]
all his thoughts are, (I)“There is no God.”
5 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.
6 He (L)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I (M)shall not meet adversity.”
7 (N)His mouth is filled with cursing and (O)deceit and (P)oppression;
(Q)under his tongue are (R)mischief and (S)iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in (T)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 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
- Psalm 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain
- Psalm 10:4 Or of his anger
- Psalm 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
