Psalm 10-12

21st Century King James Version

10 Why standest Thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?

² The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; let them be caught in the devices that they have contrived.

³ For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth.

⁴ The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts.

⁵ His ways are always grievous; Thy judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

⁶ He hath said in his heart, “I shall not be moved, for I shall never be in adversity.”

⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

⁸ He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in secret places doth he murder the innocent; his eyes are privily set against the poor.

⁹ He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net.

¹⁰ He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

¹¹ He hath said in his heart, “God hath forgotten; He hideth His face, He will never see it.”

¹² Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Thine hand! Forget not the humble.

¹³ Why doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, “Thou wilt not keep account.”

¹⁴ But Thou hast seen it, for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with Thy hand. The poor committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵ Break Thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until Thou find none.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever; the heathen have perished out of His land.

¹⁷ Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear,

¹⁸ to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

11 In the Lord I put my trust; how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain,

² for lo, the wicked bend their bow and make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart;

³ if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

⁴ The Lord is in His holy temple! The Lord’S throne is in heaven! His eyes behold; His eyelids test the children of men!

⁵ The Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence, His soul hateth.

⁶ Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

⁷ For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.

12 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

² They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

³ The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things,

⁴ who have said, “With our tongue, we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”

⁵ “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise,” saith the Lord; “I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

⁷ Thou shalt keep them, O Lord; Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

⁸ The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.