Psalms

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

1LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when trouble comes?

2The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

2Proud, wicked people hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the traps they planned.

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

3The wicked man brags about the things he wants. He praises greedy people, whom the LORD hates.

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

4He is too proud to look for God. He never even thinks about God at all.

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

5Whatever he does seems to go well for him. Your rulings are far above him, out of his sight. He sneers at all his enemies.

NoteThe KJV says "his ways are always grievous." That does not mean his life is hard. The Hebrew means his plans keep working out. "He puffeth at them" means he blows his enemies off, the way you would blow away dust.

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

6He tells himself, "Nothing can shake me. I will never be in trouble."

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

7His mouth is full of curses, lies, and cheating. Under his tongue are trouble and evil.

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

8He waits in hiding near the villages. In secret places he kills people who did nothing wrong. His eyes quietly watch for the helpless.

9He 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.

9He hides and waits like a lion in its den. He waits to grab the poor. He catches them and drags them off in his net.

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

10He crouches down low, and weak people fall because he is strong.

11He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

11He tells himself, "God has forgotten. He has turned his face away. He will never see it."

12Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

12Get up, LORD! God, lift your hand and act. Do not forget people who are beaten down.

13Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

13Why does the wicked man look down on God? He tells himself, "You will never make me pay for it."

Note"Contemn" is an old word meaning to look down on something and treat it as worthless. It is not the same word as "condemn."

14Thou 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.

14But you have seen it. You watch trouble and cruelty, and you will pay it back with your own hand. Helpless people put themselves in your care. You are the helper of children with no father.

15Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

15Break the arm of the wicked and evil man. Hunt down his evil until there is none left to find.

16The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

16The LORD is King forever and ever. The nations that worshiped other gods are gone from his land.

Note"Heathen" in the KJV simply means the other nations, the peoples who were not Israel.

17LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

17LORD, you have heard what people who are beaten down long for. You will make their hearts strong, and you will listen to them.

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

18You will bring justice for children with no father and for people who are crushed. Then no person on earth will terrify them again.