Psalms 10

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, bad people chase the poor and hurt them. Let them be caught in their own traps.

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

3The bad man brags about what he wants. He praises greedy people, and the LORD hates this.

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. God is not in any of his thoughts.

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

5Things seem to go well for him all the time. God's judgments are too high for him to see. He laughs at everyone who stands against him.

NoteThe KJV says "his ways are always grievous." That does not mean his life is sad. It means things keep going well for him.

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

6He tells himself, "Nothing will ever shake me. I will never have trouble."

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

7His mouth is full of mean words, lies, and tricks. He is always planning to hurt someone.

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 no wrong. His eyes watch quietly 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 waits like a lion hiding in the bushes. He waits to grab poor people. He catches them and drags them into his net.

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

10He crouches down low and keeps very still. Then weak people fall under his strength.

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

11He tells himself, "God has forgotten. God is hiding and will never see this."

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

12Stand up, LORD! Lift up your hand, God! Do not forget people who are hurting.

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

13Why does the bad man turn away from God? He tells himself, "God will not make me answer for it."

Note"Contemn" is an old word for turning away from someone or looking down on them. "Thou wilt not require it" means "you will not make me answer for it."

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 do see it, LORD. You see the hurt and the meanness, and you will set it right. The one who is hurt trusts himself to you. You are the helper of children who have 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 bad and cruel man. Search out his wrongdoing until there is none left.

Note"Break the arm" is a picture. The arm stands for a person's strength, so this asks God to take his power away.

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

16The LORD is King forever and ever. Other nations have vanished from his land.

Note"Heathen" is an old word. It simply means other nations, or peoples who are 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 humble people long for. You will make their hearts strong. You will listen to them.

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

18You will stand up for children with no father and for people who are pushed down. Then no one on earth will frighten them again.