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10 Why standest Thou afar off, Hashem? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of tzoros?

The reshah in his ga’avah (haughtiness) doth persecute the ani (poor, see Zech 9:9 where ani is Moshiach); let them be caught in the devices that they have schemed.

For the reshah boasteth of his ta’avat nefesh (soul’s lust), and blesseth the covetous, whom Hashem abhorreth.

The reshah, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Him; Elohim is not in all his thoughts.

His ways are always prosperous; Thy mishpatim are on high, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

He hath said in his lev, I shall not be shaken; throughout all generations I shall never be in trouble.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his leshon (tongue) is trouble and iniquity.

He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in the places for ambush doth he murder the naki (innocent); his eyes are secretly set against the poor.

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 reshet.

10 He crouches, and stoops, that the poor may fall by his atzum (might).

11 He hath said in his lev, El hath forgotten; He hideth his face; He will never see it.

12 Arise, Hashem; O El, lift up Thine yad; forget not the aniyim.

13 For why doth the reshah renounce Elohim? He hath said in his lev, Thou wilt not call me to account.

14 Thou hast seen it; for Thou beholdest trouble and ka’as (grief), to requite it with Thy yad; the helpless committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the Ozer (helper) of the yatom (orphan).

15 Break Thou the zero’a of the reshah and the evil man; call to account his wickedness that would not be found out.

16 Hashem is Melech olam va’ed; the Goyim are perished out of His land.

17 Hashem, Thou hast heard the desire of the aniyim; Thou wilt strengthen their lev, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear;

18 To judge the yatom (orphan) and the oppressed, that enosh of the earth may no more strike terror.

Psalm 10[a]

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?(A)
    Why do you hide yourself(B) in times of trouble?

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,(C)
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts(D) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.(E)
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.(F)
His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by[b] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”(G)

His mouth is full(H) of lies and threats;(I)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.(J)
He lies in wait(K) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.(L)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
    like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;(M)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.(N)
10 His victims are crushed,(O) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;(P)
    he covers his face and never sees.”(Q)

12 Arise,(R) Lord! Lift up your hand,(S) O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.(T)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?(U)
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?(V)
14 But you, God, see the trouble(W) of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;(X)
    you are the helper(Y) of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;(Z)
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

16 The Lord is King for ever and ever;(AA)
    the nations(AB) will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;(AC)
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,(AD)
18 defending the fatherless(AE) and the oppressed,(AF)
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from