[10:1] Why are you so far away, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?
[10:2] The wicked are proud and persecute the poor; catch them in the traps they have made.
[10:3] The wicked are proud of their evil desires; the greedy curse and reject the Lord.
[10:4] The wicked do not care about the Lord; in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.
[10:5] The wicked succeed in everything. They cannot understand God's judgments; they sneer at their enemies.
[10:6] They say to themselves, “We will never fail; we will never be in trouble.”
[10:7] Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats; they are quick to speak hateful, evil words.
[10:8] They hide themselves in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They spy on their helpless victims;
[10:9] they wait in their hiding place like lions. They lie in wait for the poor; they catch them in their traps and drag them away.
[10:10] The helpless victims lie crushed; brute strength has defeated them.
[10:11] The wicked say to themselves, “God doesn't care! He has closed his eyes and will never see me!”
[10:12] O Lord, punish those wicked people! Remember those who are suffering!
[10:13] How can the wicked despise God and say to themselves, “He will not punish me”?
[10:14] But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering and are always ready to help. The helpless commit themselves to you; you have always helped the needy.
[10:15] Break the power of wicked and evil people; punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more.
[10:16] The Lord is king forever and ever. Those who worship other gods will vanish from his land.
[10:17] You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.
[10:18] You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans; you will judge in their favor, so that mortal men may cause terror no more.