10:1   Why are you far away, LORD? Why do you hide yourself when I am in trouble?

10:2   Proud and brutal people hunt down the poor. But let them get caught by their own evil plans!

10:3   The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, LORD.

10:4   The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you.

10:5   They are always successful, though they can't understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies.

10:6   In their hearts they say, "Nothing can hurt us! We'll always be happy and free from trouble."

10:7   They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong.

10:8   They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim.

10:9   They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away.

10:10   They crouch down and wait to grab a victim.

10:11   They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold."

10:12   Do something, LORD God, and use your powerful arm to help those in need.

10:13   The wicked don't respect you. In their hearts they say, "God won't punish us!"

10:14   But you see the trouble and the distress, and you will do something. The poor can count on you, and so can orphans.

10:15   Now break the arms of all merciless people. Punish them for doing wrong and make them stop.

10:16   Our LORD, you will always rule, but nations will vanish from the earth.

10:17   You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help.

10:18   You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.