1   
Why are you so far away, O Lord?
  Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?

2   
The wicked are proud and persecute the poor;
  catch them in the traps they have made.

3   
The wicked man is proud of his evil desires;
  the greedy man curses and rejects the Lord.

4   
A wicked man does not care about the Lord;
  in his pride he thinks that God doesn't matter.

5   
A wicked man succeeds in everything.
  He cannot understand God's judgments;
  he sneers at his enemies.

6   
He says to himself, “I will never fail;
  I will never be in trouble.”

7   
His speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats;
  he is quick to speak hateful, evil words. ^note

8   
He hides himself in the villages,
  waiting to murder innocent people.
He spies on his helpless victims;

9   
  he waits in his hiding place like a lion.
He lies in wait for the poor;
  he catches them in his trap and drags them away.

10   
The helpless victims lie crushed;
  brute strength has defeated them.

11   
The wicked man says to himself, “God doesn't care!
  He has closed his eyes and will never see me!”

12   
O Lord, punish those wicked men!
  Remember those who are suffering!

13   
How can a wicked man despise God
  and say to himself, “He will not punish me”?

14   
But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering
  and are always ready to help.
The helpless man commits himself to you;
  you have always helped the needy.

15   
Break the power of wicked and evil men;
  punish them for the wrong they have done
  until they do it no more.

16   
The Lord is king forever and ever.
  Those who worship other gods
  will vanish from his land.

17   
You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly;
  you will give them courage.

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.

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