Psalm 10

W. van der Kamp, 1972

1. Why dost Thou stand far off? O LORD, arise!
   Why dost Thou hide Thy self in troubled days?
   Dost Thou not hear it when the poor man cries?
   For on Thy poor the wicked sinner preys,
   His heart with heated arrogance ablaze.
   Let them be caught in schemes of their own making
   With all who in their evil are partaking.
   
2. The wicked man boasts of his heart’s desire,
   And blesses them whose greed the LORD does spurn,
   And in his pride the wicked scorns Thy ire.
   “There is no God who shall our ill return,”
   Such are his thoughts, his heart knows no concern;
   He prospers and his foes dare not disturb him;
   Thy laws on high do not restrain or curb him.
   
3. He proudly thinks: “I shall for ever stand:
   Throughout all generations I’ll not meet
   Adversity or chastening by God’s hand.”
   His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit:
   His tongue is full of mischief and conceit.
   Iniquity and mischief does he cherish,
   And in his snares the innocent will perish.
   
4. He sits in ambush waiting for his prey,
   And kills the meek not of his wiles aware;
   His eyes search out the hapless on their way;
   He is a lion lurking in his lair,
   And in his nets he does the poor ensnare.
   He thinks deep in his heart, “God does not see it;
   Why fear His wrath? We do not have to flee it.”
   
5. Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Thy hand;
   Forget not the afflicted, be Thou near.
   Why do the wicked still so proudly stand
   Renouncing God, while in their hearts they sneer,
   “He will not punish; why then should we fear?
   He does not care; why should His wrath delay us?
   Who calls us to account or shall repay us?”
   
6. But Thou dost see our troubles and our woes
   And Thou shalt take our cause into Thy hand.
   The hapless flee to Thee; Thou shalt oppose
   The evildoers’ proud and wicked band,
   For Thou hast been the orphans’ help and stand.
   Break Thou the arm of him who evil cherished,
   Seek out his wickedness till he has perished.
   
7. The LORD is King, He reigns for evermore;
   The heathen soon shall perish from the land.
   Thou wilt incline Thy ear and wilt restore
   The weak and weary by Thy mighty hand.
   The orphaned and oppressed shalt Thou defend,
   That mortal man, aroused by hate and error,
   No more may strike the earth with fear and terror.