MOF PSA Chapter 10

10 Why art thou standing so far off, O Eternal,

hiding thyself in desparate hours?

2 The ungodly are haughty and harry the downtrodden—

may they be snared in their own schemes!

3 The ungodly boasts of his rapacity;

the plunderer disowns, despises the Eternal;

4 he thinks, in his insolence, “God never punishes”;

his thoughts amount to this, “There is no God at all”;

5 the dealings of thy justice high are far beyond his sight.

Life for him is always stable;

he laughs at any who oppose him,

6 thinking he can never fail,

never come to grief.

7 His talk is all of perjury and craft,

mischief and injury slip from his tongue.

8 He lurks round hamlets,

and murders innocent folk in secret,

ever on the outlook for the hapless;

9 he lies in ambush, like a lion in his lair,

hiding to catch the weak,

to catch the weak and drag them off.

10 He hunts the helpless till they drop,

unlucky victims, in his clutches.

11 And he thinks, “God has forgotten,”

“He hides his face,” “He never sees.”

14 But thou hast seen this misery and mischief;

thou markest it, to punish it thyself!

The hapless can leave their plight to thee,

thou Helper of the forlorn.

12 Take action, O Eternal, lift thy hand;

O God, forget not the afflicted.

13 How dare ungodly men scorn God,

thinking that thou wilt never punish?

15 Shatter the ungodly’s power,

punish his evil till there is no more.

16 The Eternal reigns as king for evermore;

the pagans are gone from his land!

17 Thou hearest the desire of the afflicted,

thou heedest them, thou listenest to them,

18 that the forlorn and the downtrodden may have justice,

and mortal man no more may be a terror.