Do Not Forget the Afflicted
ל Lamedh
Why ado You stand afar off, O Yahweh?
Why bdo You hide Yourself in times of distress?
2 In his alofty pride the wicked hotly pursues the afflicted;
Let them be bcaught in the thoughts which they have devised.
3 For the wicked aboasts of his bsoul’s desire,
And the greedy man curses and cspurns Yahweh.
4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, adoes not seek Him.
All his thoughts are, “bThere is no God.”
5 His ways aprosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, bout of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
6 He says in his heart, “aI will not be shaken;
From generation to generation bI will not be in adversity.”
פ Pe
7 His amouth is full of curses and deceit and boppression;
cUnder his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
ע Ayin
8 He sits in the aplaces of the villages where one lies in wait;
In the hiding places he bkills the innocent;
His eyes stealthily watch for the cunfortunate.
9 He lies in wait in a hiding place as aa lion in his lair;
He blies in wait to catch cthe afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his dnet.
10 He crouches, he bows down,
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.
11 He asays in his heart, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”
ק Qoph
12 Arise, O Yahweh; O God, alift up Your hand.
bDo not forget the afflicted.
13 Why has the wicked aspurned God?
He has said in his heart, “You will not require it.”
ר Resh
14 You have seen it, for You have beheld amischief and vexation to take it into Your hand.
The bunfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the chelper of the orphan.
שׁ Shin
15 aBreak the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
bSeek out his wickedness until You find none.
16 Yahweh is aKing forever and ever;
bNations have perished from His land.
ת Tav
17 O Yahweh, You have heard the adesire of the humble;
You will bstrengthen their heart, cYou will cause Your ear to give heed
18 To give justice to the aorphan and the boppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause cterror.
Yahweh Is in His Holy Temple
For the choir director. Of David.
In Yahweh I atake refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your bmountain;
2 For, behold, the wicked abend the bow,
They bmake ready their arrow upon the string
To cshoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the afoundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
4 Yahweh is in His aholy temple; Yahweh’s bthrone is in heaven;
His ceyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 Yahweh atests the righteous,
But bthe wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 May He arain snares upon the wicked;
bFire and brimstone and cburning wind will be the portion of dtheir cup.
7 For Yahweh is arighteous, bHe loves righteousness;
The upright will cbehold His face.
Yahweh Will Set the Needy in Safety
For the choir director. According to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
Save, O Yahweh, for athe holy man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2 They aspeak worthlessness to one another;
With a bflattering lip and with a double heart they speak.
3 May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that aspeaks great things;
4 Who ahave said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “Because of the adevastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now bI will arise,” says Yahweh; “I will cset him in the safety for which he longs.”
6 The awords of Yahweh are pure words;
As silver btried in a furnace on the ground, refined seven times.
7 You, O Yahweh, will keep them;
You will aguard him from this generation forever.
8 The awicked strut about on every side
When bvileness is exalted among the sons of men.
How Long, O Yahweh?
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
How long, O Yahweh? Will You aforget me forever?
How long bwill You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I atake counsel in my soul,
Having bsorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 aLook and answer me, O Yahweh my God;
bGive light to my eyes, lest I csleep the sleep of death,
4 Lest my enemy asays, “I have overcome him,”
And bmy adversaries rejoice that I am shaken.
5 But I have atrusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall brejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will asing to Yahweh,
Because He has bdealt bountifully with me.