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.”