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.