1Lord, why are you so distant? Why do you hide from me in times of trouble?

2The wicked chase down the poor with impunity. May they be trapped by the evil schemes they themselves invented.

3For the wicked boast about what they want to do. They praise the greedy, but treat the Lord with contempt.

4The wicked are too proud to come to God. In all their thinking they never consider God.

5What they do always seems to go well. They're unaware of God's judgments. They ridicule all their enemies.

6They tell themselves, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'll never be in trouble!”

7Their speech is full of cursing, lies, and threats; their tongues are always ready to spread trouble and cause evil.

8They hide out in ambush in the villages, ready to kill innocent passers-by. They are always on the lookout for their next victim.

9They lie in ambush like a lion ready to attack, ready to leap out from their hiding place to seize their victim. They capture the helpless, throwing a net over them.

10Their victims are knocked down, laid low. ²⁵They fall under the strength of the wicked.

11They tell themselves, “God won't notice. He's looking the other way. He won't ever see anything.”

12Take a stand, Lord! Raise your hand to strike! Don't forget those who can't defend themselves.

13Why do the wicked think they can treat God with such contempt? Why do they think that God won't make them accountable?

14But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. Take it into your own hands. The helpless trust in you; you defend the orphans.

15Destroy the power of the wicked, those evil people! Call each of them to account until there are none left!

16Lord, you are King forever and ever! The nations will vanish from their lands.

17Lord, you have heard the longing cries of those who are suffering. You will encourage them, for you will listen to them.

18You will defend the rights of orphans and the oppressed so that those who are mere human beings here on earth will never terrorize them again.