X. Book I. A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked. 1909-14. The Book of Psalms. The Harvard Classics

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The Book of Psalms.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

Book I

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked


[1]	WHY standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
[2]	In the pride of the wicked the 1 poor is 2 hotly pursued; Let 3 them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.
[3]	For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, And the 4 covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth 5 Jehovah.
[4]	The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not require, it. All his thoughts are, There is no God.
[5]	His ways are firm 6 at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.
[6]	He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; To all generations I shall not be in adversity.
[7]	His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: 7 Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
[8]	He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; In the secret places doth he murder the innocent; His eyes are privily set against the helpless. 8
[9]	He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net.
[10]	He 9 croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless 10 fall by his strong ones.
[11]	He saith in his heart: God hath forgotten, He hideth his face, he will never see it.
[12]	Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: Forget not the poor. 11
[13]	Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it?
[14]	Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief 12 and spite, to 13 requite it with thy hand: The helpless 14 committeth himself unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.
[15]	Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
[16]	Jehovah is King for ever and ever: The nations 15 are perished out of his land.
[17]	Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare 16 their heart, Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;
[18]	To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.

Note 1. Or, he doth hotly pursue the poor. [back]

Note 2. Heb. is set on fire. [back]

Note 3. Or, They are taken. [back]

Note 4. Or, blesseth the covetous, but contemneth &c. [back]

Note 5. Or, revileth. [back]

Note 6. Or, grievous. [back]

Note 7. Or, fraud. [back]

Note 8. Or, For when he maketh … he remembereth. [back]

Note 9. Another reading is, And being crushed. [back]

Note 10. Or, saving help. [back]

Note 11. Or, meek. [back]

Note 12. Or, travail and grief. [back]

Note 13. Or, to take it into thy hand. [back]

Note 14. Or, hapless. [back]

Note 15. Or, heathen. [back]

Note 16. Or, establish. [back]

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