A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.
1 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hideYourselfin times of trouble?
2 In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,
# Andthe greedy man cursesandspurns the Lord.
4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seekHim.
All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.”
7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the hiding places he kills the innocent;
His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.
9 He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.
10 He crouches, he bows down,
# And the unfortunate fallby his mighty ones.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand.
Do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why has the wicked spurned God?
He has said to himself, “You will not requireit.”
14 You have seenit,for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand.
The unfortunate commitshimselfto You;
You have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
16 The Lordis King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
17 O Lord, You have heard the desire of thehumble;
You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
18 Tovindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/PSA/10-c97ea8f974584e9160a9baf68965981e.mp3?version_id=100—