King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
1
Why are you so far away, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
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The wicked are proud and persecute the poor; catch them in the traps they have made.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
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The wicked are proud of their evil desires; the greedy curse and reject the Lord.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
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The wicked do not care about the Lord; in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
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The wicked succeed in everything. They cannot understand God's judgments; they sneer at their enemies.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
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They say to themselves, "We will never fail; we will never be in trouble."
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
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Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats; they are quick to speak hateful, evil words.
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 poor.
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They hide themselves in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They spy on their helpless victims;
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
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they wait in their hiding place like lions. They lie in wait for the poor; they catch them in their traps and drag them away.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
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The helpless victims lie crushed; brute strength has defeated them.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
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The wicked say to themselves, "God doesn't care! He has closed his eyes and will never see me!"
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
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O Lord, punish those wicked people! Remember those who are suffering!
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
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How can the wicked despise God and say to themselves, "He will not punish me"?
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
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But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering and are always ready to help. The helpless commit themselves to you; you have always helped the needy.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
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Break the power of wicked and evil people; punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
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The Lord is king forever and ever. Those who worship other gods will vanish from his land.
17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
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You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
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You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans; you will judge in their favor, so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.