New International Version NIV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
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O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.
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The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
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For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD .
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
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The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.
5 His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.
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Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
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They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!”
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.
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Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
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They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims.
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
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Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.
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Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.”
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The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”
12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
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Arise, O LORD ! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless!
13 Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”?
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Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
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But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.
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Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.
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The LORD is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
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LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
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You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.
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Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.