Psalms 10; Psalms 11; Psalms 12

1 Lord, why do You stand so far away? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue the afflicted; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord.

4 In all his scheming, the wicked arrogantly thinks: "There is no accountability, [since] God does not exist."

5 His ways are always secure; Your lofty judgments are beyond his sight; he scoffs at all his adversaries.

6 He says to himself, "I will never be moved- from generation to generation without calamity."

7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue.

8 He waits in ambush near the villages; he kills the innocent in secret places; his eyes are on the lookout for the helpless.

9 He lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize the afflicted. He seizes the afflicted and drags him in his net.

10 He crouches and bends down; the helpless fall because of his strength.

11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He hides His face and will never see."

12 Rise up, Lord God! Lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted.

13 Why has the wicked despised God? He says to himself, "You will not demand an account."

14 But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands. The helpless entrusts himself to You; You are a helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil person; call his wickedness into account until nothing remains of it.

16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land.

17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully,

18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed, so that men of the earth may terrify [them] no more.

1 I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, "Escape to the mountain like a bird!

2 For look, the wicked string the bow; they put the arrow on the bowstring to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

4 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; He examines everyone.

5 The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked. He hates the lover of violence.

6 He will rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked; a scorching wind will be their portion.

7 For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. The upright will see His face.

1 Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race.

2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully.

4 They say, "Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own-who can be our master?"

5 "Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up," says the Lord. "I will put in a safe place the one who longs for it."

6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.

7 You, Lord, will guard us; You will protect us from this generation forever.

8 The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.