1. Why do you stand so far away, Lord, hiding yourself in troubling times?
2. Meanwhile, the wicked are proudlyin hot pursuit of those who suffer.Let them get caughtin the very same schemes they’ve thought up!
3. The wicked brag about their body’s cravings;the greedy reject the Lord, cursing.
4. At the peak of their wrath,the wicked don’t seek God:There’s no God—that’s what they are always thinking.
5. Their ways are always twisted.Your rules are too lofty for them.They snort at all their foes.
6. They think to themselves,We’ll never stumble.We’ll never encounter any resistance.
7. Their mouths are filledwith curses, dishonesty, violence.Under their tongues lietroublemaking and wrongdoing.
8. They wait in a place perfect for ambush;from their hiding placesthey kill innocent people;their eyes spot those who are helpless.
9. They lie in ambushin secret places,like a lion in its lair.They lie in ambushso they can seize those who suffer!They seize the poor, all right,dragging them off in their nets.
10. Their helpless victims are crushed;they collapse, falling prey to the strength of the wicked.