Chapter 10

אלָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תַּעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃

1Why, O ETERNAL One, do You stand aloof,
heedless in times of trouble?

בבְּגַאֲוַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע יִדְלַ֣ק עָנִ֑י יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ ׀ בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ׃

2The wicked in their arrogance hound the lowly—
may they be caught in the schemes they devise!¹

גכִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל רָ֭שָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֹצֵ֥עַ בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ נִ֘אֵ֥ץ ׀ יְהוָֽה׃

3The wicked crow about their unbridled lusts;
the grasping revile and scorn GOD.

דרָשָׁ֗ע כְּגֹ֣בַהּ אַ֭פּוֹ בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ אֵ֥ין אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים כָּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו׃

4The wicked, arrogant as they are,
in all their scheming [think],²
“God does not care³
and does not call to account.”⁴

היָ֘חִ֤ילוּ דרכו [דְרָכָ֨יו ׀] בְּכָל־עֵ֗ת מָר֣וֹם מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ כָּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו יָפִ֥יחַ בָּהֶֽם׃

5Their ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are far beyond them;
they snort at all their foes.

ואָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט לְדֹ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־בְרָֽע׃

6Such people think, “I shall not be shaken,
through all time never be in trouble.”

זאָלָ֤ה פִּ֣יהוּ מָ֭לֵא וּמִרְמ֣וֹת וָתֹ֑ךְ תַּ֥חַת לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ עָמָ֥ל וָאָֽוֶן׃

7Their mouth is full of oaths, deceit, and fraud;
mischief and evil are under their tongue.

חיֵשֵׁ֤ב ׀ בְּמַאְרַ֬ב חֲצֵרִ֗ים בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים יַהֲרֹ֣ג נָקִ֑י עֵ֝ינָ֗יו לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃

8They lurk in outlying places;
from a covert they slay the innocent;
their eyes spy out the hapless.

טיֶאֱרֹ֬ב בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀ כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה בְסֻכֹּ֗ה יֶ֭אֱרֹב לַחֲט֣וֹף עָנִ֑י יַחְטֹ֥ף עָ֝נִ֗י בְּמָשְׁכ֥וֹ בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

9They wait in a covert like a lion in a lair;
wait to seize the lowly;
they seize the lowly as they pull their net shut;

יודכה [יִדְכֶּ֥ה] יָשֹׁ֑חַ וְנָפַ֥ל בַּ֝עֲצוּמָ֗יו חלכאים [חֵ֣יל] [כָּאִֽים׃]

10they stoop, they crouch,
and the hapless fall prey to their might.⁵

יאאָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ שָׁ֣כַֽח אֵ֑ל הִסְתִּ֥יר פָּ֝נָ֗יו בַּל־רָאָ֥ה לָנֶֽצַח׃

11They think, “God is not mindful,
the divine face is hidden and never looks.”

יבקוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֭ל נְשָׂ֣א יָדֶ֑ךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח עניים [עֲנָוִֽים׃]

12Rise, O ETERNAL One!
Strike at them,⁶ O God!
Do not forget the lowly.

יגעַל־מֶ֤ה ׀ נִאֵ֖ץ רָשָׁ֥ע ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָמַ֥ר בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִּדְרֹֽשׁ׃

13Why should the wicked scorn God,
thinking You do not call to account?

ידרָאִ֡תָה כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה ׀ עָ֘מָ֤ל וָכַ֨עַס ׀ תַּבִּיט֮ לָתֵ֪ת בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ עָ֭לֶיךָ יַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵלֶ֑כָה יָ֝ת֗וֹם אַתָּ֤ה ׀ הָיִ֬יתָ עוֹזֵֽר׃

14You do look!
You take note of mischief and vexation!
To requite is in Your power.⁷
To You the hapless can entrust themselves;
You have ever been the orphans’ help.

טושְׁ֭בֹר זְר֣וֹעַ רָשָׁ֑ע וָ֝רָ֗ע תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ בַל־תִּמְצָֽא׃

15O break the power of the wicked and evildoers,
so that when You look for⁸ their wickedness
You will find it no more.

טזיְהוָ֣ה מֶ֭לֶךְ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד אָבְד֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ׃

16GOD is sovereign for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from this⁹ land.

יזתַּאֲוַ֬ת עֲנָוִ֣ים שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

17You will listen to the entreaty of the lowly, O ETERNAL One,
You will make their hearts firm;
You will incline Your ear

יחלִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יָת֗וֹם וָ֫דָ֥ךְ בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף ע֑וֹד לַעֲרֹ֥ץ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

18to champion the orphan and the downtrodden,
that mere earthly mortals tyrannize no more.¹⁰

Sefaria: Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org