Psalm 10

Refrain:    You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you.

1    Why stand so far off, O Lord?  

Why hide yourself in time of trouble?

2    The wicked in their pride persecute the poor;  

let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

3    The wicked boast of their heart’s desire;  

the covetous curse and revile the Lord.

4    The wicked in their arrogance say, ‘God will not avenge it’;  

in all their scheming God counts for nothing. [R]

5    They are stubborn in all their ways

for your judgements are far above out of their sight;  

they scoff at all their adversaries.

6    They say in their heart, ‘I shall not be shaken;  

no harm shall ever happen to me.’

7    Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit and fraud;  

under their tongue lie mischief and wrong.

8    They lurk in the outskirts

and in dark alleys they murder the innocent;  

their eyes are ever watching for the helpless.

9    They lie in wait, like a lion in his den;

they lie in wait to seize the poor;  

they seize the poor when they get them into their net.

10  The innocent are broken and humbled before them;  

the helpless fall before their power.

11  They say in their heart, ‘God has forgotten;  

he hides his face away; he will never see it.’ [R]

12  Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand;  

forget not the poor.

13  Why should the wicked be scornful of God?  

Why should they say in their hearts, ‘You will not avenge it’?

14  Surely, you behold trouble and misery;  

you see it and take it into your own hand.

15  The helpless commit themselves to you,  

for you are the helper of the orphan.

16  Break the power of the wicked and malicious;  

search out their wickedness until you find none. [R]

17  The Lord shall reign for ever and ever;  

the nations shall perish from his land.

18  Lord, you will hear the desire of the poor;  

you will incline your ear to the fullness of their heart,

19  To give justice to the orphan and oppressed,  

so that people are no longer driven in terror from the land.

Refrain:    You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you.

When wickedness triumphs

and the poor are betrayed,

come to your kingdom, strong and holy God,

destroy the masks of evil

and reign in our broken hearts;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2005 and published by Church House Publishing.

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