| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble? | 1 LORD, why do You stand so far away? Why do You hide in times of trouble? |
| 2The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. | 2In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue the afflicted; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. |
| 3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD. | 3For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the LORD. |
| 4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. | 4In all his scheming, the wicked arrogantly thinks:" There is no accountability, since God does not exist." |
| 5His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. | 5His ways are always secure; Your lofty judgments are beyond his sight; he scoffs at all his adversaries. |
| 6He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” | 6He says to himself, "I will never be moved-- from generation to generation without calamity." |
| 7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. | 7Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. |
| 8He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. | 8He waits in ambush near the villages; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless; |
| 9He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. | 9he 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. |
| 10So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. | 10So he is oppressed and beaten down; the helpless fall because of his strength. |
| 11He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” | 11He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He hides His face and will never see." |
| 12Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. | 12Rise up, LORD God! Lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. |
| 13Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account.” | 13Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, "You will not demand an account." |
| 14But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. | 14But 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. |
| 15Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none. | 15Break the arm of the wicked and evil person; call his wickedness into account until nothing remains of it. |
| 16The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land. | 16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land. |
| 17LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, | 17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, |
| 18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more. | 18doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more. |
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