Psalms 10:1-11

Lord, why do you seem so far away when evil is near? Why have you hidden yourself when I need you the most? The arrogant in their elitist pride persecute the poor and helpless. May you pour out upon them the very evil they’ve dreamed up against others! How they brag and boast of their cravings, exalting the greedy. They congratulate themselves as they despise you— these arrogant ones, so smug and secure! In their delusion the wicked boast, saying, “God doesn’t care about what we do. There’s nothing to worry about!” So successful are they in their schemes and prosperous in all their plans! Your laws are far from them; they scoff at their enemies. They boast that neither God nor men will bring them down. They sneer at all their enemies, saying in their hearts, “We’ll have success in all we do and never have to face trouble.” Their mouths spew out cursing, lies, and threats. Only trouble and turmoil come from all their plans. Like beasts lurking in the shadows of the city, they crouch silently in ambush, waiting for the innocent to pass by. Pouncing on the poor, they catch them in their snare to murder their prey in secret as they plunder their helpless victims. They crush the lowly as they fall beneath their brutal blows, watching their victims collapse in defeat! Then they say to themselves, “The Lofty One is not watching while we do this. He doesn’t even care! We can get away with it!”