1 ¶ Why are you staying so far away, O LORD? why are you hiding yourself in times of trouble?

2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor: let them be ensnared by the schemes that they have devised.

3 For the wicked man boasts of the self centered desires of his own heart, and the man greedy of gain, spurns the LORD.

4 The wicked, because of the pride in his attitude, will not seek after God: God is not in his thoughts at all.

5 His ways are always grievous; your judgments are to high for him to see: as for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

6 He has said in his heart, Nothing can shake me: for I will never suffer adversity.

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deception and oppression: under his tongue lurks mischief and wrongdoing.

8 He sits in ambush near the villages: in secluded places he murders the innocent: his eyes are stealthily directed against the poor.

9 He lies in wait in his hiding place as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to ensnare the poor: he ensnares the poor, when he draws him into his net.

10 His prey is crushed, and sinks down, and the helpless fall by his mighty claws.

11 He has said in his heart, God has forgotten: he hides his face; he will never see it.

12 ¶ Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand: do not forget the humble.

13 Why does the wicked spurn God? he has said in his heart, You will not punish.

14 You have seen it; for you see trouble and grief, that you may repay it with your own hand: the poor commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man: punish his wickedness until you see it no more.

16 The LORD is King forever and ever: the heathen have perished out of his land.

17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed: you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear:

18 To bring justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that no earthly mortal may terrify them any longer.

Psalm 11

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 ¶ I have put my trust in the LORD: why do you say to me, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they place their arrow upon the string, so that they may shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

4 ¶ The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes see, his penetrating vision examines the children of men.

5 The LORD tries the righteous: but he hates the wicked and anyone who loves violence.

6 He will rain snares upon the wicked, fire and sulfur, and a dreadful scorching wind: will be the portion of their cup.

7 For the righteous LORD loves righteousness; those who are upright will see his face.

Psalm 12

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.

1 ¶ Help, LORD; for the godly man is no more; for the faithful have disappeared from among the children of men.

2 They all speak lies to their neighbor: they speak with flattering lips and with a double heart.

3 The LORD will cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things:

4 Those who say, We will prevail with our tongue; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

5 Now I will arise, says the LORD, because of the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy; I will make him safe from him who sneers at him.

6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7 You shall keep them, O LORD, you will preserve them from this generation forever.

8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Psalm 13

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 ¶ How long will you forget me, O LORD? forever? how long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I store up cares within me, daily having sorrow in my heart? how long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: restore brightness to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those who trouble me rejoice because I have fallen.

5 But I have trusted in your mercy; my heart will rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.