Psalms  ◦   Chapter 10

1O Lord, the freedom you have granted is sufficient;
you have stepped back far enough for us to see.

2The selfish in their arrogance abuse and coerce the weak,
but their own hearts are imprisoned by their selfish scheming.

3The selfish are proud of how they exploit others to get what they want;
they celebrate thievery and despise the Lord of love and truth.

4Filled with self-importance, they think God has nothing to offer —
in their mind, God is irrelevant.

5They are confident that their me-first way is best;
Your design laws make no sense to them;
they ridicule all who are honest and kind — those who oppose their selfish ways.

6They say to themselves, "Nothing can stop us;
we will succeed in all we do."

7Under oath they lie and deceive;
their words inflame fear, selfishness and division.

8They befriend the unwary;
without warning they destroy the innocent;
they covertly hunt for helpless victims.

9They are predators who sneak in the dark;
they lurk in the shadows to ensnare the defenseless;
they snatch the vulnerable and drag them off in their destructive web.

10Their victims are pulled down and crushed,
broken by the cruelty of the selfish.

11The selfish tell themselves, "God doesn’t know what we do;
he can’t even see us!"

12Act now, Lord! Use your healing power, O God;
Deliver the helpless!

13It’s obvious: the selfish reject God.
They say to themselves,
"He doesn’t care what we do."

14But you see all deviations from your design of love,
diagnosing accurately to heal and restore by your life-giving power.
The wounded victims trust you with their care;
you provide for the helpless.

15Break the power of selfishness and evil;
scour out wickedness until there is no more.

16The Creator God reigns forever and ever;
the selfish nations will disappear from his kingdom of love.

17O Lord, you have heard the longing of the victim to be whole;
you give them hope, because you know their true need.

18You deliver the helpless and restore the exploited,
so that selfishness in human beings may be no more.