1 Lord, why do you stay so far away? People with troubles can’t see you. 2 Proud and wicked people make evil plans. And they hurt poor people. 3 Evil people brag about the things they want. And those greedy people curse God. In this way, the evil people show that they hate the Lord. 4 Bad people are too proud to follow God. They make all their evil plans. And they act like there is no God. 5 Bad people are always doing crooked things. They don’t even notice God’s laws and wise teachings. God’s enemies ignore ˻his teachings˼. 6 Those people think bad things will never happen to them. ˻They say,˼ ”We will have fun and never be punished.” 7 Those people are always cursing. They are always saying bad things about other people. They are always planning evil things to do. 8 Those people hide in secret places and wait to catch people. They hide, looking for people to hurt. They kill innocent people. 9 Those bad people are like lions trying to catch the animals they will eat. They attack poor people. The poor people are caught in the traps that the evil people make. 10 Again and again, those bad people hurt poor, hurting people. 11 So those poor people begin thinking, ”God has forgotten us! He has turned away from us forever! God doesn’t see what is happening to us!” 12 Lord, get up and do something! God, punish those bad people! Don’t forget the poor people! 13 Why do bad people turn against God? Because they think he won’t punish them. 14 ˻Lord,˼ surely you see the cruel and evil things that bad people do. Look at those things, and do something! People with many troubles come to you for help. Lord, you are the One who helps orphans. ˻So help them!˼ 15 ˻Lord,˼ destroy the evil people. 16 Remove those people from your land! 17 Lord, you heard what poor people want. Listen to their prayers and do what they ask! 18 Lord, protect the children without parents. Don’t let sad people suffer more troubles. Make bad people too afraid to stay here.
