A Prayer for Justice
1 Why are you so far away, O Lord?
Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?
2 The wicked are proud and persecute the poor;
catch them in the traps they have made.
3 The wicked are proud of their evil desires;
the greedy curse and reject the Lord.
4 The wicked do not care about the Lord;
in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.
5 The wicked succeed in everything.
They cannot understand God's judgments;
they sneer at their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, “We will never fail;
we will never be in trouble.”
7 Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats;
they are quick to speak hateful, evil words.
8 They hide themselves in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They spy on their helpless victims;
9 they wait in their hiding place like lions.
They lie in wait for the poor;
they catch them in their traps and drag them away.
10 The helpless victims lie crushed;
brute strength has defeated them.
11 The wicked say to themselves, “God doesn't care!
He has closed his eyes and will never see me!”
12 O Lord, punish those wicked people!
Remember those who are suffering!
13 How can the wicked despise God
and say to themselves, “He will not punish me”?
14 But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering
and are always ready to help.
The helpless commit themselves to you;
you have always helped the needy.
15 Break the power of wicked and evil people;
punish them for the wrong they have done
until they do it no more.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever.
Those who worship other gods
will vanish from his land.
17 You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly;
you will give them courage.
18 You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans;
you will judge in their favor,
so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
Palīdzības sauciens pret bezdievīgiem varmākām
1 Kāpēc, Kungs, tu turies tālu,
kāpēc paslēpies posta laikos?
2 Lepnuma pilni ļaundari grūtdieņus vajā –
liec tiem krist no viltus, ko paši kaļ.
3 Lielās ļaundaris ar savu kārību,
rijīgais nolād un gāna Kungu.
4 Ļaundaris lepns – nemeklē viņu!
To vien prāto, ka Dieva nav.
5 Vienmēr droši tā ceļi,
tava tiesa ir augstu – viņš neredz to,
kas tam naidnieki – viņš par tiem smej!
6 Viņš saka sev sirdī: es nepaklupšu,
audžu audzēs man neredzēt ļauna!
7 Lāstu pilna tam mute un viltus, un varmācības.
Tam zem mēles mokas un posts.
8 Pie apmetnēm tas paslēpies gaida,
no slēpņa tas nokauj nevainīgo,
uz vārgdieni tam acis lūr.
9 Viņš uzglūn slepus kā lauva no slēpņa,
viņš uzglūn, lai grūtdieni sagrābtu,
viņš tver grūtdieni un rauj savā tīklā –
10 un satriekts tas zemē ļimst!
Zem viņa varas vārgdieņi krīt.
11 Tas saka sev sirdī: aizmirsis Dievs,
apslēpis savu vaigu, nemūžam viņš neredz!
12 Jel celies, Kungs! Dievs, vēz savu roku!
Neaizmirsti grūtdieņus!
13 Kā ļaundaris drīkst gānīt Dievu?!
Tas saka sev sirdī: viņš nevajās!
14 Tu taču redzi mokas un sūrumu,
tu pamani to un ņem savā rokā –
tik uz tevi vārgdieņi paļaujas,
bāreņu palīgs tik tu!
15 Samaitātā un ļaundara elkoni salauz,
vajā negantību, lai iznīkst!
16 Kungs ir valdnieks uz laiku laikiem –
lai citas tautas paput no viņa zemes!
17 Nabago alkas uzklausi, Kungs!
Drošini viņu sirdis, pievērs tiem ausi!
18 Nes tiesu bāreņiem un apspiestiem,
lai nebēg vairs bailēs ļaudis no zemes!
