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 esi tik tālu, kāpēc Tu esi apslēpies bēdu laikā? 2 Savā pārgalvībā bezdievīgais vajā nomākto. Kaut viņi paši sapītos savos blēņu padomos, ko tie izdomājuši! 3 Jo bezdievīgais plātās ar savām nekautrīgām iekārēm, un pagaidu plēsējs lielās ar savu ieguvumu, arvien vairāk atraudamies no Tā Kunga. 4 Bezdievīgais savā lielā lepnībā nebēdā ne par vienu; visas viņa domas ir: Dieva nav! 5 Joprojām viņš sekmīgi turpina savu rīcību, un Tava soda tiesa arvienu paliek tālu no viņa. Šņākdams viņš vēršas pret visiem saviem pretiniekiem. 6 Viņš domā savā sirdī: es nekad neklupšu, un nekad nelaime nenāks pār mani! 7 Viņa mute plūst pāri no lāstiem, no viltus un varmācības, ar savu mēli viņš rada postu un bēdas. 8 Viņš slēpjas attālākās sētās un nokauj nevainīgo, kad neviens to neredz. Uz nevarīgo un bezspēcīgo vērsti viņa ļauno acu skati. 9 Viņš uzglūn savā paslēptuvē kā lauva savā alā, viņš uzglūn, lai notvertu nabagu, viņš notver nabagu, ievelkot to savā tīklā. 10 Viņš notupstas un noliecas un ar varu norauj nelaimīgos pie zemes, un viņi viegli nokļūst viņa ķetnās. 11 Tas spriež savā sirdī: Dievs to ir aizmirsis, Viņš ir apslēpis Savu vaigu un neredzēs to nemūžam! 12 Celies, ak, Kungs, pacel, ak, Dievs, Savu elkoni! Neaizmirsti nelaimīgos! 13 Kāpēc lai bezdievīgais noniecina Dievu un spriež savā sirdī: Tu pēc tā nekad nejautāsi! 14 Bet Tu gan redzi postu un sirdēstus, Tu vēro brīdi, kad pārņemt visu to Savās rokās. Uz Tevi raugās nelaimīgais un vājais, kas pakļaujas Tavai apsardzībai, un Tu esi palīgs bārim. 15 Satriec bezdievīgā un ļaundara elkoni, atrieb viņa negantību, dari tai galu! 16 Tas Kungs ir ķēniņš uz mūžu mūžiem, un lai mūžam nav vairs citas tautas Viņa zemē! 17 Tu, Kungs, liec piepildīties pazemīgo ilgām, Tu stiprini viņu drosmi un Tu pievērs viņiem Savu dzirdīgo ausi, 18 nesdams taisnību bāriem un grūtdieņiem, un lai cilvēks, kas ir no zemes, vairs nedara varas darbus!
