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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. I

Psalm X (10)

Cantillated — Lament Delay

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 10 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

1

Why do you stand far off, Yahweh? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תַּעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃

2

In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.

בְּגַאֲוַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע יִדְלַ֣ק עָנִ֑י יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ ׀ בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ׃

3

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.

כִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל רָ֭שָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֹצֵ֥עַ בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ נִ֘אֵ֥ץ ׀ יְהוָֽה׃

4

The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.

רָשָׁ֗ע כְּגֹ֣בַהּ אַ֭פּוֹ בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ אֵ֥ין אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים כָּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו׃

5

His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.

יָ֘חִ֤ילוּ דרכו ׀ בְּכָל־עֵ֗ת מָר֣וֹם מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ כָּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו יָפִ֥יחַ בָּהֶֽם׃

6

He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

אָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט לְדֹ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־בְרָֽע׃

7

His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

אָלָ֤ה פִּ֣יהוּ מָ֭לֵא וּמִרְמ֣וֹת וָתֹ֑ךְ תַּ֥חַת לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ עָמָ֥ל וָאָֽוֶן׃

8

He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.

יֵשֵׁ֤ב ׀ בְּמַאְרַ֬ב חֲצֵרִ֗ים בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים יַהֲרֹ֣ג נָקִ֑י עֵ֝ינָ֗יו לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃

9

He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.

יֶאֱרֹ֬ב בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀ כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה בְסֻכֹּ֗ה יֶ֭אֱרֹב לַחֲט֣וֹף עָנִ֑י יַחְטֹ֥ף עָ֝נִ֗י בְּמָשְׁכ֥וֹ בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

10

The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.

ודכה יָשֹׁ֑חַ וְנָפַ֥ל בַּ֝עֲצוּמָ֗יו חלכאים׃

11

He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.”

אָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ שָׁ֣כַֽח אֵ֑ל הִסְתִּ֥יר פָּ֝נָ֗יו בַּל־רָאָ֥ה לָנֶֽצַח׃

12

Arise, Yahweh! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless.

קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֭ל נְשָׂ֣א יָדֶ֑ךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח עניים׃

13

Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”?

עַל־מֶ֤ה ׀ נִאֵ֖ץ רָשָׁ֥ע ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָמַ֥ר בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִּדְרֹֽשׁ׃

14

But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless.

רָאִ֡תָה כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה ׀ עָ֘מָ֤ל וָכַ֨עַס ׀ תַּבִּיט֮ לָתֵ֪ת בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ עָ֭לֶיךָ יַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵלֶ֑כָה יָ֝ת֗וֹם אַתָּ֤ה ׀ הָיִ֬יתָ עוֹזֵֽר׃

15

Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.

שְׁ֭בֹר זְר֣וֹעַ רָשָׁ֑ע וָ֝רָ֗ע תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ בַל־תִּמְצָֽא׃

16

Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.

יְהוָ֣ה מֶ֭לֶךְ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד אָבְד֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ׃

17

Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,

תַּאֲוַ֬ת עֲנָוִ֣ים שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

18

to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יָת֗וֹם וָ֫דָ֥ךְ בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף ע֑וֹד לַעֲרֹ֥ץ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Why, O Lord

do You stand far away

Why do You hide

in times of trouble

In the pride of the wicked

the poor are hunted

They are caught

in the schemes they planned

The wicked boasts

in the craving of his soul

The greedy man

renounces the Lord

He says in his heart

There is no God

His ways prosper

all the time

He says in his heart

I will not be moved

I will never see disaster

His mouth is full

of cursing and deceit

Under his tongue

are trouble and evil

He waits in secret

he strikes the innocent

He watches the helpless

he pulls in the poor

Like a lion in hiding

he lies in wait

He seizes the poor

he drags him in his net

The helpless are crushed

they sink and fall

He says in his heart

God has forgotten

He has hidden His face

He will never see

Arise, O Lord

O God, lift up Your hand

Do not forget

the afflicted

Arise, O Lord

O God, lift up Your hand

Do not forget

the afflicted

Why does the wicked

renounce God

Why does he say

You will not call to account

But You do see

You see trouble and grief

You take it

into Your hand

The helpless commits himself

to You

You have been

the helper of the fatherless

Break the arm

of the wicked

Call his evil

to account

Until none remains

The Lord is King

forever and ever

The nations perish

from His land

The Lord is King

forever and ever

You hear the afflicted

You hear the afflicted

You strengthen

their heart

You incline

Your ear

To judge

the fatherless

To judge

the oppressed

So man of dust

may terrify no more

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn