Psalm 10 (Tehillim 10) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 10
A psalm asking why Hashem stands far off while the proud wicked man persecutes the poor and says God will not see, and calling on Hashem to arise for the fatherless and the oppressed.
10:1Why stand You afar off, O Hashem? why hide You Yourself in times of trouble?
אלָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תַּעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃
10:2The wicked in his pride does persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
בבְּגַאֲוַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע יִדְלַ֣ק עָנִ֑י יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ ׀ בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ׃
10:3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, and blesses the covetous, whom Hashem abhors.
גכִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל רָ֭שָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֹצֵ֥עַ בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ נִ֘אֵ֥ץ ׀ יְהוָֽה׃
10:4The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
דרָשָׁ֗ע כְּגֹ֣בַהּ אַ֭פּוֹ בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ אֵ֥ין אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים כָּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו׃
10:5His ways are always grievous; Your judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffs at them.
היָ֘חִ֤ילוּ דְרָכָ֨יו (כתיב דרכו) ׀ בְּכָל־עֵ֗ת מָר֣וֹם מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ כָּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו יָפִ֥יחַ בָּהֶֽם׃
10:6He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.”
ואָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט לְדֹ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־בְרָֽע׃
10:7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
זאָלָ֤ה פִּ֣יהוּ מָ֭לֵא וּמִרְמ֣וֹת וָתֹ֑ךְ תַּ֥חַת לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ עָמָ֥ל וָאָֽוֶן׃
10:8He sits in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places does he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
חיֵשֵׁ֤ב ׀ בְּמַאְרַ֬ב חֲצֵרִ֗ים בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים יַהֲרֹ֣ג נָקִ֑י עֵ֝ינָ֗יו לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃
10:9He lies in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to catch the poor: he does catch the poor, when he draws him into his net.
טיֶאֱרֹ֬ב בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀ כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה בְסֻכֹּ֗ה יֶ֭אֱרֹב לַחֲט֣וֹף עָנִ֑י יַחְטֹ֥ף עָ֝נִ֗י בְּמָשְׁכ֥וֹ בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
10:10He crouches, and humbles himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
ייִדְכֶּ֥ה (כתיב ודכה) יָשֹׁ֑חַ וְנָפַ֥ל בַּ֝עֲצוּמָ֗יו חֵ֣יל כָּאִֽים (כתיב חלכאים)׃
10:11He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten: He hides His face; He will never see it.”
יאאָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ שָׁ֣כַֽח אֵ֑ל הִסְתִּ֥יר פָּ֝נָ֗יו בַּל־רָאָ֥ה לָנֶֽצַח׃
10:12Arise, O Hashem; O God, lift up Your hand: forget not the humble.
יבקוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֭ל נְשָׂ֣א יָדֶ֑ךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח עֲנָוִֽים (כתיב עניים)׃
10:13Why does the wicked contemn God? he has said in his heart, “You will not require it.”
יגעַל־מֶ֤ה ׀ נִאֵ֖ץ רָשָׁ֥ע ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָמַ֥ר בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִּדְרֹֽשׁ׃
10:14You have seen it; for You behold mischief and spite, to requite it with Your hand: the poor commits himself unto You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
ידרָאִ֡תָה כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה ׀ עָ֘מָ֤ל וָכַ֨עַס ׀ תַּבִּיט֮ לָתֵ֪ת בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ עָ֭לֶיךָ יַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵלֶ֑כָה יָ֝ת֗וֹם אַתָּ֤ה ׀ הָיִ֬יתָ עוֹזֵֽר׃
10:15Break You the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till You find none.
טושְׁ֭בֹר זְר֣וֹעַ רָשָׁ֑ע וָ֝רָ֗ע תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ בַל־תִּמְצָֽא׃
10:16Hashem is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of His land.
טזיְהוָ֣ה מֶ֭לֶךְ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד אָבְד֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ׃
10:17Hashem, You have heard the desire of the humble: You will prepare their heart, You will cause Your ear to hear:
יזתַּאֲוַ֬ת עֲנָוִ֣ים שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
10:18To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
יחלִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יָת֗וֹם וָ֫דָ֥ךְ בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף ע֑וֹד לַעֲרֹ֥ץ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.