~ The Wicked Man and The Lord ~

In his arrogance
the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty
and Your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.

The Lord is in His holy temple;
the Lord is on His heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
His eyes examine them.
The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked and those who love violence
His soul hates.
On the wicked
He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous,
He loves justice;
upright men will see His face.

(Psalm 9:2-10; 11:4-7)