6 For us the heathen nations round,
As for a common prey, contest;
Our foes with spiteful joys abound,
And at our lost condition jest.
7 Do thou convert us, Lord; do thou
The lustre of thy face display;
And all the ills we suffer now,
Like scattered clouds, shall pass away.
8 Thou brought'st a vine from Egypt's land,
And, casting out the heathen race,
Didst plant it with thine own right hand,
And firmly fix it in their place.
9 Before it thou prepar'dst the way,
And mad'st it take a lasting root,
Which, blessed with thy indulgent ray,
O'er all the land did widely shoot.
10, 11 The hills were covered with its shade,
Its goodly boughs did cedars seem;
Its branches to the sea were spread,
And reached to proud Euphrates' stream.
12 Why, then, hast thou its hedge o'erthrown,
Which thou hadst made so firm and strong?
Whilst all its grapes, defenceless grown,
Are plucked by those that pass along.
13 See how the bristling forest boar,
With dreadful fury, lays it waste!
Hark! how the savage monsters roar,
And to their helpless prey make haste!
14 To thee, O God of hosts, we pray;
Thy wonted goodness, Lord, renew;
From heaven, thy throne, this vine survey,
And her sad state with pity view.
15 Behold the vineyard made by thee,
Which thy right hand did guard so long,
And keep that branch from danger free,
Which for thyself thou mad'st so strong.
16 To wasting flames 'tis made a prey,
And all its spreading boughs cut down;
At thy rebuke they soon decay,
And perish at thy dreadful frown.
17 Crown thou the King with good success, By thy right hand secured from wrong; The Son of man in mercy bless,
Whom for thyself thou mad'st so strong. 18 So shall we still continue free
From whatsoe'er deserves thy blame,
And, if once more revived by thee,
Will always praise thy holy name.
19 Do thou convert us, Lord; do thou
The lustre of thy face display;
And all the ills we suffer now,
Like scattered clouds, shall pass away.
1 O God, our never-failing Strength,
With loud applauses sing,
And jointly make a cheerful noise
To Jacob's awful King.
2 Compose a hymn of praise, and touch
Your instruments of joy ;
Let psalteries and pleasant harps
Your grateful skill employ.
3 Let trumpets, at the great new moon,
Their joyful voices raise,
To celebrate the appointed time,
The solemn day of praise.
4 For this a statute was, of old,
Which Jacob's God decreed,
To be with pious care observed
By Israel's chosen seed.
5 This he for a memorial fixed,
When, freed from Egypt's land,
Strange nations' barbarous speech we heard,
But could not understand.
6 Your burdened shoulders I relieved,
(Thus seems our God to say ;)
Your servile hands by me were freed
From labouring in the clay.
7 Your ancestors, with wrongs oppressed,
To me for aid did call :
With pity I their sufferings saw,
And set them free from all.
They sought for me, and, from the cloud,
In thunder I replied;
At Meribah's contentious stream
Their faith and duty tried.
8 While I my solemn will declare,
My chosen people, hear:
If thou, O Israel, to my words
Wilt lend thy listening ear,-
9 Then shall no god besides myself
Within thy coasts be found,
Nor shalt thou worship any god
Of all the nations round.
10 The Lord thy God am I, who thee
Brought forth from Egypt's land;
'Tis I that all thy just desires
Supply with liberal hand.
11 But they, my chosen race, refused
To hearken to my voice;
Nor would rebellious Israel's sons
Make me their happy choice.
12 So I, provoked, resigned them up,
To every lust a prey,
And in their own perverse designs
Permitted them to stray.
13 O that my people wisely would
My just commandments heed!
And Israel in my righteous ways
With pious care proceed!
14 Then should my heavy judgments fall
On all that them oppose,
And my avenging hand be turned
Against their numerous foes.
15 Their enemies and mine should all
Before my footstool bend;
But as for them, their happy state
Should never know an end.
16 All parts with plenty should abound;
With finest wheat their field:
The barren rocks, to please their taste,
Should richest honey yield.
OD in the great assembly stands,
Where his impartial eye
In state surveys the earthly gods,
And does their judgments try.
2, 3 How dare ye, then, unjustly judge,
Or be to sinners kind?
Defend the orphans and the poor;
Let such your justice find.
4 Protect the humble, helpless man,
Reduced to deep distress;
And let not him become a prey
To such as would oppress.
5 They neither know, nor will they learn,
But blindly rove and stray;
Justice and truth, the world's supports,
Through all the land decay.
6 Well, then, might God in anger say,
"I've called you by my name;
"I've said, Ye're gods, and all allied
"To the Most High in fame ;-
7" But, ne'ertheless, your unjust deeds
"To strict account I'll call ;
"You all shall die like common men,
"Like other tyrants fall."
8 Arise, and thy just judgments, Lord,
Throughout the earth display,
And all the nations of the world
Shall own thy righteous sway.
OLD not thy peace, O Lord our God,
No longer silent be;
Nor, with consenting, quiet looks,
Our ruin calmly see.
2 For, lo! the tumults of thy foes
O'er all the land are spread,
And those who hate thy saints and thee
Lift up their threatening head.
3 Against thy zealous people, Lord,
They craftily combine,
And to destroy thy chosen saints
Have laid their close design.
4 "Come, let us cut them off," say they,
"Their nation quite deface,
"That no reinembrance may remain
"Of Israel's hated race.'
""
5 Thus they against thy people's peace
Consult with one consent;
And differing nations, jointly leagued,
Their common malice vent.
6 The Ishmaelites, that dwell in tents,
With warlike Edom joined,
And Moab's sons, our ruin vow,
With Hagar's race combined.
7 Proud Ammon's offspring, Gebal too,
With Amalek conspire,
The lords of Palestine, and all
The wealthy sons of Tyre.
8 All these the strong Assyrian king
Their firm ally have got,
Who, with a powerful army, aids
The incestuous race of Lot.
9 But let such vengeance come to them As once to Midian came,
To Jabin and proud Sisera,
At Kishon's fatal stream,
10 When thy right hand their numerous hosts Near Endor did confound,
And left their carcasses for dung
To feed the hungry ground.
11 Let all their mighty men the fate Of Zeb and Oreb share;
As Zeba and Zalmuna, so
Let all their princes fare,
12 Who, with the same design inspired,
Thus, vainly boasting, spake :
"In firm possession for ourselves
"Let us God's houses take."
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