Psalms of David 55
55
PSALM LV.
C. M.
1GIVE ear, thou Judge of all the earth,
And listen when I pray;
Nor from thy humble suppliant turm
Thy glorious face away.
2Attend to this my sad complaint,
And hear my grievous moans;
Whilst I my mournful case declare
With artless sighs and groans.
3Hark, how the foe insults aloud!
How fierce oppressors rage!
Whose sland’rous tongues, with wrathful hate,
Against my fame engage.
4-5My heart is rack’d with pain, my soul
With deadly frights distress’d;
With fear and trembling compass’d
With horror quite oppress’d.
6How often wish’d I then, that I round,
The dove’s swift wings could get;
That I might take my speedy flight,
And seek a safe retreat.
7-8Then would I wander far from hence,
And in wild deserts stray,
Till all this furious storm were spent,
This tempest past away.
The Second Part.
9Destroy, O Lord, their ill designs,
Their counsels soon divide;
For through the city my griev’d eyes
Have strife and rapine spied.
10By day and night on ev’ry wall
They walk their constant round;
And in the midst of all her strength
Are grief and mischief found.
11Whoe’er through ev’ry part shall roam,
With fresh disorders meet;
Deceit and guile their constant posts
Maintain in ev’ry street.
12For ’twas not any open foe
That false reflections made;
For then I could with ease have borne
The bitter things he said:
’Twas none who hatred had profess’d
That did against me rise;
For then I had withdrawn myself
From his malicious eyes:
13-14But ’twas e’en thou, my guide, friend,
Whom tend’rest love did join;
Whose sweet advice I valued most,
Whose prayers were mix’d with mine.
15Sure vengeance, equal to their crimes,
Such traitors must surprise;
And sudden death requite those ills
They wickedly devise.
16-17But I will call on God, who still
Shall in my aid appear;
At morn, and noon, and night I’ll pray,
And he my voice shall hear.
The Third Part.
18God has releas’d my soul from those
That did with me contend;
And made a num’rous host of friends
My righteous cause defend.
19For he, who was my help of old,
Shall now his suppliant hear;
And punish them, whose prosp’rous state
Makes them no God to fear.
20Whom can I trust, if faithless men
Perfidiously devise
To ruin me, their peaceful friend,
And break the strongest ties?
21Though soft and melting are their words,
Their hearts with war abound;
Their speeches are more smooth than oil,
And yet like swords they wound.
22Do thou, my soul, on God depend,
And he shall thee sustain;
He aids the just, whom to supplant
The wicked strive in vain.
23My foes, that trade in lies and blood,
Shall all untimely die;
Whilst I for health and length of days
On thee, my God, rely.
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Psalms of David 55: MP1696
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First published 1696, improved 1698.
Psalms of David 55
55
PSALM LV.
C. M.
1GIVE ear, thou Judge of all the earth,
And listen when I pray;
Nor from thy humble suppliant turm
Thy glorious face away.
2Attend to this my sad complaint,
And hear my grievous moans;
Whilst I my mournful case declare
With artless sighs and groans.
3Hark, how the foe insults aloud!
How fierce oppressors rage!
Whose sland’rous tongues, with wrathful hate,
Against my fame engage.
4-5My heart is rack’d with pain, my soul
With deadly frights distress’d;
With fear and trembling compass’d
With horror quite oppress’d.
6How often wish’d I then, that I round,
The dove’s swift wings could get;
That I might take my speedy flight,
And seek a safe retreat.
7-8Then would I wander far from hence,
And in wild deserts stray,
Till all this furious storm were spent,
This tempest past away.
The Second Part.
9Destroy, O Lord, their ill designs,
Their counsels soon divide;
For through the city my griev’d eyes
Have strife and rapine spied.
10By day and night on ev’ry wall
They walk their constant round;
And in the midst of all her strength
Are grief and mischief found.
11Whoe’er through ev’ry part shall roam,
With fresh disorders meet;
Deceit and guile their constant posts
Maintain in ev’ry street.
12For ’twas not any open foe
That false reflections made;
For then I could with ease have borne
The bitter things he said:
’Twas none who hatred had profess’d
That did against me rise;
For then I had withdrawn myself
From his malicious eyes:
13-14But ’twas e’en thou, my guide, friend,
Whom tend’rest love did join;
Whose sweet advice I valued most,
Whose prayers were mix’d with mine.
15Sure vengeance, equal to their crimes,
Such traitors must surprise;
And sudden death requite those ills
They wickedly devise.
16-17But I will call on God, who still
Shall in my aid appear;
At morn, and noon, and night I’ll pray,
And he my voice shall hear.
The Third Part.
18God has releas’d my soul from those
That did with me contend;
And made a num’rous host of friends
My righteous cause defend.
19For he, who was my help of old,
Shall now his suppliant hear;
And punish them, whose prosp’rous state
Makes them no God to fear.
20Whom can I trust, if faithless men
Perfidiously devise
To ruin me, their peaceful friend,
And break the strongest ties?
21Though soft and melting are their words,
Their hearts with war abound;
Their speeches are more smooth than oil,
And yet like swords they wound.
22Do thou, my soul, on God depend,
And he shall thee sustain;
He aids the just, whom to supplant
The wicked strive in vain.
23My foes, that trade in lies and blood,
Shall all untimely die;
Whilst I for health and length of days
On thee, my God, rely.
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:
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First published 1696, improved 1698.