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1    Give ear unto me when I call,

          God of my righteousness:

     Have mercy, hear my pray’r; thou hast

          enlarg’d me in distress.

2    O ye the sons of men! how long

          will ye love vanities?

     How long my glory turn to shame,

          and will ye follow lies?

3    But know, that for himself the Lord

          the godly man doth chuse:

     The Lord, when I on him do call,

          to hear will not refuse.

4    Fear, and sin not; talk with your heart

          on bed, and silent be.

5    Off ‘rings present of righteousness,

          and in the Lord trust ye.

6    O who will shew us any good?

          is that which many say:

     But of thy countenance the light,

          Lord, lift on us alway.

7    Upon my heart, bestow’d by thee,

          more gladness I have found

     Than they, ev’n then, when corn and wine

          did most with them abound.

8    I will both lay me down in peace,

          and quiet sleep will take;

     Because thou only me to dwell

          in safety, Lord, dost make.

1    That man hath perfect blessedness,
          who walketh not astray
     In counsel of ungodly men,
          nor stands in sinners’ way,

     Nor sitteth in the scorner’s chair:
2          But placeth his delight
     Upon God’s law, and meditates
          on his law day and night.

3    He shall be like a tree that grows
          near planted by a river,
     Which in his season yields his fruit,
          and his leaf fadeth never:

     And all he doth shall prosper well
4        The wicked are not so;
     But like they are unto the chaff,
          which wind drives to and fro.

5    In judgment therefore shall not stand
          such as ungodly are;
     Nor in th’ assembly of the just
          shall wicked men appear.

6    For why? the way of godly men
          unto the Lord is known:
     Whereas the way of wicked men
          shall quite be overthrown.

1    O Lord, my hope and confidence         
is plac’d in thee alone;
     Then let thy servant never be
          put to confusion.

2    And let me, in thy righteousness,
          from thee deliv’rance have;
     Cause me escape, incline thine ear
          unto me, and me save.

3    Be thou my dwelling-rock, to which
          I ever may resort:
     Thou gav’st commandment me to save,
          for thou’rt my rock and fort.

4    Free me, my God, from wicked hands,
          hands cruel and unjust:
5    For thou, O Lord God, art my hope,
          and from my youth my trust.

6    Thou from the womb didst hold me up;
          thou art the same that me
     Out of my mother’s bowels took;
          I ever will praise thee.

7    To many I a wonder am;
          but thou’rt my refuge strong.
8    Fill’d let my mouth be with thy praise
          and honour all day long.

9    O do not cast me off, when as
          old age doth overtake me;
     And when my strength decayed is,
          then do not thou forsake me.

10   For those that are mine enemies
          against me speak with hate;
     And they together counsel take
          that for my soul lay wait.

11   They said, God leaves him; him pursue
          and take: none will him save.
12   Be thou not far from me, my God:
          thy speedy help I crave.

13   Confound, consume them, that unto
          my soul are enemies:
     Cloth’d be they with reproach and shame
          that do my hurt devise.

14   But I with expectation
          will hope continually;
     And yet with praises more and more
          I will thee magnify.

15   Thy justice and salvation
          my mouth abroad shall show,
     Ev’n all the day; for I thereof
          the numbers do not know.

16   And I will constantly go on
          in strength of God the Lord;
     And thine own righteousness, ev’n thine
          alone, I will record.

17   For even from my youth, O God,
          by thee I have been taught;
     And hitherto I have declar’d
          the wonders thou hast wrought.

18   And now, Lord, leave me not, when I
          old and gray-headed grow:
     Till to this age thy strength and pow’r
          to all to come I show.

19   And thy most perfect righteousness
          O Lord, is very high,
     Who hast so great things done: O God,
          who is like unto thee?

20   Thou, Lord, who great adversities,
          and sore, to me didst show,
     Shalt quicken, and bring me again
          from depths of earth below.

21   My greatness and my pow’r thou wilt
          increase, and far extend:
     On ev’ry side against all grief
          thou wilt me comfort send.

22   Thee, ev’n thy truth, I’ll also praise,
          my God, with psaltery:
     Thou Holy One of Israel,
          with harp I’ll sing to thee.

23   My lips shall much rejoice in thee,
          when I thy praises sound;
     My soul, which thou redeemed hast,
          in joy shall much abound.

24    My tongue thy justice shall proclaim,
          continuing all day long;
     For they confounded are, and sham’d,
          that seek to do me wrong.

1    Praise waits for thee in Sion, Lord:

          to thee vows paid shall be.

2    O thou that hearer art of pray’r,

          all flesh shall come to thee.

3    Iniquities, I must confess,

          prevail against me do:

     But as for our transgressions,

          them purge away shalt thou.

4    Bless’d is the man whom thou dost chuse,

          and mak’st approach to thee,

     That he within thy courts, O Lord,

          may still a dweller be:

     We surely shall be satisfy’d

          with thy abundant grace,

     And with the goodness of thy house,

          ev’n of thy holy place.

5    O God of our salvation,

          thou, in thy righteousness,

     By fearful works unto our pray’rs

          thine answer dost express:

     Therefore the ends of all the earth,

          and those afar that be

     Upon the sea, their confidence,

          O Lord, will place in thee.

6    Who, being girt with pow’r, sets fast

          by his great strength the hills.

7    Who noise of seas, noise of their waves,

          and people’s tumult, stills.

8    Those in the utmost parts that dwell

          are at thy signs afraid:

     Th’ outgoings of the morn and ev’n

          by thee are joyful made.

9    The earth thou visit’st, wat’ring it;

          thou mak’st it rich to grow

     With God’s full flood; thou corn prepar’st,

          when thou provid’st it so.

10   Her rigs thou wat’rest plenteously,

          her furrows settelest:

     With show’rs thou dost her mollify,

          her spring by thee is blest.

11   So thou the year most lib’rally

          dost with thy goodness crown;

     And all thy paths abundantly

          on us drop fatness down.

12   They drop upon the pastures wide,

          that do in deserts lie;

     The little hills on ev’ry side

          rejoice right pleasantly.

13   With flocks the pastures clothed be,

          the vales with corn are clad;

     And now they shout and sing to thee,

          for thou hast made them glad.

First Version (S.M.)

1    Lord, haste me to deliver;
          with speed, Lord, succour me.
2    Let them that for my soul do seek
          sham’d and confounded be:

     Turn’d back be they, and sham’d,
          that in my hurt delight.
3    Turn’d back be they, Ha, ha! that say,
          their shaming to requite.

4    In thee let all be glad,
          and joy that seek for thee:
     Let them who thy salvation love
          say still, God praised be.

5    I poor and needy am;
          come, Lord, and make no stay:
     My help thou and deliv’rer art;
          O Lord, make no delay.

Second Version (C.M.)

1    Make haste, O God, me to preserve;
          with speed, Lord, succour me.
2    Let them that for my soul do seek
          sham’d and confounded be:

     Let them be turned back, and sham’d,
          that in my hurt delight.
3    Turn’d back be they, Ha, ha! that say,
          their shaming to requite.

4    O Lord, in thee let all be glad,
          and joy that seek for thee:
     Let them who thy salvation love
          say still, God praised be.

5    But I both poor and needy am;
          come, Lord, and make no stay:
     My help thou and deliv’rer art;
          O Lord, make no delay.

1    When I to thee my prayer make,

          Lord, to my voice give ear;

     My life save from the enemy,

          of whom I stand in fear.

2    Me from their secret counsel hide

          who do live wickedly;

     From insurrection of those men

          that work iniquity:

3    Who do their tongues with malice whet,

          and make them cut like swords;

     In whose bent bows are arrows set,

          ev’n sharp and bitter words:

4    That they may at the perfect man

          in secret aim their shot;

     Yea, suddenly they dare at him

          to shoot, and fear it not.

5    In ill encourage they themselves,

          and their snares close do lay:

     Together conference they have;

          Who shall them see? they say.

6    They have search’d out iniquities,

          a perfect search they keep:

     Of each of them the inward thought,

          and very heart, is deep.

7    God shall an arrow shoot at them,

          and wound them suddenly:

8    So their own tongue shall them confound;

          all who them see shall fly.

9    And on all men a fear shall fall,

          God’s works they shall declare;

     For they shall wisely notice take

          what these his doings are.

10   In God the righteous shall rejoice,

          and trust upon his might;

     Yea, they shall greatly glory all

          in heart that are upright.

1    O God, why hast thou cast us off?

          is it for evermore?

     Against thy pasture-sheep why doth

          thine anger smoke so sore?

2    O call to thy rememberance

          thy congregation,

     Which thou hast purchased of old;

          still think the same upon:

     The rod of thine inheritance,

          which thou redeemed hast,

     This Sion hill, wherein thou hadst

          thy dwelling in times past.

3    To these long desolations

          thy feet lift, do not tarry;

     For all the ills thy foes have done

          within thy sanctuary.

4    Amidst thy congregations

          thine enemies do roar:

     Their ensigns they set up for signs

          of triumph thee before.

5    A man was famous, and was had

          in estimation,

     According as he lifted up

          his axe thick trees upon.

6    But all at once with axes now

          and hammers they go to,

     And down the carved work thereof

          they break, and quite undo.

7    They fired have thy sanctuary,

          and have defil’d the same,

     By casting down unto the ground

          the place where dwelt thy name.

8    Thus said they in their hearts, Let us

          destroy them out of hand:

     They burnt up all the synagogues

          of God within the land.

9    Our signs we do not now behold;

          there is not us among

     A prophet more, nor any one

          that knows the time how long.

10   How long, Lord, shall the enemy

          thus in reproach exclaim?

     And shall the adversary thus

          always blaspheme thy name?

11   Thy hand, ev’n thy right hand of might,

          why dost thou thus draw back?

     O from thy bosom pluck it out

          for our deliv’rance sake.

12   For certainly God is my King,

          ev’n from the times of old,

     Working in midst of all the earth

          salvation manifold.

13   The sea, by thy great pow’r, to part

          asunder thou didst make;

     And thou the dragons’ heads, O Lord,

          within the waters brake.

14   The leviathan’s head thou brak’st

          in pieces, and didst give

     Him to be meat unto the folk

          in wilderness that live.

15   Thou clav’st the fountain and the flood,

          which did with streams abound:

     Thou dry’dst the mighty waters up

          unto the very ground.

16   Thine only is the day, O Lord,

          thine also is the night;

     And thou alone prepared hast

          the sun and shining light.

17   By thee the borders of the earth

          were settled ev’ry where:

     The summer and the winter both

          by thee created were.

18   That th’ enemy reproached hath,

          O keep it in record;

     And that the foolish people have

          blasphem’d thy name, O Lord.

19   Unto the multitude do not

          thy turtle’s soul deliver:

     The congregation of thy poor

          do not forget for ever.

20   Unto thy cov’nant have respect;

          for earth’s dark places be

     Full of the habitations

          of horrid cruelty.

21   O let not those that be oppress’d

          return again with shame:

     Let those that poor and needy are

          give praise unto thy name.

22   Do thou, O God, arise and plead

          the cause that is thine own:

     Remember how thou art reproach’d

          still by the foolish one.

23   Do not forget the voice of those

          that are thine enemies:

     Of those the tumult ever grows

          that do against thee rise.

1    To thee, O God, do we give thanks,

          we do give thanks to thee;

     Because thy wondrous works declare

          thy great name near to be.

2    I purpose, when I shall receive

          the congregation,

     That I shall judgment uprightly

          render to ev’ry one.

3    Dissolved is the land, with all

          that in the same do dwell;

     But I the pillars thereof do

          bear up, and stablish well.

4    I to the foolish people said,

          Do not deal foolishly;

     And unto those that wicked are,

          Lift not your horn on high.

5    Lift not your horn on high, nor speak

6          with stubborn neck. But know,

     That not from east, nor west, nor south,

          promotion doth flow.

7    But God is judge; he puts down one,

          and sets another up.

8    For in the hand of God most high

          of red wine is a cup:

    ‘Tis full of mixture, he pours forth,

          and makes the wicked all

     Wring out the bitter dregs thereof;

          yea, and they drink them shall.

9    But I for ever will declare,

          I Jacob’s God will praise.

10   All horns of lewd men I’ll cut off;

          but just men’s horns will raise.

1    Yet God is good to Israel,

          to each pure-hearted one.

2    But as for me, my steps near slipp’d,

          my feet were almost gone.

3    For I envious was, and grudg’d

          the foolish folk to see,

     When I perceiv’d the wicked sort

          enjoy prosperity.

4    For still their strength continueth firm;

          their death of bands is free.

5    They are not toil’d like other men,

          nor plagu’d, as others be.

6    Therefore their pride, like to a chain,

          them compasseth about;

     And, as a garment, violence

          doth cover them throughout.

7    Their eyes stand out with fat; they have

          more than their hearts could wish.

8    They are corrupt; their talk of wrong

          both lewd and lofty is.

9    They set their mouth against the heav’ns

          in their blasphemous talk;

     And their reproaching tongue throughout

          the earth at large doth walk.

10   His people oftentimes for this

          look back, and turn about;

     Sith waters of so full a cup

          to these are poured out.

11   And thus they say, How can it be

          that God these things doth know?

     Or, Can there in the Highest be

          knowledge of things below?

12   Behold, these are the wicked ones,

          yet prosper at their will

     In worldly things; they do increase

          in wealth and riches still.

13   I verily have done in vain

          my heart to purify;

     To no effect in innocence

          washed my hands have I.

14   For daily, and all day throughout,

          great plagues I suffer’d have;

     Yea, ev’ry morning I of new

          did chastisement receive.

15   If in this manner foolishly

          to speak I would intend,

     Thy children’s generation,

          behold, I should offend.

16   When I this thought to know, it was

          too hard a thing for me;

17   Till to God’s sanctuary I went,

          then I their end did see.

18   Assuredly thou didst them set

          a slipp’ry place upon;

     Them suddenly thou castedst down

          into destruction.

19   How in a moment suddenly

          to ruin brought are they!

     With fearful terrors utterly

          they are consum’d away.

20   Ev’n like unto a dream, when one

          from sleeping doth arise;

     So thou, O Lord, when thou awak’st,

          their image shalt despise.

21   Thus grieved was my heart in me,

          and me my reins opprest:

22   So rude was I, and ignorant,

          and in thy sight a beast.

23   Nevertheless continually,

          O Lord, I am with thee:

     Thou dost me hold by my right hand,

          and still upholdest me.

24   Thou, with thy counsel, while I live,

          wilt me conduct and guide;

     And to thy glory afterward

          receive me to abide.

25   Whom have I in the heavens high

          but thee, O Lord, alone?

     And in the earth whom I desire

          besides thee there is none.

26   My flesh and heart doth faint and fail,

          but God doth fail me never:

     For of my heart God is the strength

          and portion for ever.

27   For, lo, they that are far from thee

          for ever perish shall;

     Them that a whoring from thee go

          thou hast destroyed all.

28   But surely it is good for me

          that I draw near to God:

     In God I trust, that all thy works

          I may declare abroad.

Verses 1-11. TUNE: Auld Lang Syne

1    O Lord, thy judgments give the king,
          his son thy righteousness.
2    With right he shall thy people judge,
          thy poor with uprightness.

3    The lofty mountains shall bring forth
          unto the people peace;
     Likewise the little hills the same
          shall do by righteousness.

4    The people’s poor ones he shall judge,
          the needy’s children save;
     And those shall he in pieces break
          who them oppressed have.

5    They shall thee fear, while sun and moon
          do last, through ages all.
6    Like rain on mown grass he shall drop,
          or show’rs on earth that fall.

7    The just shall flourish in his days,
          and prosper in his reign:
     He shall, while doth the moon endure,
          abundant peace maintain.

8    His large and great dominion shall
          from sea to sea extend:
     It from the river shall reach forth
          unto earth’s utmost end.

9    They in the wilderness that dwell
          bow down before him must;
     And they that are his enemies
          shall lick the very dust.

10   The kings of Tarshish, and the isles,
          to him shall presents bring;
     And unto him shall offer gifts
          Sheba’s and Seba’s king.

11   Yea, all the mighty kings on earth
          before him down shall fall;
     And all the nations of the world
          do service to him shall.

Verses 12-19. TUNE: Auld Lang Syne

12   For he the needy shall preserve,
          when he to him doth call;
     The poor also, and him that hath
          no help of man at all.

13   The poor man and the indigent
          in mercy he shall spare;
     He shall preserve alive the souls 
        of those that needy are.

14   Both from deceit and violence
          their soul he shall set free;
     And in his sight right precious
          and dear their blood shall be.

15   Yea, he shall live, and giv’n to him         
shall be of Sheba’s gold: 
    For him still shall they pray, and he
          shall daily be extoll’d.

16   Of corn an handful in the earth
          on tops of mountains high,
     With prosp’rous fruit shall shake, like trees
          on Lebanon that be.

     The city shall be flourishing,
          her citizens abound
     In number shall, like to the grass
          that grows upon the ground.

17   His name for ever shall endure;
          last like the sun it shall:
     Men shall be bless’d in him, and bless’d
          all nations shall him call.

18   Now blessed be the Lord our God,
          the God of Israel,
     For he alone doth wondrous works,
          in glory that excel.

19   And blessed be his glorious name
          to all eternity:
     The whole earth let his glory fill.
          Amen, so let it be.