O God, whom I delight to praise,
To Thee my cry for help I raise;
Be Thou my Friend and Advocate
When foes assail with bitter hate. Against me slanderous words are flung
From many a false and lying tongue;
Without a cause men hurl at me
The shafts of deadly enmity. My good with evil they repay,
My love turns not their hate away;
The part of vengeance, Lord, is Thine;
To pray, and only pray, is mine. Since love appeals to him in vain,
The slave of sin let him remain;
Against him let his foe be turned,
His sin be judged, his prayer be spurned. Let sudden death upon him break,
His office let another take,
His children and his widowed wife
Pursue the homeless beggar’s life. Let creditors consume his toil
And strangers make his wealth their spoil;
Let none in pity heed his claim;
Cut off his race, blot out his name. His parents’ sins be not forgot
Till Thou from earth his memory blot,
Since he remembered not to show
Compassion to the sons of woe. He cursing loved and blessing loathed:
Unblest, with cursing he is clothed;
For thus the justice of the Lord
My adversaries will reward. O God, the Lord, for Thy Name’s sake
Let me of Thy good grace partake;
My need is great, and great Thou art
To heal my wounded, stricken heart. With failing strength I fast and pine,
Like shadows swift my days decline,
And when my foes my weakness see
They shake their head in scorn at me. O Lord, my God, Thy help I crave,
In Thy great lovingkindness save;
Before my foes Thy mercy show;
That Thou dost help me, make them know. What though they curse, if Thou wilt bless?
Then joy shall banish my distress,
And shame shall overwhelm the foes
Who would Thy servant’s way oppose. Thanksgiving to the Lord I raise,
The multitude shall hear my praise,
For by the needy God will stand
To save them from oppression’s hand. |
