1 O Lord my God, since I have placed
my trust alone in thee,
From all my persecutors' rage
do thou deliver me.
2 To save me from my threat'ning foe,
Lord, interpose thy pow'r;
Lest, like a savage lion, he
my helpless soul devour.
3,4 If I am guilty, or did e'er
against his peace combine;
Nay, if I have not spared his life,
who sought unjustly mine
5 Let then to persecuting foes
my soul become a prey;
Let them to earth tread down my life,
in dust my honor lay.
6 Arise, and let thine anger, Lord,
in my defense engage;
Exalt thyself above my foes
and their insulting rage.
Awake, awake, in my behalf,
the judgment to dispense,
Which thou hast righteously ordained
for injured innocence.
7 So to thy throne adoring crowds
shall still for justice fly;
O! therefore for their sakes resume
thy judgment-seat on high.
8 Impartial Judge of all the world,
I trust my cause to thee;
According to my just deserts,
so let thy sentence be.
9 Let wicked arts and wicked men
together be o'erthrown;
But guard the just, thou God, to whom
the hearts of both are known.
10,11 God me protects, nor only me,
but all of upright heart;
And daily lays up wrath for those
who from his laws depart.
12 If they persist, he whets his sword,
his bow stands ready bent;
13 E'en now, with swift destruction winged,
his pointed shafts are sent.
14 The plots are fruitless which my foe
unjustly did conceive;
15 The pit he digged for me has proved
his own untimely grave.
16 On his own head his spite returns,
whilst I from harm am free;
On him the violence is fall'n
which he designed for me.
17 Therefore will I the righteous ways
of Providence proclaim;
I'll sing the praise of God most high,
and celebrate his Name.