Psalm 7 (Tate & Brady)

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.