Psalm 83
Common Metre (8,6,8,6)
Suggested Tune: St Mary
1 Keep not, O God, we thee entreat,
O keep not silence now:
Do thou not hold thy peace, O God,
and still no more be thou.
2 For, lo, thine enemies a noise
tumultuously have made;
And they that haters are of thee
have lifted up the head.
3 Against thy chosen people they
do crafty counsel take:
And they against thy hidden ones
do consultations make.
4 Come, let us cut them off, said they,
from being a nation,
That of the name of Isr’el may
no more be mention.
5 For with joint heart they plot, in league
against thee they combine.
6 The tents of Edom, Ishm’elites,
Moab’s and Hagar’s line;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, Amalek,
Philistines, those of Tyre;
8 And Assur join’d with them, to help
Lot’s children they conspire.
9 Do to them as to Midian,
Jabin at Kison strand;
10 And Sis’ra, which at En-dor fell,
as dung to fat the land.
11 Like Oreb and like Zeeb make
their noble men to fall;
Like Zeba and Zalmunna like,
make thou their princes all;
12 Who said, For our possession
let us God’s houses take.
13 My God, them like a wheel, as chaff
before the wind, them make.
14 As fire consumes the wood, as flame
doth mountains set on fire,
15 Chase and affright them with the storm
and tempest of thine ire.
16 Their faces fill with shame, O Lord,
that they may seek thy name.
17 Let them confounded be, and vex’d,
and perish in their shame:
18 That men may know that thou, to whom
alone doth appertain
The name JEHOVAH, dost most high
o’er all the earth remain.
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 shew.
19 And thy most perfect righteousness,
O Lord, is very high,
Who has so great things done: O God,
who is like unto thee?
20 Thou, Lord, who great adversities,
and sore, to me didst shew,
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.
