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4 Defend the poor and desolate,
And rescue from the hands
Of wicked men the low estate
Of him that help demands.

5 They know not, nor will understand,
In darkness they walk on;

The earth's foundations all are 1moved,
And out of order gone.

6 I said that ye were gods, yea all
The sons of God Most High;

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall
As other princes die.

8 Rise, God, judge thou the earth in might,
This wicked earth redress,

For thou art he who shalt by right
The nations all possess.

PSALM LXXXIII.

1 BE not thou silent now at length,
O God, hold not thy peace;
Sit thou not still, O God of strength,
We cry, and do not cease.

2 For lo, thy furious foes now 3 swell,
And storm outrageously;

And they that hate thee, proud and fell,
Exalt their heads full high.

3 Against thy people they contrive
5 Their plots and counsels deep,
"Them to ensnare they chiefly strive,
7 Whom thou dost hide and keep.
4 Come, let us cut them off, say they,
Till they no nation be;

That Israel's name for ever may
Be lost in memory.

5 For they consult with all their might,
And all as one in mind

Themselves against thee they unite,
And in firm union bind.

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6 The tents of Edom, and the brood
Of scornful Ishmael,

Moab, with them of Hagar's blood,
That in the desert dwell,

7 Gebal and Ammon there conspire,
And hateful Amalec,

The Philistims, and they of Tyre,
Whose bounds the sea doth check.
8 With them great Ashur also bands
And doth confirm the knot:

All these have lent their arméd hands
To aid the sons of Lot.

9 Do to them as to Midian bold,
That wasted all the coast,

To Sisera, and as is told

Thou didst to Jabin's host,
When at the brook of Kishon old
They were repulsed and slain,
10 At Endor quite cut off, and rolled
As dung upon the plain.

11 As Zeb and Oreb evil sped,
So let their princes speed,
As Zeba and Zalmunna bled,
So let their princes bleed.
12 For they amidst their pride have said,
By right now shall we seize

God's houses, and will now invade
'Their stately palaces.

13 My God, oh make them as a wheel,
No quiet let them find;

Giddy and restless let them reel

Like stubble from the wind.

14 As when an aged wood takes fire
Which on a sudden strays,

The greedy flame runs higher and higher
Till all the mountains blaze,

15 So with thy whirlwind them pursue,
And with thy tempest chase;

16 And till they yield thee honour due, Lord, fill with shame their face.

1 Neoth Elohim bears both. 2 Heb. They seek thy name.

17 Ashamed, and troubled, let them be, Troubled and shamed for ever, Ever confounded, and so die

With shame, and 'scape it never.

18 Then shall they know that thou, whose name Jehovah is alone,

Art the most high, and thou the same
O'er all the earth art one.

PSALM LXXXIV.

1 How lovely are thy dwellings fair
O Lord of Hosts, how dear
The pleasant tabernacles are,

Where thou dost dwell so near! 2 My soul doth long and almost die Thy courts, O Lord, to see,

My heart and flesh aloud do cry,
O living God, for thee.

3 There even the sparrow freed from wrong
Hath found a house of rest,

The swallow there, to lay her young
Hath built her brooding nest;
Even by thy altars, Lord of Hosts,
They find their safe abode;

And home they fly from round the coasts,
Toward thee, my King, my God.

4 Happy, who in thy house reside,
Where thee they ever praise,

5 Happy, whose strength in thee doth bide, And in their hearts thy ways.

6 They pass through Baca's thirsty vale, That dry and barren ground,

As through a fruitful watery dale

Where springs and showers abound.
They journey on from strength to strength
With joy and gladsome cheer,

Till all before our God at length

In Sion do appear.

8 Lord God of Hosts, hear now my prayer,

O Jacob's God give ear;

9 Thou God, our shield, look on the face Of thy anointed dear.

10 For one day in thy courts to be
Is better, and more blest,
Than in the joys of vanity
A thousand days at best.
I in the temple of my God
Had rather keep a door,

Than dwell in tents, and rich abode,
With sin for evermore.

11 For God the Lord, both sun and shield,
Gives grace and glory bright;

No good from them shall be withheld
Whose ways are just and right.

12 Lord God of Hosts that reign'st on high,
That man is truly blest,

Who only on thee doth rely,
And in thee only rest.

PSALM LXXXV.

1 THY land to favour graciously
Thou hast not, Lord, been slack;
Thou hast from hard captivity
Returned Jacob back.

2 The iniquity thou didst forgive
That wrought thy people woe;
And all their sin, that did thee grieve,
Hast hid where none shall know.

3 Thine anger all thou hadst removed,
And calmly didst return

From thy fierce wrath which we had proved1
Far worse than fire to burn.

4 God of our saving health and peace,
Turn us, and us restore;

Thine indignation cause to cease
Toward us, and chide no more.

5 Wilt thou be angry without end,
For ever angry thus?

Wilt thou thy frowning ire extend
From age to age on us?

1 Heb. The burning heat of thy wrath.

6 Wilt thou not 1turn, and hear our voice,
And us again' revive;

That so thy people may rejoice
By thee preserved alive.

7 Cause us to see thy goodness, Lord,
To us thy mercy shew;

Thy saving health to us afford,
And life in us renew.

8 And now what God the Lord will speak,
I will go straight and hear;
For to his people he speaks peace,
And to his saints full dear,

To his dear saints he will speak peace,
But let them never more
Return to folly, but surcease

To trespass as before.

9 Surely to such as do him fear Salvation is at hand;

And glory shall ere long appear

To dwell within our land.

10 Mercy and Truth that long were missed
Now joyfully are met;

Sweet Peace and Righteousness have kissed,
And hand in hand are set.

11 Truth from the earth, like to a flower,
Shall bud and blossom then;
And Justice from her heavenly bower
Look down on mortal men.

12 The Lord will also then bestow
Whatever thing is good;

Our land shall forth in plenty throw
Her fruits to be our food.

13 Before him Righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger :

Then will he come, and not be slow,
His footsteps cannot err.

1 Heb. Turn to quicken us.

2 Heb. He will set his steps to the way.

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