Wild beasts there browse, and make their food 'Her grapes and tender shoots.'
Return now, God of Hosts! look down
From heaven, thy seat divine;
Behold us, but without a frown,'
And visit this 'thy' vine.
Visit this vine, which thy right hand
Hath set, and planted 'long,'
And the young branch, that for thyself
Thou hast made firm and strong.
But now it is consum'd with fire,
And cut with axes' down;
They perish at thy dreadful ire
At thy rebuke and frown.
Upon the man of thy right hand
Let thy 'good' hand be laid;'
Upon the son of man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.
So shall we not go back from thee
6 To ways
of sin and shame ;'
Quicken us thou; then 'gladly' we
Shall call upon thy name.
Return us, and thy grace divine,'
Lord God of Hosts! 'vouchsafe ;'
Cause thou thy face on us to shine;
And then we shall be safe.
To God our strength sing loud ‘and clear,'
Sing loud to God 'our King;'
To Jacob's God 'that all may hear,'
Loud acclamations ring.
Prepare a hymn, prepare a song,
The timbrel hither bring
The 'cheerful' psaltery bring along,
And harp with' pleasant' string.'
Blow, 'as is wont,' in the new moon
With trumpets'' lofty sound,'
Th' appointed time, the day whereon
Our solemn feast comes round.'
This was a statute 'given of old,'
For Israel to observe;'
A law of Jacob's God, ' to hold,'
'From whence they might not swerve.'
This he a testimony ordain'd
In Joseph, not to change;'
When as he pass'd through Egypt land;
The tongue I heard was strange.
From burden, and from slavish toil,'
I set his shoulder free:
His hands from pots, and miry soil,'
Deliver'd were 'by me.'
When trouble did thee sore assail,
'On me then' didst thou call;
And I to free thee 'did not fail,'
And led thee out of thrall.'
I answer'd thee in * thunder deep
With clouds encompass'd round,
I tried thee at the water 'steep'
Of Meriba 'renown'd.'
Hear, O my people, 'hearken well,'
I testify to thee,
'Thou ancient stock of Israel
If thou wilt list to me,
Throughout the land of thy abode
No alien God shall be,
Nor shalt thou to a foreign god
In honour bend thy knee.
I am the Lord thy God, which brought
Thee out of Egypt land;
Ask large enough, and I, 'besought,'
Will grant thy full demand.
And yet my people would not 'hear,'
Nor' hearken to my voice;
And Israel, 'whom I lov'd so dear,'
Mislik'd me for his choice.
Then did I leave them to their will,
And to their wand'ring mind;
Their own conceits they follow'd still,
Their own devices blind.
O that my people would be wise,'
'To' serve me all their days!'
And O, that Israel would 'advise'
'To' walk my 'righteous' ways!
Then would I soon bring down their foes,
'That now so proudly rise ;'
And turn my hand against all those' "That are' their enemies.
Who hate the Lord should' then be fain'
'To' bow to him and bend;
But they, his people, should remain,'
Their time should have no end.
And he would feed them from the shock'
With flower of finest wheat,
And satisfy them from the rock,
With honey for their meat.'
*
great assembly stands
'Of kings and lordly states;'
Among † the gods, † on both his hands
He judges and debates.
How long will ye ‡ pervert the right
With judgment false and wrong,
Favouring the wicked, by your might,'
'Who thence grow bold and strong?'
Regard the weak § and fatherless,
Despatch the poor man's cause,
And raise the man in deep distress
By just and equal laws.
Defend the poor and desolate,
And rescue from the hands
Of wicked men the low estate
Of him that help demands.'
They know not, nor will understand,
In darkness they walk on;
The earth's foundations all are ¶ mov'd,
And ¶ out of order gone.
I said that ye were gods: yea, all
The sons of God Most High;
ye shall die like men, and fall
As other princes die.'
Rise God;** judge thou the earth 'in might,
This wicked' 'earth redress,'
* Bagnadath-el. + Bekerev. Tishphetu gnavel. || Shiptu-dal. § Hatzdiku. ¶ Jimmotu. ** Shiphta.
For thou art he who shalt by right
The nations all possess.
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.'
For lo! thy furious' foes'now' * swell
And storm outrageously,
And they that hate thee 'proud and fell'
Exalt their heads full high.
Against thy people they † contrive
Their plots and councils deep;
Them to ensnare they chiefly strive,
Whom thou dost hide and keep.
Come, let us cut them off, say they,
Till they no nation be;
That Israel's name for ever may
Be lost in memory.
For they consult ¶ with all their might,
And all, as one in mind
Themselves against thee they unite,
And in firm union bind!
The tents of Edom, and the brood
Of scornful' Ishmael,
Moab, with them of Hagar's blood,
'That in the desert dwell;'
Gebal and Ammon there conspire,'
And hateful' Amalec,
9 Jirthjagnatsu gnal. | Tsephuneca. ¶ Lev Jackdau.
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