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| O LORD, my God, in Thee I put my trust, | |
| From them that persecute me save and guard; | |
| Lest I be straight confounded in the dust, | |
| And they, like raving lions tearing hard, | |
| Devour my captive soul in furious lust, | 5 |
| By no deliverer in their conquest marred. | |
| O Lord, my God, if I have done this wrong | |
| Or if aught wicked be my deeds among; | |
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| If I have evil wrought unto my friend, | |
| If I have not preserved alive my foe, | 10 |
| Let then the enemy my body rend | |
| And o’er my spirit the proud victor go. | |
| Let him my fame with base dishonor blend, | |
| And crush my life upon the earth below. | |
| Stand up, O Lord, in anger at my foes, | 15 |
| Who in fierce indignation ’gainst me rose! | |
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| Arise, O Lord, and fight on my behalf, | |
| Give judgment for me as Thou hast ordained! | |
| So shall with joy the congregation laugh, | |
| And flock around, in reverence constrained. | 20 |
| Then for this cause lift up Thy mighty staff, | |
| For those whose trust is on Thy power contained! | |
| All men our God shall judge, help me, O Lord! | |
| Heed Thou my righteousness and upright word! | |
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| May soon ungodly ways decay and cease, | 25 |
| And Thy protection aid the humble just! | |
| The hearts and inmost veins th’ Almighty sees, | |
| For help from God appearing is my lust. | |
| Unto the true of heart He giveth ease, | |
| Nor will permit them to lie in the dust. | 30 |
| A righteous Judge is God, patient and strong, | |
| And each day angered by a sinning throng. | |
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| Will they not hear, th’ avenging sword He whets, | |
| Doth bend His bow and towers aloft in ire; | |
| The instruments of death to hand He sets, | 35 |
| Against the persecutor’s arrows dire. | |
| All fruitless are the plots my foe begets; | |
| Sorrow doth he conceive, of ill the sire. | |
| Graven hath he, and digged a noisome pit; | |
| By him prepared, he falleth into it. | 40 |
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| Upon his head shall his bad works return, | |
| His wickedness recoil upon his pate; | |
| In self-inflicted torments shall he burn | |
| And pain of soul that none can satiate. | |
| But I in grateful thanks to God will turn | 45 |
| And all His righteousness will celebrate. | |
| The name of God our Lord will I extol, | |
| And to the heavens my tongue His fame shall roll. | |
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