- 1 O Lord my God I put my trust,
- and confidence in thee:
- Save me from them that me pursue,
- and eke deliver me.
-
- 2 Least like a Lion they me tear,
- and rent in pieces small:
- Whilst there is none to succor me,
- and rid me out of thrall.
-
- 3 O Lord my God, if I have done
- the thing that is not right:
- Or else if I be found in fault,
- or guilty in thy sight,
-
- 4 Or to my friend rewarded ill,
- or left him in distress,
- Which me pursued most cruelly,
- and hated me causeless:
-
- 5 Then let my foes pursue my soul,
- and eke my life down thrust
- Unto the earth, and also lay
- mine honor in the dust.
-
- 6 Start up, O Lord, now in thy wrath,
- and put my foes to pain:
- Perform thy kingdom promised,
- to me which wrong sustain.
-
- 7 Then shall great nations come to thee,
- and know thee by this thing:
- If thou declare for love of them
- thyself as Lord and King.
-
- 8 And thou that art of all men Judge,
- O Lord now judge thou me
- According to thy righteousness,
- and mine integrity.
-
- 9 Lord cease the hate of wicked men,
- and be the just man’s guide:
- Buy whom the secrets of all hearts
- are searched and descried.
-
- 10 I take mine help to come of God,
- in all my grief and smart:
- That doth preserve all those that be
- of pure and perfect heart.
-
- 11 The just man and the wicked both
- God judgeth by his power:
- So that he feeleth his mighty hand
- even every day and hour.
-
- 12 Except he change his mind, I die,
- for even as he should smite:
- He whets his sword, his bow he bends,
- aiming where he may hit.
-
- 13 And doth prepare his mortal darts,
- his arrows keen and sharp:
- For them that do me persecute,
- whiles he doth mischiefs warp.
-
- 14 But lo, though he in travel be
- of his devilish forecast.
- And of his mischief once conceived,
- yet bring forth naught at last.
-
- 15 He digs a ditch, and delves it deep,
- in hope to hurt his brother,
- But he shall fall into the pit,
- that he digged up for other.
-
- 16 Thus wrong returneth to the hurt
- of him in whom it bred:
- And all the mischief that he wrought
- shall fall upon his head.
-
- 17 I will give thanks to God therefore,
- that judgeth righteously:
- And with my song will praise the name,
- of him that is most high.
