- 1 Help Lord for good and godly men
- do perish and decay,
- And faith and truth from worldly men,
- is parted clean away.
-
- 2 Who so doth with his neighbor talk,
- his talk is all but vain:
- For every man be thinketh how
- to flatter, lie, and faine.
-
- 3 But flattering and deceitful lips,
- and tongues that be so stout,
- To speak proud words and make great brags,
- the Lord soon cuts them out.
-
- 4 For they say still, we will prevail,
- our tongues shall us extol:
- Our tongues are ours, we ought to speak,
- what Lord shall us control?
-
- 5 But for the great complaint and cry
- of poor men and oppressed,
- Arise will I, now saith the Lord,
- and them restore to rest.
-
- 6 God’s word is like to silver pure,
- that from the earth is tried:
- And hath no less than seven times
- in fire been purified.
-
- 7 Now since thy promise is to help,
- Lord keep thy promise then:
- And save us now and evermore
- from this ill kind of men.
-
- 8 For now this wicked world is full
- of mischiefs manifold,
- When vanity with mortal men
- so highly is extolled.
