¹O Lord God, unto whom alone

all vengeance doth belong;

O mighty God, who vengeance own’st,

shine forth, avenging wrong.

²Lift up thyself, thou of the earth

the sov’reign Judge that art;

And unto those that are so proud

a due reward impart.

³How long, O mighty God, shall they

who lewd and wicked be,

How long shall they who wicked are

thus triumph haughtily?

⁴How long shall things most hard by them

be uttered and told?

And all that work iniquity

to boast themselves be bold?

⁵Thy folk they break in pieces, Lord,

thine heritage oppress:

⁶The widow they and stranger slay,

and kill the fatherless.

⁷Yet say they, God it shall not see,

nor God of Jacob know.

⁸Ye brutish people! understand;

fools! when wise will ye grow?

⁹The Lord did plant the ear of man,

and hear then shall not he?

He only form’d the eye, and then

shall he not clearly see?

¹⁰He that the nations doth correct,

shall he not chastise you?

He knowledge unto man doth teach,

and shall himself not know?

¹¹Man’s thoughts to be but vanity

the Lord doth well discern.

¹²Bless’d is the man thou chast’nest, Lord,

and mak’st thy law to learn:

¹³That thou may’st give him rest from days

of sad adversity,

Until the pit be digg’d for those

that work iniquity.

¹⁴For sure the Lord will not cast off

those that his people be,

Neither his own inheritance

quit and forsake will he:

¹⁵But judgment unto righteousness

shall yet return again;

And all shall follow after it

that are right-hearted men.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against

those that do wickedly?

Who will stand up for me ‘gainst those

that work iniquity?

¹⁷Unless the Lord had been my help

when I was sore opprest,

Almost my soul had in the house

of silence been at rest.

¹⁸When I had uttered this word,

(my foot doth slip away,)

Thy mercy held me up, O Lord,

thy goodness did me stay.

¹⁹Amidst the multitude of thoughts

which in my heart do fight,

My soul, lest it be overcharg’d,

thy comforts do delight.

²⁰Shall of iniquity the throne

have fellowship with thee,

Which mischief, cunningly contriv’d,

doth by a law decree?

²¹Against the righteous souls they join,

they guiltless blood condemn.

²²But of my refuge God’s the rock,

and my defence from them.

²³On them their own iniquity

the Lord shall bring and lay,

And cut them off in their own sin;

our Lord God shall them slay.