Verse 1
Almighty GOD, to whom alone
Avenging Power belongs,
Hear thy afflicted People groan,
And vindicate their Wrongs.
To vindicate th’ opprest is Thine,
To do the injur’d Right,
The great Prerogative Divine,
Is Evil to requite.
Verse 2
Shew Thyself now, arise, O Lord,
Judge of the Earth appear,
Render the Proud their due Reward,
And Stop their Triumphs here.
How long shall evil Men proceed,
In Acts of Violence boast?
Their Lies, and wicked Slanders spread,
And trample on the Just?
Verse 3
The Ruin of thy Church they seek
With unrelenting Rage,
Thy People they in pieces break,
And spoil thine Heritage.
Regardless or of Age or Sex
The Widow they oppress,
With Cruelty the Stranger vex,
And slay the Fatherless.
Verse 4
Harden’d by long Impunity
All Pity they discard,
The Lord, they Say shall never See
Nor Jacob’s GOD regard.
Yet understand, ye Brutish Souls,
Who dare your GOD despise,
When O ye Mad presumtuous Fools,
Oh when will ye be wise?
Verse 5
Who planted the attentive Ear,
And form’d the Seing [Seeing] Eye
Shall He forget to see and hear,
Shall GOD your Sins pass by?
He breaks the Heathens with his Rod,
Shall He not punish you?
Or knows not the Omniscient GOD,
What all his Creatures do?
Verse 6
He only hath the Nations taught,
He knows what is in Man,
The Lord discerns their every Thought,
And sees that all are vain.
Happy the Man whom Thou, O Lord,
In Mercy dost chastise,
And makes him by thy written Word
Unto Salvation wise.
Verse 7
Wise to Believe in Time of Need,
And quietly attend
Till GOD on their Oppressor’s Head
Doth all his Judgments send.
For never will the Lord forsake
His own Inheritance,
Or cast them off, who humbly make
His Mercy their Defence.
Verse 8
The Lord again shall take our Part,
And clear our Righteousness,
While all the Men of upright Heart
His just Award shall bless.
But who of all the God’s below
Will rise to do me Right,
Or interpose, to break the Blow
Of wicked lawless Might?
Verse 9
Had not the Lord in Danger’s Hour
Supplied his ready Aid,
My Soul beneath the Murtherer’s Power
Had sunk among the Dead.
But when I said my Foot hath slipt
Thy Mercy held me up,
Thy Power unto Salvation kept,
And gave me back my Hope.
Verse 10
Thou didst my drooping Spirit chear
By desp’rate Griefs opprest,
Kindly in my behalf appear,
And take me into Rest:
A Rest to cruel Men unknown,
Who would thy Flock devour,
And proudly sit upon the Throne
Of Persecuting Power.
Verse 11
No Fellowship have they with Thee
The Sons of lawless Might,
Who stablish Wrong by a Decree
And pass it into Right—
Against the Souls of Righteous Men
They rise with fierce Intent,
With Mockery of Law arraign
And doom the Innocent.
Verse 12
But Jesus is my GOD, the Lord
My Rock and Refuge is,
He shall their Wickedness reward,
And all our Foes oppress.
Their Sins on their own Head shall fall
Who will not be forgiven,
The Lord our GOD shall slay them all,
And save us up to Heaven.