O God, why hast thou cast us off? Is it forevermore?

Verse 1

O God, why hast thou cast us off? is it for evermore? Against thy pasture-sheep why doth thine anger smoke so sore?

Verse 2

O call to thy rememberance thy congregätion, Which thou hast purchasèd of old; still think the same upon:

Verse 3

The rod of thine inheritance, which thou redeemèd hast, This Zion hill, wherein thou hadst thy dwelling in times past.

Verse 4

To these long desolätions thy feet lift, do not tarry; For all the ills thy foes have done within thy sanctuary.

Verse 5

Amidst thy congregätions thine enemies do roar: Their ensigns they set up for signs of triumph thee before.

Verse 6

A man was famous, and was had in estimätion, According as he lifted up his axe thick trees upon.

Verse 7

But all at once with axes now and hammers they go to, And down the carvèd work thereof they break, and quite undo.

Verse 8

They firèd have thy sanctuary, and have defiled the same, By casting down unto the ground the place where dwelt thy name.

Verse 9

Thus said they in their hearts, Let us destroy them out of hand: They burnt up all the synagogues of God within the land.

Verse 10

Our signs we do not now behold; there is not us among A prophet more, nor any one that knows the time how long.

Verse 11

How long, Lord, shall the enemy thus in reproach exclaim? And shall the adversary thus always blaspheme thy name?

Verse 12

Thy hand, ev'n thy right hand of might, why dost thou thus draw back? O from thy bosom pluck it out for our deliv'rance sake.

Verse 13

For certainly God is my King, ev'n from the times of old, Working in midst of all the earth salvation manifold.

Verse 14

The sea, by thy great pow'r, to part asunder thou didst make; And thou the dragons' heads, O Lord, within the waters brake.

Verse 15

The leviathan's head thou brak'st in pieces, and didst give Him to be meat unto the folk in wilderness that live.

Verse 16

Thou clav'st the fountain and the flood, which did with streams abound: Thou dry'dst the mighty waters up unto the very ground.

Verse 17

Thine only is the day, O Lord, thine also is the night; And thou alone preparèd hast the sun and shining light.

Verse 18

By thee the borders of the earth were settled ev'ry where: The summer and the winter both by thee created were.

Verse 19

That th' enemy reproachèd hath, O keep it in record; And that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name, O Lord.

Verse 20

Unto the multitude do not thy turtle's soul deliver: The congregation of thy poor do not forget for ever.

Verse 21

Unto thy cov'nant have respect; for earth's dark places be Full of the habitätions of horrid cruelty.

Verse 22

O let not those that be oppressed return again with shame: Let those that poor and needy are give praise unto thy name.

Verse 23

Do thou, O God, arise and plead the cause that is thine own: Remember how thou art reproached still by the foolish one.

Verse 24

Do not forget the voice of those that are thine enemies: Of those the tumult ever grows that do against thee rise.