Psalm 83 J.H.
Words: Sternhold and Hopkins, The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre
1 Do not, O God, refrain thy tongue,
in silence do not stay; .
Withhold not, Lord, thyself so long,
and make no more delay.
2 For why? behold thy foes, and see
how they do rage and cry;
And those that bear a hate to thee,
hold up their heads on high.
3 Against thy folk they use deceit,
and craftily enquire;
For thine elect to lie in wait
in council they conspire.
4 Come on, say they, let us expel
and pluck this folk away,
So that the name of Israel
may utterly decay.
5 They all conspire within their heart,
how they may thee withstand,
Against the Lord to take a part
they are in league and band:
6 The tents of all the Edomites,
the Ishmaelites likewise,
The Hagarens and Moabites
their plots do still devise;
7 Gebal and Ammon do likewise
with Amalek conspire,
The Philistines against thee rise,
with them that dwell at Tyre;
8 Assur is also joined to them
in their conspiracy,
And is become a fence and aid
to Lot's posterity,
9 As thou didst to the Midiauites,
So serve them, lord, each one:
To Jabin and to Sisera,
beside the brook Kison:
10 Whom thou in Endor didst destroy
and waste them through thy might,
That they like dung on earth did lie,
and that in open sight.
The Second Part.
11 Make them now and their lords appear
like Zeb and Oreb then;
As Zebu and Zalmana were,
the kings of Midian:
12 Who said, let us throughout the land,
in all the coasts abroad,
Possess and take into our hand
the fair houses of God.
13 Turn them, O God, with storms so fast,
as wheels that have no stay;
Or like the chaff which men do cast
with wind to fly away.
14 Like as the fire with rage and fume
the mighty forest spills,
And as the flame doth quite consume
the mountains and the hills,
15 So let the tempest of thy wrath
upon their necks be laid,
And of thy wind and stormy breath,
Lord, make them all afraid.
16 Lord, bring them all, I thee desire,
to such rebuke and shame,
That it may cause them to enquire,
and learn to seek thy Name:
17 And let them daily more and more
to shame and slander fall,
And in rebuke and obloquy
confound and sink them all;
18 That they may know and understand
thou art the God most high
And that thou dost with mighty hand
the world rule constantly.
