1 O God, we with our ears have heard,our fathers have us told,What works thou in their days hadst done,ev'n in the days of old.
2 Thy hand did drive the heathen out,and plant them in their place;Thou didst afflict the nations,but them thou didst increase.
3 For neither got their sword the land,nor did their arm them save;But thy right hand, arm, countenance;for thou them favour gave.
4 Thou art my King: for Jacob, Lord,deliv'rances command.
5 Through thee we shall push down our foes,that do against us stand:We, through thy name, shall tread down thosethat ris'n against us have.
6 For in my bow I shall not trust,nor shall my sword me save.
7 But from our foes thou hast us sav'd,our haters put to shame.
8 In God we all the day do boast,and ever praise thy name.
9 But now we are cast off by thee,and us thou putt'st to shame;And when our armies do go forth,thou go'st not with the same.
10 Thou mak'st us from the enemy,faint-hearted, to turn back;And they who hate us for themselvesour spoils away do take.
11 Like sheep for meat thou gavest us;'mong heathen cast we be.
12 Thou didst for nought thy people sell;their price enrich'd not thee.
13 Thou mak'st us a reproach to beunto our neighbours near;Derision and a scorn to themthat round about us are.
14 A by-word also thou dost usamong the heathen make;The people, in contempt and spite,at us their heads do shake.
15 Before me my confusioncontinually abides;And of my bashful countenancethe shame me ever hides:
16 For voice of him that doth reproach,and speaketh blasphemy;By reason of th' avenging foe,and cruel enemy.
17 All this is come on us, yet wehave not forgotten thee;Nor falsely in thy covenantbehav'd ourselves have we.
18 Back from thy way our heart not turn'd;our steps no straying made;
19 Though us thou brak'st in dragons' place,and cover'dst with death's shade.
20 If we God's name forgot, or stretch'dto a strange god our hands,
21 Shall not God search this out? for heheart's secrets understands.
22 Yea, for thy sake we're kill'd all day,counted as slaughter-sheep.
23 Rise, Lord, cast us not ever off;awake, why dost thou sleep?
24 O wherefore hidest thou thy face?forgett'st our cause distress'd,
25 And our oppression? For our soulis to the dust down press'd:Our belly also on the earthfast cleaving, hold doth take.
26 Rise for our help, and us redeem,ev'n for thy mercies' sake.