Classic Poem

Part I.

L ORD , plead my cause against my foes,
With such as fight against me, fight;
Arise, Thy ample shield oppose,
And with Thy sword defend my right.

Address Thy spear, those in their way
Encounter, who my soul invade;
To her O let Thy Spirit say,
I am Thy God and saving aid.

Let those who my disgrace contrive,
Hang down their heads, for flight design'd;
Who seek my fall, let angels drive
Like chaff before the blust'ring wind.

Obscure and slipp'ry be their path,
Let winged troops pursue their foil,
Since they for me with causeless wrath
Have digg'd a pit, and pitch'd a toil;

Let sudden ruin them destroy,
Mesh'd in the nets themselves had laid;
Then in the Lord my soul shall joy,
And glory in His timely aid.

My bones shall say, O who like Thee,
That arm'st the weak against the strong,
That dost the poor and needy free
From outrage, and too pow'rful wrong?

Part II.

False witnesses against me stood,
Who unknown accusations brought;
That evil rendered for good,
And closely my confusion sought.

I in their sickness did condole,
Unfeignedly in sackcloth mourn'd;
With fasting humbled my sad soul,
And often to my pray'rs return'd;

Him visited both night and day,
As if an ancient friend or brother;
In black upon the earth I lay,
And wept as for my dying mother.

Yet these rejoiced in my woe,
False comforters about me crowd;
And lest I should their cunning know,
They rent their clothes and cried aloud.

Like hypocrites at feasts they jeer,
Whose gnashing teeth their hate profess
O Lord, how long wilt Thou forbear,
And only look on my distress?

O save from those who smile and kill,
My dearling from the lion's jaws;
I in the great assembly will
Then praise Thy name with full applause.

Part III.

Let not my causeless enemies
Rejoice in my afflicted state:
Nor wink at me with scornful eyes,
Who swell with undeserved hate.

Of peace they speak not, rather they
The peaceable with fraud pursue;
Who wry their mouths at me, and say,
Ha! ha! our eyes thy ruin view.

This seen, O stand no longer mute,
Nor, Lord, desert my innocence;
Awake, arise! O prosecute
My cause, and plead in my defence.

With justice judge; nor let them say
In triumph: We our wish possess;
Nor in their mirthful hearts, ha! ha!
We've swallow'd him in his distress.

Wrath and confusion seize on those
Who in my tribulation joy,
Let them who glory in my woes
Be cloth'd with shame and infamy.

Let those eternally rejoice
Who favour and assist my right;
For ever with exalted voice
The goodness of our God recite;

And say: O magnify His Name,
Who glories in His servants' peace;
My tongue His justice shall proclaim,
Nor ever in His praises cease.