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LXXIX.

A Psalm by Asaph.

O GOD, nations are come into thine inheritance: they have polluted thy holy temple. They have made Jerusalem a de2 pository for summer fruits. They have given the carcasses of thy servants to be meat for the birds of the air-the flesh of thy 3 saints, to the wild beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water round Jerusalem; and there was none 4 to bury them. We are become a reproach to our neighbours— 5 A scoff and a derision to them around us. How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire forever? 6 Pour out thy wrath on the nations that have not acknowledged

thee; and on kingdoms which have not invoked thy name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste this place of 8 his. Remember not our former iniquities: let thy tender mer9 cies overtake us speedily as we are greatly distressed; help

us, O God, our saviour: for the glory of thy name deliver us; 10 and pardon our sins for thy name's sake. Perhaps they may say among the nations, Where is their God? Let therefore the avengement of the blood of thy servants, which hath been 11 shed; be known among the nations in our sight. Let the groans of the prisoners come before thee. According to the mighty power of thine arm; protect the children of them who 12 are slain. Retribute to these neighbours of ours-into their

bosom seven fold; their reproach, with which they have re13 proached thee, O Lord. For we are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture: to thee we will render thanks forever: we will proclaim thy praise to all generations.

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LXXX.

For the conclusion. Respecting them who are to be changed. A testimony. By Asaph. A Psalm respecting the Assyrian.

GIVE ear, O shepherd of Israel! Who leadest Joseph like 2 a flock-thou who art enthroned on the cherubim; shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasses: stir up thy

3 strength and come for our salvation. Turn us, O God; and 4 let thy face shine; and we shall be saved. O Lord, the God of hosts! How long wilt thou continue thine anger, against 5 the prayer of this servant of thine? How long wilt thou feed us with bread of tears; and give us tears to drink by measure? : 6 Thou hast made us a mocking stock to our neighbours: and 7 our enemies have derided us. O Lord, the God of hosts,

bring us back; and let thy face shine and we shall be saved. 8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out 9 nations and planted it. Thou didst prepare the way before it; 10 and plant its roots and the land was filled: and its shade.

obscured mountains: and its branchy shoots, the cedars of 11 God. It extended its branches quite to the sea; and its spread12 ing boughs quite to the river. Why hast thou broken down. 13 its hedge; that all who pass by the way, may pluck it? The

boar from the forest hath laid it waste; and a savage beast 14 hath devoured it. O God of hosts, return we beseech thee; 15 look down from heaven and see and visit this vine: and re

pair that which thy right hand hath planted-even for the son 16 of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned

up with fire and rooted up. At the rebuke of thy countenance 17 are they to perish? O let thy hand be on the man of thy right

hand-on the son of man whom thou hast made strong for 18 thyself: and let us not depart from thee. Thou canst quick19 en us that we may invoke thy name. O Lord, the God of hosts, bring us back and let thy face shine and we shall be

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saved.

LXXXI.

For the conclusion. On the wine presses. A Psalm by Asaph.

EXULT with joy for God our helper! Shout triumphant2 ly for the God of Jacob! Take a psalm and bring a tympa3 num-the sweet sounding psaltery with a kithara. Sound the 4 trumpet at the new moon-at the set day of your festival. For

it is a statute for Israel-a rite established by the God of Ja5 cob as a testimony for Joseph; it pointed him out at the time of his coming out of the land of Egypt; he caused him to hear 6 a tongue which he knew not: he removed his back from burdens. His hands served at the basket.

17 "In affliction thou didst call upon me, and I delivered thee. I heard thee in the secret of a tempest. I proved thee at 8 the water of strife. Hear O my people and I will speak to thee. O Israel, and I will testify to thee. If thou wilt hearken 9 to me, with thee there must be no new fangled god: nor 10 shalt thou worship a strange god, for I am the Lord thy God; 11 who brought thee up from the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth

wide and I will fill it. But my people did not hearken to my 12 voice; nor did Israel attend to me. Therefore I gave them up 13 to the devices of their own hearts. Let them walk in their own 14 devices. Had my people hearkened to me--had Israel walked

in my ways: I would have effectually humbled their enemies; 15 and laid my hand on those who afflicted them. The enemies of 16 the Lord should have submitted to him; and their time would have been forever: and he would have fed them with the finest wheat; and satisfied them with honey from a rock."

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LXXXII.

A Psalm by Asaph.

GOD standeth in the assembly of gods and in the midst 2 he judgeth gods. (J) How long will you judge unjustly; and re3 spect the persons of sinners? Do justice to the fatherless and 4 the afflicted Justify the lowly and the needy. Rescue the 5 needy and deliver the afflicted out of the sinner's hand. They

did not know; nor did they understand. They walked on in 6 darkness. All the foundations of the land shall be shaken.. I 7 said you are gods; and all sons of the Most High: but you 8 shall die like men; and fall like one of the chiefs. (p) Arise, O God, judge the land thyself: for thou shalt inherit all the

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nations.

LXXXIII.

An Ode of a Psalm by Asaph.

O GOD, who can be compared to thee? Keep not silence 2 nor be still, O God. For lo! thine enemies are become noisy; 3 and they who hate thee have raised their heads. Against thy people they have taken crafty counsel. And consulted against

(J) Jehovah (p) the prophet or psalmist.

4 thy holies. Come, said they, let us cut them off from being a nation: and let the name of Israel be no more remembered. 5 For with this intent they consulted in concert. Against thee 6 have entered into conspiracy the hordes of the Idumeans and 7 the Ismaelites, Moab and the Agarenians; Gebal and Ammon

and Amalek, and the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre. 8 Assur also is joined with them: they are come to the assistance 9 of the children of Lot. Do thou to them as to Madiam and 10 Sisara as to Jabin at the brook of Kison. They were utterly

cut off at Aendor: they became as dung for the ground; 11 make their chiefs like Oreb and Zeb-all their chiefs like Ze12 bee and Salmana. They said, Let us possess ourselves of the 13 altar of God. O my God make them like a whirl-like stub14 ble opposed to wind. As fire blazeth through a forest—as a 15 spark can set mountains on fire: so thou with thy tempest 16 wilt pursue them, and trouble them with thy wrath. Fill their faces with dishonour: that they may seek thy name, O Lord. 17 Let them be shamed and troubled forever: let them be put 18 to confusion and perish: and let them know that thy name is the Lord-that thou alone art the Most High over all the earth.

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LXXXIV.

For the conclusion. A Psalm for the wine presses. For the sons of

Kore.

O LORD of hosts, how lovely are thine abodes! my soul 2 longeth, it panteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and 3 my flesh exulted for the living God. For a sparrow hath found

for itself a house and a ring-dove a nest for itself, where to place its young-[Even I] these altars of thine, O Lord of 4 hosts. O my king and my God, happy they who dwell in thy 5 house; they shall forever praise thee. Happy the man, whose

support is from thee, O Lord! he hath laid up in his heart 6 steps for this mournful vale, to the place on which he hath 7 fixed; for the lawgiver will indeed give blessings. They shall

go on from strength to strength: the God of Gods will be seen 8 in Sion. O Lord, the God of hosts, hear my prayer; hearken 9 to it, O God of Jacob. O God, our shield behold: look down

10 on the face of thine Anointed. Because one day in thy courts is better than a thousand; I had rather be in an abject state in 11 the house of God, than dwell in the tents of sinners. Because the Lord loveth mercy and truth; God will give grace and glory: the Lord will not withhold good things from them who 12 walk in innocence. O Lord of hosts! happy is the man whose trust is in thee.

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LXXXV.

For the conclusion. A Psalm for the sons of Kore.

O LORD, thou hast favoured this land of thine: thou 2 hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven thy people their iniquities: thou hast covered all their sins. 3 Thou hast caused all thine anger to cease: thou hast turned 4 away from thy fierce wrath. Turn us, O God of our salvation, 5 and turn away thy wrath from us. Be not angry with us forever. 6 Wilt thou extend thy wrath to all generations? O God, thou

wilt turn and quicken us, that thy people may rejoice for thee. 7 Shew us, O Lord, thy loving kindness: And shouldst thou 8 grant us thy salvation, I will hear what the Lord God will say by me: for he will speak peace to his people-to his saints: even 9 to them who turn their hearts to him; moreover his salvation will be near them who fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met each other; righteousness and 11 peace have mutually embraced. Truth hath sprung up out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven. 12 For the Lord will exercise benignity, and our land shall yield 13 her increase. Righteousness shall go before him, and he will imprint his footsteps for a path.

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LXXXVI.

A Prayer. By David.

INCLINE, O Lord, thine ear, and hear me: for I am dis2 tressed and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy save thy 3 servant, O God, who trusteth in thee. Be merciful to me, O