Text:Maschil of Asaph

PLXXIV. Maschil of Asaph

1 O God why hast thou cast us off?
Thy rage why dost thou keep
For evermore thus smoaking out
Against thy pasture sheep?
2 Mind thou thy church thou bought'st of old,
Ev'n thy possession's rod
Which thou redeem'st, this Sion's mount,
Wherein thou hast abode.

3 Upon the lasting ru'nous wastes,
Lift up thy feet on high:
All that the foe hath ev'lly done
Within thy sanct'ary.
4 Within the congregations
Wherein the people met,
Thine en'mies roar: their ensigns they
For tokens have up set.

5 The man that axes on thick trees
Did lift up, had renown.
6 But now the ax and mauls at once
They beat its carv'd works down.
7 They fired have thy sanct'ary,
Thy name it's dwelling place.
By casting down unto the ground,
They do profanely rase.

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8 Let us together them destroy,
Thus in their heart they said,
God's synagogues throughout the land
All in the flames they laid.
9 Our signs we see not, there's no more
A prophet us among:
Nor with us any to be found,
That understands how long.
10 How long yet shall th' oppressing foe
O mighty God, defame?
Thine enemy for evermore,
Shall he blaspheme thy name?

11 Why dost thou hold thine hand? pluck from
Thy bosom thy right hand.
12 God is my king of old, and works
Salvation 'midst the land.
13 Thou didst by thine almighty pow'r
Divide the very sea;
The dragons heads didst break also,
Which in the waters be.

14 The heads of the leviathan
Thou into pieces break;
To people that in desarts dwell
For meat thou didst him make.
15 Thou clav'st the fountain and the flood
Thou dry'st up floods of might
16 Thine is the day, and night is thine,
Thou sun prepar'st and light.

17 Of all the borders of the earth
Foundations laid'st thou fast:
The summer and the winter both
The same thou formed hast.

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18 Remember this the en'my doth
Reproachfully defame,
JJehovah, and the foolish folk
Blasphemed have thy name.
19 O do not to the multitude
Thy turtles soul give o'er:
For ever do not thou forget
Th' assembly of thy poor.

20 Unto thy cov'nant have respect:
For where dark places be
Throughout the earth they filled are
With feats of cruelty.
21 O never let th' oppressed one
Return away with shame.
O let the poor and needy one
Give praise unto thy name.

22 Arise O God, plead thine own cause
Have thou in memory,
How day by day the foolish man
With scorn reproaches thee.
23 Thine en'mies voice forget not thou
The tumult loud of those
Contin'ally ascends on high
That rise thee to oppose.

Text Information
First Line: O God why hast thou cast us off?
Title: Maschil of Asaph
Language: English
Publication Date: 1742
Scripture:
Tune Information
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