O Lord, our ears have often heard

1. O Lord, our ears have often heard,
Our fathers have us told
Thy mighty works, wrought in their days,
And in the times of old.
2. How thou didst punish, and eject,
With thine avenging hand,
The heathen nations; and didst place
Thy people in their land.

3. For they, possession of the land,
Gained not, by their own sword,
Neither could their own arm them save;
But thy right hand, O Lord,
Thine arm and presence, with their hosts,
And thy peculiar grace.

4. Thou art my King; O God, command
Safety for Jacob's race.
5. Then, in thy strength, we'll still go on,
To push down all our foes;
And, through thy name, tread underfoot,
Such as shall us oppose.
5. For I'll not trust my bow nor sword
The victory to gain;
7. But thou hast saved us from our foes,
And made their hopes in vain.

8. Therefore, in thee, we make our boast,
And glory all day long;
Forever will we praise thy name,
In our triumphant song.

Second Part

9. But, now, thou hast rejected us,
With shame, hast cast us down;
Our armies thou no more dost lead,
Nor us with victory crown.
10. Therefore, before our enemies
Which spoil us, we have fled.
11. Thou, some, hast given, as sheep for meat,
And others captive led.

12. Thy people thou hast sold for naught;
Nor art the richer found;
13. We're to our neighbors a reproach;
A scorn to all around.
14. Thou us among the heathen hast
A taunting proverb, made;
By foolish people we're condemned,
They at us shake the head.

15. Therefore, from morn to night, our eyes
See nothing but disgrace;
And, covered with confounding shame,
I'm forced to hide my face
16. Because I daily hear the voice
Of our insulting foe,
Who us reproach, and thee blaspheme,
And all their malice show.

Third Part

17. Yet, we have not forgotten thee;
Nor false in covenant proved
18. Our heart's not turned back, nor steps,
From thy just ways, removed.
19. Though thou hast sorely broken us,
Where cruel dragons roar;
And with the ghastly shades of death,
Thy people covered o'er.

20. Had we, our God's great name forgot,
Or to strange gods bowed down,
21. Would'st thou not this have searched out?
To thee all hearts are known.
22. Yea, we're as sheep for slaughter marked;
For thy sake, killed all day.
23. Awake, why sleep'st thou, Lord, arise;
And cast us not away.

24. O wherefore dost thou hide thy face,
Unmindful of our thrall?
25. Our soul is bowed to dust, on Earth
Our bodies prostrate fall.
26. Arise, and for our help appear,
The heathen powers shake;
Redeem us from our enemy's hand,
For thy great mercy's sake.

A New Version of the Psalms of David, 1752