The Cyber Hymnal ‎#669

669. Be Thou My Helper in the Strife

1. Be Thou my helper in the strife,
O Lord, my strong defender be;
Thy mighty shield protect my life,
Thy spear confront the enemy.
Amid the conflict, O my Lord,
Thy precious promise let me hear,
The faithful reassuring word:
I am Thy Savior, do not fear.

2. Ashamed, confounded let them be
Who seek my ruin and disgrace;
O let Thine angel fight for me,
And drive my foes before his face.
Without a cause my life they sought,
Without a cause their plots they laid;
Themselves within their snares be caught,
And be my crafty foes dismayed.

3. My soul is joyful in the Lord,
In His salvation I rejoice;
To Him my heart will praise accord
And bless His name with thankful voice.
For who, O Lord, is like to Thee,
Defender of the poor and meek?
The needy Thy salvation see
When mighty foes their ruin seek.

4. Unrighteous witnesses have stood
And told of crimes beyond belief;
Returning evil for my good,
They overwhelm my soul with grief.
When in affliction they were sad,
I wept and made their grief my own;
But in my trouble they are glad
And strive that I may be o’erthrown.

5. O Lord, how long wilt Thou delay?
My soul for Thy salvation waits;
My thankfulness will I display
Amid the crowds that throng Thy gates.
Let not my enemies rejoice
And wrongfully exult o’er me;
They speak not peace, but lift their voice
To trouble those that peaceful be.

6. My foes with joy my woes survey,
But Thou, O Lord, hast seen it all;
O be no longer far away,
Nor silent when on Thee I call.
O haste to my deliverance now,
O Lord, my righteous cause maintain;
My Lord and God alone art Thou;
Awake, and make Thy justice plain.

7. O Lord, my God, I look to Thee,
Be Thou my righteous Judge, I pray;
Let not my foes exult o’er me
And laugh with joy at my dismay.
With shame and trouble those requite
Who would my righteous cause destroy;
But those who in the good delight,
Let them be glad and shout for joy.

8. Yea, let the Lord be magnified,
Because Thy servants Thou dost bless;
And I, from morn till eventide,
Will daily praise Thy righteousness.
My soul is joyful in the Lord,
In His salvation I rejoice;
To Him my heart will praise accord
And bless His name with thankful voice.

Text Information

• First Line: Be Thou my helper in the strife
• Title: Be Thou My Helper in the Strife
• Author: Anonymous (1912)
• Meter: LMD
• Language: English
• Source: The Psalter (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The United Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1912), number 92
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tunes: CATHERINE, E. M. Clark; HE LEADETH ME, William B. Bradbury, Golden Censer (New York: 1864); MARYLAND, Alexander Zarnock

Tune Information

• Name: BROXBURN
• Composer: Lindsay Stein (2000)
• Meter: LMD
• Incipit: 34322 15334 56423
• Key: D Major
• Copyright: Released into the public domain