O God, why hast thou cast us off, Why doth for ever smoke

1 O God, why hast thou cast us off?
why doth for ever smoke
thy wrath against thy chosen race,
sheep of thy flock?
2 Thy church, by thee redeemed of old,
in love remember still;
the tribe of thy inheritance,
this Zion hill.

3 Here thou hast dwelt; lift up thy feet,
to these sad ruins haste,
thy holy place with wicked hands
by foes laid waste.
4 Thy enemies in triumph shout,
where saints were wont to pray;
their ensigns on thy temple's walls
for signs display.

5 It seemed as if one cut down trees,
but now the carved work falls;
with axes and with hammers now
they break the walls.
6 They have thy temple set on fire,
in dust they have defiled
thy holy place, where dwelt thy name,
thy house despoiled.

7 They, to destroy us all at once,
did in their hearts conspire;
through all the land God's synagogues
they've burnt with fire.
8 Our signs we see not; there is now
no prophet us among;
nor is there any one who knows
the time how long.

9 O Lord, how long shall those blaspheme
thy name who thee withstand?
Why hide thyself? Make bare thy hand,
even thy right hand.
10 Because God is my King of old,
salvation worketh he
through all the earth, and by his strength
divides the sea.

11 Thou broken hast the dragons' heads,
and as their meat didst give
Leviathan to those who did
in deserts live.
12 Fountain and flood thou didst divide,
mad'st mighty rivers dry;
the day is thine, the night is thine,
the sun and sky.

13 Thou hast established by decree
all borders of the earth;
to summer and to winter thou
hast given birth.
14 O Lord, do thou this keep in ind,
how enemies defame,
and how the foolish people have
blasphemed thy name.

15 Thy turtle dove deliver not
to crowds which it beset,
and thy poor flock for evermore
do not forget.
16 Unto thy covenant have respect,
for everywhere we see
the earth's dark habitations filled
with cruelty.

17 O let not those that are oppressed
return again with shame;
but let the poor and needy ones
still praise thy name.
18 Arise, O God, please thine own cause;
keep thou in memory
how every day the foolish man
reproacheth thee.

19 Of them that up against thee rise
the tumult ever grows;
forget not thou the voice of them
that are thy foes.

Source: The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #P74d