O Lord my God, since I have placed

1 O Lord, my God, since I have plac'd
my Trust alone in thee,
From all my Persecutors Rage,
do thou deliver me.
2 To save me from my threat'ning Foe,
Lord, interpose thy Pow'r;
Lest, like a savage Lion, he
my helpless Soul devour.

3, 4 If I am guilty, or did e'er
against his Peace combine;
Nay, if I have not spar'd his Life,
who fought unjustly mine;
5 Let then to persecuting Foes,
my Soul become a Prey;
Let them to Earth tread down my Life,
in Dust my Honour lay.

6 Arise, and let thine Anger, Lord,
in my Defence engage;
Exalt thyself above my Foes,
and there insulting Rage:
Awake, awake, in my Behalf
the Judgment to dispense,
Which thou hast righteously ordain'd
for injur'd Innocence.

7 So to thy Throne adoring Crowds
shall still for Justice fly:
Oh! therefore for their Sakes, resume,
thy Judgment-Seat on high.
8 Impartial Judge of all the World,
I trust my Cause to thee;
According to my Righteousness
so let thy Sentence be.

9 Let wicked Arts and wicked Men,
together be o'erthrown;
But guard the Just, thou God, to whom
the Hearts of both are known.
10, 11 God me protects; not only me,
but all of upright Heart;
And daily lays up Wrath for those
who from his Laws depart.

12 If they persist, he whets his Sword,
his Bow stands ready bent;
13 Ev'n now, with swift Destruction wing'd,
his pointed Shafts are sent.
14 The Plots are fruitless, which my Foe
unjustly did conceive:
15 The Pit he digg'd for me has prov'd
his own untimely grave.

16 On his own Head his Spite returns,
whilst I from Harm am free:
On him the Violence is fall'n,
which he design'd for me.
17 Therefore will I the righteous Ways
of Providence proclaim;
I'll sing the Praise of God most High,
and celebrate his Name.

Source: A New Version of the Psalms of David: fitted to the Tunes used in Churches #VII