Give ear, thou Judge of all the earth, And listen when I pray

1 Give Ear, Thou Judge of all the Earth,
and listen when I pray;
Nor from thy humble Suppliant turn
thy glorious Face away.
2 Attend to this my sad Complaint,
and hear my grievous Moans;
Whilst I my mournful Case declare
with artless Sighs and Groans.

3 Hark how the Foe insults aloud!
how fierce Oppressors rage!
Whose sland'rous Tongues with wrathful Hate
against my Fame engage.
4,5 My Heart is rack'd with Pain, my Soul
with deadly Frights distress'd;
With Fear and Trembling compass'd round,
with Horror quite oppress'd.

6 How often wish'd I then, that I
the Dove's swift Wings could get;
That I might take my speedy Flight,
and seek a safe Retreat!
7,8 Then would I wander far from hence;
and in wild Desarts stray,
Till all this furious Storm were spent,
this Tempest past away.

Part II

9 Destroy, O Lord, their ill Designs,
their Counsels soon divide;
For through the City my griev'd Eyes
have Strife and Rapine spy'd.
10 By Day and Night on ev'ry Wall
they walk their constant Round;
And, in the midst of all her Strength,
are Grief and Mischief found.

11 Whoe'er thro' ev'ry Part shall roam,
will fresh Disorders meet;
Deceit and Guile their constant Posts
maintain in ev'ry Street.
12 For 'twas not any open Foe,
that false Reflections made;
For then I could with Ease have borne
the bitter Things he said:

'Twas none who Hatred had profess'd,
that did against me rise;
For then I had withdrawn myself
from his malicious Eyes.
13,14 But 'twas ev'n thou, my Guide, my Friend,
whom tend'rest Love did join:
Whose sweet Advice I valu'd most,
whose Pray'rs were mix'd with mine.

15 Sure, Vengeance equal to their Crimes
such Traitors must surprise,
And sudden Death requite those Ills
they wickedly devise.
16,17 But I will call on God, who still
shall in my Aid appear:
At Morn, and Noon, and Night I'll pray,
and He my Voice shall hear.

Part III

18 God has releas'd my Soul from those,
that did with me contend;
And made a num'rous Host of Friends
my righteous Cause defend.
19 For He, who was my Help of old,
shall now His Suppliant hear;
And punish those, whose prosp'rous State
makes them no God to fear.

20 Whom can I trust, if faithless Men
perfidiously devise
To ruin me, their peaceful Friend,
and break the strongest Ties?
21 Tho' soft and melting are their Words,
their Hearts with War abound:
Their Speeches are more smooth than Oil,
and yet like Swords they wound.

22 Do thou, my Soul, on God depend,
and He shall thee sustain:
He aids the Just, whom to supplant
the Wicked strive in vain.
23 My Foes, that trad in Lies and Blood,
shall all untimely die;
Whilst I, for Health, and Length of Days,
on Thee my God, rely.

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