Judge me, O God, and plead my cause

1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause
against th’ ungodly nation;
From the unjust and crafty man,
O be thou my salvation.

2 For thou the God art of my strength;
why thrusts thou me thee fro’?
For th’ enemy’s oppression
why do I mourning go?

3 O send thy light forth and thy truth;
let them be guides to me,
And bring me to thine holy hill,
ev’n where thy dwellings be.

4 Then will I to God’s altar go,
to God my chiefest joy:
Yea, God, my God, thy name to praise
my harp I will employ.

5 Why art thou then cast down, my soul?
what should discourage thee?
And why with vexing thoughts art thou
disquieted in me?

Still trust in God; for him to praise
good cause I yet shall have:
He of my count’nance is the health,
my God that doth me save.

Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases, 1800