O heavens give ye attentive ear

1 O heavens give ye attentive ear
To what I shall declare,
And also thou, O earth, shalt hear
What my mouth's sayings are.
2 My doctrine like the rain shall drop,
My speech distil shall as
The dew, as rain on tender herbs,
And like the show'rs on grass.

3 Because that I Jehovah's name
Will publish all abroad:
See that ye greatness attribute
Therefore unto our God.
4 That rock his work most perfect is,
For's ways all judgment be,
A God of truth, and without sin,
Both just and right is he.

5 But they defil'd themselves, their spot,
Is not his children's stain,
A crooked generation they
And froward do remain.

6 O foolish people and unwise.
The Lord thus pay do ye;
Thy father who thee bought and made,
And fstablish'd is not he?
7 Remember days of old, the years,
Of ev'ry age mark well;
Thy father ask, and he'il thee shew;
Thine elders will thee tell.
8 When as the highest shar'd their lots
Unto the nations;
When as the separation he
Did make of Adam's sons.

The borders of the people he
Did set where they should dwell,
According to the number of
The sons of Israel.
9 Because Jehovah's portion
His chosen people be,
The lot of his inheritance,
Jacob's posterity.

10 He found him in a desert land,
Where the wild beasts did cry:
He led him round, him taught, him kept
As th' apple of his eye.
ii As th' eagle stirreth up her nest,
And flutters o'er her young,
Spreads out her wings, and takes them up,
Bears them her wings upon:

12 Ev'n in such wise Jehovah led
Him up and down alone;
A strange or idol god with him
There was not any one.
13 On the high places of the earth
He caused him to ride,
That with the plenteous fields increase,
He might be satisfy'd.

The honey from the rock also,
To suck he did him make;
He from tke flinty rock likewise,
Did make him oyl to take.
14 On butter thou of kine, and on
The milk of sheep didst feed;
With fat of lambs,and goats, and rams,
That were of Bashan's breed.

Together with the fatness of
The wheaten kidnies fine:
Thou of the grapes didft also drink
The blood, refined wine.

[2]

15 But Jesurun then waxed fat,
And wantonly did spurn:
Thou art with fatness covered,
Art thick with fatness grown.
Then he forsook the mighty God,
Who had him magnify'd,
The rock of his salvation
He also vilify'd.

16 They with strange gods his jealousy
Did kindle as a fire,
And with abominations
They did provoke his ire.
17 They did to devils, not to God,
Their sacrifice prefer;
To gods unknown, new up-starts whom
Their fathers did not fear.

18 The rock who thee begotten hath,
Remembred thou hast not:
The mighty God who formed thee,
Thou also hast forgot.

19 When this Jehovah saw, then he
Despising, them did loath;
Because of the provoking of
His sons and daughters both.

20 He said, I'll hide my face from them,
What is their end I'll see:
For they a very froward race;
They faithless children be.
21 With that which is no god they have
Me mov'd to jealousy;
They have provoked me to wrath,
With idols vanity.

With what's no people I'll also
Them move to jealousy;
Them with a foolish nation too
To wrath provoke will I.

[3]

22 For fire enkindled in my wrath
Shall burn to hell below,
And waste the earth with her increase,
Hills bottoms fire also.
23 I mifchiefs will upon them heap,
Mine arrows on them spend ;
24 With hunger burnt, with heat devour'd,
With bitter plagues them end.

The teeth of cruel beasts I will
Upon them send also:
The poison too of serpents vile
Which on the dust do go.
25 The sword without, and dread within,
Young men and maids bereave;
Which neither shall the suckling babe,
Nor hoary headed leave.

26 Yea into corners I did say,
That I would scatter them;
I'll their remembrance make to cease
Among the sons of men.
27 But that I fear'd their foes wou'd rage,
Lest they would carry strange,
And say, our high hand, not the Lord,
Hath wrought this mighty change.

28 For they're a nation counselless,
Nor understanding find,
29 O were they wifs, this understood,
Their latter end would mind.
30 How should one chase a thousand, two
Ten thousand put to flight?
Had not their rock them fold, and them
Jehovah shut up quite.

31 Because their rock unto our rock
Is not to be compared;
Yea, tho' our enemies themselves
As judges mould be heard.
32 For their vine is of Sodom's vine,
And of Gomorrah's field;
Their grapes are grapes of gall, to them
They bitter clusters yield.

33 Their wine as dragon's pois'n, as asps
Their cruel venom is.
34 Is not this stor'd with me, and seal'd
Among my treasuries?

[4]

35 Vengeance is mine and recompence,
In time their foot shall slide:
For their wo-day is nigh, and soon
Evil shall them betide,
36 Because the Lord his folk shall judge,
For's servants he'll repent.
When none shut up or lest he sees,
And that their power is spent.

37 Then he shall say those gods of theirs,
Now where, O where are they?
Where is the rock on whom they did.
Their expectation stay?
38 Which eat their sacrifices fat,
Drank their wine offerings too,
Let them arise, help you, and be
A hiding-place for you.

39 See now that I, ev'n I am he,
And there's no god with me'
I kill and quicken, wound and heal,
None from my hand can free;
40 For I to heav'n lift up mine hand,
And say I live for aye.
41 If my bright sword I whet, and if
My hand on judgment stay;

I'll render vengeance to my foes,
I'll pay them that me hate;
42 I'll make mine arrows drunk with blood,
And flesh my sword shall eat.
With blood of slain, and those who fall
Into captivity.
Even from the first, revenge I take
Upon the enemy.

43 Sing joyfully ye nations, with
Those who his people be:
Because that of his servants all
Revenge the blood will he.
And to his adversaries he
Will render vengeance due,
And he will mercy to his land,
And to his people shew.

Source: The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New-Testament: faithfully translated into English metre: for the use, edification, and comfort of the saints...especially in New-England (25th ed) #291