Why stand'st thou Lord far off? why hid'st

1 Why standest thou Lord far off? why hidest
Thy self in times of strait.
2 In pride the wicked persecutes
The poor afflicted weight:
Caught be they in their plots forecast.
3 For of his hearts desire
The wicked boasts: and bless he doth
The churl, that stirs God's ire.

4 The wicked one according to
His countenances pride
Will not inquire: that there's no God
So all his thoughts abide.
5 His ways do always bring forth grief,
On high thy judgments be
Above his sight: his pressing foes
Puff at them all will he.

6 Within his heart he thus hath said,
I shall not moved be,
From age to age that am not yet
In ill adversity
7 His mouth with cursing filled is,
Deceits and fallacy,
Under his tongue perverseness is,
Also iniquity.

8 In lurking places of the towns
He sits; in secret dens
He slays the harmless, 'gains the poor
His eyes down shyly bends.
9 He closely lurks as lion lurks
In den the poor to catch:
He lurks and trapping them in's net
The afflicted poor doth snatch.

10 Down doth he crouch, and to the dust
He humbly bows withal,
That so a multitude of poor
In his strong paws may fall
11 He saith in's heart, God hat forgot,
He hides his face away,
So that he will not see this thing,
Unto eternal aye.

[2]

12 Jehovah rise thou up, O God
Lift up thine hand on high,
Cast not the meek afflicted one
Out of thy memory.
13 O wherefore doth the wicked man
Contemn the almighty one?
He in his heart saith, thou wilt not
Make inquisition.

14 Thou seest, for thou markest wrong and spite
With thy hand to repay.
The poor leaves it to thee: thou art
Of fatherless the stay.
15 The wicked's arm in pieces break,
And of the evil one
Search thou out his impiety,
Until thou findest none.

16 Jehovah king for ever is:
And to eternal aye
Out of his land the heathen folk
Are perished away.
17 The meek afflicted man's desire
Jehovah thou dost hear:
Thou firmly dost prepare their heart,
Thou makest attent thine ear.

18 To judge the fatherless and poor;
That add no more he may
The man of sorrows from the land
With terror to dismay.

The Psalm, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New-Testament,1742