The Whole Booke of Psalmes ‎#40

40. Ut quid Deus?

1 Why art thou (Lord) so long from us
in all this danger deep?
Why doth thy anger kindle thus
at thine own pasture sheep?
2 Lord, call the people to thy thought
which have been thine so long:
The which thou hast redeem'd & brought
from bondage sore and strong.

3 Have mind therefore, and think upon,
remember it full well:
Thy pleasant place, thy mount Sion,
where thou wast wont to dwell.
4 Lift up thy feet, and come in hast,
and all thy foes deface:
Who now at pleasure rob and waste
within thy holy place.

5 Amid thy congregations all
thine enemies roare O God:
They set as signes on every wall,
banners displaid abroad.
6 As men with axes hew down trees
that on the hils do grow:
So shine the bills and swords of these,
within thy temple now.

7 The feeling saw'd, and carved boards,
with all the goodly stones,
With axes, hammers, bils and swords,
they beat them down at once.
8 Thy places they consume with flame,
and eke in all this toile:
The house appointed to thy Name,
they raze down to the soile.

9 And thus they said within their heart,
dispatch them out of hand:
Then burnt they up in every part
God's houses through the land.
10 Yet thou no signe of help dost send,
our Prophets all are gone:
To tell when this our plague shall end,
among us there is none.

11 When wilt thou (Lord) come end this shame
and cease thine enemies strong?
Shall they alwaies blaspheme thy Name,
and raile on thee so long?
12 Why dost thou draw thy hand aback,
and hide it in thy lap?
O pluck it out, and be not slack
to give thy foes a tap.

The second Part:

13 O God, thou art our King and Lord,
and evermore hast been:
Yea thy good grace throughout the world
for our great help hath seen.
14 The seas that are so deep and dead,
thy might did make them drie:
And thou didst break the Serpent's head,
that he therein did die.

15 Yea thou didst break the beads so great
of Whales that are so fell:
And gav'st them to the folk to eat.
that in the desarts dwell.
16 Thou mad'st a spring with streams to rise
from rock both hard and hie:
And eke thy hand hath made likewise
deep rivers to be drie.

17 Both day and eke the night are thine,
by thee they were began:
Thou setst to serve us with their shine,
the Moone and eke the Sun.
18 Thou didst appoint the ends and coasts
of all the earth about:
Both summer-heats and winter-frosts,
thy hand hath found them out.

19 Think on (O Lord) no time forget
thy foes that thee defame:
And how the foolish folk are set
to raile upon thy Name.
20 O let no cruell beasts devoure
the Turtle that is true;
Forget not alwaies in thy power
the poore that much do rue.

21 Regard thy covenant, and behold,
thy foes possesse the land:
All sad and dark, forworn and old,
our Realme as now doth stand.
22 Let not the simple go away,
nor yet returne with shame:
But let the poore and needy aye
give praise unto thy Name.

23 Rise (Lord) let be by thee mintain'd,
the cause that is thine own:
Remember how that thou blasphem'd
art by the foolish one.
24 The voice forget not of thy foes,
for the presumption hie
Is more and more increast of those
that hate thee spitefully.

Text Information

• First Line: Why art thou (Lord) so long from us
• Title: Ut quid Deus?
• Author: J. H.
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1640
• Scripture:
  Psalm 74
• Notes: Sing to Psalm 72

Tune Information

(No tune information)