Psalm 83
Words: John Milton.
One of nine Psalms done into metre by John Milton during April, 1648.
Words in brackets are words that are different from the text of the Psalm as it was in Milton's Bible. We have left the spelling as we found it, a mixture of modern and ancient.
1 Be not thou silent now at length
O God hold not thy peace,
Sit not thou still O God of [strength]
[We cry and do not cease.]
2 For lo thy [furious] foes [now] swell
And storm outrageously,
And they that hate thee [proud and fell]
Exalt their heads full hie.
3 Against thy people they contrive
Their Plots and Counsels deep,
Them to ensnare they chiefly strive
Whom thou dost hide and keep.
4 Come let us cut them off say they,
Till they no Nation be
That Israels name for ever may
Be lost in memory.
5 For they consult with all their might,
And all as one in mind
Themselves against thee they unite
And in firm union bind.
6 The tents of Edom, and the brood
Of [scornful] Ishmael,
Moab, with them of Hagars blood
[That in the Desart dwell,]
7 Gebal and Ammon [there conspire,]
And [hateful] Amalec,
The Philistims, and they of Tyre
[Whose hounds the Sea doth check.]
8 With them great Asshur also bands
[And doth confirm the knot,]
[All these have lent their armed hands]
To aid the Sons of Lot.
9 Do to them as to Midian [bold]
[That wasted all Coast.]
To Sisera, and as [is told]
[Thou didst] to Jabins [hoast,]
[When] at the brook of Kishon [old]
[They were repulst and slain,]
10 At Endor quite cut off, and rowl'd
As dung upon the plain.
11 As Zeb and Oreb evil sped
So let their Princes speed
As Zeba, and Zalmunna bled
So let their Princes bleed.
12 [For they amidst their pride] have said
By right now shall we seize
Gods houses, and [will now invade]
Their stately Palaces.
13 My God, oh make them as a wheel
[No quiet let them find,]
Giddy and restless let [them reel]
Like stubble from the wind.
14 As [when] an [aged] wood takes fire
[Which on a sudden straies,]
The [greedy] flame runs hier and hier
Till all the mountains blaze,
15 So with thy whirlwind them pursue,
And with thy tempest chase;
16 And till they yield thee honour due,
Lord fill with shame their face.
17 Asham'd and troubl'd let them be,
Troubl'd and sham'd for ever,
Ever confounded, and so die
With shame, [and scape it never.]
18 Then shall they know that thou whose name
Jehova is alone,
Art the most high, [and thou the same]
O're all the earth [art one.]
