Psalm 86
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 Thy [Gracious] ear, O Lord, encline,
O hear me [I thee pray,]
For I am poor, and almost pine
With need, [and sad decay.]
2 Preserve my soul, for I have trod
Thy waies, and love the just,
Save thou thy servant O my God
Who [still] in thee doth trust.
3 Pitty me Lord for daily the
I call; 4 O make rejoyce
Thy Servants Soul; for Lord to the
I lift my soul [and voice,]
5 For thou art good, thou Lord art prone
To pardon, thou to all
Art full of mercy, thou [alone]
To them that on thee call.
6 Unto my supplication Lord
Give ear, and to the crie
Of my [incessant] praiers afford
Thy hearing graciously.
7 I in the day of my distres
Will call on thee [for aid;]
For thou wilt [grant] me [free access]
[And] answer, [what I pray'd.]
8 Like thee among the gods is none
O Lord, nor any works
[Of all that other Gods have done]
Like to thy [glorious] works.
9 The Nations all whom thou hast made
Shall come, [and all shall frame]
To bow them low before thee Lord,
And glorifie thy name.
10 For great thou art, and wonders great
By thy strong hand are done,
Thou [in thy everlasting Seat]
Remainest God alone.
11 Teach me O Lord thy way [most right,]
I in thy truth will bide,
To fear thy name my heart unite
[So shall it never slide.]
12 Thee will I praise O Lord my God
[Thee honour, and adore]
With my whole heart, and blaze abroad
Thy name for ever more.
13 For great thy mercy is toward me,
And thou hast free'd my Soul
Eev'n from the lowest Hell set free
[From deepest darkness foul.]
14 O God the proud against me rise
And violent men are met
To seek my life, and in their eyes
No fear of thee have set.
15 But thou Lord art the God most mild
Readiest thy grace to shew,
Slow to be angry, and [art stil'd]
Most mercifull, most true.
16 O turn to me [thy face at length,]
And me have mercy on,
Unto thy servant give thy strength,
And save thy hand-maids Son.
17 Some sign of good to me afford,
And let my foes [then] see
And be asham'd, because then Lord
Do'st help and comfort me.
