O God, wherefore art thou absent from | us so long?
* why is thy wrath so hot against the | sheep of thy pasture?
2 O think upon thy | congregation,
* whom thou hast purchased, | and redeemed of old.
3 Think upon the tribe of | thine inheritance,
* and Mount Sion, where- | -in thou hast dwelt.
4 Lift up thy feet, that thou mayest utterly destroy | every enemy,
* which hath done | evil in thy sanctuary.
5 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy | congregations,
* and set | up their •banners• for tokens.
6 He that hewed timber afore out of the | thick trees,
* was known to bring it | to an •excel•lent work.
7 But now they break down all the carved | work thereof
* with | axes and hammers.
8 They have set fire upon thy | holy places,
* and have defiled the dwelling-place of thy Name, | even •unto• the ground.
9 Yea, they said in their hearts, Let us make havoc of them | altogether:
* thus have they burnt up all the houses of | God in the land.
10 We see not our tokens; there is not one | prophet more;
* no, not one is there among us, that under- | -standeth any more.
11 O God, how long shall the adversary do | this dishonour?
* shall the enemy blas- | -pheme thy Name for ever?
12 Why withdrawest | thou thy hand?
* why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bosom | to consume the enemy?
13 For God is my | King of old;
* the help that is done upon earth, he | doeth it himself.
14 Thou didst divide the sea | through thy power;
* thou brakest the heads of the | dragons in the waters.
15 Thou smotest the heads of levia- | -than in pieces,
* and gavest him to be meat for the | people of the wilderness.
16 Thou broughtest out fountains and waters out of the | hard rocks;
* thou | driedst• up mighty waters.
17 The day is thine, and the | night is thine;
* thou hast prepared the | light and the sun.
18 Thou hast set all the borders | of the earth;
* thou hast | made •summer• and winter.
19 Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy | hath rebuked;
* and how the foolish people | hath blasphemed thy Name.
20 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude | of the enemies;
* and forget not the congregation | of the poor for ever.
21 Look up- | -on the covenant;
* for all the earth is full of darkness and | cruel habitations.
22 O let not the simple go a- | -way ashamed;
* but let the poor and needy give | praise •unto• thy Name.
23 Arise, O God, maintain thine | own cause;
* remember how the foolish man blas- | -phemeth thee daily.
24 Forget not the voice | of thine enemies:
* the presumption of them that hate thee increaseth | ever more and more.
Glory be to the Father, and | to the Son,
* and | to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall be,
* world without | end. Amen.