Scripture Verse

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. Psalm 43:1

Introduction

portrait
Isaac B. Woodbury (1819–1858)

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 119.

Music: Ed­mes­ton Is­aac B. Wood­bu­ry (1819–1858) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause
Against a godless race;
From men deceitful and unjust
Deliver in Thy grace,
Deliver in Thy grace.

O Thou the God of all my strength,
Why hast Thou cast me off?
Why go I mourning all the day,
While foes oppress and scoff?
While foes oppress and scoff?

O send Thou forth Thy light and truth,
Let them be guides to me,
And bring me to Thy holy hill,
Thy dwelling-place to see,
Thy dwelling-place to see.

Then will I to God’s altar go,
To God, my boundless joy;
Yea, God, my God, Thy name to praise
My harp I will employ,
My harp I will employ.

Why art thou then cast down, my soul,
What should discourage thee?
And why with vexing thoughts art thou
Disquieted in me?
Disquieted in me?

Hope thou in God; His praise shall yet
My thankful lips employ;
He is the spring of all my health,
My God, my boundless joy,
My God, my boundless joy.