Save me, O God, be­cause the floods
Come in up­on my soul;
I sink in depths where none can stand;
Deep wa­ters, o’er me roll.

My con­stant call­ing wea­ries me,
My throat is parched and dried,
My eyes grow dim while for my God
Still wait­ing I abide.

The foes who hate me un­pro­voked,
Are strong and still in­crease,
Though to dis­arm their en­mi­ty
My right I yield for peace.

O God, my fol­ly and my sin
Thy ho­ly eye can see;
Yet save from shame, Lord God of hosts,
Thy saints that wait on Thee.

Forbid, O God, our co­ve­nant God,
That those who seek Thy face
Should see Thy ser­vant put to shame
And share in my dis­grace.

It is for Thee I am re­proached,
For Thee I suf­fer shame,
Until my breth­ren know me not,
And hat­ed is my name.

It is my zeal for Thy abode
That has con­sumed my life;
Reproached by those re­proach­ing Thee,
I suf­fer in the strife.

I wept, with fast­ing bowed my soul,
Yet that was made my shame;
When I in sack­cloth clothed my­self,
Their by­word I became.

The men who sit with­in the gate
With slan­der do me wrong,
And they who lin­ger at their cups
Make me their jest and song.