Jehovah, to My Prayer Give Ear

Jehovah

to my pray­er give ear

Nor hide Thee from my cry;

Attend my sad com­plaint

and hear

My rest­less moan and sigh.

My ene­mies lift up their voice

The vio­lent op­press;

To do me wrong my foes re­joice

And love my soul’s dis­tress.

Sore pained in heart I find no ease

Death’s ter­rors fill my soul

Great fear and trem­bling on me seize

And hor­rors o’er me roll.

O had I wings

I sigh and say

Like some swift dove to roam

Then I would hast­en far away

And a find a peace­ful home.

Lo

wan­der­ing far

my rest would be

In some lone de­sert waste;

I from the stor­my wind would flee

And to a shel­ter haste.

O Lord

their mal­ice re­com­pense

Their wick­ed tongues con­found

For in the ci­ty vio­lence

And bit­ter strife abound.

They walk her walls both night and day

Within all vic­es meet;

Oppression

fraud and crime hold sway

Nor leave the crowd­ed street.

No for­eign foe pro­vokes alarm

But ene­mies with­in;

May God de­stroy their pow­er to harm

And re­com­pense their sin.