Psalm 85
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 Land to favour graciously
Thou hast not Lord been slack,
Thou hast from [hard] Captivity
Return-ed Jacob back.
2 Th' iniquity thou didst forgive
[That wrought] thy people woe,
And all their Sin, [that did thee grieve]
Hast hid [where none shall know.]
3 Thine anger all thou hadst remov'd,
And [calmly] didst return
From thy fierce wrath which we had proved
Far worse then fire to burn.
4 God of our saving health and peace,
Turn us, and us restore,
Thine indignation cause to cease
Toward us, [and chide no more.]
5 Wilt thou be angry without end,
For ever angry thus
Wilt thou thy frowning ire extend
From age to age on us?
6 Wilt thou not turn, and [hear our voice]
And us again revive,
That so thy people may rejoyce
By thee preserved alive.
7 Cause us to see thy goodness Lord,
To us thy mercy shew
Thy saving health to us afford
[And life in us renew.]
8 [And now] what God the Lord will speak
I will go [strait and] hear,
For to his people he speaks peace
And to his Saints [full dear,]
To his dear Saints he will speak peace,
But let them never more
Return to folly, [but surcease]
[To trespass as before.]
9 Surely to such as do him fear
Salvation is at hand
And glory shall [ere long appear]
[To] dwell within our Land.
10 Mercy and Truth [that long were missed]
Now [joyfully] are met
[Sweet] Peace and Righteousness have kissed
[And hand in hand are set.]
11 Truth from the earth [like to a flowr]
Shall bud and blossom [then,]
And Justice from her heavenly bowr
Look down [on mortal men.]
12 The Lord will also then bestow
Whatever thing is good
Our Land shall forth in plenty throw
Her fruits [to be our food.]
13 Before him Righteousness shall go
[His Royal Harbinger,]
Then will he come, and not be slow
His footsteps cannot err.
