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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PSALM 85, by                    
First Line: Thy land to favor graciously
Last Line: His footsteps cannot err.


1 Thy land to favour graciously
Thou hast not Lord been slack;
Thou hast from hard captivity
Returned 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 removed,
And calmly didst return
From thy fierce wrath which we had proved
Far worse than 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 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 rejoice
By thee preserved alive.
7 Cause us to see thy goodness Lord,
To us thy mercy show;
Thy saving health to us afford
And life in us renew.
8 And now what God the Lord will speak
I will go straight 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 flow'r
Shall bud and blossom then,
And Justice from her Heavenly bow'r
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.





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