Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/125

 TRANSLATIONS

��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, 30

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. 40

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 flower

Shall bud and blossom then; And Justice from her heavenly bower Look down on mortal men.

12 The Lord will also then bestow

Whatever thing is good ; 50

Our land shall forth in plenty throw Her fruits to be our food.

13 Before him Righteousness shall go,

His royal harbinger : Then l will he come, and not be slow; His footsteps cannot err.

��PSALM LXXXVI

1 THY gracious ear, O Lord, incline;

hear me, / thee pray;

For I am poor, and almost pine With need and sad decay.

2 Preserve my soul ; for 2 1 have trod

Thy ways, and love the just; Save thou thy servant, O my God, Who still in thee doth trust.

3 Pity me, Lord, for daily thee

1 call; 4 Oh make rejoice 10 Thy servant's soul ! for, Lord, to thee

I lift my soul and voice. 5 For thou art good; thou, Lord, art prone

1 Heb. : He will set his steps to the way. 1 Heb. : I am good, loving, a doer of good & holy things.

��To pardon; thou to all Art full of mercy, thou alone, To them that on thee call.

6 Unto my supplication, Lord,

Give ear, and to the cry Of my incessant prayers afford

Thy hearing graciously. 20

7 I in the day of my distress

Will call on thee for aid; For thou wilt grant me free access, And answer what I prayed.

8 Like thee among the gods is none,

Lord; nor any works

Of all that other gods have done Like to thy glorious works.

9 The nations all whom thou hast made

Shall come, and all shall frame 30 To bow them low before thee, Lord, And glorify thy name.

10 For great thou art, and wonders great

By thy strong hand are done; Thou in thy everlasting seqt Remainest God alone.

11 Teach me, O Lord, thy way most right;

1 in thy truth will bide;

To fear thy name my heart unite; So shall it never slide. 40

12 Thee will I praise, O Lord my God,

Thee honour and adore With my whole heart, and blaze

abroad Thy name for evermore.

13 For great thy mercy is toward me,

And thou hast freed my soul, Ev'n from the lowest hell set free, From deepest darkness foul.

14 O God, the proud against me rise,

And violent men are met 50

To seek my life, and in their eyes No fear of thee have set.

15 But thou, Lord, art the God most

mild,

Readiest thy grace to shew, Slow to be angry, and art styled Most merciful, most true.

16 Oh turn to me thy face at length,

And me have mercy on; Unto thy servant give thy strength, And save thy handmaid's son. 60

17 Some sign of good to me afford,

And let my foes then see, And be ashamed, because thou, Lord, Dost help and comfort me.

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