Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases

¹When I to thee my prayer make,

Lord, to my voice give ear;

My life save from the enemy,

of whom I stand in fear.

²Me from their secret counsel hide

who do live wickedly;

From insurrection of those men

that work iniquity:

³Who do their tongues with malice whet,

and make them cut like swords;

In whose bent bows are arrows set,

ev’n sharp and bitter words:

⁴That they may at the perfect man

in secret aim their shot;

Yea, suddenly they dare at him

to shoot, and fear it not.

⁵In ill encourage they themselves,

and their snares close do lay:

Together conference they have;

Who shall them see? they say.

⁶They have search’d out iniquities,

a perfect search they keep:

Of each of them the inward thought,

and very heart, is deep.

⁷God shall an arrow shoot at them,

and wound them suddenly:

⁸So their own tongue shall them confound;

all who them see shall fly.

⁹And on all men a fear shall fall,

God’s works they shall declare;

For they shall wisely notice take

what these his doings are.

¹⁰In God the righteous shall rejoice,

and trust upon his might;

Yea, they shall greatly glory all

in heart that are upright.