Among th’Assemblies of the Great

Among th’assemblies of the great
A greater Ruler takes His seat;
The God of Heav’n, as Judge, surveys,
The gods on earth, and all their ways.

Why will ye, then, frame wicked laws?
Or why support th’unrighteous cause?
When will ye once defend the poor,
That sinners vex the saints no more?

They know not, Lord, nor will they know;
Dark are the ways in which they go;
Their name of earthly gods is vain,
For they shall fall and die like men.

Arise, O Lord, and let Thy Son
Possess His universal throne,
And rule the nations with His rod,
He is our Judge, and He our God.

Author: Isaac Watts

Year: 1719

This is a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 82 from Watts' Psalms of David Imitated (1719). The language, structure, and theology are characteristic of Watts; no other plausible attributions exist.