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Bitter Herbs

by Psalter Project

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1.
V1 1O Lord, rebuke me not in anger Nor discipline me in your wrath 2O Lord, be gracious, for I languish My bones are troubled; heal me, Lord C1 3My soul, also Is greatly troubled But you, O Lord - How long? V2 4O Lord, return, deliver my life And save me for your steadfast love 5In death there is no memory of you In Sheol who will give you praise? C2 6I’m worn from moans All night long I flood my bed With tears V3 I drench my couch with all my weeping 7My eye grows weak because of grief It wastes away because of my foes 8Depart from me, all you who do wrong Instrumental V4 The Lord has heard my voice of weeping 9The Lord has listened to my prayer The Lord accepts my cry for mercy 10My enemies will all be shamed. C3 My foes also Be greatly troubled Returned, ashamed Suddenly - in a moment
2.
V1 1O LORD, how many are my foes! Many rise against me; 2Many say now of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” C1 3But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and lifter of my head. 4I cried aloud to the LORD; he heard me From his holy hill. V2 5I lay down, slept; I woke again, Because the Lord sustained me. 6I will not fear ten thousand men Set against me all around C2 7Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! For you strike all of my enemies Upon the cheek, and you break in pieces The teeth of the wicked Ending 8Salvation to the Lord belongs; Your blessing be on your people.
3.
V1 1The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Corrupt, doing evil, There is none who does good. 2The LORD looks down from heaven On the children of man, To see if there are any Who understand, Who seek after God. V2 3They’ve all turned aside; Together they have become Corrupt; none does good, Not even one. 4Oh have they no knowledge All the workers of wrong Who eat up my people As they eat up bread? And don’t call on the LORD V3 5Their fear is great, for God Is with the righteous generation 6You’d shame the plans of the poor, But his refuge is the LORD. 7Oh that salvation for Israel Would come out of Zion, When the LORD restores his people, Let Jacob rejoice! Let Israel be glad!
4.
1Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, For He is good; Forever His love endures! 2Who can speak the mighty deeds of the Lord? Who can tell all his praise? 3Blessed are they who keep justice, Who do right at all times. 4Remember me, O Lord, in your favor to your people, Help me when you save them, 5That I may look upon the abundance of your chosen, That I may share your nation’s joy, With your inheritance, glory give!
5.
V1 7Our fathers did not understand Your wondrous works in Egypt’s land Remembered not your mercies great, Rebelled at the sea, at the Red Sea. 8Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, His mighty power he might make known 9Rebuked the Red Sea, drying it up He led them through depths as through desert. 10So from the foe’s hand he saved them Redeemed them from the enemy’s power, 11The waters covered their enemies, Not one of them left to remain, 12then Believed they his word, sang his praise CH 6We have sinned, we and our fathers We have done iniquity We have with wickedness acted We have sinned V2 13They soon forgot his works; they would Not wait upon his counsel; 14cravings Seized them in the wilderness, Put God to the test in the desert 15He gave them what they asked, but sent Disease to waste among them; 16in The camp they envied Moses, and The holy one of the Lord, Aaron. 17The earth was opened up and swallowed Dathan, and Abiram’s camp, 18Throughout their company fire blazed; The flame came to burn up the wicked. CH V3 19They made a calf at Horeb, and A metal image worshiped; 20they Exchanged the glory of their God For the image of grass-eating oxen. 21And God their Savior they forgot, Who did great things in Egypt, 22in the Land of Ham did wondrous works, And acts of great awe by the Red Sea 23Therefore he said he would destroy them-- If Moses his chosen one had Not stood in the breach before him, Turning his wrath away from them CH V4 24Then they despised the pleasant land His promise they did not believe 25They grumbled in their tents and they The voice of the Lord disobeyed 26Therefore he raised his hand and swore He’d in the desert make them fall 27Their sons among the nations spread, And scatter them throughout the lands V5 28Then they aligned with Baal of Peor, Ate sacrifices to the dead 29Their deeds provoked the Lord to anger, Bringing a plague out among them. 30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened; The plague was stopped, 31and to him Righteousness was counted, for All generations everlasting 32They angered him at Waters of Meribah; Moses suffered then Because of them, 33for they made him Embittered in spirit, and he spoke Rashly he spoke with his lips CH
6.
V1 34The nations they did not destroy, According to the Lord’s command, 35But mingled with the heathen ones And learned their ways 36They worshiped others’ idols, Which became a snare to them; 37They sacrificed their sons and daughters Unto demons C1 38And innocent blood they shed, the blood of Their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed To Caanan’s idols, and the land was Polluted with blood V2 39So with their actions they defiled themselves, And played the harlot by their deeds. 40The Lord was angry then with His people So He abhorred his own inheritance, 41And gave them to the nations’ hand; Their foes ruled over them; 42Oppressed them C2 Their enemies to their power subjected them 43And many a time did he deliver them, But they provoked him with their counsel; Sank down in their sin. V3 44And yet he noticed their distress; He heard their cry, 45and for their sake Remembered then his covenant And relented According to the greatness of his love, 46He caused them to be pitied By the ones who carried them away Captive C3 47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us Gather us from among the nations, To thank your holy name, to triumph In your praise C4 48Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting Let all the people say, Amen Praise the LORD!
7.
V1 1Help, O Lord! The godly are no more. The faithful are gone from the children of man; 2And everyone tells lies With flattery each to his neighbor speaks But double hearts they hide Pre-chorus 3O may the Lord cut off All lips of flattery, The tongue that speaks proud things 4Who’ve said “We’ll get ahead With our tongue; we own our lips Who is lord over us?” C1 5“Because the poor are plundered, Because the needy groan, Now I’ll arise,” says the Lord, “and place him In the safety for which he longs!” Instrumental C2 6The words of the Lord are pure words Like silver purified In a furnace on the ground Refined seven times V2 7You, O Lord! You will keep them safe You’ll guard us from this generation Forevermore 8On every side the wicked prowl As vileness is exalted Among the sons of men
8.
V1 3How long will all of you attack a man, Batter him, like a leaning wall, a falling fence? 4They only plan to take him down from his height Loving lies, their mouth will bless, but curse inside! V2 7On God rests my glory and my salvation, God is my refuge and my mighty rock! 8At all times, trust him, people, pour your heart Before him; God is a refuge unto us! C1 5For God alone, my soul, wait in silence For from him comes my confidence 6He is alone my rock, my salvation My fortress; I won’t be moved! V3 9Lowly ones are but a breath, the high a mist They go up, both light upon the balances 10Put no trust in bribery, no hope in theft If riches grow, don’t let your heart set upon them! C2 1For God alone, my soul waits in silence For from him comes my salvation 2He is alone my rock, my salvation My fortress; I won’t be moved! I won’t be greatly moved! BR x2 11Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: Power belongs to God. 12And lovingkindness is Yours, O LORD, For you give a man what he deserves. Instrumental C2
9.
V1 1By the waters of Babylon There we sat and wept When we remembered Zion, 2On the willows there we hung our harps On the willows hung our harps. C1 3For there our captors required of us songs Our tormentors called for mirth Saying, sing, oh sing for us one of Zion’s songs Sing for us one of Zion’s songs V2 4How shall we sing the LORD’s song In a foreign land? 5If I forget you, Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill Let my right hand forget its skill C2 6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you If I do not regard Jerusalem Higher than my highest joy, Instrumental V3 7Lord, remember the children Of the Edomites On the day of Jerusalem, “Tear it down” they cried, “to its foundations” “Tear it down to its foundations!” C3 8O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, Blessed is he who repays you Blessed is he who gives you what you have done to us 9He who takes your little ones Dashes them against the rock! Tag 4How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?
10.
V1 1How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2How long must I take counsel in my soul And have sorrow in my heart for all the day? C1 How long shall my enemy Be exalted over me? V2 3Look and answer me, O Lord my God, Light up my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death. 4Lest my enemy say, “I have triumphed over him,” Lest my foes rejoice because I’m shaken. C1 2bHow long shall my enemy Be exalted over me? C2 5But I have trusted in your love; My heart will rejoice in your salvation! Interlude C3 6Oh I will sing unto the Lord, For he has dealt well with me!
11.
V1 12Oh God, be here with me. My God, oh hurry to come help me. 13The foes of my soul be consumed. With scorn and disgrace Let those who seek my hurt be shamed. 14But I will hope and praise you at all times, more and more! CH 17Oh God, from my youth you have taught me And still I proclaim your great deeds, 18aSo even to old age and gray hair Oh God, do not cast me away Oh God, do not cast me away! V2 15My mouth will tell all day Your righteousness, your salvation Their fullness more than I can understand. 16So with the mighty deeds Of the Lord GOD I will come, And I’ll remind them of your righteousness Yours alone! CH Instrumental V3 19Your righteousness, O God, Reaches to the heavens high. O God, you’ve done great things, who’s like you Who is like you? 20You gave me many troubles, But you will revive again. And from the depths of earth you will bring Me up again! CH BR 18bUntil I proclaim of your might Until I proclaim of your pow’r To this generation To all who are to come CH

about

Bitter Herbs journeys through psalms primarily of lament and anger. Singing these psalms allows us to both express and train some of our deepest emotions in accordance with Scripture. While God gives us many troubles, he will revive us again (Ps 71:20).

credits

released June 24, 2022

Producer: John Schindele
Songwriter: Emily Bateman
Co-writers: Dante Velarde (For God Alone); Josh Blake (How Long?)

Guitar, lead vocals: John Schindele
Cello: Jason Young
Percussion: Cory Bingham
Bass: Torin Ruehle
Flute: Danika Starrhart
Piano, background vocals: Emily Bateman

Album art: Gabrielle Haven

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Psalter Project Boise, Idaho

Psalter Project is a resource for singing the psalms with fresh arrangements and faithful translations.

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