{"slug": "thy-tender-mercies-o-my-lord", "title": "The Mercy of God Besought", "first_line": "Thy tender mercies, O my Lord", "author_source": "The Psalter, 1912", "foot": "iambic", "meter": {"pattern": [8, 6, 8, 6], "doubled": true, "refrain": false, "alleluia": false, "irregular": false}, "psalm": 40, "topics": ["Psalms"], "scripture": ["Psalm 40"], "provenance": {"layer": "text", "source": "psalter-1912", "source_kind": "open_encoding", "encoding_origin": "hymnary.org (selection 110) via the Wayback Machine; cross-verified against two independently scanned printings (archive.org OCR)", "pd_basis": "pub_pre_1931", "pd_evidence": "The Psalter, United Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1912 \u2014 Psalm 40, selection 110. Imported by tools/psalter1912_import.py: word-bag attested by both scans; every line machine-scanned to the metre.", "pd_jurisdictions": {"US": true}}, "stanzas": {"1": {"syllabified": "Thy ten -- der mer -- cies, O my Lord, With -- hold not I im -- plore; But let Thy kind -- ness and Thy truth Pre -- serve me ev -- er -- more. For count -- less ills have com -- passed me, My sin -- ful deeds a -- rise; Yea, they have o -- ver -- tak -- en me; I dare not raise my eyes.", "prose": ["Thy tender mercies, O my Lord,", "Withhold not I implore;", "But let Thy kindness and Thy truth", "Preserve me evermore.", "For countless ills have compassed me,", "My sinful deeds arise;", "Yea, they have overtaken me;", "I dare not raise my eyes."]}, "2": {"syllabified": "My sins are more than I can count, My heart has failed for grief; Be pleased, O Lord, to res -- cue me, O haste to my re -- lief. Be those who seek to hurt my soul Dis -- mayed and put to flight, And they them -- selves be put to shame Who in my woe de -- light.", "prose": ["My sins are more than I can count,", "My heart has failed for grief;", "Be pleased, O Lord, to rescue me,", "O haste to my relief.", "Be those who seek to hurt my soul", "Dismayed and put to flight,", "And they themselves be put to shame", "Who in my woe delight."]}, "3": {"syllabified": "Let all who seek Thee now re -- joice, Yea, glad in Thee a -- bide. And, lov -- ing Thy sal -- va -- tion, say, The Lord be mag -- ni -- fied. My low -- ly state and bit -- ter need The Lord has not for -- got; Thou art my Sav -- iour and my help, Come, Lord, and tar -- ry not.", "prose": ["Let all who seek Thee now rejoice,", "Yea, glad in Thee abide.", "And, loving Thy salvation, say,", "The Lord be magnified.", "My lowly state and bitter need", "The Lord has not forgot;", "Thou art my Saviour and my help,", "Come, Lord, and tarry not."]}}, "license": "The hymn texts and tunes are in the public domain; per-layer provenance is recorded on each record."}