wrapped verses in memoir are not numbered at line start

Question

I am using the memoir package to typeset material that includes some psalms. The psalms are placed in the verse environment. I would like the verses to be numbered. But when a verse is particularly long, the wrapping seems to mess up the verse numbers. For example, the code at the bottom of my post produces verses that look like this:

   O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chas-
1       ten me in Thy wrath.
   Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord,
2       heal me, for my bones are vexed.

instead of

1   O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chas-
       ten me in Thy wrath.
2   Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord,
       heal me, for my bones are vexed.

The corresponding code is:

%! program = pdflatex
\documentclass{memoir}

\begin{document}
    
    \linenumberfrequency{1}
    \verselinenumbersleft   
    \settowidth{\versewidth}{My soul also is sore troubled;}
    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy wrath.\\
        Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.\\!
    \end{verse} 
\end{document}

What am I doing incorrectly?

Thank you for any guidance --

Answer 1

Not an answer, more an admission of failure. I have tried many varieties of verse code but really no luck. I agree that the first line of a two line entry should be numbered instead of the second line. But ...

 % verseprob.tex  SE 609802

%! program = pdflatex
\documentclass{memoir}

\begin{document}
    
    \linenumberfrequency{1}
    \verselinenumbersleft   
    \settowidth{\versewidth}{My soul also is sore troubled;}

First verse.

    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy wrath.\\
        Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.\\!
    \end{verse} 

Second verse.

    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger,\\!
         neither chasten me in Thy wrath.\\
\end{verse}

Third verse

\begin{verse}[\versewidth]
        Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.\\!
    \end{verse} 

Fourth verse.

    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger,\\>
         neither chasten me in Thy wrath.%\\!
\end{verse}

Fifth verse

    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy wrath.\\>[0pt]
        Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.\\!
    \end{verse} 

Sixth verses.

    \begin{verse}[\versewidth]      
        O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger,\\>
         neither chasten me in Thy wrath.%\\!
\end{verse}
%\setcounter{poemline}{2}
\vspace{-1.8\baselineskip}
\begin{verse}[\versewidth] \setcounter{poemline}{2}
%  \setcounter{vslineno}{2}
        Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; \\>
        O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.%\\!
    \end{verse} 

\end{document}

I have spent quite a lot of time looking at the memoir code but must confess that I no longer understand it; my memory is fading. Hopefully Lars Madsen (aka daleif) the memoir maintainer will be able to help.