ipuM^. ^J£&^ r'-^ Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/essaytowardsnewmOOturnricli C: AN ESSAY TOWAKDS A NEW METRICAL VERSION THE PSALMS OF DAVID, THOMAS TURNER, ESQ. TO THE EIGHT HON. AND RIGHT EEV. CHARLES JAMES, LORD BISHOP OF LONDON. LONDON: RIVINOTONS, WATERLOO PLACE. 1854. LONDON : GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRJNTERS, ST. John's square. ^)xf^'^ ■19 ^^ ^^ ^;^^^ TO THE RIGHT REV. THE BISHOP OF LONDON. My Loud, I TAKE the liberty of dedicating to your Lordship this attempt at a new version of the Psalms. I am the more encouraged to do so, because I feel that one who has spent so many years in unremitting (and, by the Divine blessing, largely successful) exertions in advancing the kingdom of God, will sympathize with any effort, however humble, which has the same object in view. I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's obedient and attached servant, THOMAS TURNER. Ilampstead Heath, Oct. 1854. A 2 374 CONTENTS. PAGE Psalm XIX Coeli enarrant 5 < XLVI. Deus noster refugium • .... 7 LXII. Norine Deo . 9 LXIII. Deus, Deus meus ...... 11 LXV. Te decet hymnus ...... 13 LXXX. Qui regis Israel 15 LXXXIV. Quam dilecta ....... 17 XC. Domine, refugium 19 XCV. Venite, exultemus 21 XCVII. Dominus regnavit .23 C. Jubilate Deo 25 cm. Benedic, anima mea 26 CXXXIX. Domine, probasti 28 CXLV. Exaltabo te, Deus 30 PSALM XIX. Cceli enarrant. ERRATA. Page 10, line 2, for vain read false — 17, -- 18, for ? read \ 5. There the sun's mansion hast Thou placed, Which as a bridegroom comes Fresh from his chamber, and with joy Like a strong racer runs. 6. Rising from heav'n's extremest verge, He compasses the sky, Pouring o'er all his searching heat ; Then to heav'n's verge descends. 7. God's law is perfect, and to health Restores the soul diseased : By his sure testimonies taught, The simple are made wise. PSALM XIX. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right, And make the heart rejoice : Pure the commandments of the Lord, Enlightening the eyes. 9. The fear of God is clean, and bright With hope of endless life : The judgments of the Lord stand fast In truth and righteousness. 10. They're more to be desired than gold. Yea, more than much fine gold : They're sweeter than the luscious flow From richest honeycomb. 11. Moreover, by their warning voice Thy servant is preserved : And whoso keepeth them is blessM With largest recompense. 1 2. Lord, who can tell how many ways. How often he offends : Cleanse me, Thou God, who know'st my heart. From ev'ry secret fault. 13. And O let no presumptuous sins Thy servant's soul o'erpower : That I may upright be, and from The great transgression saved. 14. Let ev'ry word my mouth shall speak, Each thought my heart conceives. Be pleasing in thy sight, O Lord, My Saviour and my strength ! PSALM XLVL Deus noster refugium, 1, 2, 3. God is our refuge and our strength, In trouble a very present help : Therefore we**ll fear not, though earth quake, And hills be hurPd into the sea ; Though the vex'd waters roar and swell, And mountains tremble at their shock. 4, 5. See, the soft flow of Sion's streams Makes glad the city of our God, The High One''s holy tabernacle : There God his early help shall bring, God in the midst of her is found, That city shall not be removed. 6, 7. The heathen raged, the disturbed states With fury heaved : the voice of God Was utter'd, and the earth dissolved ! Our strong foundation is the Lord, The Lord of hosts beside us stands. The God of Jacob is our rock. 8, 9. come, behold the works of God : What desolations on the earth His wrath has made. Again, He bids Wars cease throughout the world ; He breaks The bow, the spear He snaps in twain, He burns the chariot with fire. 8 PSALM XLVI. 10, 11. Be still, and know that I am God : My glory shall the heathen own, Yea, all the earth my glory see ! Our strong foundation is the Lord, The Lord of hosts beside us stands. The God of Jacob is our rock. PSALM LXII. Nonne Deo f ^ , 2. Truly I wait upon the Lord, To Him my soul for safety looks : He is my safety and my strength, In Him is my defence ; I shall not greatly fall. 3. How long will ye, with malice fraught, Against men mischievously plot 'i Like a bowM wall, or tott'ring fence. Soon shall ye be overthrown, yea, all of you be slain. 4. Their only thought is how to cast Him down, whom God loves to exalt : They've chosen lies for their delight. Good words hang on their Hps, but curses fill their heart. 5, 6. But thou, my soul, wait still on God, On Him my expectation rests : He is my safety, and my strength, In Him is my defence ; with Him I shall not fall. 7, 8. My health, my glory is the Lord, My rock of refuge, and my might : O all ye people, trust in Him ; He only is our hope, to Him pour out your hearts. 10 PSALM LXII. 9. Truly the race of man is naught, Empty or vain, both mean and great : Tried in the scales, the treacherous show Lighter than vanity, no counterpoise can find. 10. Put not, O man, thy trust in wrong, Li robbery make not thy boast : If increased wealth around thee shine. Set not on it thine heart, let it not swell thy pride. 11, 12. Once hath God spoken; twice Tve heard This word — that Power is of the Lord ! . Thine too is mercy, for Thou, God, Dost each man''s work requite — in judgment, or in love. 11 PSALM LXITI. Deus^ Deus meus. 1, 2. O God, Thou art my God, thy face From early dawn I seek : Amidst a dry and barren land, UnwaterM and accursed, My flesh, desponding, longs for Thee, My soul thirsts for her God : To see, as in the sanctuary. Thy glory and thy power. 8, 4, 5. For all thy loving-kindness. Lord, More dear to me than life. My lips shall praise Thee while I live, My lifted hands adore : As with rich marrow fed, my soul Shall feast upon thy love ; And my mouth still with joyful Hps Thy grateful praises sing. 6, 7, 8. I'll think of Thee upon my bed, And, in the still night watch. On Thee my heart shall meditate. Because Thou'st been my help. Therefore I will rejoice beneath The shadow of thy wings ; My soul shall cleave unto thy steps, And lean upon thy hand. 12 PSALM LXIIT. 9, 10, 11. But they that thirst to take my life Shall be themselves laid low ; Slain by the sword, their carcases Shall be the foxes'* prey : But the king shall rejoice in God, And faithful hearts exult ; Whilst every slanderous tongue is stoppM, And liars stand confused. 13 PSALM LXV. Te decet hymnus. Ij 2, 3. Praise waits for Thee in Sion, Lord, And there to Thee the vow shall be performM : Thou that hearest prayer, To whom all flesh shall come ! See, my misdeeds prevail against my soul, O purge away my sins. 4. Blest is the servant of thy choice, The man whom in thy courts Thou tak'st to dwell : With pleasures of thy house He shall be satisfied. And, from thy holy temple's living wells. Refreshed, quench his thirst. 5, 6. By fearful judgments wilt Thou, Lord, Our wish'd salvation render to our prayers, O Thou, of furthest lands And sea-wash'd isles the hope. Who, by thy strength, the mountains dost set fast, Girded about with power ! 7, 8. Thou stiirst the roaring of the sea. The water''s tumult, and the people's rage : Earth's utmost habitants. Afraid, thy tokens see, O Thou, that mak'st th' outgoings of the morn And evening's sons rejoice. 14 PSALM LXV. 9, 10. With rain Thou visitest the earth. And mak'st it plenteous with the rivV of God, Which full of water flows : Thy hands prepare the corn, For so hast Thou provided for the earth, Nursed by thy fostering care. 11, 12. The ridges feel thy softening showers, And rain abundant through the furrows runs : With kindly moisture fed. The bless'd increase up-springs ; Thy goodness crowns the rich, o''erflowing year, Thy clouds with fatness drop. 13, 14. They drop, and make the desert smile. And clothe with verdure the exulting hills : Around, with browsing flocks The pasturages teem ; The valleys, also, covered o'er with corn, Shout out, and sing for joy. 15 PSALM LXXX. Qui regis Israel. 1. Shepherd of Israel, Thou that erst Led Joseph Hke a sheep, give ear : Thou that sitt'st in majesty Between the cherubim, shine forth ! 2. In front of Ephraim's fainting ranks, Of Benjamin, and Manasseh's force, Stir up thy strength, Lord God of Hosts, O come, and help us in our need. 3. Restore our forlorn state, O Lord, Our routed armies turn again ; make thy face to shine on us. And save us with its healing light ! 4, 5. How long wilt Thou thine anger, Lord, Against thy people's prayers retain ? Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears, And giv'st them floods of tears to drink. 6. Thou makest us a helpless prey. The booty of our neighbour's strife : By Thee abandonM, weVe become A mere derision to our foes. 7. Restore our forlorn state, O Lord, Our routed armies turn again ; O make thy face to shine on us. And save us with its healing light ! 16 PSALM LXXX. 8, 9. From Egypt once Thou brought'st a vine, And bid'st the heathen yield it room ; In the cleared ground Thou planted'st it, It struck deep root, and fiUM the land. 10, 11. Like goodly cedar trees, her boughs Spreading, o'ercanopied the hills : Her branches touchM Euphrates'* stream. Her roots stretched to the western sea. 12, 13. Why hast Thou broken down her hedge, And left her to the spoiler bare ? Now ravaged by the forest boar, Now torn by wild beast of the field. 14, 15. Turn Thee, again. Lord God of Hosts, Look down from heaven, behold this vine ; Look on the vineyard Thou hast made, The branch Thou strengthened'st for Thyself. 16. Hewn down, and burnt with fire, the limbs Around, in scorched fragments lie : So, by thy countenance rebuked, Thy people. Lord, consume and die. 17, 18. let thy chosen seed, once loved, Feel, as of yore, thy strengthening hand : No more will we go back from Thee, Quicken us, and on Thee we'll call. 19. Eestore our forlorn state, O Lord, Our routed armies turn again ; O make thy face to shine on us, And save us with its healing light ! 17 PSALM LXXXIV. Quam dilecta, 1, 2. How lovely is thy dwelling place, Lord, Thou God of Hosts ! My soul with longing sinks oppressed, Yea, fainteth for thy courts ; My heart and flesh, athirst, cry out For Thee, the living God. 3. Behold, the sparrow finds a house Within thy hallow'd fane ; The swallow by thine altar builds. And fearless lays her young, Safe in thy care, Lord of Hosts, My Sovereign, and my God ! 4, 5. Blessed are they, who ever dwell Within thy sacred walls ; Who, ever Thee adoring, sing, Devoted to thy praise I BlessM, who the way with heart intent And strength from Thee pursue. 6, 7. For them springs rise in Baca's vale ; Rain fills th' exhausted pools : And still, from strength to strength they go, Until, on Sion s mount, Before the presence of the Lord, The God of gods, they bow. ; PSALM LXXXIV. 8, 9. hear my prayer, Lord God of Hosts ! O Jacob's God, give ear ! O God, our shield, upon the face Of thine anointed look, Who here, within thy temple, kneels, And for thy mercy waits. 10. For one day in thy courts excels A thousand idle years : rd rather, in the house of God, Serve humbly at the door. Than, as a master, dwell within The tents of wickedness. 11, 12. For God a sun is, and a shield ; Glory and grace He gives : No good thing will He keep from those Who walk in uprightness. Blest is the man, O Lord of Hosts, Who puts his trust in Thee ! 19 PSALM XC. Domine^ refugium. 1 , 2. Lord, Thou in every age our dwelling place Hast been. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever Thou hadst forrn'd the world ; Thou art From all eternity, th' eternal God ! 3, 4. Thou turn'st man to destruction : at thy word — Children of men to dust return ! They fall : Fall at thy word, to whom a thousand years Are as a day gone by, a night that^s past. 5, 6. As with a flood, they're swept away : they fade E'en as a sleep, or like the changing grass : The morning sees it flourishing and green. At eve it severed lies, dried up and withered. 7, 8. So perish we, consumed in thy wrath. And by thy fearful indignation troubled ; For our iniquities before Thee stand, Thy countenance beholds our secret sins. 9, 10. Before thine anger all our days are fled. Our transient years pass swiftly as a thought ^ The days of man are threescore years and ten, Or, if his strength extends to fourscore years, That strength to labour and to sorrow turns, So soon is it cut off*, and we are gone. V See Annotations of Bishop Home. B 2 20 PSALM XC. 11, 12. Lord, who the power of thine anger knows? Or who the terrors of thy wrath can tell ? Teach us our days to number, that we may Betimes by wisdom discipline our hearts. 13, 14. Return, Lord, — How long dost Thou delay? And look, relenting, on thy servants' woes : Let early mercies satisfy our souls. And joy and gladness all our days attend. 15, 16. With gladness compensate our days of pain. And years wherein thy chastisements weVe borne Thus to thy servants show thy gracious works, And let their children's eyes thy glory see. 17. The beauty of the Lord upon us shine ! His glorious majesty be round us thrown ! Prospered by Thee, our work shall firmly stand, On Thee depending, bless Thou our work ! 21 PSALM XCV. Venite, exultemus. 1, 2. Come let us sing unto the Lord, And let us heartily rejoice In our Eiedeemer's might : Let us before his presence come With thanksgiving, and loudly show Our joy in Him with psalms. o, 4, 5. For the Lord is a mighty God ; Yea, a great King above all gods : Earth's depths are in his hand : His also is the mountains"' strength ; He made, and He controuls the sea ; His hands the dry land form'd. 6, 7. Come let us worship and fall down, And humbly let us kneel before The Lord our Maker's throne : For He, th' Almighty, is our God, And we his pastured people are. The sheep of his own hand. 8, 9. See then, this day, ye hear his voice — Harden not ye your hearts, as erst. When, on their trial day, Your fathers in the desert sinnM, Provoked Me with their unbelief, Proved Me, and saw my works. 22 PSALM XOV. 10, 11. For forty years their trespasses My spirit vex'd ; and grieved, I said — It is a race perverse In heart, which hath not known my ways ; And in my wrath I sware, that they Should never see my rest. 23 PSALM XCVII. Dominm regnavit. 1, 2. The Lord is King: let Canaan rejoice, And all the isles the welcome tidings hail : 'Mid clouds and darkness canopied He sits, On righteousness and judgment rests his throne. 3, 4. Before Him goes a fire, which round about Burns up his enemies on every side : The earth, illumined by his lightnings'* blaze, Beholds and trembles at the coming God. 5, 6. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, Before the Lord, the Ruler of the world : The conscious heavens his righteousness proclaim. And all earth's habitants his glory see. 7. Confounded be all they, whose worship vain Before a graven image bends the knee : Cursed, who in idols make their frantic boast ; O all ye gods, before your Sovereign fall ! 8, 9. With gladness Judah's daughters heard, and joy Through Sion rang at thy dread judgments, Lord : For high o'er all the earth thy standard waves. And far above all gods Thou reign'st supreme. 24 PSALM XCVII. 10. O all that love the Lord, see well that ye Detest that evil which your God abhors ! The soul God sanctifies, He will preserve, And from the wicked rescue whom He loves. 11, 12. Lo, light is sown for righteous hands to reap. And seeds of gladness for the true in heart : Rejoice in God, ye just, then ; and give thanks At the remembrance of his holiness. 25 PSALM C. Jubilate Deo. 1,2. In God be joyful, all ye lands. With gladness serve the Lord : Come ye before Him with a song, With hymns his presence hail. 8. O be ye sure the Lord is God, He made us, and we're his ^ : His people are we, and the sheep In his sweet pastures fed. 4. Come with thanksgiving to his gates, And to his courts with praise ; With grateful hearts before Him bow. And bless his holy name. 5. For God is good ; his mercies flow In everlasting streams : His truth from generation shall To generation stand. 2 See Annotations of Bishop Home. 26 PSALM cm. Benedic^ anima mea. 1, 2. Praise God, my soul; by heart, by tongue. By all within me God be praised : Praise thou, my soul, God's holy nafne, Nor all his benefits forget. 3, 4. Praise Him, who all thy sins forgives, Who every pain and sickness heals ; Who from destruction saves thy life, And crowns thee with his tender love. 5, 6. God fills thy mouth with good : thy youth. Fresh as an eagle"*s. He restores. God hears the appeal of the oppress*'d, And renders justice to their cause. ' 7, 8. His ways to Moses were display^, His works by Israel's children seen : Gracious and merciful is God, To anger slow, in goodness rich. 9, 1 0. Not always will the Lord rebuke. And not for aye his wrath retain : He hath not recompensed our sins, Nor dealt us our transgressions'* meed. PSALM cm. 27 11, 12. As high as heaven above us stands, Such is the height GocVs mercies rise : As far as east is from the west, So far He parts us from our sins. 1 3, 1 4. A father's pity for his child, Such pity God his servants shows ; Knowing the weakness of our frame, Remembering that we are but dust. 15, 16. The days of man are as the grass. His glory as the wayside flower : Withering beneath the passing blast, Its place is gone, its memory lost. 17, 18. But they that fear th' eternal God Eternal mercy shall obtain : His everlasting righteousness To children's children shall endure Of those that keep his covenant. Such as are mindful of his laws. 19, 20. The Lord in heaven has fix'd his throne, The universe his kingdom is : Praise Him, Angels of might, that stand Obedient, hearkening to his word : 21 , 22. Praise ye the Lord, all ye his hosts. Ye ministers, that do his will : O all his works, your Sovereign praise, thou, my soul, praise thou the Lord ! 28 PSALM CXXXIX. Domine^ prohasti. 1, 2. Lord, Thou hast searched me, and Thou know'st me well; Thou mark'st my sitting down, and rising up : My dawning thoughts, imperfect and remote. Before thy prescience revealed lie. 3, 4. Thou art about my path ; about my bed Thou stand'st, and art acquainted with my ways : Though to my words my tongue no utterance gives, Voiceless, their sound is plainly heard by Thee. 5, 6. Behind, before, Tm compassM by thy power ; Above me, and around, I feel thy hand : Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. Its height, excelling, towers above my reach. 7, 8. O whither from thy Spirit shall I go ? Or whither from thy presence shall I flee ? If up to heaven I ascend. Thou Vt there ; If I go down to hell, — behold, Thou 'rt there. 9, 10. If on the morning*'s wings I take my flight, And past the furthest bounds of ocean dwell, There also shall I find thy guiding hand. The strength of thy right hand shall hold me there. PSALM CXXXIX. 29 11, 12. If darkness I invoke to be my screen, The night itself shall round me glow with light ; For night hides not from Thee, but shines like day. Darkness and light to Thee are both alike. IS, 14. 'Tis Thou hast formM my reins: by Thee my frame Was covered within my mother''s womb : I'll praise Thee, for I'm wonderfully made ; The sight my soul inflames, yet fills with awe. 15, 16. Not hid from Thee my substance was, when first In the dark loom its lineaments were wrought : The matter, yet unshaped, thine eyes beheld, Each limb, ere formM, was written in thy book. 17, 18. How precious are thy thoughts toward me, God, How rich in love, how great their mercies'' sum ! To count them, they're more numerous than the sand ; With them I sleep, they fill my waking hours. 19, 20. Wilt Thou not slay the wicked, O my God? Depart then from me, ye blood-thirsty men ! For lo, thine enemies blaspheme thy name, And, with their perjuries, thy vengeance mock. 21, 22. Do not I hate them that hate Thee, Lord? And do not those that grieve Thee vex my soul ? Behold I hate them with a perfect hatred, And all thine enemies as mine I count. 23, 24. Search me, O God, and throughly sift my heart, Try me, and penetrate my inmost thoughts : See that no wickedness defile my soul. And lead me in the everlasting way. 30 PSALM CXLV. Exaltabo te^ Deus. 1, 2. Thee I'll extol, O God my King, For ev'r and evV FU bless thy name : ril bless Thee each returning day, And praise thy name for ev'r and ev'r. 3, 4. God's great, and greatly to be praised ; His greatness is unsearchable : Age unto age shall praise his works, And shall declare his mighty acts. 5, 6. For me, Pll speak of thy renown, Thy majesty, and wondrous works : Whilst men around proclaim the might And terrors of thy vengeful arm. 6, 7. Thy greatness still shall be my theme. Whilst they, with songs on songs of praise, Oherish the grateful memory Of thy abundant kindnesses. 8, 9. Gracious is God, and merciful, Compassionate, and slow to wrath : The Lord is good to evVy man, His mercy is o'er all his works. PSALM CXLV. 31 10, 11. Thy works shall all praise Thee, O Lord, And all thy saints shall bless thy name : Thy power they shall declare, and still Thy kingdom's glory celebrate, — 12, 13. Until, to all the sons of men, Thy mighty acts have been made known ; And every nation has confessed Thy kingdom''s glorious majesty. 13, 14. Thy kingdom everlasting is. And thro"* all ages stands thy rule : Thy loving hand the falling stays. And lifts the prostrate from the ground. 15, 16. The eyes of all wait on Thee, Lord, Who giv'st to each his hour's demand : Thou openest thine hand, and filPst All living things with plenteousness I 17, 18. Righteous is God in all his ways ; Holy the Lord in all his works : He's nigh to all that call on Him, Yea, all that in Him put their trust. 19, 20. The yearning of the faithful heart He satisfies, and hears its cry : Those, whose love rests on Him, He saves ; But all the wicked He destroys. 21. My mouth shall speak the praise of God; His love shall be my constant song : And let all flesh his holy name For ever and for ever bless ! LONDON : GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE. • METRICAL VERSION BOOK OF PSALMS THOMAS TURNER, ESQ. FORMERLY FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. TO THE RIGHT REV. CHARLES, LORD BISHOP OF MELBOURNE. LONDON: EIVINGTONS, WATERLOO PLACE. 1859. LONDON : GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. John's square. TO THE EIGHT REV. THE LOUD BISHOP OF MELBOURNE. My deak Bishop, To avoid the delay which would be occasioned by my sending an application to you at your distant diocese, and waiting for your reply, I venture to assume the per- mission which, I doubt not, would be accorded to me, and to dedicate to you, at once, the accompanying pages. It is a great pleasure to me to do so, because it affords me the means of paying a tribute to a prelate whose name, I feel assured, will not only be long reverenced in the diocese over which he has presided, and for which he has effected so much, but will be also remembered with gratitude by the Colonial Churches in general, as having given them the first example of a regularly organized and legally established ecclesiastical constitution. Nor is it less gratifying to me to have an opportunity of recording the uninterrupted friendship which I have myself IV ' DEDICATION. enjoyed with you from our first introduction at Trinity College to the present hour, and at the same time of acknowledging my obligations to yourself and other like-minded friends for the sympathy and encouragement afforded me during the prosecution of the present work. I remain, My DEAR Bishop, Ever yours most sincerely, THOMAS TURNEE. PREFACE. In laying before the Public a new metrical version of the Book of Psalms, the Author thinks it proper, in consequence of the dissatisfaction expressed by some of his friends, and not unlikely to be entertained by others of his readers, at the absence of rhyme, to state briefly his reasons for the course whi^h he has adopted. Though fully alive to the attractiveness of this popular finish to verses, and not forgetting that from long habit it is look( d for almost as a matter of course in a metrical version of the Psalms, the Author has been induced to disregard these considerations for two reasons : first, because, notwith- standing the beauty of rhyme in itself, it has appeared to him that a rhyming version is not so suitable to the character of the sacred compositions before him as one which is merely rhythmical ; and, secondly, because the introduction of rhyme would in his case (it might be different with a person of greater skill) have involved a wider departure from the literal meaning of the text, and prevented him from making use, to the extent that he has done, of the familiar and beautiful language of our authorized prose versions. 2 PREFACE. Here, however, an objection of a different kind arises on the part of other persons, who think that the versions just mentioned should be exclusively used, and all metrical versions whatever abandoned. Although, however, this opinion is supported by some weighty suffrages, the writer ventures to dissent from its justice, and to express his belief — notwith- standing the numerous instances of failure on the part both of himself and others — that the Psalms admit of being rendered with advantage in a metrical form, and that the effect of these compositions cannot, indeed, otherwise be fully appre- ciated by the English reader. In other words, the Author believes that the principle, which has been established by the practice of mankind in the case of profane writings, of ren- dering verse into verse, is applicable likewise to the poetry of the Holy Scriptures themselves. The objection, sometimes heard, against " putting David into fetters " will not be urged by those who know how artificial (if the expression be allow- able) is the structure of the Psalms in their original form. As regards the present production, no reader can be more sensible of its imperfections than the Author himself. And with respect even to those passages in which he imagines himself to have been most successful, he knows that the words of the writer, like the touches of the artist, frequently fail to awaken in other minds the thoughts which accompanied their production, and that lines, which to the penman himself were full of impressive meaning, often appear to the reader flat and insipid. Notwithstanding this, however, he trusts that his labours will be so far blessed by Him, whose favour he PREFACE. 3 has sought, that some portions of his version will be read with pleasure by the devout student of the book upon which it has been his own happiness to be engaged. The metres of the majority of the Psalms will be found adapted to the common tunes, in case they should be thought suitable for the purposes of congregational or family worship. In conclusion the Author has to observe that, in going over the Psalms, he has carefully examined the Hebrew text, and that he has ventured in some instances, (but in none without the sanction of authority,) to adopt a rendering at variance with our Bible translation. This licence he has, indeed, been compelled to assume in the case of those obscure passages, (happily not numerous,) in which the Bible version can hardly be said to present to the reader any dis- tinct idea. With respect to a part, at least, of these, he hopes that the aid of subsequent criticism may have enabled him to give the real meaning of the original. Guy's Hospital, January, 1859. B 2 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. PSALM I. 1, 2. Blessed is he who hath not walk'd With godless men in paths profane ; Who hath not stood in sinners'" ways, Nor on the scoffer's seat sat down ; But in the law of God delights, And ponders, day and night, his law. 3. Like some fair tree, which, planted there Where quickening streams their waters pour. Her fruit in its due season yields, And shines with bright unfading leaves, The righteous man, by God beloved. Shall prosper in whate'*er he does. 4, 5, 6. Not so the wicked : like the chaff Which by the wind is swept away. They shall not in the judgment stand, Nor in the assembly of the just : For God doth note the just man's path, But sinners' ways come all to nought. PSALM II. 1, 2, 3. What means this heathen gath^ing wild ? What frenzy stirs the people's breasts ? Earth's kings stand up, her chiefs combine 'Gainst Grod and his Anointed One : Come, let us burst their bonds, they say, And cast away from us their cords. 4, 5, 6. He that in heaven sits shall laugh ; The Lord their counsels shall deride : Then shall He chide them in his wrath, And in his fury trouble them — " Behold, on Zion's holy hiU, I have established my King ! " 7, 8. I will proclaim the Lord's decree : Thus saith my God — Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten Thee : Desire of Me, and I will give The heathen for thy heritage, For thy domain the ends of earth. 9, 10, With rod of iron Thou shalt rule Their turbulent and stubborn tribes, And like a potter's vessel break In pieces each rebelHous band. Now therefore, ye kings, be wise, And ye that judge the earth, be taught. PSALM III. 11, 12. Serve God with fear : in his free grace Rejoice, but tremble at his power : Pay the Son homage, lest his wrath, 0'*ertake you with its sudden blaze, And so ye perish from the way : Blessed are all that trust in Him ! PSALM III. A psalm of David, when fleeing from his son Absalom. 1, 2. Lord, how my foemen are increased, How many 'gainst me rise I How many tell my soul, there is No help for him in God. 3, 4. But Thou my shield and glory art, Thou hftest up my head : God from his holy hill replies. When unto Him I cry. 5, 6. I laid me down and slept ; I waked — For God sustaineth me : Though foes ten thousand hem me round, I will not be afraid. 7. Arise, Lord ; save me, O my God ; Thou that upon the cheek Hast smitten all mine enemies, And break'st the sinner's teeth ! PSALM IV. 8. Salvation to the Lord belongs, He gives his servants strength : Thy blessing, O our God, for aye, Shall on thy people rest. PSALM IV. To the chief musician, for the stringed instruments. A psalm of David. 1. God of my righteousness, give ear, Attend unto my cry : Thou hast released me from distress. In mercy hear my prayer ! 2. How long will ye, ye sons of men, Mine honour turn to shame ? How long delight in vanity, And follow after lies ? 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart The godly for Himself: The Lord will listen to my voice. When on his name I call. 5, 6. Fear, and sin not : retired and still. Hold converse with your hearts : Make righteousness your sacrifice. And trust upon the Lord. PSALM V. 6. Many there be that say, What man Will show us any good ? Lord, on us lift up the light Of thy loved countenance ! 7. Thou'st put within my heart a fount Of joy surpassing theirs, Whose teeming harvests bend with corn, And overflow with wine. 8. In peace then I will lay me down. And I will sleep in peace : For Thou, Lord, and Thou alone In safety mak'st me dwell. PSALM V. To the chief musician, for the wind instruments. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Give ear, Lord, to my words, Consider my desire : Unto the voice of my complaint Attend, my King and God ! 2, 3. For unto Thee I pray : Thou, Lord, my voice at morn Shalt hear : on Thee at morn I'll wait. And unto Thee look up. 10 PSALM V. 4, 5. For Thou, the holy God, No pleasure hast in wrong : No evil e'er shall dwell with Thee, Nor fools stand in thy sight. 5, 6. All who work wickedness Thou hatest ; who speak lies Thou wilt destroy : the Lord abhors The man of blood and guile. 7. But I, in thy rich love, Will come into thy house ; And in thy fear will bow myself Before thy sanctuary. 8. Watch'd by insidious foes, Lead me, thy servant, Lord, In thy uprightness; and make plain Thy way before my face. 9. Truth is not in their mouth, Their heart is very sin : Their throat's an open sepulchre. They flatter with their tongue. 10. Pass sentence on them. Lord, Be their own plots their fall ; With many a black rebellion stain'd. Oast out the apostate crew. 11. But let each trustful heart. And all who love thy name. Rejoice, and ever with glad shouts Exult in thy defence. PSALM VI. 11 J 2. For Thou, Lord, wilt pour Thy blessings on the just ; With favour Thou, as with a shield, Wilt compass him about. PSALM VL To the chief musician, for the instrument of eight strings. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not. Nor smite me when thine anger burns ; Have pity on me, for I'm weak ; Lord, heal me, for my bones are vex'd. 3, 4. Behold, my soul is vexed sore : But Thou, Lord — how long tarriest Thou ? Return, Lord, my soul set free ; save me for thy mercy's sake ! 5. For no remembrances of Thee Are heard from the closed lips of death : And who thy praises shall recount In the still chambers of the tomb ? 6, 7. Fm worn with groaning ; all night long 1 steep my flooded couch with tears : Mine eye with sorrow is consumed. It waxeth old thro' alFmy foes. 12 PSALM VII. 8, 9. Workers of wickedness, begone : The Lord has heard my voice of woe, The Lord has heard my suppliant cry, The Lord will listen to my prayer. 10. My foes shall all be put to shame, And be confounded utterly : Back to their place they shall return, With fear and shame struck suddenly. PSALM VIL A song of David, which he sung unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. 1, 2. My God, in Thee Tve placed my trust ; From all my persecutors. Lord, Save and deliver me : Lest the foe, like a lion, seize And rend my soul, and none be by To rescue or to save ! 3, 4. My God, if I have done this wrong, If wickedness be in my hand, If evil Pve returned To him that was at peace with me. Yea, if I have despoiPd my foe, Or harm'd him unprovoked — PSALM VII. 13 5. Then let mine enemy have leave To persecute and take my soul, Abandoned to his will : Yea, let him tread my forfeit life Down on the ground, and let him lay Mine honour in the dust. 6, 7. Rise, Lord, in wrath : lift up Thyself Against mine adversaries'* rage ; Thy promised judgment haste : So shall the people round Thee throng ; For their sakes, then, return, O Lord, And be exalted high ! 8, 9. Judge of the people ! judge me, Lord, According to my righteousness, And my heart's innocence : Oh, let the bad works of bad men Come to an end : but, righteous Lord, Establish Thou the just. 10, 11. For the Lord tries the hearts and reins : On God, who saves the true of heart, I trust for my defence : On God, who dealeth every day His righteous judgments ; yea, on God, Whose vengeance doth not sleep. 12, 13. Who will not turn, against that man The Lord his sword will whet ; his bow Already He hath bent, And on the fitted cord hath laid The destined instruments of death, And tippM his shafts with fire ! 14 PSALM VITI. 14, 15. Behold, he travaileth with sin. He hath conceived vanity. And he will bring forth lies : He digs and hollows out a pit. But he shall fall into the ditch For others made so deep. 16, 17. On his own head his wickedness Shall be returned, and on himself His violence recoil ; But I will sing the praise of God, And for his righteousness extol The name of God Most High. PSALM VIII. To the chief musician at wine-press tide. A psalm of David. Jehovah, Lord, through all the earth How glorious is thy name : Thou, who upon the heavens hast spread Thy radiant majesty ! To still the fury of thy foes, And stay the avenger's hand, Thou'st planted strength in sucklings' lips. And in the mouth of babes. PSALM VIII. 15 3. When on the expanded heavens I gaze, Thy fingers"* workmanship : The moon, and the unnumbered stars, Arrayed by thy word — 4. What is a mortal. Lord, I cry, That Thou regardest him ? And what the son of earth-born man, That him Thou visitest ? 5, 6. Made little lower than divine, With glory erown'd and power, Thou giv'st him mastery o'er thy works. The creatures of thy hand. 6, 7. All things beneath his feet Thou"'st placed, Submitted to his will : All sheep and oxen, and each beast That o'er the desert roams ; 8, 9. The fowls of air, and every fish That wends thro"* ocean's paths. Jehovah, Lord, through all the earth, How glorious is thy name ! 16 PSALM IX. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. With my whole heart FU praise Thee, Lord, And grateful speak of all thy marvellous works ; In Thee I will rejoice, in Thee Exult, O Thou Most High, and sing thy glorious name. 3, 4. For, lo ! my foes are turned back. Before thy countenance they fall and die : For Thou hast judged and done me right, Thou''rt seated on the throne, a judge of righteousness. 5, 6. Thou, Lord, the heathen hast rebuked. Destroyed the wicked, and put out their name : Eternal ruin whelms the foe ; His cities Thou hast razed ; their memory's with them lost. 7, 8. But God for ever shall abide ; His throne in judgment He has firmly fix'd : In justice He will judge the world, And all the nations try with perfect equity. 9, ] 0. The Lord a refuge shall be found, In troublous times a refuge for the oppressed : They'll trust in Thee who know thy name. For, them that trust Thee, Lord, thy help has never failM. PSALM IX. 17 11,12. To God who dwells in Zion sing ; Among the people of his doings tell : Them He remembers, when for blood Inquiring, nor forgets the cry of the distressed. 13. Have mercy on me, my God, Consider the affliction which of them That hate me I long time have borne. Thou that dost lift me up, e'en from the gates of death. 14, 15. So will I make thy praises heard Within the gates where Zion''s daughter sits : In thy salvation Til rejoice. Whilst into their own pit the heathen are sunk down. 15, 16. In the same net which privily They laid in ambush is their own foot caught : The Lord is by his judgments known, By his own hands'* device the wicked is ensnared. 17, 18. The wicked shall go down to hell, And all the nations which forget the Lord : But not for ever shall be lost The poor man's memory nor the sufferer's patient hope. 19, 20. Up, Lord, and let not man prevail ; Before thy presence be the heathen judged : Strike terror into them, Lord, And let the heathen know that they themselves are men. l8 PSALM X. 1 , 2. Why standest Thou afar off, Lord ? In time of trouble why hidest Thou thy face ? See with what pride the wicked swells, And persecutes the poor and helpless sufferer. 2, 3. Let him be taken in the wiles He has himself devised — the impious, who Glories in his vain heart's desire. And blessed calls base gain, abhorred of the Lord. 4, 5. The impious in disdainful pride Seeks not for God, and dreams that God is not ! His ways are full of violence, Whilst far above him rest unread thy judgments high. 5, 6. Scornful his enemies he mocks, For in his heart he says, From age to age Unshaken still shall I abide, No dark misfortune e'er my prosperous state shall change. 7, 8. Deceit and cunning fill his mouth ; Beneath his tongue are vanity and sin : Crouching, about the folds he prowls, Watches with greedy eye, and subtly slays the poor. PSALM X. 19 9, 10. As lurks the lion in his lair, So in his ambush lurks the ravisher, To catch the helpless in his toils, Whom, drawn into his net, he ruthlessly devours. 11, 12. In feign'd humility he stoops In his strong toils the helpless troop to seize : Whilst in his heart he says, The Lord Forgets, He turns away his face. He will not see. 13, 14. Rise, Lord; lift up thine hand, O God ; Forget not Thou the poor afflicted soul : Why should the impious man blaspheme. And say within his heart. Thou never wilt inquire I 15, 16. But Thou hast seen ; for Thou behold^st, Thy hand avenges wickedness and wrong : The poor commits himself to Thee, Thou Saviour of the oppiress'd — Friend of the fatherless ! 17, 18. Break Thou the sinner''s impious arm ; Let his bad deeds be sought and no where found : The Lord is King for evermore ; The heathen from his land are perished and gone. 19, 20. Lord, Thou hast heard the mourners"* sigh : Their hearts Thou'lt comfort, and wilt bend thine ear To judge the orphan and the oppressed. That the proud child of earth no more may tyrannize. 20 PSALM XI. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. In God I put my trust : How say ye to my soul, Poor sparrow, fly, and hie thee to thy hill ? For lo ! the ungodly bend their bow And fit the arrow to the string, To shoot from ambush dark the men of upright heart. 3, 4. Each prop and stay overthrown, What shall the righteous do ? The Lord within his holy temple dwells. The throne of God in heaven is set : His eyes behold the works of men, His watchful eyelids try the children of mankind. 5, 6. The Lord the righteous tries, But the ungodly man And whoso violence loves, his soul abhors : Upon the ungodly He shall rain Fire, brimstone, thunderbolts, wild storms, And suffocating blasts — the portion of their cup. 7. For God the righteous loveth righteousness. And turns his countenance upon the just. 21 PSALM XII. To the chief musician, for the instrument of eight strings. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Help, Lord, the godly are no more, The faithful ones have perish'd from mankind : Each to his fellow speaketh lies, With treacherous lips they speak, and from a double heart. 3, 4. Cut off, Lord, all treacherous lips, And tongues that speak proud things ; yea, those who say, By force of tongue we will prevail, Are not our lips our own — who shall be lord o'er us ? 5. Now for the helpless sufferer's sigh. And for the sake of the despoiled poor, Thus saith the Lord, I will arise. In safety from his grasp I'll place the proud one's prey. 6. The words of God are words most pure. As silver which, in earthen furnace laid. Has, molten, from its dross been purged, And by the cleansing fire been seven times purified. 7, 8. Thy words, Lord, Thou wilt maintain. And save us ever from this race accursed : Though on all sides the wicked throng. And 'mongst the sons of men the vilest bear the sway. PSALM XIII. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. How long wilt Thou forget me quite, O Lord? How long wilt Thou avert from me thy face ? How long shall cares each day distract my soul, And grief my heart ? How long shall o'*er me vaunt my foe? 3, 4. Look down and answer me, Lord my God ; Lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death : Let not my foe say, I have conquered him. Nor my beleaguerer rejoice at my overthrow. 5, 6. For in thy mercy I have put my trust ; In thy salvation shall my heart rejoice : ril sing to God, who hath requited me, Yea, I will celebrate the name of God Most High. PSALM XIV. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1 . The fool within his heart Hath said, There is no God ! Corrupt, in deeds detestable, There's none that doeth good. PSALM XIV. 23 2. The Lord from heaven lookM down Upon the sons of men, To see if any understood, If any sought for God. 3. They all have gone astray. They're rotten altogether : There is not any that doth good, ' There is not even one. 4. Have all this vicious race No knovi^ledge, which eat up My people as they'd eat up bread, And call not on the Lord ? 5. But they shall be afraid With an exceeding fear, For 'midst the sons of righteousness The Lord Himself is found. 6. Thwarting, ye turn to scorn The counsels of the poor : In vain, for their defence is strong, Their refuge is the Lord. 7. Who will from Zion give Freedom to Israel ? When the Lord brings his people back, From captive state redeemed. Then Jacob shall rejoice, And Israel be glad. PSALM XV. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Lord, who shall in thy tabernacle rest ? Or who shall dwell upon thy holy hill ? E'en he whose walk is pure, whose deeds are just. Who speaketh from his heart the words of truthfulness. 3, 4. Whose tongue no slander bears, who never wrongs, Nor scoffing wounds his neighbour or his friend ; Whose eyes severe the reprobate contemn. But who with honour loads the servants of the Lord. 4, 5. Who sweareth to his hurt and changes not ; Who without usury ungrudging lends ; Who 'gainst the guiltless never takes a bribe : The man that doth these things shall not be moved for ever. PSALM XVL A golden ode of David. 1, 2. Keep me, God, for Thou'rt my hope IVe said unto the Lord, My Lord, Thou only art my good. Besides Thee there is none ! PSALM XVI. 25 3. Among the holy ones of earth, And men of noted worth ; Among the sons of righteousness, Alone I find delight. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied That elsewhere homage pay : I will not their blood-offrings share, Nor name them with my hps. 5, 6. Lord, Thou my cup's rich portion art, And dost maintain my lot : My lines have dropped on pleasant grounds. My heritage is fair. 7, 8. I'll bless the Lord, who cares for me ; My reins, too, every night Shall chasten me : FU always set The Lord before my face. 8, 9. Because at my right hand He stands, I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart and tongue rejoice, My flesh shall rest in hope — 10. For Thou wilt not abandon me, Nor leave my soul in hell ; Nor wilt permit thy Holy One To feel corruption's power. 1 1 . Thou'lt show to me the path of life : Before thy presence stands Fulness of joy : at thy right hand Eternal pleasures wait. 26 PSALM XVII. A prayer of David. 1, 2. Lord, hear the right ; attend unto my cry ; List to my prayer, which falls not from false lips : From thine own presence let my sentence come, And let thine eyes be fix'd on equity. 3. Thou'st tried my heart, yea, searched it by night ; Thou hast assayed me, but hast found no blame : For I resolved my mouth should not offend. Nor be conformed to the works of men. 4, 5. Taught by the words which issue from thy lips, Fve kept myself from the transgressor's ways : hold Thou up my goings in thy paths, Guard still my footsteps, that they may not slide. 6, 7. On Thee I've callM, for Thou wilt answer me ; Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear my words : Show forth thy goodness. Thou, whose right hand saves Thy trustful servants from uprising foes. 8, 9. O keep me as the apple of an eye. Hide me beneath the shadow of thy wings, Safe from the sight of wicked ravagers. From deadly foes which compass nie about. PSALM XVIII. 27 10, 11. Vain-glorious men, encased in their fat, From whose mouths issue pride and arrogance. Already have they prowPd about our steps ; They fix upon the ground their lowering eyes — 12, 13. Like to a lion thirsting for his prey, Or lion's whelp in secret covert crouchM. rise, prevent them. Lord, and cast them down, Let thy sword save me from the wicked one. 14. From mortal men let thy hand keep me. Lord ; From mortal men of earth, whose portion lies In this their life, where Thou their bellies filFst, And feed'st them thankless from thy treasure-house. 15. These men with children are replenished, And wealth abundant to their offspring leave ; But let me see thy face in righteousness, And on th' effulgence of thy presence feast ! PSALM XVIII. To the chief musician. A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said, 1, 2, 8. Thee I will love, Lord my strength : The Lord my hold and fortress is. And my deliverer : 28 PSALM XVIII. He is my God, my rock of trust, My buckler, my salvation's horn, My refuge, and my tower. Upon the Lord, the ever-blessM, I'll call, and so shall I be saved From all my enemies. 4, 5, 6. The pangs of death about me clung, The floods of sin dismayed me, HelFs torments round me rose, The snares of death before me lay : In my distress I calPd on God, Yea, cried unto the Lord : He from his temple heard my voice. My cry before his presence came. It entered his ear. 7, 8, 9. Then quailing shook the solid earth. The strong foundations of the hills Quiver'd beneath his wrath : Smoke from his streaming nostrils rose. Out of his mouth devouring flames Kindled the lightning'*s fires ! He bow'd the heavens and came down ; Beneath his feet the massy dark Its cloudy billows roll'd. 10, 11, 12. On cheruVs wings upborne he flew. On cherub winged with the wind His rushing flight he sped : In darkness deep his chamber lay. Around, dark waters and thick clouds His tabernacle made. PSALM XVIII. 29 Thick clouds before his glory passM, Before his dazzling presence flew Hailstones and coals of fire ! ^ 13, 14, 15. The Lord from heaven thundered, The Highest uttered his voice — Hailstones and coals of fire ! Around his thunderbolts He threw. His flashing lightnings He shot forth, And scattered my foes : Then were the ocean's depths reveaPd, The world's foundations were laid bare At thy rebuke, O Lord, Before thy nostrils' breath. 16, 17, 18. From high He stretched forth his hand, Took hold of me, and drew me forth From whelming hosts of waves : He snatch'd me from the violence And hatred of my enemies. Who were too strong for me : They came against me in the day Of my afiliction, but the Lord Was my support and stay. 1 9, 20, 21 . He brought me forth, and set me free ; Because He took delight in me, He placed me at large : According to my righteousness And to the cleanness of my hands The Lord rewarded me : Because I kept the ways of God, And never wickedly transgress'd. Nor swerved from the Lord. 30 PSALM XVIII. 22, 2o, 24. For all his ordinances stood Before me, nor did I remove His statutes from my sight : But I walk'd with Him blamelessly, And from offence I kept my steps : So for my righteousness And for the cleanness of my hands Before his eyes display^, the Lord Hath giv''n me recompense. 25, 26, 27. Mercy to him that's merciful Thou show''st, and to the perfect man ReveaPst thy perfectness : The pure thy purity beholds, And whosoe'er perversely walks Thy judgments adverse finds : For Thou thy people wilt release From their affliction, but bring down The proud man's lofty eye. 28, 29, 30. 'Tis Thou hast lighted up my lamp, The Lord my God illuminates The darkness of my path : For by thy aid I have assail'd A troop of men ; yea, thro' my God I've leaped o'er a wall. Lo ! perfect is God's way ; his words As gold refined : a buckler He To all that trust in Him. 81, 32,) For who is God except the Lord? 33, 34. ^ Or who a rock except our God ? God girdeth me with strength. PSALM XVIII. 31 And gives perfection to my way : He makes my feet like feet of hinds, And sets me up on high : By Him my hands are taught to war, And my invigorated arms A bow of iron break. 35, 86, 37. Thou gav'st me thy salvation's shield, And thy right hand did hold me up, Thy kindness made me great : Thou laid'st for me a pathway broad. And didst not let my footsteps slip : So I pursued my foes ; Their flying hosts I overtook. Nor did I backward turn my steps Until they were consumed. 38, 39, 40. With deadly wounds I pierced them through, Beneath my feet they prostrate fell No more to rise again : For Thou didst gird me round with strength For battle, and beneath me cast Those who against me rose. Yea, my foes' necks Thou gavest me, And yielded to my vengeful hand All those who hated me. 41, 42. They cried, but no dehverer came. Upon the Lord of Hosts they callM, But He no answer gave : Then did I grind them small as dust TossM by the wind ; I trod them down As mire upon the streets. 32 PSALM XVIII. 43, 44, 45. Thou'st saved me from the people's strife, And made me head of heathen tribes, Lord o'er a race unknown : The ear that hears me shall attend. The stranger's sons shall hide their hate. And feign'd allegiance swear : With panic struck the stranger's sons Shall tremble in their fastnesses. And with'ring fade away. 46, 47, 48. Jehovah lives : bless'd be my rock ; . The God of my salvation be Exalted upon high : 'Tis God who shall avenge my cause, It is the Lord who will subdue The people to my rule. He saves me from my enemies ; Yea, Thou, God, dost lift me up Above each threatening foe. 48, 49, 50. Because Thou hast deliver'd me From the rude sons of violence. Therefore to Thee, Lord, Among the heathen I'll give thanks, And sing the praises of thy name. The Lord will on his king Salvation heap, yea, mercy show To David, his anointed one, And to his seed for ever. 33 PSALM XTX. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. The heavens proclaim the glory of God, And the firmament speaks of his handy-work : Day pours forth to day her flood of song, And her lessons night unto night unfolds. 3, 4. No audible song : no sound of words : From the heavens no voice by the ear is heard : Yet their accents have vibrated through the earth, And their speech has gone out to the ends of the world. 4, 5. A pavilion in them hath He set for the sun. Which, clothed with light, like a bridegroom comes From his chamber forth, and along his course Like a racer of strength rejoicing runs. 6. From the borders of heaven he issueth forth, And, circuiting over the arch'd expanse, To the borders of heaven again comes down, And nothing is hid from his searching heat. The law of the Lord is a perfect law. And the soul with life inspires : The testimonies of the Lord are sure. And make the simple wise. 34 PSALM XIX. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right, And fill the heart with joy : Pure the commandments of the Lord, Enlightening the eyes. 9. The fear of God is undefiled, And standeth fast for ever : The judgments of the Lord are truth, And perfect righteousness. 10. More precious far are they than gold, Yea, more than much fine gold : Sweeter than honey, yea, more sweet Than droppings of the comb. 11. Moreover, by their warning voice Thy servant is preserved : And whoso keepeth them is bless' d With largest recompense. 1 2. Lord, who his errors understands, Or wanderings can trace ? Cleanse me, Thou God, who know'^st my heart, From every hidden fault. 13. And let not o'er thy servant's soul Proud recklessness bear sway : So shall I 'scape the stain and guilt Of many a grievous sin. 14. Let every word my mouth shall speak. Each thought my heart conceives. Be pleasing in thy sight, Lord, My Saviour and my Rock ! 35 PSALM XX. To the chief musician. A psalm of David, 1, 2. The Lord in day of trouble hear thee ! The name of Jacob''s God defend thee ! Help from his sanctuary send thee ! And out of Zion give thee strength ! 3, 4. The Lord thine offerings remember, Accept thy burning sacrifices, Grant thee whate*'er thine heart desireth, And all thy purposes fulfil. 5, 6. We will rejoice in thy salvation, And in God's name set up our banners : The Lord accomplish thy petitions, The Lord, who his anointed saves ! 6, 7. I know that from his holy heaven He'll hear, and with his right hand save him : Let others trust in horse or chariot. Our name of strength is God the Lord. 8, 9. Down are they brought and low are fallen. But in God's strength we're upright risen : Help, Lord : may God, our King, be with us ; And may He hear us, when we call ! D 2 36 PSALM XXL To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. The king shall rejoice in thy strength, Lord, And greatly exult in thy saving help : The desire of his heart Thou hast granted him ; The request of his lips Thou hast not denied. 3, 4. Thou hast met him with blessings of choicest good, And set on his head a pure crown of gold : He asked for life, and Thou gav'st it him. Yea, length of days for ever and ever ! 5, 6. His glory is great in thy salvation, Thou hast clothed him with honour and majesty : Thou hast given him blessings for ever and ever. And with joy from thy countenance gladdened his heart. 7, 8. For the king on the goodness of God shall rely ; And through the Most High he shall not be moved : Thy hand shall discover thy secret foes. Thy right hand find out those that hate thy name. 9. When Thou showest thy face, they shall shrivel and faU, Like straw at the touch of the furnace''s fire ; The Lord in his anger shall swallow them up. The fire of destruction shall make them its prey. PSALM XXII. 37 10, n. Their fruit Thou shalt smite, and take off from the earth, And their seed from among the children of men : For on mischief against Thee their minds were intent, They contrived a device they could not perform. 12, 13. For soon dost Thou make them to turn their backs, When against them thine arrows Thou levellest ; O Lord, in thy might be exalted high ; Thy name be our praise, and thy glory our song ! PSALM XXIL To the chief musician. On the hart, at break of day. A psahn of David. 1, 2, 3. My God, my God, why hast Thou left me thus Forsaken, from thy help so far removed : Unheard my loud lament, my bitter cry ? My God, all day I call, but no reply From Thee returns ; all night I vent my groans : Yet Thou art holy. Thou, midst Israel's praises throned ! 4, 5. Our fathers trusted in Thee : they reposed Their trust in Thee, and Thou delivered'st them : They calFd upon Thee, and by Thee were saved ; On Thee they set their trust, and were not put to shame. 38 PSALM XXII. 6, 7, 8. But I'm a wretched worm, and not a man, The rabble"'s jest, by all the people scornM ; All v/ho behold, deride my abject state, They curl their lips, and shake their heads at me — " He trusted in the Lord to be his help ; Let Him deliver him now, since He delights in him." 9, 10, 11. Yet Thou art He that took me from the womb. And wast my hope, when on my mother's breast : E'en from my birth, on Thee I have been thrown, Yea, from my mother's womb. Thou art my God ! Let not thy strength be far from me, O Lord, For trouble is at hand, and there is none to help ! 12, 13,^ Behold, what herds of bulls about me close; 14. 5 How Bashan's mighty ones beset me round ! They gape upon me with wide-open'd mouths, As ravening lions roaring for their prey. Like water I dissolve : my bones unhinged Fall loose : my heart like wax within my bowels melts. 15, 16 J My strength is dried up like baked clay ; my tongue 17, 18.) Cleaves to my jaws: Thou'st brought me down to dust! Lo, dogs prowl round me : bands of evil men About me hang : they pierce my hands and feet ! I count my bones ; they gaze, they stare upon me ; They part my garments, for my vesture they cast lots. 19, 20,^ But Thou, Lord, be Thou not far from me: 21 . ) Haste Thee to help me, O my God, my strength ! Save my soul from the sword ; from the sharp claw Of dog, and from the lion's mouth preserve PSALM XXIL 39 My precious one : O Thou, who heard'st my cry, As on me rushing drove the unicorn's dread horns ! 22, 23,) Amongst my brethren I'll declare thy name, 24. 3 And midst the assembled people chaunt thy praise ; O all ye seed of Jacob, ye that fear The Lord, his praises chaunt ; Him glorify, And reverence Him, ye seed of Israel ! For He hath not despised the mourner's misery, 24, 25, } Nor hath abhorr'd ; He hath not hid from him 26. 5 His face, but to his groans hath lent his ear. My praise of Thee the assembled tribes shall hear, And they that fear Thee, see me pay my vows. The meek shall eat and have enough : who seek The Lord shall praise his name : their heart shall live for ever. 27, 28,) The ends of earth shall all remember God, 29. 3 And turn unto the Lord : the kindred tribes Of all the nations shall adore his name : For power and empire are the Lord's alone ; Among the nations He is Governor : The fat ones of the earth shall eat, and worship Him. 29, 30,0 They too shall worship, who go down to dust, 31. 5 He, whose strength fails to keep his soul alive : A seed shall serve the Lord, a chosen race Which shall be counted to Him for his own : Lo, they shall come, to people yet unborn To show his righteousness, and tell what God has done. 40 PSALM XXIII. A psalm of David. 1, 2. The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want: On the soft tender grass He shall lay me down, There, where the fresh herbage my pasture provides, And lead me beside the still waters of peace. 3. The Lord, for the sake of his holy name, My soul shall redeem, and to health restore, And shall teach my wandering feet to tread Secure in the paths of righteousness. 4. Yea, though through the valley I walk, where hang The dark shadows of death, I will fear no ill : For Thou art with me — thy rod and thy staff, Lo, they are my comfort, my trust, and my stay. 5. In the presence of deadliest foes Thou hast spread A table of plenty before my face : My head Thou'st anointed with richest oil ; With fulness of blessings my cup overflows. 6. Lo, goodness and tenderest mercies shall meet, And follow my steps all the days of my life : Yea, as long as my days shall endure I will make My abode in the house of the Lord my God. 41 PSALM XXIV. A psalm of David. 1,2. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, The world, and all they that dwell therein : In strength He hath based it against the seas, And against the floods He hath made it firm. 8, 4. But who shall ascend to the mount of God ? And who shall stand up where his Holiness dwells ? The man of clean hands and pure heart, whose soul Hath ne''er framed a lie, nor in guile hath sworn. 5, 6. With blessings shall he from the Lord be crown'd. And from God, his salvation, with righteousness : For this is the race that regards the Lord, And that seeks thy face, O Jacob's God ! 7, 8, Lift up, ye gates, your heads on high ! And be ye uplifted, eternal doors ! And the King of glory shall enter in. But who is this King of glory, who ? 'Tis the Lord, the Strong and the Mighty One, The Lord, in the battle mighty. 9, 10. Lift up, O ye gates, your heads on high ! Yea, lift up yourselves, ye eternal doors ! And the King of glory shall enter in. But who is this King of glory, who 2 It is the Lord, the Lord of Hosts : He is the King of glory ! 42 PSALM XXV. By David, 1, 2, 3. To Thee, Lord, I lift my soul : ray God, In Thee Fve trusted, put me not to shame, Nor o'er me let mine enemies exult. Yea, let not one who waits on Thee, Lord, Be brought to shame ; be shame reserved for those Who without cause transgress, and fall away from God ! 4, 5, 6. Show me thy ways, and let me learn thy paths, Yea, lead me in thy truth, and teach it me : For Thou, Lord, art my salvation's God, For Thee IVe waited all the live-long day : O think upon thy tender-mercies. Lord, And loving-kindnesses which have been e'er of old ! 7, 8, 9. My youth's offences and backslidings. Lord, Remember not, but in thy tender love. And for thy goodness' sake, remember me i The Lord is good and upright ; He will teach The way to sinners : He the meek will guide In paths of righteousness : the meek He'll learn his way. 10, 11, i The ways of God are goodness all, and truth, 12. J To those that keep his covenant and his laws : Yea, for thy name's sake. Lord, Thou wilt forgive My oft transgressions, and my grievous sins. What man is this that reverences the Lord ? Lo, him his God shall teach the way which He approves. PSALM XXVI. 43 13, 14,} His soul shall in felicity repose, 15. 5 ^^^ <^'^^' ^h® 1^^^ ^is numerous seed be spread. To those that fear the Lord, He will impart His secret counsels, and make known his laws. Mine eyes are ever looking to the Lord, For He shall draw my feet in safety from the net. 16, 17,7 look on me, and let me feel thy love, 18. 3 For I'm forlorn, and in great misery : More and more wide my heart's afflictions spread, O draw me out and save me from my woes. Behold my wretchedness, and my distress, Then, Lord, in mercy come, and take away my sins f 19, 20,^ Behold my foes, how numerous their host, 21, 22.^ And what fell hatred they against me bear: Oh keep my soul, save and deliver me ; In Thee Tve trusted, put me not to shame. Let Right defend me, for on Thee I wait ; From all her troubles. Lord, rescue Israel ! PSALM XXVI. By David. 1, 2, 3. Lord, judge me, for I've walk'd in uprightness; In God Tve trusted, let me stumble not : Try me, O Lord, and put me to the proof, Explore my reins, and search into my heart : For I have e'er thy loving-kindness kept Before mine eyes, and walked in thy truth. U PSALM XXVII. 4, 5. With men of falsehood I have not sat down, Nor enter**d where the sons of darkness dwell : The troops of evil-doers I abhor, Nor with the wicked will I take my rest. 6, 7. My hands I will in innocency wash. And so approach unto thine altar. Lord, To make the voice of my thanksgiving heard. And all the wonders of thy hand proclaim. 8, 9, 10. Lord, I have loved thine house ; with joy Fve sought The place where rests thy glory's tabernacle : O then, with sinners gather not my soul. Nor take my life away, with men of blood, Whose hands in deeds of mischief are imbrued, And whose right hands are filled full with bribes. 11, 12. But as for me. 111 walk in uprightness ; O save me, and in mercy keep me, Lord : Firm let my foot on even ground be placed, And in the assembly I will bless the Lord ! PSALM XXVII. By David. 1. The Lord is my light, and my saving help ; Whom then have I to fear ? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom Have I to be afraid I PSALM XXVII. 45 2. When against me, in haste to devour my flesh, The wicked band advanced Of my haters and persecuting foes, They stumbled and they fell ! 3. Though against me encamp a camped host, My heart shall know no fear : Though against me arise the battle''s swell, Here, too, will I trust in God ! 4. One thing I have askM, and will seek from the Lord — In the house of the Lord to dwell All the days of my life, the Lord's beauty to see. And thereon in his temple muse. 5. In his tent he shall hide me in evil days ; Yea, in the secret place Of his house He shall screen me, and keep me safe, Then lift me upon a rock. 6. And now shall my head be exalted above Mine enemies round about : Then to the pavilion of God I will bring A sacrifice of joy ; I will sing, and with music lift up to the Lord A jubilee of praise. 7, 8. Hearken, Lord, to my voice : I cry — Have mercy, and answer me : When Thou saidst. Seek my face ; my heart replied, Thy face will I seek, O Lord ! 9. Hide not thy countenance from me, nor turn In wrath from thy servant, Lord : 46 PSALM XXVIH. My help Thou hast been ; O abandon me not, Nor forsake me, Lord, my strength ! 10, 11. When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord His kindly shelter gives : teach me thy way, and, because of my foes, In a plain path lead me, Lord. 12. To the cruel will of mine enemies Deliver me not, O Lord ; For against me arise false witnesses And breathers of violence. 13, 14. Oh, if I had not believed I should look On the goodness of the Lord And his love in the land of the living feel — But wait upon the Lord ; Have courage, and He shall establish your heart ; wait upon the Lord ! PSALM XXVIIL By David. 1. To Thee I cry, Lord, my rock I Turn not in silence from my prayer ; Lest, while Thou'rt silent, I become Like those that sink into the pit. 2. The voice of my petitions hear. When unto Thee I humbly cry : When, towards thy holy oracle, I lift my supplicating hands. PSALM XXVIII. 47 3. Drag me not off with wicked men And workers of iniquity, Who to their neighbours speak of peace, While mischief rankles in their hearts. 4. Give them according to their deeds. And to their acts of wickedness : Give them the wages of their hands, Requite them after their desert. 5. Because they have not understood God^s works, nor what his hands have wrought, The Lord shall therefore in his wrath Destroy them, and ne'er build them up. 6, 7. Blessed be God, for He hath heard The earnest voice of my desires : The Lord my strength is, and my shield, In Him my heart hath placed its trust. 7, 8. From Him I have received help, My heart shall therefore leap for joy : With songs I'll magnify the Lord, Who is his people's strength and might. 8, 9. God saveth his Anointed One, O save thy people then, and bless Thine heritage ; yea, feed them. Lord, And lift them up for evermore. 48 PSALM XXIX. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Ascribe to the Lord, ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord all glory and strength : To the Lord give the glory due to his name. In the beauty of holiness worship the Lord I 3, 4. 'Tis the voice of the Lord which commands the waves ; 'Tis the glorious God who in thunder is heard : 'Tis the Lord who commands the watery hosts ; The voice of the Lord is majestic in strength. 5, 6. The voice of the Lord the stout cedars breaks ; Yea, Lebanon's cedars before Him fall : As a frolicksome calf He makes Lebanon skip, And Sirion leap like an Unicorn's foal. 7, 8, 9. The voice of the Lord cleaves the flames of fire ; The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness heave : The Lord makes the desert of Kadesh shake ; The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to wail. And the forest lays bare : in his temple's courts All his people aloud of his glory speak. 10, n. The Lord o'er the water-floods sits enthroned; Yea, the Lord sits enthroned a king for ever : The Lord of his love gives his people strength ; The Lord gives his people the blessing of peace ! /19 PSALM XXX. A psalm of David. A song at the dedication of his house. 1. Thee I will magnify, Lord, For Thou hast raised me up ; And hast not made mine enemies To triumph over me. 2, 3. O Lord my God, I cried to Thee, And Thou hast healed me : Thou'st brought my soul up from the grave, Thou'st kept me. Lord, alive. 3, 4. Thou'st saved me from the pit : sing. Ye saints, unto the Lord : In memory keep, with thanksgiving. His holiness and truth. 5. His wrath for but a moment bides, Life in his favour lives ; The night in weeping may be spent. But joy the morning greets. 6, 7. In my prosperity I said, I never shall be moved ; Thou, of thy goodness, Lord, hadst made My mountain stand so strong. £ 60 PSALM XXXI. 7, 8. But Thou didst turn away thy face, And then I was disturbed ; I cried to Thee, O Lord ; I made My prayer unto my God — 9, ] 0. What profit is there in my blood, When in the pit I sink I Shall praises reach Thee from the dust ! Shall it declare thy truth ? Hear, and have mercy on me. Lord, O Lord, be Thou my help ! 11, Thou'st dried my tears : my mourning Thou Hast into dancing turned : Thou''st stripped the sackcloth from my loins. And girded me with joy. 12, My glory then shall sing thy praise ; It shall not silent be ; O Lord, to Thee I will give thanks. To Thee, my God, for ever ! PSALM XXXL To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. LoED, I have put my trust in Thee, O put me not to shame for ever : But, rid me in thy righteousness, Bow down thine ear to me, and hear ! PSALM XXXI. 51 2. Deliver me, and that right soon, And be, Lord, my rock of strength ; Be Thou the house of my defence, The asylum of my safety Thou ! 3, 4. Thou my stronghold and fortress art, For thy name''s sake be Thou my guide : Out of the net theyVe laid for me Draw me, Lord, for Thou'rt my strength. 5, 6. To Thee, Lord God of truth, which hast Redeemed me, I commend my soul ! The followers of delusions vain I hate ; my trust is in the Lord. 7. Thy kindness. Lord, shall be my boast. And in thy love I will exult ; For Thou my misery hast seen. And known the anguish of my soul. 8. Thou hast not left me in the grasp Of foes, imprisoned and forlorn ; But on a wide and open plain Hast set my free unshackled feet. 9. Be gracious unto me, O Lord, For trouble heavy on me lies ; With gnawing cares mine eye is worn. My soul and body are consumed. 10. My life for very grief hath faiPd, My years with groaning pass away ; Through my offence my strength is gone. And rottenness consumes my bones. e2 52 PSALM XXXI. 11. From all mine enemies I hear The voice of scoffing and reproach ; I am become my neighbours"" scorn, The fear of my acquaintances. 12. Whene'er abroad I venture forth, Whoever sees me flees my sight : I'm clean forgotten as the dead, Unminded as a broken sherd. 13. I hear the murmurs of the crowd, And fears encompass me about. The while, in crafty counsel join'd, They lay their plots against my life. 14, 15. But I repose my trust on Thee ; Thou, Lord, I say. Thou art my God ! My times are in thy hand, do Thou Free me from persecuting foes. 16, 17. O let thy face upon me shine, And save me for thy mercies' sake : Lord, let not me be put to shame. Who unto Thee have raised my voice ; Let shame upon the wicked fall, Let him be silenced in the grave ! 18. Dumb let the lying lips be struck, Which, in contempt and proud disdain, Malicious calumnies put forth Against the righteous and the just. 19. What store of goodness, Lord, hast Thou For them that fear Thee, treasured up. PSALM XXXII. 63 For them that trust in Thee, prepared In presence of the sons of men ! 20. Within thy hidden sanctuary Thou'^lt hide them from the pride of men ; Beneath thy tabernacle'*s shade Thou'lt keep them from the strife of tongues. 21, 22. Bless'd be the Lord, whose signal love Was shown me in the fenced town : When in my haste I fondly said, Tm cut off from thy quickening sight ! Yet Thou didst hear my supphant voice, When, helpless, for thy aid I cried. 23, 24. love the Lord, all ye his saints : For God will guard his faithful ones. And with full measure recompense The man of pride. Have courage then. For He shall steel your hearts with strength. All ye that trust upon the Lord. PSALM XXXIL By David. A psalm of instruction. 1 , 2. Blessed is he whose fault has been forgiven, And whose transgression mercy covereth : BlessM he to whom the Lord imputes no sin, And whose clear spirit is devoid of guile. 54 PSALM XXXIL 3, 4. While speechless I remainM, my bones waxM old ; They pined away, as all day long I groan'd : For day and night thy hand upon me lay, And like the summer's drought my moisture fled. 5. Then unto Thee I freely ownM my faults. And mine iniquity I did not hide : I said, I will confess my sins to God, And Thou forgavest all my wickedness ! 6. For this shall every godly man address His prayer unto Thee when Thou may''st be found So, when the floods their heaped waters roll, Their curbed billows shall not nigh him come. 7. My shelter Thou and hiding-place hast been. And hast preserved me in my hour of need : Thou hast encompassed me about with songs And with glad shouts of safe deliverance. 8, 9. I will instruct thee in the way thou goest, Yea, I will teach and guide thee with mine eye : Be not as horse or mule of reason void, Whose mouths with bit and bridle are subdued. 10, 11. Much sorrow on the wicked falls, but those That trust in God, are compass'd round with love. Be glad, ye righteous, and rejoice in God, And shout for joy, all ye of upright heart ! S5 PSALM XXXIII. 1, 2. Sing aloud to the Lord, O ye righteous ones, For praise becometh the upright well : Extol the Lord on the harp, and chaunt To the ten-stringM lyre his endless praise. 3, 4. Sing a new song to his holy name, Strike up a well tuned jubilee : For the words of the Lord are just and right, And all his works are wrought in truth. 5, 6, 7. Judgment He loveth and righteousness, Of his goodness and mercy the earth is full : By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, And all their host by the breath of his mouth ; He gathers the floods of the sea in heaps, In the vaults of the deep He stores them up. 8, 9. Let all the world stand in awe of the Lord, Yea, tremble before Him, ye tenants of earth : For lo. He spake, and creation was, He gave command, and, behold, it stood. 10, 11. The Lord brings to nought the heathen''s plots. And the people's devices He frustrateth ; But the Lord's decrees stand fast for ever. And the thoughts of his heart from age to age. 56 PSALM XXXIII. 12, 13. That nation is blest whose God is the Lord, That people, whom He for his own selects. The Lord from the height of heaven looks down, His eye beholds all the sons of men : 14, 15. From the place of his dwelling the Lord looks forth Upon all the earth's inhabitants : 'Tis He who has fashionM the hearts of them all, And by Him is their every work observed. 16, 17. No king is preserved by his large array, Nor warrior saved by his greatness of strength : The rider in vain on his horse relies, The power of his limbs no deliverance brings. 18, 19. The eye of the Lord upon them shall rest That fear Him, and in his mercy trust — To deliver their soul from the snares of death. And to keep them alive in the day of dearth. 20, 21, 22. Our soul for the Lord expectant waits ; He is our shield and our saving help : Our hearts shall rejoice and be glad in Him, For in his holy name we have placed our trust. O Lord, let thy goodness upon us rest. E'en as upon Thee we have fix'd our hope ! 57 PSALM XXXIV. By David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. 1,2. I WILL at all times bless the Lord, His praise shall e'er be in my mouth : My soul shall make her boast in God, The meek shall hear it, and be glad. 3, 4. Come, magnify the Lord with me, With me exalt his name on high : I sought Him, and He heard my cry, And rescued me from all my fears. 5, 6. They who look up to Him, grow bright ; And clear of shame their faces shine : This poor man cried, and lo, the Lord Heard and released Him from his woes. 7, 8. God's angel round his saints encamps. And keepeth them from every harm : taste and see how good is God ; Blest is the man that in Him trusts. 9, 10. fear the Lord, all ye his saints, For they that fear Him know no want : The lion may for hunger faint, And roam in vain in quest of prey ; 58 PSALM XXXIV. But they that seek the Lord of hosts, Shall be replenished with good. Jl, 12. Come, children, hearken unto me. And learn from me to fear the Lord : What man is he that longs for life. And fain would look on prosperous days I 13, 1 4<. Do thou thy tongue from evil keep. From guile and falsehood guard thy lips : Depart from evil, and do good, Seek peace, and after her pursue. 15, 16. The eyes of God rest on the just, His ears are open to their cry ; But from the bad his face He turns, And roots their memory from the earth. 17, 18. God hears the righteous when they cry, And from their troubles sets them free : The Lord is nigh the broken heart. He loves to save the contrite spirit. 19, 20. The righteous many sorrows knows, But God delivers him from all : The Lord preserveth all his bones, Not one is broken, no, not one. 21, 22. Destruction shall the wicked seize. And judgment those that hate the just : But God his servants' souls redeems. And none that trust Him are condemned. 59 PSALM XXXV. By David. 1, 2. Lord, do Thou my suers sue, Fight Thou with them that fight with me : The buckler take, and grasp the shield, And stand Thou up, and be my help. S. Bring forth the spear, and draw the sword, And stop my persecutors"" rage : Say to my soul, I am thy rock, The strength of thy salvation, I. 4. Confusion and disgrace be theirs, Who ravenously seek my life : Back be they turn'd, and put to shame, That cunningly devise my hurt. 5, 6. As chaff before the wind is driven, So let them from God's angel fly : Dark be their way, and slippery, And let God's angel trouble them ! 7. For, unprovoked, with cover'd pit And net concealed, they sought my life : Yea, unprovoked, the hole they dug. And snare prepared to catch my soul. 60 PSALM XXXV. 8. On them shall their destruction come When they reck not ; for, in the net Laid by themselves shall they be caught, And there destruction find, yea there ! 9, 10. But my soul shall rejoice in God, And in the Lord's salvation boast : My every limb and bone shall say, — Who, Lord, to Thee can be compared. That sav"'st the helpless from the strong. The poor man from the spoiler sav'st I 11, 12. False witnesses arose, and charged Against me things I knew not of : They paid me evil for my good, My life''s destruction was their quest. 13. But as for me, when they were sick. Of sackcloth I my clothing made : My soul with fasting I brought low, And o''er my bosom pourM my prayer. 14, So I behaved myself, as though A friend or brother were in pain : BowM down with heavy grief, I mourned As one who mourns a mother's loss. 15, 16. But when on me my sorrow fell. They met together, and rejoiced : Vile abjects, whom I knew not, came, And wounded me with ceaseless jibes ; With hypocrites and parasites They gnash'd upon me with their teeth. PSALM XXXV. 61 17. How long wilt Thou look on, Lord I From their destructions save my soul : The precious treasure of my life Deliver from the lion's mouth. 18. So will I thank Thee in the place Where meet the congregated tribes : Before the might of Israel I will declare thy lofty praise. 19. Let not my false ungodly foes Triumphant over me rejoice : Nor those that hate me without cause Wink at me with derisive eye. 20, 21. They speak not peace, but words of war Against the quiet in the land : Their mouths at me they open wide, And say, Ha, ha, our eyes have seen ! 22, 23. Thou, Lord, hast seen — Oh, be not dumb. Be not far off from me, O Lord : Awake, and up, to judgment rise. My God, my Lord, my cause decide ! 24, 25. My God, by thine own righteous law Judge me, and save me from their scorn : Let them not say within their hearts, Ha, this is what our souls desired ; Let them not say with braggart tongue. Behold, we have devoured him ! 26. Confounded and ashamed together Be those that at my hurt rejoice : 62 PSALM XXXVI. Clothed with disgrace and shame be those That 'gainst me set themselves on high. 27, 28. But in glad triumph let them shout Who to my righteousness wish well ; And ever say, The Lord is great, Who loves his servant's happiness. And let my tongue dwell all day long Upon thy righteousness and praise. PSALM XXXVL To the chief musician, by David the servant of the Lord. 1, 2. Rebellion mutters in the sinner*'s heart ; No fear of God is present to his eyes : For to himself he glosses o"'er his deeds, Until his sin is found out, and abhorrM. 3, 4. His mouth is full of wickedness and fraud, Wisdom and goodness he hath put away : Upon his bed he ponders plots of ill. In ways perverse he walks ; he hates not wrong. 5, 6. The heavens. Lord, thy loving-kindness know, Thy faithfulness extendeth to the clouds : As mighty mountains thy uprightness stands. As the great deep thy judgments are profound ! PSALM XXXVII. 63 6, 7. Thou, God, the Saviour art of man and beast ! How precious is thy loving-kindness, Lord ! To Thee the sons of men for refuge flee, And seek the shelter of thy shadowing wings. 8, 9. With sweetness from thy house they shall be fill'd, And from the river of thy pleasures drink : For in thy presence is the well of life, And light we see in thy pure light alone ! 10, 11. On those that know Thee let thy mercy shine. And on the true of heart thy righteousness : Let not the foot of pride against me come, Nor wicked hand remove me from my place. 12. Lo, there the wicked-doers prostrate lie; Cast down and fallen, ne'er to rise again ! PSALM XXXVIL By David. 1,2. Fret not thyself because the wicked rise, Nor be thou envious of a sinner''s state ; For like the grass, they soon shall be cut down. And, like the herb's frail verdure, fade away. 3, 4. Put thou thy trust in God ; be doing good ; Bide in the land, and feed, in faith secure. Make thou the Lord thy treasure of delight, And He shall give thee all thine heart's desire. 64 PSALM XXXVII. 5, 6. Commit to God the guidance of thy path, Yea, trust in Him ; He^U bring thee to the goal : He'll make thy righteousness burst forth like light. And thy just dealing like the blaze of noon. 7. Be still, and rest upon the Lord : yea, wait For Him in patience. Do not fret thyself Because of him that prospers in his way, The man that brings his wicked schemes to pass. 8, 9. Leave off from wrath, and bid displeasure go ; Let not thine anger move thee to do wrong : For men of wrong shall be cut off, but those That wait on God, they shall possess the land. 10, 11. A moment — and the wicked shall not be ; Yea, thou shalt seek their place, and find it not. Then shall the meek the promised land possess. And gladden'd revel in abounding peace. 12, IS. The wicked spreads his plots against the just, And gnashes on him with malignant tooth : The Lord looks down in scorn, for He beholds How swift his day comes on, his doom is seaFd ! 14, 15. The wicked draw their sword, and bend their bow. To overthrow the weak, the just to slay : Their swords shall into their own hearts be driven. And their strong bows fall shatterM to the ground. 16, 17. A little that the righteous hath, excels The wealth that hosts of sinners can command : For God shall break the sinner's haughty arm, But keep in safety, and uphold the just. PSALM XXXVII. 65 18, 19, 20. The days of upright men are marked by God, And their inheritance shall be for ever : In evil times they shall not be ashamed, In days of famine they shall have enough. But impious men shall perish ; and God's foes Fade as the grass ; yea, fade, as smoke, away. 21, 22. The wicked borrow, and pay not again, But the good man is pitiful, and gives : In acts of mercy every day he spends. He ever lendeth, and his seed is bless'd. 23, 24. The just man's steps are orderM by the Lord, And He delighteth in his servant's path : Though falling, he shall never be cast down. For, lo, the Lord upholds him with his hand. 25, 26. Young I have been, and I have known old age ; Yet never have I seen a righteous man Forsaken by his God ; nor e'er beheld His seed abandon'd, begging for their bread. For God loves justice : He his holy ones Will ne'er forsake, but hold them up for ever. 27, 28. Turn then aside from evil, and do good ; So shalt thou dwell for ever in the land : For, whom God blesses, their's the land shall be, But, whom He curses, they shall be cut off. 29. The wicked shall be utterly destroy 'd. And the base seed of sinners be cut off: But righteous men for their inheritance Shall have the land, and dwell therein for ever F 66 PSALM XXXVII. 30, 31. The righteous mouth of wisdom holds discourse, And justice speaketh from a good man's tongue : The statutes of his God are in his heart, And guide his path : his footsteps shall not slide. 32, 33. The wicked for the godly lies in wait, And seeks occasion how he may destroy : The Lord will never leave him in his hand, Nor, in the judgment, let him be condemned. 34. Wait on the Lord, and firmly keep his way ; So shalt thou be exalted, and the land Of bliss inherit. When destruction falls Upon the wicked, thou their doom shalt see. 35, 36. I've seen the ungodly in his pride of power. With pomp outspreading like a lordly tree : I passed by, and lo, he was not there : I sought him, but his place could not be found. 37, 38. Mark well the perfect, and behold the just : The end of that man is eternal peace. But hopeless death shall be the sinner's lot, And his dark end — to be cut off for ever. 39, 40. But in the Lord the just salvation find ; In troublous times He is their hope and strength The Lord shall help, and shall deliver them. Yea, He shall save them, for in Him they trust ! 67 PSALM XXXVIII. A psalm of David, to put in remembrance. 1, 2. Eebuke me not in thy displeasure, Lord, Nor smite me then, when hot thine anger burns : For deep within me are thine arrows sunk, And heavily thy hand upon me falls. 3, 4. Because Thou'rt vex'd, my flesh no soundness knows; Through my offence, rest comes not nigh my bones : For o'er my head my flood of sins has risen, A heavy weight, too heavy to be borne. 5, 6. By reason of my foolishness my wounds Stink, and with rank corruption festering run : I'm bent, yea I am utterly borne down. And with sad steps go mourning all day long. 7, 8. For my whole loins are filPd with loathsomeness. And in my flesh no soundness can be found : I'm all-enfeebled ; yea, I'm sorely crush'd, I roar aloud for very grief of heart. 9, 10. Lord, unto Thee all my desire is known. Nor does one groan escape thy conscious ear. See, my heart pants, my strength hath failed me. And light departeth from my drooping eyes. F 2 68 PSALxM XXXVIIT. 11, 12. ShockM by my wounds my lovers stand aghast ; And far off stand my neighbours and my friends : Whilst they that hate me for my life lay snares, And mischief speak, and plot deceit all day. 13, 14. But T am without hearing like the deaf. And as one dumb that opens not his mouth : Yea, I am like a man that heareth not. And whose mute tongue returns not a reply. 15, 16. For I have placed my hope in Thee, O Lord, Thou wilt my answer make, O Lord my God : For I have ask'd that they may mock me not. Nor boast insulting o"'er my faltering feet. 17, 18. For I am faint, and on the point to fall. And constant sorrow waits upon my steps : For I acknowledge my iniquities. And my transgressions I repentant mourn. 19, 20. But lo, my foes are vigorous and strong. And they increase, that hate me without cause : E'en they that pay me evil for my good. Yea, still assail me when their good Fve sought. 21, 22. O Lord, in my distress forsake me not. Nor be far off from me, O Lord my God : But come to me, yea, haste Thee to my help. Thou God of my salvation, and my hope. 69 PSALM XXXIX. To Jeduthun, the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1. I SAID, I will take heed unto my ways, And mind that I offend not with my tongue : My mouth as with a bridle I'll restrain, When in the presence of ungodly men. 2, 3. In silence mute, I uttered not a word ; 'Twas meant for good, but more inflamed my grief; My heart within me burnM, and, as I mused. The fire burst out : then spake I with my tongue. 4, 5. Lord, let me know the measure of my days, How frail I am, how soon to pass away : Behold my days are as a hand-breadth's span ; Yea, before Thee, O God, mine age is naught. 5, 6. Surely, each man is born to vanity ; And, as a shadow, flitteth through the world : With vain disquietude his soul he racks, He heapeth up, but knows not who'll devour. 7, 8. Where then, O Lord, shall I my hope repose ? Surely, on Thee my expectation waits : Do Thou deliver me from all my sins. Nor make me the reproach and scorn of fools. 70 PSALM XL. 9, 10. Speechless I stood : I open'd not my mouth As I were dumb ; for "'twas thy doing, Lord . Have mercy on me, and remove thy plagues, For by thy hand's keen strokes I'm worn away. 11. When with rebukes Thou chastenest man for sin. Thou mak'st his beauty to consume away As 'twere a garment fretted by a moth : For, truly, all men are but vanity. 12. Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my cry ; Be not regardless of my bitter tears : For I am, as my fathers all have been, A stranger with Thee, and a sojourner. 13. Oh spare me, that my soul may be refreshed. Before I go away, and am no more ! PSALM XL. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1,2. I stay'd and waited for the Lord, And He, inclining, heard my cry : He drew me from the pit Of horror, and the miry clay. And set my feet upon a rock. And made my goings firm. PSALM XL. 71 3, 4, 5. Now hath He put within my mouth A joyful song of praises new And thanks unto our God : Many shall my deliverance see, And meditate thereon with fear, And trust upon the Lord. Bless'd is the man that sets his hope On God, and turneth not to pride, Nor falsehood's crooked paths. 6. How many are the wond''rous works Which Thou, Lord my God, hast wrought, Thy thoughts towards us how deep : No wisdom can their order trace, Would I declare and speak of them. They're more than I can count. 7, 8. With sacrifice or offering Thou art not pleased, but openest Mine ears to hear thy word : No offering for sin Thou seek''st. Nor askest for burnt sacrifice ; Then said I, Lo, I come ; Of me "'tis in thy volume writ, ""Tis my delight to do thy will, Thy law is in my heart. 9, 10. Before the congregated tribes Thy righteousness I've preach'd; my lips. Thou know'st, Tve not refrainM : I have not hid thy righteousness Within my heart, but have declared Thy faithfulness and truth. 72 PSALM XL. I have not from the assembled tribes Thy loving-kindnesses conceaPd, Nor thy salvation'*s power. 11, 12. Withhold not from me, Lord, thy love ; But let thy tenderness and truth Preserve me evermore : For ills unnumber'd hem me round. My sins have got such hold of me. That I cannot look up : More numerous are they than the hairs Upon my head ; my heart appalFd Shrinks, and my spirits flee. 13, 14. O let it be thy pleasure. Lord, To save me ; haste Thee to my help ; O Lord, deliver me. Let those, w^ho seek to take my life. Be brought to shame ; yea, let them be Confounded altogether : Let those, who in my hurt delight. Be backward driven in disgrace, And to confusion put. 15, 16, 17. Be shame and desolation theirs, That say to me, Aha ! Aha ! But let all those be glad. That seek Thee ; yea, let them rejoice ; And those that love Thee, ever say. The Lord be magnified ! Though poor, the Lord upon me thinks ; Thou my deliverer art and help, tarry not, my God. 73 PSALM XLI. To the chief musician. A psalm of David, 1. Blessed is he that careth for the poor ; The Lord will save him in his hour of need, The Lord will help him, and his life preserve. And blessed shall he be upon the earth. 2, 3. Thou wilt not yield him up unto his foes To be their prey. The Lord will strengthen him When on the bed of languishing he lies ; In sickness Thou wilt all his bed transform. 4, 5. I said : Be merciful to me, Lord, O heal my soul, for I have greatly sinn'd : My foes assail me with malignant cry — When will he perish, and his name be lost ! 6. Should any come to look on my distress. With hollow words and vain, my woes he mocks ; Within his heart he stores up wickedness, He goes abroad, and speaks iniquity. 7, 8. My foes against me whispering combine, And plot together to contrive my hurt : A plague of Belial cleaves to him, they say, Now that he lieth, let him rise no more. 74 PSALM XLII. 9. Yea, mine own friend, the sharer of my joys, Whom my soul trusted, and on whom reposed. Who at my table sat, and ate my bread. E'en he against me hath lift up his heel. 10, 11. But be Thou merciful to me, Lord, By Thee upraised, I shall requite my foes : By this I know that Thou dost favour me. Because no foe triumphant o'er me boasts. 12, 13. Yea, as for me, in righteousness upheld Thou settest me before thy face for ever. From time eternal to eternal time Let Israel's God be bless'd : Amen, Amen ! PSALM XLIL To the chief musician. A psalm of instruction, by the sons of Korah. 1, 2. As for the fountain brays the panting hart. So doth my soul cry out for Thee, O God : For God, the living God, my soul doth thirst. When shall I come, and see the face of God ! 3. By day and night my tears have been my food, Whilst every day they ask me — Where's thy God? Then, as past scenes to recollection rise, I pour out to myself my burden'd heart. PSALM XLII. 75 4. For with the crowd of worshippers I go, With them go up unto the house of God, Amid the sound of joy and thanksgiving, With multitudes that keep high holyday ! 5. Why, my soul, art thou cast down ? and why Art thou within me so disquieted ? Hope thou in God ; for Him I yet will praise For the salvation of his countenance. 6. My God, my soul within me is cast down : Therefore to Thee my troubled thoughts shall turn From Jordan''s plains and Hermon's craggy peaks, And where I wander over Mizar''s hill, 7. Deep calls to deep, responsive to the voice Of thy loud torrents rushing from the sky : Thy stormy surges all around me roar. And all thy billows burst upon my head. 8. Yet will the Lord his loving-kindness send To be my solace through the hours of day ; And, in the night, of Him shall be my song, My prayer to the Protector of my life. 9. I say unto the Lord — Why, O my rock. From thy remembrance hast Thou cast me out ? Why go I mourning whilst the foe exults, Triumphant in oppression and in wrong ? 10. As though a sword were entering my bones, My foes with scoffings pierce my inmost soul ; Whilst every day they mock at my distress, And daily ask me — Where is now thy God I 76 PSALM XLIII. 11. Why, O my soul, art thou cast down ? and why Art thou within me so disquieted ? Hope thou in God : for Him I yet will praise Who makes my face to shine, my health, my God ! PSALM XLIII. 1. Judge me, God : do Thou defend my cause Against a nation hard and pitiless : From treacherous men and men of wickedness Save and deliver me, Lord my God. 2. For Thou'rt my God, the fountain of my strength ; Why from thy presence dost Thou cast me off? Why go I mourning, whilst the foe exults. Triumphant in oppression and in wrong ? 3. Send out thy light, and let thy truth go forth, And let them lead me in the path of life : Let them conduct me to thy holy hill. And lodge me in thy lovbd tabernacle. 4. Then to the altar of my God PU go ; Unto the Lord, the fulness of my joy : Yea, on the harp, I will praise Thee, Lord, And magnify thy name, God, my God ! PSALM XLIV. 77 Why, my soul, art thou cast down ? and why Art thou within me so disquieted ? Hope thou in God : for Him I yet will praise Who makes my face to shine, my health, my God ! PSALM XLIV. To the chief musician, by the sous of Korah. A psalm of instruction. 1. We have heard with our ears, God ; Our fathers the story have told Of the works that Thou didst in the days they knew. In the times that were of yore. 2. How the heathen Thou dravest out, And plantedst thy people in : How the nations Thou didst with thy plagues destroy, And spread out thy chosen seed. 3. For not by their spear or sword. Or their own uplifted arm. Did our fathers the land of promise gain, And safe through the battle pass. But 'twas thy right hand and arm. And the light of thy countenance — Because with thy love Thou regarded'st them, Which gat them the victory. 78 PSALM XLIV. 4, 5. Jehovah, Thou art my King, Thy salvation to Jacob send : Through Thee will we thrust down our foes ; in thy name Will we tread our assailants down. 6, 7. For not in my bow will I trust, Nor my sword for my safeguard take : But Thou shalt preserve us from all our foes, And put those that hate us to shame. 8, 9. In God do we boast all day. And extol thy name for ever : But Thou hast cast off, and put us to shame. With our armies Thou goest not forth. 10, 11. Thou hast turned us back from our foes. And our enemies make us their spoil : Thou hast given us up to be eaten like sheep, And dispersed us o''er heathen lands. 12, 13. Thou sellest thy people for nought; Their price yields Thee no increase : A reproach to our neighbours Thou mak'st us, a scorn And derision to all around. 14, 15. We''re the bye word of heathen tribes, And at us men shake their heads : My confusion is ever before my face. With shame I am covered o''er : 1 6. Because of reproachful words, And the voice of him that blasphemes ; On account of the scoffs of the enemy, And the slanderer's vengeful lips. PSALM XLIV. 79 17, 18. All this is upon us come ; Yet weVe not forgotten Thee : We have not with thy covenant falsely dealt, Our hearts are not turned back. 18, 19. Our steps have not stray''d from thy way, Although Thou hast smitten us sore In the desert wild where dragons dwell, CoverM o'er with the shadows of death. 20, 21. If the name of our God we forget, Or to strange gods stretch out our hands, Shall the Lord not search it out, unto whom The depths of the heart are known ? 22. But lo ! for thy sake we die, For Thee are we slain all day : As sheep for the slaughter prepared, so we Await the destroyer'*s hand. 23, 24. Awake, Lord, why dost Thou sleep ? Arise, leave us not for ever ! why dost Thou hide thy face, and forget Our oppression and misery ? 25, 26. For our soul is bow'd down to the ground, To the earth our belly cleaves : Arise to our help, for thy mercies' sake. And redeem us, Lord our God ! 80 PSALM XLV. To the chief musician. On lilies, by the sons of Korah. A song of the beloved. A psalm of instruction. 1. My heart boils ©""er with a goodly theme : I will to the King recite What I have conceived ; my tongue shall be The pen of a ready scribe. 2. In beauty thou shinest, excelling far The fairest sons of men : The fulness of grace on thy lips is pourM ; Thou art blessed of God for ever ! S. Thy sword on thy thigh, Warrior, gird ; With thy glory and majesty : In thy majesty ride, and the conquest win For truth, and for righteousness. 4, 5. Let thy right hand teach Thee deeds of dread ; Let thine arrows sharpened be To subdue the people beneath Thee, and pierce The heart of thine enemies. 6, 7. Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever ; Thy sceptre, a sceptre of right : Thou hast lov^d justice, and hated wrong ; For this cause hath thy God With the oil of gladness anointed Thee, Above all thy fellows, O God ! PSALM XLV. 81 8. Thy garments are all with fragrance fill'd, Of cassia, aloes, and myrrh : They are brought from the ivory palaces, From the chambers of thy joy. 9. Amongst thy gorgeous nuptial train The daughters of kings are found : Whilst at thy right hand the consort stands, In gold of Ophir clad. 10, 11. Hear, daughter, and see; incline thine ear; Thine home and thy people forget ; That the King with delight on thy beauty may gaze ; And adore Him ; for He is thy Lord. 12. The daughter of Tyre shall then lay down Her offerings at thy feet : And the rich of the people with gifts implore The grace of thy countenance. 13. All glorious, see, the king''s daughter shines Within the royal hall : Her raiment is bright with sparkling gems, And studded o'er with gold. 14, 15. She is brought to the King in embroiderM vests; Behind is her virgin troop : In gladness and joy are they borne on their way ; They enter the house of the King. 1 6. In the room of thy fathers shall now be born A race of princely sons, Whom Thou shalt set upon royal thrones Over all the earth to rule. 82 PSALM XLVI. 1 7. To every age, yea. age by age, Will I thy name make known : And so shall the people thy praises sing For ever and evermore. PSALM XLVL To the chief musician, by the sons of Korah. A song after the virgin-manner. 1, 2, 8. God is our refuge and our strength; A mighty help in trouble found : Then we'll not fear, though earth should change, And sea engulf the quivering hills ; Though roar, though boil her stormy waves, And shake the mountains in their pride ! 4, 5. Behold the river, whose soft streams Make glad the city of our God, The High One'*s holy dwelling-place : God midst her dwells ; she shall not fall : His succour God shall bring to her With the first dawning of the morn. 6, 7. The heathen raged ; the disturbed states With fury heaved ; the voice of God Was utter-d, and the earth dissolved. Our strong foundation is the Lord, The Lord of Hosts beside us stands. The God of Jacob is our rock ! PSALM XLVII. 8, 9. come, behold the works of God ; What desolations on the earth His hand hath wrought. Unto earth''s ends He maketh wars to cease : the bow He breaks, and snaps the spear in twain, He burns the chariots with fire. 10, 11. "Be still ; and know that I am God : My glory shall the heathen own. My glory all the earth shall see." Our strong foundation is the Lord, The Lord of Hosts beside us stands, The God of Jacob is our rock ! PSALM XLVIL To the chief musician. A psalm by the sons of Korah. 1,2. O ALL ye peoples, clap your hands ; Unto God with the voice of triumph shout For the Lord, the Most High, is terrible, Over all the earth a mighty King. 3, 4. The peoples beneath us He subdues. And the heathen beneath our feet lays low He chooses for us our inheritance. The glory of Jacob, his lov^d son ! G 2 84 PSALM XLVIII. 5, 6. Lo, God is gone up with a shout of joy ; The Lord with the sound of a trumpet gone : Sing praises to God ; yea, praises sing ; To the King sing praises ; yea, praises sing. 7, 8. For God is King over all the earth ; His praises abroad through the world make known God over the heathen reigns supreme ; God sits on the throne of his holiness. 9. Together are gather'd the peoples'" chiefs ; To the people of Abraham''s God they come : For to God e'en the shields of the earth belong ; Unto God, the great, the exalted One. PSALM XLVIIL A song of praise, by the sons of Korah. 1,2, 3. The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised In God's own city, on his holy mount : Noble in height that mount ; the whole earth's joy ; Where, in the north, the great King's city stands. Within her palaces the Lord is known To be a refuge in the hour of need. PSALM XLVIII. 85 4, 5, 6. For lo, the kings their banded forces join'd ; Together came ; together pass'd away : They looked : but startled at the sight fell back ; With horror struck, in sudden haste they fled ; Fear then gat hold of them, and anguish sharp, As of a woman in her travail pains. 7, 8. So dost Thou, by the blast of thine east-wind, The ships of Tarshish shatter and destroy : Thy might we heard of, and have seen it now, Here, in the City of the Lord of Hosts : The City which our God hath made his own; Which God will keep established for ever ! 9, lO,"! When in thy temple worshipping, God, 11. J Oft have we on thy loving-kindness thought : For, as thy name, thy praise through earth resounds. And thy right hand is full of righteousness. Yea, let Mount Zion of thy judgments boast, And Judah's daughters shout aloud for joy, 12, 13/) About Mount Zion walk, yea, round her go ; 14. J Mark well her bulwarks ; count her lofty towers ; Consider well her beauteous palaces, That to your children you may tell her praise. For this God is our God for evermore ; He will our guide be, even unto death ! 86 PSALM XLIX. To the chief musician. A psalm by the sons of Korah. 1, 2. Hear this, all people; and give ear, All ye that dwell upon the earth : Together list, ye sons of men ; Both mean and great, both rich and poor. 8, 4. My mouth of wisdom shall discourse ; My heart on understanding brood ; Mine ear to parables I'll bend, And open secrets on the harp. 5, 6. Why should I fear in evil days, When crafty foes my steps beset, Who in their store of riches trust, And boast the greatness of their wealth ? 7, 8. There's none his brother can redeem, Or pay his ransom unto God : For dear their souls' redemption price, And never can he hope to buy A life that shall endure for ever, An endless freedom from the grave. 9. For he beholds the wise man die, And with him brutish men and fools : They perish, and to others leave The hoards they heap'd, the wealth they loved. PSALM XLIX. 87 10, 11. And yet they think within their hearts Their houses shall for ever last, Their dwellings to all ages stand, And, with their own names, name their lands. 12, 13. But man in honour bideth not. But like the beasts he perisheth : This is their course ; their folly this ; And yet their sons their maxims praise ! 14. They're cast into the pit of hell Like sheep, and death upon them feeds : The righteous, when the morning dawns, Shall have dominion over them. 14, 15. Their strength shall come to nothingness In hell, from their lost dwellings far : But God shall from helPs grasp my soul Eedeem, and choose me for his own ! 16, 17. Fear not, because a man grows rich, Though spreads the glory of his house ; He carries nothing to the grave. His glory follows him not there. 18. Though, while he live, he vainly deem His soul to be supremely bless'd : And ready praise, man, thou gefst, When with thee every thing goes well. 19, 20. Where lie his fathers, he shall go ; They all shall see the light no more : For man in honour, but unwise, Is like the brutes : they come to naught ! 88 PSALM L. A psalm of Asaph. 1 2. The Most High God, Jehovah speaks, and calls The earth from where the sun his rising takes Unto his setting. Out of Zion"'s mount. Of beauty the perfection, God shines forth. 3, 4. Our God doth come ; He will not silence keep : Before Him fire devours ; storms round Him rage The heavens above He summons and the earth. To hear his judgment on his people passM. 5, 6. Before me gather all my saints, whose vows Have o''er the altar to their God been pledged . And let the heavens his righteousness proclaim, For God, the mighty God, Himself is judge ! 7, 8. Hear, my people, whilst I speak ; whilst thee I charge, O Israel : God, thy God am L Not of thine offerings will I now complain ; Thy sacrifices are before Me ever. 9, 10. I will not take a bullock from thine house, Nor of a he-goat will I rob thy folds : For all the beasts the forest holds are mine, And all the cattle on a thousand hills. PSALM L. 89 11, 12. I know each fowl that on the mountain rests, And look upon each creature of the field : If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, For mine the world is, and its fulness mine. 13, 14, ) Shall I devour the flesh of bulls, or drink 15. J The blood of goats? Thanksgiving God requires. Offer to Him the sacrifice of praise. And unto the Most High thy vows perform ; Then call upon Me in thy day of need. And I will save thee, and by thee be praised. 16, 17. Then td the godless : — Why dost thou repeat My law, why take my covenant in thy mouth ? Thou, that hast hated all my discipline. And cast behind thee every warning word. 18, 19. When thou dost see a thief, thou welcom'st him; And with adulterers thy portion lies : Thy mouth to mischief thou hast yielded up. And with thy tongue thou framest treachery. 20, 21 . Thou sittest, and against thy brother speak'st ; Yea, thou dost slander thine own mother''s son : This thou hast done : and, for I held my peace. Thou didst conceive that I was e'en as thou : But, lo, I will reprove thee for thy faults. And set them out, for thine own eyes to see. 22, 23. Mark this, all ye that have forgotten God, Lest in my wrath I rend ye, succourless : Who praises, honours Me : who rules his path, To him I will his God's salvation shew. 90 PSALM LI. To the ckief musician. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came mito him, according as he came unto Bathsheba. ] . Have mercy on me, O ray God ; And for thy goodness' sake forgive : Of thy exceeding tenderness And boundless love, blot out my sins. 2, S. wash me throughly from my guilt, And from transgression make me clean : For I do see my wickedness, My crime is always in my sight. 4. 'Gainst Thee I've sinn'd, 'gainst Thee alone. And done this wrong before thine eyes. That, sentencing. Thou might'st be just. And, when Thou judgest, clear of blame. 6, 6. Lo, I was born in wickedness, And, in the womb, with sin conceived : Lo, Thou desirest truth within. And wisdom to my heart reveal'st. 7, 8. With hyssop purge me, make me clean ; Wash me, and make me white as snow : Let sounds of gladness greet mine ears, And joy repair my crushed bones. PSALM LI. 91 9, 10. turn thy face from my misdeeds, And mine iniquities blot out : Make in me a clean heart, O Lord ; And a renewed spirit pure. 11, 12,7 Cast me not from thy presence, Lord, 13. 5 Nor take from me thy Holy Spirit : Restore me thy salvation's joy, And thy free Spirit be my stay : Then sinners will I teach thy paths, And lead transgressors to thy feet. 14, 15. From blood absolve me. Lord of life, And of thy grace my tongue shall sing : Salvation's God, ope Thou my lips, So shall my mouth shew forth thy praise. 16, 17. No burning sacrifice, nor blood Of slaughtered victims Thee delights. Or can appease ; else these I'd give. God's offering is a broken spirit ; A broken and a contrite heart Never, God, wilt Thou despise. 18, 19. set thy joy on Zion's weal ; And high build up fair Salem's walls : Well pleased, then, shalt Thou behold The sacrifice of righteousness ; Whole victims for burnt-offerings brought, And bullocks at thine altar slain. 92 PSALM LII. To the chief musician. A psalm by David, when Doeg the Edomite came aud told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. 1, 2, 3. Why boastest thou, thou man of might, in wrong? God''s goodness still for evermore endures. Sharp as a razor, thy malignant tongue Deviseth mischief, practiseth deceit. Evil thou hast preferred before good, And, before righteous words, thou choosest lies ! 4, 5, 6. Thou treacherous tongue, thou lovest words of death ; Be thou then, too, destroyM of God for ever : PluckM from thy dwelling, as a brand thrown off. And rooted from the land of living men ! Thy day of judgment shall the righteous see. And, fearing God, his foe they shall deride. 7, 8. " Behold the man who makes not God his strength. Whose trust is wealth, whose might is wickedness."" But I, like those green olive trees which live And spread their branches in the house of God, Will, in God's mercy rooted, bide secure, And trust in Him for ever and for ever. 9. Thee will I praise for evermore, God, For Thou hast shewn me thy deliverance : Yea, I will rest my hope upon thy name. Thy name so precious in thy servant's sight. 93 PSALM LIII. To the chief musician, for wind instruments. A psahn of David. 1. The fool within his heart Hath said ; There is no God. Corrupt, by foulest sins defiled, There's none that doeth good. 2. The Lord from heaven look'd down Upon the sons of men, To see if any one were wise, If any sought for God. 3. They all have turned aside ; They're rotten altogether : There is not any that doth good. There is not even one. 4. Have they no knowledge then. These doers of misdeeds. That they my people eat as bread. And call not on the Lord ? 5. But they were struck with fear. Where fear they reck'd not of; For God did scatter wide the bones Of thy encamped foes. 94 PSALM LIV. 5, 6. Thou covered'st them with shame, For God had scorned them. who, from Sion''s hill of strength, Will Israel's freedom bring? 7. When from their captive state God leads his people back. The sons of Jacob shall rejoice, And Israel be glad. PSALM LIV. To the chief musician, for stringed instruments. A psalm of David. When the Zephites came and said to Saul, Is not David hiding himself amongst us ? 1, 2. Save me, God, through thy great name. And by thy might defend my cause : Give ear, O God, unto my prayer, And hear the entreaty of my mouth. S. For strangers are against me risen. And lawless men my life desire : Who set not God before their eyes, And have not learnM to fear his name ! 4, 5. Lo, God my helper is ; the Lord Is with the upholders of my soul : He will my foes with ill requite — Destroy them in thy truth, O Lord ! 6, 7. To Thee free offerings I will bring, And praise thy name, for it is good : For Thou hast saved me from my straits, Mine eyes have on my foes looked down. 95 PSALM LV. To the chief musician, for stringed instruments. A psalm of David. 1, 2, 3. Give ear unto my prayer, Lord, Nor hide thyself from my desires ; Attend to me, and hear me cry, 'Midst sadden''d thoughts perplex'd and tost, By shout of enemies overborne. Oppressed by men of wickedness. 3, 4, 5. For, lo, they load me with reproach. And persecute me in their rage : My heart within me writhes with pain ; And on my soul death's terrors fall : Upon me fear and trembling come ; And wrapped with horror round, I cry — 6, 7, 8. were I winged like the dove, Then would I flee and be at rest : Then would I wander off, afar. And in the wilderness abide : Then would I hasten my escape From windy storm and tempest wild ! 9, 10,^ Consume them. Lord, their tongues divide; 11. ) For strife and wrong the city fill, And day and night go round her walls : Mischief and sorrow with her dwell ; Amidst her, wickedness abides ; Deceit and guile ne'er quit her streets. 96 PSALM LV. 12, 13,) Tis not an enemy reviles, 14. ) For then his scoffings I could bear ; 'Tis not my foe against me swells, Or I would hide me from his hate : But thou, the man I prized, my known. My trusted friend, with whom I oft Sweet counsel took, and loved to walk Amidst the crowded courts of God. 15, 16,) Destruction seize them: to the grave 17. 3 Let them be hurried down alive : For wickedness amidst them walks. And with them in their houses dwells: But I upon my God will call. And He, the Lord, shall rescue me ; At ev^i, morn, and noon I'll cry. Yea roar, and He my voice shall hear. 18, 19. My soul, in battle overpowered. He hath redeemed, and placed in peace ; For with me are his mighty hosts. God, who is throned of old ! shall hear, And answer them that fear not Him, The men, who have no changes known. 20, 21. The wicked lays his treacherous hand On them who dwell with him in peace ; He breaks his solemn covenant : Smoother than butter is his mouth, But all his heart is war : his words Are soft as oil, yet are they swords. 22, 23. Cast thy provision on the Lord, And He shall be thy life's support ; PSALM LVI. 97 He will not, whilst the world endures, Permit the righteous to be moved : But men of blood and of deceit Thou, God, shalt to the pit send down. Not half their days shall they live out, But I will still confide in Thee ! PSALM LVL To the chief musician. From the dove dumb amongst strangers. A secret hymn of David, when the Philistines were upon him at Gath. 1,2. Be gracious unto me, God, For man pants after me all day, Hard pressing me with murderous hate : All day my foes pant after me. For they that to devour me seek. Are many, and inflamed with pride. 3, 4. But in the day that Fm afraid, I place my confidence in Thee : My boast is in the word of God, In God I place my confidence. And so I lay my cares to rest, Nor fear what flesh can do to me. 5, 6. They wrest my words continually ; Their thoughts are set upon my hurt : They meet, they gather them together, And, in their secret coverts hid. With stealthy eye they mark my steps, And hope my soul shall fall their prey. 98 PSALM LVII. 7, 8. They think that through their wickedness They shall escape : but, in thy wrath, Thou, Lord, wilt cast the people down. My flights and wanderings Thou hast mark'd ; My tears Thou'lt in thy bottle store, Are they not written in thy book ? 9, 10, 11. I know that when on Thee I call My foes shall turn ; for God is mine. My boast is in the word of God ; My boast is in Jehovah's word ; In God I trust ; I will not fear What mortal man can do to me. 12, 13. Thy vows, God, upon me lie ; And my thank-offerings I will pay : For Thou hast saved my soul from death ; And wilt Thou not my feet uphold ? That I may walk before my God, And see the light of living men. PSALM LVIL To the chief musician. Destroy not. A secret song of David, when he fled from before Saul into the cave. 1 . Befuiend me, O befriend me, Lord ; Because on Thee my soul relies : And to the shadow of thy wings I flee, until these troubles pass. PSALM LVII. 99 2, 3. On God the Highest I wiU call ; On God, who my desire fulfils : From heaven He'll send, and rescue me, And put my murderer to shame ! 3, 4. God will his goodness send and truth, Although my soul midst lions fall ; Although I lie midst sons of men With fury filFd and all on fire : 4, 5. Whose teeth as arrows are and spears; Whose tongues are keen as sharpest swords. Set up Thyself above the heavens. Thy glory. Lord, o'er all the earth. 6. They spread a net before my steps ; My soul was bowed down with dread : They dug a pit before my path ; They fell into the midst of it ! 7, 8. My heart is strong ; my heart is strong ; In song I will break forth and praise : Wake up, my glory ; harp and lute. Wake up : I'll waken up the morn. 9, 10. Thee midst the people, Lord, I'll praise ; And midst the nations sing to Thee : For thy great goodness to the heavens Extends ; thy truth unto the skies. 11. Set up Thyself above the heavens, Thy glory. Lord, o'er all the earth. H 2 100 PSALM LVIII. To the chief musician. Destroy not. A secret psalm of David. 1. And is it dumbness, then, Which ails ye, sons of men, When righteousness ye ought to speak, And upright judgment deal t 2. Nay, rather, in your hearts You plot iniquities : With hands oppressive through the land You weigh out violence. 3. E'en from their mother's breast The wicked go astray ; The utterers of lies transgress E'en from their mother's womb. 4. No deadlier venom lies Than their's, in serpent's fang : Nor stops more rigidly than they Her ears the adder deaf — 5. On which unheeded falls The charmer's soothing voice : Which hears not the most artful strains By cunning charmer drawn. PSALM LVIII. 101 6. Break Thou the sinners'* teeth Within their mouths, O God ; The jaw-bones of the lions'* whelps In pieces break, Lord. 7. Like the swift-passing stream, So let them melt away : And let their arrows, when they shoot, Drop shiver''d from their bows. 8. Let them be like the snail, Which, trailing, melts away : And, like the womb''s untimely fruit, Not look upon the sun. 9. Be they like thorns which, ere Your pots have felt their power. Or green be they, or in a blaze, The whirlwind sweeps away. 10. The righteous shall rejoice The vengeance to behold : And, in the blood of wicked men. His footsteps he shall wash. 11. And man shall say : In truth His fruit the righteous reaps : In verity, there is a God, That judgeth in the earth. 102 PSALM LIX. To the chief musician. Destroy not. A secret psalm of David, when Saul sent and caused his house to be watched, that he might kill him. I, 2. From all my foes deliver me, my God ; And lift me up o^er them that 'gainst me rise : From evil-doers, and from men of blood Save and deliver me, Lord my God. 3, 4. For, lo, against my soul they lie in wait ; Without my guilt or sin, the strong ones join : Without my fault, they hasten their array : Awake and help me, and look down, Lord. 5. Lord, Thou God of Hosts, O Israel's God, Awake, and visit all the heathen hordes : Yea, punish them for all their perfidies, Nor let thy mercy the transgressors spare ! 6, 7. At even-tide they come, they growl like dogs, And round about the city prowling stalk : Lo, from their mouths they belch forth wickedness ; Upon their lips are swords ; for *' who doth hear V 8, 9. But Thou, O Lord, shalt laugh them all to scorn; The heathen in derision Thou shalt hold : For thine own hand their strength I will reserve, For God my rock is, and my fortress sure. PSALM LIX. 103 10, 11. The God of mercy shall before me go, My God shall make me on my foes look down : Slay them not, lest my people should forget ; Scatter, and lay them low, Lord, our shield ! 12, 13. Their lips but open for their mouths to sin, And they are caught in their own haughtiness, Amidst their cursings and amidst their lies. Consume, consume them, bring them to an end ; And let men know that God in Jacob rules. And sends his power out to the ends of earth ! 14, 15. Then let them come at even, growl like dogs, And let them round about the city prowl : Yea, let them wander up and down for meat, And stray all night, nor yet be satisfied. 16, 17. But I with shouts thy might will celebrate, And, with the dawn, of all thy mercies sing : For, in my day of need. Thou, Lord, hast been My rock of refuge and my safe retreat : To Thee, then, O my strength, my song Fll raise, To God my helper, and my mercy's God ! 104 PSALM LX. To the chief musician. On the lily of testimony, a secret psalm of David, when he had conquered Aram of the floods and Aram Zobah, and Joab had re- turned and slain Edom, even twelve thousand men of them, in the Valley of Salt. 1, 2, 3, 4. Lord, Thou hast cast us off, and scatter^ us ; . Thou''st been displeased ; O turn to us again : Thou''st made the earth to tremble and to gape ; heal her breaches : prop her tottering state. Thou'^st shewn thy people sights of bitterness, And made us reel with drink of deadly wine : Yet to thy servants Thou'st a standard given, To be uplifted in the front of truth ! 5, 6, 7, 8. Lord, that thy loved ones may deliverance find, Save with thy right hand ; hearken to our prayer ! God in his holiness his word hath pledged ; And I will in his promises exult : Shechem I will divide, and Succoth's vale 1 will mete out : for mine is Gilead, And mine Manasseh : Ephraim too is mine. My head's defence : lawgiving Judah mine. Moab my washpot is : T cast my shoe 0''er Edom : swell my pomp, Philistia ! 9, 10,^ But who will lead me into Edom's gates? 11, 12.) Or who will lodge me in her towers of strength? Lord, wilt not Thou ? though Thou didst cast us off, Though with our armies Thou would'st not go forth? O give to us thy help from trouble, Lord, For false the hope of man's deliverance. But we through God will valiant deeds perform, For He it is shall tread our focmcn down ! 105 PSALM LXI. To the chief musician, for instrumental music. By David. 1, 2. Lord, hear my groans ; attend unto my prayer ; From the far ends of earth to Thee I cry : With heart oppressed and sad I crave thy aid ; O lift me on the rock, above my reach so high. 3, 4. For Thou my refuge and my strength hast been, A tower of strength before my foemen's face : Within thy tabernacle I will dwell, And in thy sheltering wings my refuge make for ever ! 5, 6. For Thou, God, hast hearkened to my vows, And given me thy saints' inheritance : Unto the king''s days more days Thou shalt add, And make his lengthened years from age to age endure. 7, 8. Before his God let him abide for ever ; And truth and mercy to preserve him send : So will I celebrate thy name for ever, And day by day my vows with grateful joy perform. 106 PSALM LXII. To the chief musician of the choir of Jeduthun. A psalm of David. 1, 2. My soul in silence waits on God ; From Him shall my salvation come : He only my salvation is, My rock, and high defence : I shall not be cast down. 3. How long, with rage infuriate. Will ye a righteous man assail ? All set to slay him, sorely pressM, And like a bending fence, or batter'd tottering wall. 4. Because God hath exalted him. They therefore plot to thrust him down ; 'Tis their delight to utter lies ; They bless men with their mouths, but curse them with their hearts ! 5, 6. My soul, in silence wait on God, On Him my expectation rests ; He only my salvation is, My rock, and high defence : I shall not be disturbed. 7, 8. God is my glory and my rock ; My strength, my refuge is in God : In Him, ye people, alway trust ; To Him pour out your hearts : God will our refuge be ! PSALM LXIII. lOT 9. Truly the sons of men are naught, Empty or false, both mean and great : When in the impartial balance laid, Together all mount up, outweighM by vanity. 10. Put not, man, thy trust in wrong ; In robbery make not thy boast : If increased wealth around thee shine. Set not on that thine heart, let it not swell thy pride. 11, 12. Once hath God spoken ; twice Tve heard This word — that power belongs to God ! Thine also goodness is, O Lord, For, after his own work, Thou wilt each man reward. PSALM LXIII. A psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 1, 2. God, Thou art my God, thy face From early dawn I seek : Amidst a desert, weary land By no sweet waters bless'd. My flesh, desponding, longs for Thee, My soul thirsts for her God ; To see, as in thy temple shewn, Thy glory and thy power. 108 PSALM LXIII. 3, 4, 5. For all thy loving-kindness, Lord, More dear to me than life, My lips shall praise Thee while I live, My lifted hands adore : As with rich marrow fed, my soul Shall feast upon thy love ; And with exulting lips my mouth Thy grateful praises sing. 6, 7, 8. ril think of Thee upon my bed, And in the still night-watch. On Thee my heart shall meditate. Because Thou'st been my help, Therefore I will rejoice beneath The shadow of thy wings ; My soul shall cleave unto thy steps ; Thy hand shall hold me fast. 9, 10,) But they that seek my life shall fall, 11, J And to earth's depths go down : The sword shall o'er them stretch her hand. The foxes on them feed : So shall the king in God rejoice, And all that swear by him Shall glory, because now is stopp'd Each liar's slanderous tongue. 109 PSALM LXIV. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2. Lord, hear the voice of my complaint ; From fear of foes my life preserve ; Hide me from sinners'* secret wiles, From evil-doers'* lawless force : 8, 4. Who like a sword their tongues have whet, And bitter words like arrows aim''d, To shoot, from ambush, at the just : Lo, fearless flies their sudden bolt. 5. In wrong and in iniquity His fellow each encourages : They commune how their snares to hide, And ask, who will their doings see ? 6. Their minds are bent on wickedness ; A studied scheme they have prepared : So deep is the designing heart. And inward craftiness of man. 7, 8. But God shall strike them with his bolt. And they with sudden wounds shall smart ; Their tongues shall bring them to the dust. And all their followers shall flee. 9, 10. All men shall fear, and own the act Of God, and understand his work : The just with joy in God shall trust, And all the upright shall exult ! IJO PSALM LXV. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 2, 3. Praise rests on Thee in Sion, Lord, And there to Thee the grateful vow is paid : Thou that hearest prayer, To Thee all flesh shall come : See, my misdeeds prevail against my soul. Wipe Thou away our sins. 4. Blest is the servant of thy choice, The man whom in thy courts Thou tak'st to dwell With pleasures of thy house Let us be filled full, And from thy holy temple's living wells Refreshed, quench our thirst. 6, 6. God of our salvation. Thou In fearful judgments answerest our prayers : Thou hope of earth's wide bounds, And sea-washM isles remote. Who by thy strength the mountains dost set fast. Girded about with power. 7, 8. Who stillest ocean's stormy roar, The waves' wild tumult, and the people's rage : Earth's utmost habitants Afraid, thy tokens see, O Thou that mak'st the outgoings of the morn And evening's sons rejoice. PSALM LXVL til 9, 1 0. Thou visitest the earth, and pour'st Thy quickening floods : Thou mak'st it very rich, As full of water flows God''s plenty-giving stream : Thy providence the corn prepares ; for thus Thou dost dispose the earth. 11, 12. The ridges feel thy softening showers, And rain abundant through the furrows runs : » With kindly moisture fed. The blessM increase up-springs : Thy goodness crowns the rich o''erflowing year, Thy steps with fatness drop. 13, 14. They drop, and make the desert smile, And clothe with verdure the exulting hills : Around, with browsing flocks The pasturages teem : The valleys, also, covered ©""er with corn. Shout out, and sing for joy. PSALM LXVI. To the chief musician. A song of praise. 1, 2. Let all the wide-spreading earth To God raise a shout of joy: Let it sing of the glory which circles his name, And with glory his praises exalt. 112 PSALM LXVI. 3. Say ye to the Lord your God — How fearful thy doings are : Thy foes, by the strength of thy power appalPd, With lies at thy footstool cringe. 4, 5. Unto Thee all the earth bows down ; Thee, Lord, and thy name they sing ! Come and see God's works ; what deeds of dread He hath done to the sons of men. 6. The sea to dry land He changed ; On foot through the flood they march : In the midst of the waters his praise we chaunt, Yea, there we rejoice in Him. 7. He rules by his might for ever ; His eyes on the nations look : Let not the rebellious against Hira strive, Nor his foes exalt themselves ! 8, 9. Ye peoples, bless ye our God : Let the voice of his praise be heard ; Who planteth our souls in the land of life. Nor letteth our feet be moved. 10, 11. For lo. Thou didst prove us, God ; Thou didst try us, as silver is tried : Thou broughtest us into the net, and didst lay Thine afflictions upon our loins. 1 2. Thou didst make men ride on our heads, And didst lead us through fire and flood : But Thou broughtest us out to a pleasant land, To a land of o'er-running wealth. PSALM LXVII. 113 13, 14. With burnt offerings, then, to thine house I will go, and will pay my vows ; The vows unto which my lips gave vent, And my mouth in my trouble spake. 15. Yea, T will to thine altar bring Choice fatlings for sacrifice : The incense of rams shall before Thee rise, I will offer fat bullocks and goats. 16. come, to my voice give ear, All ye that do fear the Lord : And I will recount what the Lord hath wrought, What God for my soul hath done. * 17, 18. Upon Him with my mouth I calFd, And Him did my tongue extol : Had I in my heart upon evil look'd. The Lord would not have heard. 19, 20. But verily God hath heard ; He hath heeded the voice of my prayer : BlessM be God, who my prayer hath not put aside, Nor his mercy away from me turnM ! PSALM LXVIL To the chief musician, for instrumental music. A song of praise. 1, 2. God shed his love and blessing o'er us. And midst us cause his face to shine ! So shall thy way through earth be known, And nations own thy saving power. I 114 PSALM LXVIII. 3, 4. The people shall praise Thee, God, Yea, Thee shall all the people praise : The nations shall thy presence hail With gladness, and shall shout for joy. 4, 5. For Thou in righteousness shalt judge And rule the nations of the earth : The people shall praise Thee, God, Yea, Thee shall all the people praise ! 6, 7. The earth shall yield us her increase. And God, our own God, bless our store Our God shall bless us, and his fear Shall fall on all the ends of earth. PSALM LXVIII. To the chief musician, by David. A song of praise 1. The Lord of might arise, And scattered be his foes : Let those that hate Him be ashamed, And flee before his face. 2. As smoke before the wind, So drive Thou them away : Before God's face let sinners melt, As w^ax before the fire. 3. But let the righteous sing. And shout aloud for joy : Yea, with exceeding joyfulness Before their God rejoice. PSALM LXVIII. 115 4. Praise God, and chaunt his name : Triumphing, build the way For Him who through the desert rides, His name, the Mighty Jah ! 5. Unto the fatherless The Lord a father is : God, from his holy dwelling-place. Judges the widow's cause. 6. God seats in cheerful homes The lonely wanderers : The chained He frees, but rebels leaves In barren lands to pine. 7. O God, when Thou didst go Before thy people forth ; When, through the dismal wilderness, In glory Thou didst march — 8. Before God'*s presence, then, Earth trembled, heaven droppM : Yea, Sinai trembled before God, The God of Israel ! 9. With bounteous hand, God, Thou scatteredst thy showers ; And wakenedst to refreshed life Thy weary heritage. 10. Their rest, in that bless'd land. Thy congregation found : So dost Thou, of thy goodness, Lord, Provide for the distressed. I 2 116 PSALM LXVIII. 11. The Lord the signal gives, The singers catch the sound ; And a vast choral company The tidings glad proclaim. 12. Behold, they flee, they flee. The kings of mighty hosts : Whilst Israel, sitting in her homes, Casts lots upon the spoil. 18. At rest within your bounds, Ye shall be bright as doves. Whose wings with silver gleam, and gold Upon their feathers shines. 14. When, at the Almighty's word, Invading kings disperse, A radiance like the glistening snow Lights up dark Salmon's head. 15. Mount Bashan's hill is high, A hill of God it is : Mount Bashan's hill conspicuous stands, A hill of lofty crests. 1 6. Why, ye crested hills. On THIS hill will ye frown? This hath God chosen for his rest, Here shall He dwell for ever. 17. The chariots of God Ten thousand thousands are ; Midst them the Lord, on Sinai known. Illumes the sanctuary. PSALM LXVIIL 117 18. Thou hast gone up on high, With captives captive led, With gifts from men, yea rebels ta'*en. There, O Lord God, to dwell. 19. BlessM be our God each day : Though trouble on us fall, The Lord will lighten our distress, And our salvation be ! 20. The Lord our God the God Of our salvation is : The Lord Jehovah holds the keys Which ope the gates of death. 21. But God will surely crush His adversaries'* heads ; The hairy crests of such as still In wickedness walk on. 22. The Lord our God hath said — From Bashan I will bring, I will from ocean's depths bring back Each lurking plunderer. 23. So that in triumph Thou Shalt dash thy foot in blood : And from thy foemen's gore thy dogs Shall wet their thirsty tongues. 24. The congregation saw, O God, thy solemn march : Thy solemn march, my God, my King, Within thy holy courts. 118 PSALM LXVIII. 25. The singers went before ; Behind a band which touched The sounding strings : the virgins struck Their timbrels in the midst. 26. Let all the assemblies bless And praise the Lord their God : ye from Israel's fountain sprung, Bless ye and praise the Lord. 27. There, little Benjamin Their lord, and Judah's chiefs Their champions, see : Zabulon's chiefs. The chiefs of Naphtali. 28. 'Tis God, who hath ordain'd Thy strength, O Israel : Strengthen, O God, the glorious work Which Thou hast wrought for us. 29. Drawn by thy temple's fame, Which crowns Jerusalem, From far shall kings their choicest gifts Unto thine altar bring. SO. The reed-king chide ; the bulls ; And populace of calves ; Till, prostrate, at thy feet they lay Their silver tribute down. 31. Lo, each war-loving tribe Is scattered ; princes now Shall come from Egypt, and her hands Shall Gush stretch out to God. PSALM LXIX. iiy 32. Ye kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises unto God : sing ye praises to the Lord ; To Him that rides on high — 33. Upon the heaven of heavens Which are and were of old : Behold, He sendeth out his voice, That voice, a voice of power ! 34. Ascribe ye strength to God, Who over Israel His high excelling glory spreads. Whose strength is in the clouds. 35. Lord, from thy holy place Thy terrors Thou display'st : 'Tis IsraePs God who gives us strength And power : let God be bless'd. PSALM LXIX. To the chief musician. By David. On the lilies. 1, 2, 3. Save me, God; for lo, the rising floods Have broken in, and to my life lay siege : In miry depths I sink, nor standing find ; In watery deeps, 'neath whelming floods I drown : Fm faint with crying out, my throat is dried ; Mine eyes have faiFd, whilst waiting for my God. 120 PSALM LXIX. 4. The men that hate me without cause are more Than are the hairs which grow upon my head : My lying foes that, unprovoked, assail And would destroy me, mighty are and strong : Of me defenceless they their booty make, And I restore them what I never took. 5, 6, 7. O God, Thou knowest all my foolishness ; Nor are my trespasses from Thee conceaPd : O let not them that wait on Thee, Lord, Thou God of Hosts, for my sake be ashamed ; Nor, through my fall, let them confounded be That Thee have sought. Thou God of Israel. 8, 9. For lo, for thy sake I have borne reproach, And shame hath covered my downcast face : A stranger to my brethren I'm become. An alien unto my own mother's sons : For Fm with zeal for thy loved house consumed. And all thy scorners turn on me their scorn. 10, 11,^ With tears and fasting when my soul was low% 12. 5 ^y very grief was turned to my reproach : Yea, when of sackcloth I my garments made. Their by- word and their proverb I became : The sitters in the gates against me spake, And vilest drunkards chose me for their song. 13, 14. But as for me, to Thee, Lord, I pray ; let me find Thee in thine hour of grace : Of thy great mercy hear me, my God, Yea, by the truth of thy salvation, hear. Deliver me, lest in the mire I sink ; From haters save me, and from waters deep. PSALM LXIX. 121 15, 16. Let not the water-floods overflow me, Lord, And let me not be swallow'd by the deep : Let not the pit upon me close her mouth. But hear me, my God : for excellent Thy loving- kindness is : yea, turn to me. Of thy great mercy and thy tenderness. 17, 18,) 19. 5 Let not thy face be from thy servant hid, For I'm in trouble ; hear me speedily : Draw nigh unto me, and redeem my soul. Avenge me, for mine adversaries' sake : Thou know'st my shame, dishonour, and reproach, And all my foes are to thy sight exposed. 20, 21. Behold, reproach hath broken down my heart. And I am sore distressed : I look'd for some Who might take pity, but there was not one : For comforters I lookM, but none I found : But, in my woe, they gave me gall for meat. And, when I thirsted, vinegar to drink. 22, 23, ) Then let their table be their deadly snare, 24. 5 ^^^ what they deem their weal, be that their trap. Be their eyes darkened that they may not see. And let their loins continually shake : Thine indignation out upon them pour. And let thine hot displeasure hold them fast. 25, 26,^ Forsaken be their wasted palaces, 27. 5 -^^^ ^^^ ^^ dweller in their tents be seen : For him they persecute whom Thou hast bruised. And mocking tell the pains thy wounds have caused With evil then their evil recompense, Nor let them come where thine uprightness dwells. 122 PSALM LXX. 28, 29, ) Let them be blotted from the book of life, 30. 5 -^^^ with the righteous let their names be writ : But as for me, with pain and grief oppressed, Let thy salvation lift me up, God : So shall I sing the praises of the Lord, And with thanksgiving magnify thy name. 31, 32,) For this shall please thee better far than ox, 33. ) Or horned bullock with divided hoof: The meek have seen : let them that seek the Lord Be full of joy: yea, let your hearts be strong. For the Lord hears the cry of the distressed. Nor e'*er forgets his helpless prisoners. 34, 35,) Him let the earth, and Him the heavens praise : S6. ) The seas, and all their swarming habitants : For God shall Zion save, and Judah''s towns For her build up, to dwell in and possess : His servants'" seed that heritage shall have. Yea, they shall dwell there that have loved his name. PSALM LXX. To the chief musician, by David. To call to remembrance. 1, 2. Haste to my rescue, my God, Make haste and help me. Lord : Confused and put to shame be they That seek after my life ; TurnM back, and smitten with disgrace, Who in my hurt delight. PSALM LXXI. 123 3, 4. Let them to endless shame be driven, That say, Aha ! Aha ! But let all those that seek thy face In Thee with joy exult ; And those, who thy salvation love, Say alway, God is great. 5. And as for me, who needy am, And laden with distress. Make haste and come to me, Lord ; For Thou hast been my help, Yea, my deliverer Thou art, O tarry not, my God. PSALM LXXL 1,2. In Thee, Lord, have I placed my trust ; O give me not to scorn for ever : But, for thine own uprightness"* sake Deliver me, and set me free : Incline thine ear unto my prayer, Yea, hear and save me, my God. 3, 4. Be Thou my dwelling in the rock, Where I may ever entrance find : Thou, Lord, my safety hast decreed, For Thou my hold and fortress art : Save me, my God, from wicked hands, From grasp of cruelty and wrong. 124 PS4LM LXXI. 5, 6. For Thou my hope art ; from my youth The Lord Jehovah is my trust : By Thee have I been holden up Since I v^^as born : Thou, Lord, art He That took me from my mother's womb ; Of Thee shall be my praise for ever. 7, 8, 9. I am a wonder to the crowd, But Thou, Lord, art my refuge strong : My mouth is filled with thy praise And with thy glory all day long : Cast me not off when I am old. Nor leave me, when my strength is gone. 10, 11,) For lo, my foes against me speak . 12. 5 ^"^ they that watch my soul conspire : " God hath forsaken him," they say, " Chase him and seize ; there''s none to save. God, be not far off from me ; Make haste, my God, to succour me. 13, 14. Confounded utterly be they That set themselves against my soul : Let them, that seek to do me hurt, Be covered with reproach and shame ; But let me always hope in Thee, And add yet more to all thy praise. 15, 16. My mouth shall all day long recount Thy righteousness and saving power ; For never can the tale be told : The Lord Jehovah's might to praise 1 will go on : I will declare Thy righteousness, and thine alone. PSALM LXXT. 125 17, 18. My God, Thou'st taught me from my youth, And, thus far, T thy marvels tell : When come old age and grey hairs. Lord, Forsake me not ; until thine arm To other ages I make known, Thy might to all to come declare. 19, 20. On high thy righteousness extends, Thou God, who mighty works hast done : Who can with Thee, God, compare ! Thou, who hast shewn me troubles great And sore, shalt turn and quicken me, Yea, turn and lift me from the deep. 21, 22. My greatness Thou shalt magnify. And comfort me on every side : And, as for me, with psaltery Thee and thy truth Fll celebrate : Of Thee unto the harp I'll sing. Thou Holy One of Israel ! 23, 24. With thrilling lips to Thee Fll sing The praises of my ransomed soul : Yea all day long my lingering tongue Upon thy righteousness shall dwell : For they are put to shame, yea, they That sought to hurt me, are abashM. 126 PSALM LXXII By Solomon. 1, 2. Thy judgments, Lord, unto the king impart, And to the king'*s son shew thy righteousness : Let him in righteousness thy people rule, And to thy poor ones justice minister. S, 4. Peace to the people, let the hills bring forth, And crown'd with righteousness the mountains smile : The children of the needy let him save, And right the poor, but tread the oppressor down. 5, 6. Thee let them fear as long as shines the sun, Or shews the moon her face, from age to age : Like rain upon the grass let him come down, Like streaming showers on the thirsty ground. 7, 8. Let justice flourish in his righteous days, And peace abound till moons shall be no more : From sea to sea let his dominion spread, And from the river to the bounds of earth. 9, 10. Before him let the desert-dwellers bow. And let his enemies all lick the dust : Let Tarshish and the Isles their tribute pay, Sheba and Seba's kings their offerings bring. PSALM LXXII. 127 11, 12. Yea, unto him shall every king bow down, And every nation to his sway submit : For he shall save the wretched when he cries, The poor, and him to whom no helper comes. 13, 14. His care the wretched and forlorn shall raise ; Yea, he shall save the souls of the distressed : From fraud and force their souls he shall redeem, And precious shall their blood be in his sight. 1 5. Long shall he live, and subject nations still Shall gold of Sheba at his feet lay down : For him to heaven shall prayers unceasing rise, And blessings daily on his head be pour'd. 16. Abundant corn in his blest land shall clothe The mountain-tops ; like Lebanon shall wave Their golden fruit : the city's habitants Shall teeming spread like grass upon the earth. 1 7. His name shall be for ever : yea, his name Shall flourish in the presence of the sun : In his name men their blessings shall invoke, And all the nations shall pronounce him bless'd. 18, 19. Bless'd be the Lord our God ; let IsraePs God, Who only doeth wondrous things, be blessM : His glorious name be ever blessM, and earth Be with his glory filFd : Amen, Amen. 128 PSALM LXXTTT. A psalm of Asaph. 1, 2, 3. Truly the Lord is good to Israel, To such as are of upright heart and pure. But as for me, my feet were almost gone ; Yea, my unsteady steps had well-nigh slipped ; For I was envious at the sinner'^s state, And vexed saw the fooFs prosperity. 4, 5, 6. For no sore sickness chains them to the grave ; Their strength is firm ; unbroken is their health ; They feel no touch of human miseries ; Nor nigh them come the plagues of other men. Hence are they circled round their necks with pride, And covered with disdain, as with a cloak. 7, 8, 9. Fed to the full, their eyes stand out with fat ; And unrestrained their haughty thoughts overflow : Corrupt they are, and wickedness they talk ; They speak oppression from their height of pride : To the high heavens their braggart mouth they lift, And o''er earth walks their ever-restless tongue. 10, 11. Lured by the specious shew, an eager crowd Of followers around each leader throngs : For them also rich streams of plenty flow, And waters of abundance are pour'd out. Perverse and blind, "how shall God know?" they say; " Doth He, the High One, look on things below ?" PSALM LXXIII. 129 12, 13,} Lo, these the ungodly are ; they grow in wealth, 14. 3 And their prosperity endures for ever : Surely in vain have I my heart made clean. In vain my hands in innocency wash'd ; Whilst all day long Vm scourged with thy plagues, And every morn renews my chastisement. 15, 16,} But if I said, I will my grief proclaim, 17. ) I were a traitor to thy children'^s cause : Then, musing long, I seek my doubts to solve, But all is labour to my eyes and pain : Until within God's sanctuary I come, And there I learn to understand their end. 18, 19,) Surely, Thou settest them in slippery ways, 20. ) And lefst them fall, in sudden ruin whelm'd : How in a moment to an end they come. Struck with dismay, consumed, and brought to nought. As of his dream the aroused slumberer deems, Thou, Lord, awakening, shalt their image scorn ! 21^ 22,} But my fond heart was steep'd in bitterness ; 23. ^ And I was pricked in my foolish reins : So senseless was I, and so ignorant ; Yea, I was even as a brute before Thee : Yet Thou didst always keep me by thy side, And hold my right hand in thy kindly grasp. 24, 25, } Thou with thy counsel shalt my footsteps guide, 26. 3 And lead me where a crown of glory waits : Whom but Thyself have I in heaven, O Lord ? And none, save Thee, on earth do I desire. My flesh may waste away ; my heart may fail ; God is my heart's firm rock, my lot for ever. K 130 PSALM LXXIV. 27, 28. For lo, all those that go astray from Thee, And bide far off, shall perish : those who go Against Thee whoring, Thou shalt surely slay : But as for me, 'tis good nigh God to dwell ; Upon Thee, Lord Jehovah, I will trust. And, thro' my mouth, shall all thy works be known. PSALM LXXIV. A psalm of Asaph. 1, 2. O God, why hast Thou cast us off for ever? Why smokes thine anger 'gainst the cherish'd flock, In thine own pasture fed ? Remember, Lord, thy people, by Thee won And bought of old ; thy chosen heritage. Mount Zion, thine abode. 5, 4. Lift up thy footsteps o'er the ruin'd waste, Laid desolate for ever : all is spoil'd Within the sanctuary : Where erst came worshipping the assembled tribes. Thine adversaries roar ; where shone thy signs, Their own signs they set up. 6, 6. Behold the spoiler : like to one who comes With lifted axe to clear the entanglement Of forest thick with trees : Yea now, at once, with hatchet they hew down, And shatter with the hammer's heavy stroke The finely carved work. PSALM LXXIV. 131 7, 8. Thy holy sanctuary they've set on fire, And with profaning hands brought down to earth The place where dwelt thy name : They say within their hearts — Let us at once Destroy them all — each synagogue of God Within the land theyVe burnt. 9, 1 0. We see our signs no more ; no prophet now Amongst us stands ; none is there who can tell How long our woes shall last : How long shall this proud enemy revile 1 Say, shall the hated adversary. Lord, Blaspheme thy name for ever ? J 1, 12. Thy hand, thy right hand, why dost Thou withdraw ? Out of thy bosom's depths the avenger bring, And send destruction down : For, from the times of old, God is my king ; 'Tis He who his salvation worketh out Amidst the realms of earth. 13, 14. Thou by thy power didst once the sea divide. And in the waters break the dragons' heads : Thou didst to pieces dash The heads of Egypt's proud leviathans, And to the hungry desert-habitants Didst give them for their meat. 15, 1 6,) The flood, the fountain Thou didst cleave in twain, 17. 3 And dried'st up mighty rivers. Thine the day, The night also is thine : The light Thou hast prepared and the sun ; Thou'st set the borders of the earth, and made Winter and summer-time. K 2 132 PSALM LXXV. 18, 19. Remember this — The enemy hath reproadrd, The foolish people also hath blasphemed Thy holy name, O Lord : Give not the soul of thine own turtle-dove To her foes'* lust : the lives of thy poor saints Forget not, Lord, for ever. 20, 21 . Think on thy covenant ; for each dark place Of earth is with the habitations filPd Of cruelty and wrong : Let not the oppressed to grief and shame return, But let the miserable and the poor Still praise and bless thy name. 22, 23. Arise, O God, in thine own quarrel fight ; Remember the reproaches all day long By fools upon Thee thrown : The cry forget not of thy haughty foes ; Behold the uproar of thine enemies Ascendeth up for ever. PSALM LXXV. To the chief musician. A psalm of Asaph. A song of praise. To Thee will we give thanks, O God, To Thee will we give thanks : For nigh us now thy name we see. In wondrous works revealM. PSALM LXXV. 133 2. And as for me, when round my throne The congregation come, Then will I righteousness maintain, And in uprightness judge. 3. The earth, and all that dwell therein, Are utterly dissolved : The pillars upon which it leans I have explored and weighed ! 4. Unto the boasters I have said — Your empty boastings cease : And to the wicked — Set not up A too presumptuous horn, 5, 6. Yea, lift not up your horns on high, Nor speak with haughty neck : For help shall come not from the East, Nor in the West be found : 6, 7. The desert mountains of the South No succour shall afford. But God is Judge : 'tis He puts down, And He it is exalts. 8. For in God's hand there is a cup, Which foams with sparkling wine : Fiird with a mingled draught, thereout He poureth for the just ; Whilst all the wicked of the earth Suck out and drink the dregs. 9. But, as for me, I will proclaim His praise for evermore ; 134 PSALM LXXVI. And to the God of Jacob sing The glory of his name. 10. And I will cut off every horn Which crowns the sinner's head But will in honour elevate The horns of righteous men. PSALM LXXVI. To the chief musician, for stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song of praise. 1, 2. The Lord is known through Judah''s hosts, His name is great in Israel : At Salem also is his tent, On Zion'^s mount his dwelling-place. 3, 4. The bow's dread lightnings there He brake, The shield, the sword, the battle's might : Thou, noble mount, art glorious Above the robber-mountains far ! 5. The stout of heart are made a prey, Unarm'd, unnerved, they've slept their sleep ; And all the men of martial might. Now palsied miss their valiant hands. 6, 7. At thy rebuke, Jacob's God, Chariot and horse are steep'd in sleep : Thou'rt dreadful. Thou — when glows thy wrath, Who then before thy face shall stand ? PSALM LXXVII. rSo 8, 9. From heaven Thou didst thy sentence give, The awe-struck earth in silence heard ; When God to utter judgment rose, To save the meek ones of the earth ! 10, 11. For man's wild rage but yields Thee praise, His height of rage Thou girdest on. Then to the Lord your God your vows Vow ye, his servants, and perform. 11, 12. Your presents bring unto the Lord, The fearful God : to Him who stops The breath of princes, and whose name Is dreadful to the kings of earth. PSALM LXXVIL To the chief musician of the choir of Jeduthuu. A psalm of Asaph. 1, 2, 3. On God PU call, and cry aloud; On God Pll call, and He shall bend His ear unto my prayer : In sorrow's hour I sought the Lord ; My hand was stretched out all night ; My soul would not be soothed : I thought upon my God, and mourn'd ; I mused, but no relief I found ; My spirit shrunk abashed. 136 PSALM LXXVII. 4, 5, 6. All night Thou mad'st my wearied eyes The watches keep : with trouble sore Confused, I could not speak : I thought upon the days of old, The years of generations past : All through the sleepless night My memory its songs recalFd ; I communed musing with my heart ; Deep thought my spirit held. 7, 8, 9. For ever will the Lord cast off? And will He never more bestow His favour and his love ? For ever is his mercy ceased ? And will his word henceforth from age To age be heard no more ? Hath God forgotten to be kind I And hath He in his wrath shut up The fountains of his grace ? 10,11,12. Then said I— This my burden is ; The right hand of the Highest brings These years of suffering. I'll call to mind the works of God, And to my memory recall Thy wonders of old time : Upon thy doings I will dwell, Yea, upon all thy deeds of might My heart shall meditate. 13, 14, 15. Thy march, O God, is in the ways Of holiness : what God is there So great as is our God ? Thou art the God of wondrous deeds, PSALM LXXVIII. 137 Before the congregation Thou Hast published thy strength : Thy people by thine hand of power Thou hast redeemed ; e'en Jacob's sons. And Joseph's progeny. 1 6, 1 7, 1 8. The waters saw thy face, God, The waters saw thy face, and fear'd ; The startled floods recoiPd : The clouds in streaming torrents pour'd, The skies gave out their solemn voice ; Thine arrows went abroad : In rolling sounds thy thunders spake ; Thy lightnings lighted up the world ; Wide gaped the trembling earth. 19, 20. Thy way across the ocean lay ; Thy paths amidst the watery waste ; Thy footsteps none could trace : Thy people Thou didst lead like sheep By Moses' and by Aaron's hand, Thy chosen ministers. PSALM LXXVIII. A psalm of instruction. By Asaph. 1, 2, 3. My people, hearken to my law, And bend your ear unto my words My mouth shall utter parables, 138 PSALM LXXVIII. And mysteries of old expound ; The tales which we have heard, and know , And by our fathers have been told. 4, 5. We will not hide them from their sons, But let the latter ages know The praises of the Lord, his strength, And all the wonders He hath done. To Jacob He his witness gave, His law on Israel imposed : 5, 6. And to our fathers gave command That they should teach it to their sons : That generations yet to come And children to be born might learn His mighty works ; and, rising up, The story to their children tell. 7, 8. That they might place their trust in God, And not forget what God hath done ; But his commandments keep, and ne''er Be as their fathers were ; a race Pervei'se, of stubborn heart and false. And spirit faithless to their God. 9, 10, IL The sons of Ephraim, armM with bows, In day of battle turn'd their backs : God's covenant they did not keep, And in his law they would not walk : Yea, they forgot his deeds, nor thought Of all ijhe wonders they had seen. 12, IS,) In Egypt He, on Zoan's field, 14. ) Before their fathers wonders wrought : PSALM LXXVIII. 139 He brought them through the parted sea, And made the waters stand on heaps : By day He led them with a cloud, And with a light of fire all night. 15, 16. The rocks amidst the wilderness He clave, and gave them drink thereout As from a fountain's liquid depths : Yea, torrents from the stony rock He brought, and made the waters flow Like rivers down its rugged steeps. 17, 18,^ But in the wilderness they sinn'd 19. 3 Yet more, provoking the Most High: And in their heart they tempted God, Whilst asking meat to stay their souls : Yea, 'gainst their God they spake — " Can God A table in the desert spread?" 20. " Behold, He smote the rock, and made The waters gush, the streams o'erflow : But can He likewise give us bread. Or for his people flesh provide V 21, 22. God heard, and was displeased; and, lo, A kindling fire 'gainst Jacob blazed. And wrath went up 'gainst Israel : Because they did not God believe. Nor trusted in his saving help. 23, 24,^ Then to the clouds He gave command; 25. ) The doors of heaven He opened ; And manna rain'd for them to eat. Yea, fed them of the corn of heaven. 140 PSALM LXXVIII. They all the bread of angels ate. He sent them food unto the full. 26, 27, 1 Through heaven He made the East wind blow, 28. 3 And at his word the South wind came : He rain'd upon them flesh like dust, And fowls like sand upon the shore ; And let them fall amidst their camp. And round about each dwelling-place. 29, 30. So they did eat, and were well filPd ; For He did give them their desire : They had not parted from their lust, The meat was still within their mouths, When on them fell the wrath of G od ! SI, 32,} The fat ones of their tribes He slew, 33. ) And made the young of Israel bow : But for all this they sinned still. Nor, for his wondrous works, believed : Therefore their days in vanity, Their years in terror He consumed. 34, 35,} What time He slew them, then they turn'd, 36. 5 And sought, and asked after God ; Remembering God to be their rock. And their redeemer, the Most High. Yet they dissembled with their mouths, And lied unto Him with their tongues. 37, 88. For their heart was not right with Him ; Nor were they to his covenant firm. But He, of tender-mercy full. Forgave their sin, and slew them not : PSALM LXXVIII. 141 Yea, many a time He turnM away His wrath, nor all his anger stirrM. 3.9, 40. For He rememberM they were flesh ; A fleeting breath that, passing by Is gone, and comes not back again. How often did their rebel race His spirit in the desert vex, And grieve Him in the wilderness ! 41, 42. Yea, to their sin returned, afresh They tempted God, and did affront The Holy One of Israel : They thought not of his saving hand. Nor did they call to mind the day When from their foes He rescued them. 43, 44,^ How He his signs in Egypt wrought, 45. 5 His wonders in the field of Zoan : And turnM their rivers into blood. They could^ not of their waters drink : He sent amongst them noisome flies, And frogs by which they were consumed. 46, 47, ^ He gave their increase to the worm ; 48. i Their labour to the locust's bite : Their vines with hailstones He destroyM, And all their sycamores with frost : He gave their cattle to the hail. Their flocks unto the scorching flame. 49, 50. Against them his fierce rage He sent, Wrath, indignation, and despair, His dread affliction-messengers : 142 PSALM LXXVIII. A way He openM for his wrath, Nor spared their souls from death, but gave Their hves unto the pestilence. 51, 52. All Egypt'^s first-born He did smite. The strongest in the tents of Ham : But, for the people of his love, He made them to go forth like sheep : Yea, like a flock He guided them All through the barren wilderness. 53, 54. Fearless and safe He led them on. Whilst o'er their foes the seas were pourM ; And brought them to the boundaries Which hedged in his holy land ; Unto the mountain of his choice. Which his right hand had conquered. 55, 56. The heathen also He cast out. And threw them to his people''s lot ; And made the tribes of Israel To dwell within their vacant tents. Yet tempted they the Lord their God ; Yea, they provoked the Most High. 57, 58. They did not keep his testimonies. But like thpir fathers turned back, And dealt unfaithfully ; they swerved Like unto a deceitful bow : With their high places they enraged, And with their idols vexed Him. 59, 60,) God heard; and lo, his anger rose, 61. 3 And He abhorred Israel : PSALM LXXVIII. 143 Yea, Shiloh's dwelling He forsook, The tent which He had pitchM with men : His strength He gave up to the yoke, His glory to the foeman's hand. 62, 63,) He left his people to the sword, 64. 5 Aiid smote in wrath his heritage : The fire consumed their young men, Their maidens heard no bridal song : Their priests were by the sword destroyed. And o'er them rose no widow's moan. 65, 66. Then waked the Lord, as out of sleep, Or like a warrior cheor'd with wine : And backward struck his enemies, And made them a reproach for ever. 67, 68,) Yet He rejected Joseph's tents, 69. 5 ^^^ chose the tribe of Ephraim : But He selected Judah's tribe ; The Mount of Zion which He loved : There high his sanctuary He built. And fix'd it like the earth for ever. 70, 71,7 And David He to serve Him chose, 72. ) From sheep-folds taking him, and ewes With young, on Jacob to attend. And Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he fed them then, And guided them with skilful hands. 144 PSALM LXXIX. A psalm of Asaph. 1 . G OD, the heathen have come up, And ravaged thine inheritance : Thy holy temple they've defiled, And laid Jerusalem in heaps. 2. TheyVe given to the fowls of heaven Thy servants' flesh to be their meat : The mangled bodies of thy saints They've cast unto the beasts of earth. 3. Their blood about Jerusalem Like water they have made to flow : The ways are with their corpses strewn, And none to bury them is found ! 4. Unto our neighbours we're become A standing by-word and reproach : A mere derision and a scorn To them that round about us dwell. 5, 6. How long, Lord ? Shall thy wrath ne'er cease I Thy jealousy burn on like fire ? Thine anger on the heathen pour, Who ne'er have trod thy temple's courts. PSALM LXXIX. 145 7. Thy fury on the nations pour That have not known Thee ; on the reahns That have not calFd upon thy name : For they've devoured Israel, And laid his habitations waste. 8. Eemember not 'gainst us the ills Of old by our forefathers done : But haste, and bid thy mercies come To meet us, for we're sunk in woe. 9. God our Saviour, for the praise Of thine own name, thy help afford : For thy name's sake deliver us, And o'er our sins thy pardon throw. 10. Why say the nations, where's their God ? teach the nations, while our eyes Look on, what vengeance Thou requir'st From those that shed thy servants' blood. 11. let the sigh by captive heaved In his lone cell before Thee rise : By thy right arm's prevailing pow'r Redeem the doomed sons of death. 12. And to our neighbours. Lord, return Into their bosom sevenfold The blasphemy and foul reproach Wherewith they have reproached Thee ! 13. So we, thy people and the flock Of thine own pasture, Thee will thank : From age to age for evermore Will we tell forth thy endless praise. 146 PSALM LXXX. To the chief musician. On hlies. An ordinance of Asaph. 1. Shephekd of Israel, who of old Led'st Joseph like a flock, give ear : Thou that dost enthroned sit Between the cherubim, shine forth. 2. Before the face of Ephraim, Manasseh, and of Benjamin, Arise, and waken up thy strength, And greet us with thy saving help. 8. Come, lead us back again, God, And let thy face its light beam forth, And then shall we be saved ! 4, 5. Lord Grod of Hosts, how long shall smoke Thy wrath against thy people's prayers ? With bread of tears Thou feedest them, Thou mak'st them drink deep draughts of tears. 6. Thou makest us a helpless prey, The booty of our neighbours' strife : By Thee abandoned we're become The corn and laughter of our foes. PSALM LXXX 147 7. Come, lead us back, God of Hosts, And let thy face its light beam forth, And then shall we be saved ! 8. 9. Thou broughfst a vine from Egypt, drav'st The nations out, and planted'st it : The ground before it Thou didst clear ; Its roots it struck, and filPd the land. 10, 11. The hills were covered with her shade, God's cedars with her climbing boughs : She stretched her branches to the sea, Her suckers to the eastern stream. 12, 13. Why hast Thou broken down her hedge. And bared her to the prowler*'s spoil ? The forest boar doth ravage her, The wild beast of the field devours. 14, 15. Turn, God of Hosts, from heaven look down. Behold and visit, Lord, this vine : The plant of thy right hand uphold. The branch Thou strengthenedst for thyself. 1 6. Behold, thy vine is burn'd with fire, The axe hath laid its branches waste : By thy dread countenance rebuked, Thy people. Lord, consume and die. 17, 18. Upon the man of thy right hand Let thy sustaining hand be laid : Upon the anointed son of man. Whom Thou hast strengthened for thyself : So will we ne'er go back from Thee, Quicken us, and on Thee we'll call. L 2 148 PSALM LXXXI. 19. Come, lead us back, Lord God of Hosts, And let thy face its light beam forth, And then shall we be saved ! PSALM LXXXI. To the chief musician. After the manner of Gath. By Asaph. 1, 2. Cry aloud unto God our Strength ; Eaise a shout unto Jacob's God : A psalm strike up, and the timbrel bring, The lute, and the pleasant harp. 3. Let the joyous trumpet blow On the day when the moon is new : Let its strains resound when the moon is full, On the day of our festival. 4. For this was Israel's law. The command of Jacob's God : This ordinance was unto Joseph given. When he march'd thro' the tyrant's land : 5, 6. When from Egypt he went, (where I heard A tongue I did not understand :) " His shoulders I eased from the basket's weight, And his hands from the pots withdrew. PSALM LXXXI. 149 7. " Thou didst cry in thine hour of need, And I gave thee deliverance : From the veil of the thunder I heard thee, I proved Thy faith at the waters of strife. 8, 9. " My people, give ear to my words ; I adjure thee, O Israel, hear : Let no foreign god be amidst thee found. Nor to god of the stranger bow. 10. " Lo, I am the Lord thy God ; From Egypt I brought thee forth : In my love put thy trust, and thy mouth open wide, Behold, I will fill it with good. 11, 12. " But my people obey'd not my voice. And Israel lov^d Me not : So I gave them up to their own hearts'* lusts, And they walkM in their own conceits. 13, 14. "0 would that my people had heard ! And Israi^l walk'd in my ways ! How soon had I humbled their adversaries, And my hand on their enemies turn'd. 15, 16. " God's foes at their feet should have cringed, And their days have endured for ever : HeM have fed them with prime of the wheat; at thy call Streams of honey had flow"'d from the rock.*^ 150 PSALM LXXXII. A psalm of Asaph. 1, 2. God stands amongst the assembled gods ; Amidst the gods He judges still — " How long will ye unjustly judge, And countenance the oppressor's cause ? 3, 4. " The poor man's cause and orphan's hear, And right the wretched and the weak : The afflicted and the poor set free, And save them from the oppressor's hand. 5. " They know not, nor discern aright ; In darkness they keep walking on : The whole foundations of the earth Are tottering, and out of course. 6, 7. " Myself have said that ye were gods, And all the sons of the Most High : But ye the death of men shall die. And like a common chieftain fall." 8. Arise, O God : from thy high throne Do Thou give judgment on the earth : For Thou o'er all the nations rul'st. And all the realms of earth are thine. 151 PSALM LXXXIII. A song of praise. By Asaph. 1, 2. Lord, be not silent, be not dumb. No longer hold thy peace, God : For lo, thine adversaries storm. Thy foes lift up their heads on high. 3, 4. Against thy people they have laid A cunning plot, and have conspired Against thy loved, thy treasured flock : Come, say they, let us cut them ofi^. Their place be from the nations lost. And Israel's name be heard no more. 5, 6. In counsel deep and dark theyVe join'd ; 'Gainst Thee a covenant they've struck— The Ishmaelites, with Edom's tents, The Moabites, and Hagarenes : 7, 8. Gebel and Ammon, Amalek, The Philistines, and men of Tyre : With them is Assur also join'd. The right arm of the sons of Lot. 9, 10. To them do as to Midian, To Sisera, and Jabin's hosts, In Kishon's vale, at Endor slain, Who lay like dung upon the earth. 152 PSALM LXXXIV. 11, 12. Their chiefs as Oreb make and Zeeb, With Zeba and Salmunna lay Their braggart princes, who aspire To seize upon the seats of God ! 13, 14. Make them, my God, like whirling chaff, Or stubble, borne before the wind : As fire consumes the forest's pride. And flames upon the mountain spread — 15, 16. So lash them with thy tempest's scourge. And with thy storm-wind make them shake Their faces cover o'er with shame. And make them seek thy name, O Lord. 17, 18. Be shame and trembling theirs for ever ; Yea, let them be ashamed and die : And Thou, whose name alone is Jah, Be known o'er earth to be Most High ! PSALM LXXXIV. To the chief musician. After the manner of Gath. A psalm by the sons of Korah. 1, 2. How amiable are thy tabernacles, Lord, Thou God of Hosts ! My soul with eager longing pines. Yea, fainteth for thy courts : My throbbing heart and flesh cry out For Thee the living God. PSALM LXXXIV. 153 3. Lo, where the trembling sparrow finds A refuge and a home : The swallow too a nest secure Where she may lay her young : 'Tis by thine altars, Lord of Hosts, My Sovereign, and my God ! 4, 5. Blessed are they who ever dwell Within thy hallowed walls ; Who ever Thee, adoring, sing. Devoted to thy praise : They''re blest, who Thee their strength have made, Whose hearts thy pathways scan. 6, 7. For them springs rise in Baca's vale, Eain fills the exhausted pools : And still from strength to strength they go, Until, on Zion's mount, Before the presence of the Lord, The God of gods they bow. 8, 9. Lord God of Hosts, hear Thou my prayer, Give ear, Jacob's God ! God our shield, upon the face Of thine anointed look. 10. For one day in thy courts excels A thousand idle years : rd rather, in the house of God, Serve humbly at the door. Than dwell supreme within the tents Of wickedness and sin. 154 PSALM LXXXV. 11, 12. For God a sun is and a shield ; Glory and grace He gives : No good thing God from those withholds Who walk in uprightness. Blest is the man, O Lord of hosts. Who puts his trust in Thee ! PSALM LXXXV. To the chief musician. A psalm by the sons of Korah. 1, 2. Lord, Thou of old wast gracious to thy land. And unto captive Jacob didst return : Thy people's wickedness Thou didst forgive, And cast a veil ©""er all their trespasses. 3, 4. All thy displeasure Thou didst put away, And stay the fierceness of thine anger's glow : God our Saviour, now to us return, And yet again thine indignation quench. 5, 6. Wilt Thou for ever let thine anger burn, And still, from age to age, thy wrath prolong ? Wilt Thou not yet return and quicken us, And let thy people in thy name rejoice ? PSALM LXXXVI. 156 7, 8. Show us, Lord, the riches of thy love, And thy salvation to thy servants give : Yea, I will hear what God the Lord doth say — Peace to his people and his saints He speaks, But bids them not return to foolishness ! 9, 10, 1 Salvation now nigh them that fear Him draws ; 11. J And glory comes within our land to dwell : Lo, truth and mercy are together met. And peace and righteousness have kiss'd each other : Truth upwards shoots exulting from the earth. And from the heavens fair righteousness looks down. 12, 13. Yea, now the Lord his goodness shall bestow, And her increase our teeming land shall yield : Before God's presence righteousness shall march And teach our footsteps in his ways to walk. PSALM LXXXVL A prayer of David. 1, 2. Bow down thine ear, and hear me, Lord, For I am poor and destitute : Preserve my soul, for I am pure, Do Thou thy servant save, who trusts in Thee, my God. 156 PSALM LXXXVI. 3, 4. Be gracious unto me, Lord, For all day long on Thee I call : With joy thy servant's soul refresh, For unto Thee, Lord, do I lift up my soul. 6, 6. For Thou art good and merciful ; To all that seek Thee, rich in love : Lord, give ear unto my prayer, And hearken to the voice of my imploring cry. 7, 8. On Thee, in my affliction's hour 1 call, for Thou dost answer me : There's none like Thee among the gods. Nor any where are works like unto thine, Lord. 9, 10. All nations whom Thou'st made, shall come. And bow before thy presence, Lord : Yea, they shall glorify thy name, Who'rt great and wonders dost : Thou, Thou alone art God. 11, 12. Teach me, Lord, the way Thou lov'st. And in thy truth my feet shall walk : O knit in one my loose desires. And let me fear thy name with undivided heart. 13, 1 4. I'll praise Thee, Lord, with all my heart. And glorify thy name for ever : For great thy love to me has been. Yea, Thou hast snatch'd my soul e'en from the depths of hell. 14, 15. O God, the proud against me rise, And lawless bands my life pursue. PSALM LXXXVII. 157 And set not Thee before their eyes : Yet Thou, Lord, art a God of love, Compassionate, and very kind. To anger slow, and full of goodness and of truth. 1 6. Turn, and be gracious to me, Lord, Thy strength unto thy servant give, Yea, on thine handmaid's son, thy saving health bestow. 17. Some token of thy favouring grace Upon me work, that all my foes May see, and with confusion learn That Thou, Lord, helpest me, and comfortest my soul. PSALM LXXXVn. A song of praise, by the sons of Korah. 1, 2, 3. Jerusalem's foundations firm Are on the holy mountains laid : The Lord the gates of Zion loves Above the rest of Jacob's homes : Lo, glorious things are uttered Of thee, thou City of our God ! 158 PSALM LXXXVIIL 4. '* Rahab amongst my worshippers, And Babylon I will record." Behold Philistia and Tyre, And look upon the sons of Oush ; All these of Salem's glory boast, And claim her for their place ©f birth. 5, 6. Now shall it be of Zion said — " Saint after saint in her is born, And He the Highest planteth her." The Lord, when He his people's roll Inscribes, shall of each one declare — '' This man within her gates was born." 7. The joyous troop with dance and song Her praises now shall celebrate : " In thee are all my pleasant springs, In thee each fountain of delight." PSALM LXXXVIIL A song by the sons of Korah. To the chief musician. In the extremity of bitterness. A lesson of Heman the Ezrahite. 1, 2, S. Lord, my salvation's God, By day, by night, to Thee I cry ; let my prayer before Thee come. And to my wailings lend thine ear : For sorrow fills my inmost soul, My life is verging to the grave. PSALM LXXXVIII. 159 4, 5. With men descending to the tomb I'm rankM — as one whose strength is gone : Death's freeman — I am hke the slain, Whose home is in the sepulchre, Whom Thou rememberest no more, Who're cut off from thy hand for ever. 6, 7. Thou'st laid me in the lowest pit. Midst darkness, in abysses dire : Thy heavy wrath upon me weighs. Thou plaguest me with all thy waves ! 8, 9. Thou'st put my friends away from me, And to abhorrence changed their love : I'm caged, and no escape I find. Mine eye consumes with misery : Lord, on Thee all day I call. To Thee I stretch my suppliant hands. 10, 11,1 ^^^^ Thou shew wonders to the dead ? 12. J Shall shades rise up and praise thy name ? Thy mercy in the tomb be told ? Destruction hear thy faithfulness ? Shall darkness all thy wonders learn ? Oblivion's land thy righteousness ? 13, 14,] 15. J 13, 14,") But I, Lord, unto Thee have cried. My prayer hath met Thee with the dawn : Why dost Thou cast away my soul ? Why hide from me thy face, Lord ? Weak from my youth, and nigh to death, Thy fear distracts my labouring soul. 160 PSALM LXXXIX. 16, 17,1 Thy surging wrath hath o'er me rolPd, 18. J And by thy terrors Pm destroyed : Eound me all day like streams they rush, On every side they compass me : Lover and friend Thou"'st from me put, And darkness made my company. PSALM LXXXIX. A lesson of Ethan the Ezrahite. 1. The mercies of the Lord For ever will I sing : Thy faithfulness from age to age My mouth shall celebrate. 2. For mercy, I have said, Is now built up for ever : Upon the heavens thy faithfulness Thou hast established. S," With my adopted son A covenant Pve made ; And to my servant David sworn An everlasting oath. PSALM LXXXIX. 161 4. For ever and for ever Thy seed will I set up ; And build thy throne, unmoved to stand From age to furthest age. 5. Behold, the heavens, Lord, Thy wonders celebrate : The assembly of the holy ones Thy faithfulness extols. 6. For who, throughout the skies, Can with the Lord compare ? And who, amongst the sons of gods, Is like unto the Lord ? 7. The holy band on high God^s awful terrors own ; The reverence of his holy name On all around Him falls. 8. Lord, Thou God of Hosts, Whose might is like to thine 1 Whose truth, O Jah, with that can vie Which Thee encompasseth ? 9. Thy mighty hand controls The swelling of the sea : When lift her waves their crests on high. Thou dost their pride subdue. 10. As with a mortal wound Thou crushedst Bahab's might : And by the power of thine arm Dispersedst all thy foes. 162 PSALM LXXXTX. 11. Thine are the heavens, Lord, Thine also is the earth : The world's foundations Thou hast laid, And all its wealth is thine. 12, 13. North Thou hast made and south; Tabor and Hermon shout, Exulting in thy name : Thine is an arm of might, thy hand Is strong, thy right hand high. 14. Judgment and righteousness Thy throne's foundations are : Mercy and truth, attendants pure, Before thy presence march. 15. That people blessed is That knows the shout of joy : That walketh in the light which beams From thy bright face, O Lord. 16. They all day long with joy Shall in thy name exult, And in thy righteousness and truth Shall they be raised on high. 17. For Thou their glory art. The beauty of their strength : Thou, by the power of thy grace, Dost elevate our horn. 18. For to the Lord belongs Our shield and our defence : 'Tis IsraeFs Holy One who gives His chosen for our king. PSALM LXXXIX. 163 19. Of old in vision to tby saints Thou spakest, and didst say — *' Upon a warrior help Pve laid, Out of the people I have raised A chief of youthful prime. 20, 21. " David, my servant, I have found, And with my holy oil I have anointed him. With him My firmly planted hand shall rest, My arm shall strengthen him. 22, 23. " Him shall no foe distress, nor son Of wickedness molest : His adversaries I will crush Before his face, and all who hate His sway, with scourges lash. 24, 25. " My truth and mercy shall with him Abide, and through my name His horn shall be exalted high : His hand upon the sea I'll place, His right hand on the streams. 26, 27. "Then he shall call Me, Father, God, And his salvation's rock : And I will him my firstborn make. And raise him to the highest throne. Above the kings of earth. 28, 29. " For him my mercies I will keep For ever, and with him I will maintain my covenant : His seed for aye shall stand, his throne Be lasting as the heavens. 164 PSALM LXXXIX. oO, 31. " But if his sons my law forsake, And walk not in my ways : If they my ordinance profane, And if, to wickedness incHned, They keep not my commands — 32, 33. " Their sins TU visit with the rod, With stripes their trespasses : But will not from them take away My mercy, nor be found untrue Unto my plighted word. 34, 35. " My covenant Fll not profane. Nor will I change the word Which from my lips hath passM. Of old I by my holiness have sworn, Nor will to David lie — 36, 37. " His seed shall be for aye, his throne Before Me like the sun : For ever shall he firmly stand Like to the moon, which in the skies Her constant witness bears." 38, 39. But Thou hast angry been, and loath'd Thine own anointed one : Him hast Thou spurn'd ; Thou hast abhorr'd Thy servant's covenant, and cast To earth his crown profaned. 40, 41. Thou'st broken all his fences down, And of his fastnesses A horror made : each passer by Despoileth him, the people round Overload him with reproach. PSALM LXXXIX. 165 42, 48. The right hand of his foes Thou'st raised, And filled with delight The hearts of all his enemies : Thou'st turn'd the power of his sword, Nor helped him in the fight. 44, 45. The light which round about him shone In darkness Thou hast quenchM : Down to the earth his throne Thou'st dash'd, His prime of days Thou hast cut off. And heap'd him o^er with shame. 46, 47. How long wilt Thou withdraw Thyself? For ever wilt Thou, Lord ? Shall thy displeasure burn like fire ? Think what I am, how fleet my days : Why hast Thou made in vain Each child of humankind ? 48, 49. What man hath lived, and not seen death ? Who from the hand of hell His soul can save ? Where, Lord, are fled Thy former kindnesses, which erst Thou didst to David swear Upon thy faithfulness ? 50. Remember the reproaches. Lord, Upon thy people thrown : Think how within my breast I bear The scorn of all the heathen throngs Which round about me swarm. 166 PSALM XC. 51, 52. For lo, thine enemies blaspheme, Yea, they blaspheme, Lord, The steps of thine Anointed One. Bless'd be the Lord for evermore : Amen, again. Amen ! PSALM XG. A prayer of Moses, the man of (ii)d. 1, 2. Lord, Thou our home hast been from age to age. Of old, before the mountains were brought forth. Or earth and living world were formM, Thou art — Through all eternity, eternal God ! S, 4. Thou turnest mortals back again to dust, And sayst, " Return, ye children of mankind ! " For in thy sight a thousand years pass by Like yesterday ""s short flight, like night's swift hours. 5, 6. Thou sweepest them away ; theyVe like a sleep Which fades at morn, or like the changing grass : At morn it blooms, but quickly fades away. At eve it is cut down, dried up, and withered. PSALM XC. 167 7, 8. So perish we, consumed in thy wrath, And by thy fearful indignation troubled : For Thou our sins before Thee hast arraigned, And draggest forth our hidden trespasses Into the light of thy dread countenance. 9, 10. Before thine anger all our days retire ; Our years are spent, and vanish like a thought : As for our days, to seventy years they run, Yea, with the strong, to fourscore years endure : But all their pride is weariness and woe. So soon our strength is gone, our life is fled. 11, 12. Lord, who the power of thine anger knows? Or weighs aright the terrors of thy wrath ? Teach us to scan the number of our days, And yield to wisdom our obdurate hearts. 13, 14. Return, Lord — How long dost Thou delay? And look, relenting, on thy servants'* woes : Each morn with mercies satisfy our souls, And all our days with joy and gladness cheer. 15, 16. With gladness compensate our days of pain. And years wherein thy chastisements weVe borne : Upon thy servants let thy works be shewn, And on their sons thy glory be displayed. 1 7. The grace and favour of the Lord our God Upon us beam, and shine about our path ! O prosper Thou the labour of our hands, The labour of our hands that prosper Thou ! 168 PSALM XCI. 1, 2. Who dwells within the High One^s secret place, Who underneath the Almighty's shadow rests ; Who saith unto the Lord, " My refuge Thou And fortress art, ray God, in whom I trust — " 3, 4. Lo, He shall loose thee from the fowler''s snare. And keep thee from the noisome pestilence : His feathers for thy cover He shall spread, And underneath his wings shall shelter thee : His truth shall be thy buckler and thy shield. 5, 6. Thou shalt not tremble at the night's alarm, Nor at the shaft that in the day-time flies : Nor fear the sickness which in darkness walks. Nor wasting plague that at mid-day devours. 7, 8. A thousand at thy side — at thy right hand Shall myriads fall : thyself it shall not touch. But with thine eyes the judgment thou shalt see, And look upon the sinner's recompense. 9, 10. Because thou sayst, " Thou, Lord, my refuge art,' And with the Highest niakest thine abode, No evil chance shall meet thee by the way. And no misfortune nigh thy dwelling come. PSALM XCII. 169 11, 12. His angels He shall charge thy steps to watch, And bid them guard thee throughout all thy ways : Upon their pinions they shall bear thee up. Nor let thee strike thy foot against a stone. 13. Upon the lion thou shalt set thy foot, And o''er the serpent walk : the lion's whelp In fiercest strength of youth shalt thou tread down, And trample on the fiery basilisk. 14, 15. "Because he loves Me, I will rescue him, And set him up, because he knows my name : Yea, he shall call, and I his voice will hear, And in his trouble he shall find Me nigh. 15, 16. " From all his woes I will deliver him, And on his head a crown of glory set : With length of days Til satisfy his soul, And my salvation to his sight unfold." PSALM XCII. A hymn of praise foi* the Sabbath day. 1, 2, 3. "'TIS good to thank the Lord; to sing And praise thy name, Thou Most High At dawn thy mercies to rehearse, And every night thy faithfulness. Upon the lute, and ten-string'd lyre, And on the sweetly sounding harp. 170 PSALM XCII. 4, 5. For through thy glorious works, Lord, Thou mak'st my heart overflow with joy : And I will loudly celebrate The operations of thy hands : How great, how very great thy works, How deep thy counsels are, Lord. 6, 7. This is not to the brutish known. Nor comprehended by the fool. That when ungodly men like grass Sprout out, and each ill-doer shews His proudest blossoms, 'tis for this — That they may be destroyed for ever. 8, 9. But Thou, Lord, enthroned on high, Shalt reign through all eternity : For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, Thine enemies have perished ; And all the doers of misdeeds Are utterly dispersed and gone. 10, 11. But Thou shalt raise my horn on high Like to the unicorn''s, and pour Thy freshest oil upon my head : Mine eyes upon my foes shall look, Mine ear shall hear her lust of them, The wicked, that against me rose. 12, 18,^ The righteous like the palm shall sprout, 14. ) And hke Lebanon's cedars grow. They're planted in Jehovah's house, They sprout out in the courts of God : Still in old age their fruit they bear. And lusty they remain, and green. PSALM XCIII. 171 1 5. That through the earth it may be known That He, the Lord, my rock, is just ; And that with Him there dwelleth not Or error or unrighteousness. PSALM XCIIL 1. The Lord is King: with majesty He hath arrayM Himself : The Lord with glory is array'd, And girt about with strength. 2. And now the world is fixed firm, It trembles not nor heaves : Thy throne, God, of old is fix d, From everlasting Thou ! 3. The floods, Lord, have lifted up, The floods have lifted up Their loud resounding voice on high, The floods lift up their roar. 4. But mightier than the clashing cries, When many waters meet ; Than Ocean's mighty surges far, The mighty Lord on high. 172 • PSALM XCIV. 5. Thy word is very faithful, Lord, Thy promises are true • Thine house shall holiness adorn Through all eternity. PSALM XCIV. 1, 2. Lord, Thou God of vengeances, Thou God of vengeances, shine forth : Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of earth. Return their doings to the proud. 3, 4. How long shall wicked men, Lord, How long shall wicked men exult ? See, how the evil-doers boast, And spout their proud, disdainful words. 5, 6, 7. Thy people. Lord, they trample down, And thine inheritance they vex : The widow and the stranger slay. And many an orphan they destroy ; And say — " The Lord doth not perceive. The God of Jacob marks it not." 8, 9. Ye brutish people, mark ye this : When will ye, O ye fools, be wise I Who fix'd the ear, shall He not hear ? Who form'd the eye, shall He not see ? PSALM XCIV. 173 10, n. Who smites the realms, shall He ne^er chide? Who teaches man, no knowledge have ? The Lord doth know the thoughts of man. That as for them, they're vanity. 12, 13. He's blest whom Thou chastisest, Lord, And whom Thou teachest from thy law : Whom Thou, when evil days befal, Dost keep at peace, until the pit Is for the doomed sinner dug. 14, 15. For God shall not his people spurn, Nor his inheritance forsake : But judgment shall to righteousness Again return, and in her train Shall follow all the true of heart. 16, 17. Who will with me 'gainst sinners fight ? With me against oppressors stand ? Unless the Lord my help had been, My soul had found her silent home. 18, 19. But when I say — My foot hath slipp'd. Thy mercy holds me up, Lord : When crowding thoughts my heart oppress. Thy consolations soothe my soul. 20, 21. With Thee shall wicked thrones ally Who 'gainst thy law oppression work ? Who 'gainst the righteous soul combine. And doom to death the guiltless blood ? 174 PSALM XCV. 22, 23. For me, the Lord shall be my tower, My God shall be my rock of trust : He shall upon mine enemies Their own iniquity return : Through their own sins the Lord our God Shall slay, yea, He shall slay them all. PSALM XCV. 1, 2. Come, let us sing unto the Lord, And shouts of gladness to the Rock Of our salvation raise : Before his presence let us haste With thanksgiving, and songs of praise, And shout aloud for joy. 3, 4, 5. Because the Lord's a mighty God, A mighty King above all gods : Earth's depths are in his hand : His too the mountain's toilsome heights ; The sea is his, by Him 'twas made ; He moulded the dry land. 6, 7. Come, let us worship and bow down ; Before the presence of the Lord Our Maker let us kneel : Because the Lord, He is our God, And we the people whom He feeds. The sheep of his own hand. PSALM XCVI. 175 8, 9. Oh, if to-day yeM hear his voice — " Harden not ye your hearts, as when Your fathers with Me strove At Meribah, mid Massa's wastes, When doubting still, my power they tried, Proved Me, and saw my works. 10, 1]. " With loathing forty years I bare This race, and said — A people 'tis Whose hearts are gone astray ; They know not, nor will learn my ways And in my wrath I sware that they Should enter not my rest/"* PSALM XCVT. 1,2. SING to the Lord, a new strain awake ; sing to the Lord all ye regions of earth : sing to the Lord, and his name extol, And declare his salvation from day to day. 3, 4. His glory abroad to the heathen make known, And his wonders to every nation proclaim : For great is the Lord, and exalted his praise ; He is more to be feared than all the gods. 176 PSALM XOVI. 5, 6. For the gods of the nations are idols all ; But Jehovah it is, who the heavens hath made : His presence with splendour and majesty shines, With glory and might is his sanctuary filPd. 7, 8. Ascribe to the Lord, ye clans of the nations, Ascribe to the Lord all glory and strength ; To the Lord give the glory that's due to his name, With offerings enter his courts and with praise. 9, 30. In the beauty of holiness worship the Lord, And with awe, all ye lands, in his presence bow down : Tell it out to the heathen — The Lord is King ; And the earth He hath fixM that it shall not shake ; He shall judge all the nations with equity. 11, 12. Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth exult; Let the sea lift her voice, and the dwellers therein ; Let the fields and each creature within them be glad; And each tree of the forest shout out for joy — 13, 14. In the presence of God, of the Lord Most High : For He cometh. He cometh to judge the earth : The world shall He judge in his righteousness ; And the nations of earth by his stedfast truth. 177 PSALM XCVII. 1, 2. The Lord is king : now let the earth exult, And be ye glad, ye multitude of isles ; Around his presence clouds and darkness roll ; On righteousness and judgment rests his throne ; 8, 4. Before Him goes a fire, whose hungry flame All round about burns up his enemies : His lightnings' blaze illuminates the world ; The earth beholds, and staggers with affright. 5, 6. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, Before the Governor of all the earth : The heavei>s abroad his righteousness proclaim, And all the realms behold his majesty. 7. Confounded be all they, whose worship vain Before a graven image bends the knee : Cursed be they, w^ho in their idols boast, O all ye gods, bow down before the Lord ! 8, 9. With gladness Sion heard thy judgments, Lord, And Judah's daughters listenM with delight : For Thou, Lord, Thou, art high above the earth. Above all gods Thou art exalted far. 178 PSALM XOVIII. 10. O ye that love the Lord, hate wickedness : The Lord the souls of all his saints defends, And from the hands of sinners sets them free. 11, 12. Lo, light is sown for righteous hands to reap ; And seeds of gladness for the true of heart : Rejoice in God, ye righteous, and with thanks In memory keep his holiness and truth. PSALM XCVIII. O SING to the Lord, a new strain awake ; For wonderful things He hath done : With his own right hand and his holy arm Hath He gotten the victory. In the sight of the heathen the Lord hath shewn The might of his saving power : In the midst of the nations He hath reveaPd His truth and his righteousness. He hath thought of his mercies and of the truth Which to IsraeFs house He pledged : And the ends of the earth the salvation have seen Which our God for his people hath wrought. PSALM XCIX. 179 4, 5. To the Lord raise a shout of rejoicing, O earth, And break out into music and song : Sound the praise of the Lord with the joyous harp, With the harp and the voice of song. 6, 7. With the voice of the trumpet and clarion hail The presence of God the king : Let the depths of the sea with its fulness be stirr'd. The world and the dwellers therein. 8, 9. Let the floods clap their hands, let the mountains rejoice. And unite in a chorus of praise — In the presence of God, for He cometh to judge The earth and its habitants ; The world He will judge in his righteousness, And the nations with justice doom. PSALM XCIX. The Lord is king : before his throne Ye nations trembling fall : He sits between the cherubim, Quake, earth, and be thou still. N 2 180 PSALM XCIX. 2, 3. The Lord is great on Zion's mount, Above all nations high : Let all thy mighty name extol, Thy dread, thy Holy name ! 4. The King's dread power loves righteousness On right Thou''st built thy throne : In Jacob Thou hast judgment wrought, And planted equity. 5. celebrate the Lord our God : With reverential awe Before his footstool prostrate fall, The Holy place adore. 6. Moses and Aaron, saints renown'd Amongst the priests of God, And Samuel amongst the seers That call upon his name — Behold, these call'd upon the Lord, And He did answer them. 7. Behind the pillar'd screen of cloud He spake to them his word : And they the law He gave them kept, And his commands obeyM. 8. Lord our God, Thou heardest them : Unto thy people Thou A God of mercy shewd'st Thyself, Of vengeance towards their sins ! 9. O celebrate the Lord our God : Before his holy mount Fall prostrate, and our God adore, The Lord, the Holy One ! 181 PSALM C. A hymn of praise. 1. Let all the earth Jehovah greet With shouts of triumph and of praise : The Lord with joy and gladness serve, And come before Him with a song. 2, 3. Know that Jehovah, He is God : 'Tis He hath made us, not ourselves : We are his people, and the flock Whom He in his own pasture feeds; 4. With thanksgiving his gates approach, And come into his courts with praise : With thankful hearts his praises sing, And bless and magnify his name. 5. For gracious is the Lord and kind. And everlasting is his love : His faithfulness for aye endures, His stedfast truth from age to age. 182 PSALM CI. By David. To the chief musician. 1, 2. Of mercy, Lord, to Thee 111 sing, And celebrate thy righteousness. By wisdom I will guide my steps, And keep them in the perfect way : when wilt Thou come unto me ? Within my house 111 walk with perfectness of heart. 3, 4. No wicked thing before mine eyes Will I set up : no hateful deed Of sinfulness to me shall cleave : From me the heart perverse shall flee, Iniquity I will not know, Who slanders secretly his neighbour I will slay. 5, 6. The lofty eye, the swelling breast 1 will not brook : throughout the land Mine eyes the faithful ones shall seek, And choose them in mine house to dwell : Who walketh in the perfect way. In him will I delight, he shall my servant be. 7, 8. No treacherous man with me shall dwell. Nor liar in my presence stand : Each day at morn will I arise. And slay the wicked of the earth : Till from the city of the Lord I have cut off each soul that works iniquity. 183 PSALM CII. A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. 1, 2, Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry Come up before thy throne : Turn not thy face away from me, But in my day of need Incline thine ear : the day I call Make haste and answer me. 3, 4. Because, like smoke, my days are spent, My bones like brands are burn'd : My heart is smitten down like grass, Dried up and withered : Yea, I forget to eat, and let My food unheeded lie. 5, 6, 7. So deep my groans, my bones adhere Unto my wasted flesh : Fm Hke the desert pelican, Or ruin-haunting owl : I watch, and like a sparrow am Alone upon the roof. 184 PSALM OIL 8, 9. Mine adversaries all day long Cerload me with reproach : Fm made the curse of maddenM foes, Whilst ashes I devour In place of bread, and with my drink I mingle bitter tears — 10. Because of thy displeasure, Lord, And of thy burning wrath : For Thou hast lifted me on high. And dash'd me to the ground. 11, 12. For me, my days like shadows slope ; I'm withered like grass : But as for Thee, Lord, Thou sitt'st Upon thy throne for ever : And the remembrance of thy name From age to age endures. 13, 14. Now shalt Thou rise, and favour shew To Zion's ruined walls : For now her time of grace is come. The time ordainM of old : Thy servants to her stones are kind. Her dust with pity view. 15, 16,1 ^^^ nations now thy name shall fear, 17. J Earth''s kings thy glory own : For now the Lord builds Zion up. And in his glory shines : The prayer of the forlorn He hears, Their prayer He doth not spurn. PSALM CII. 185 18, 19. This for the age to come is writ, And nations yet unborn Shall Jah their great Creator praise : For from his holy height He bendeth down ; from heaven the Lord Looks forth upon the earth — 20, 21,1 To hear the chained prisoner's groan, 22. J To loose the sons of death : To make his name thro"* Zion known. Through Salem's streets his praise : When realms and nations gathering come From far to serve the Lord. 23, 24. My strength He brought down in the way, My days He shortened : Then said I, take me not away Ere half my days are spent : Through countless ages, my God, Thy years unending run. 25, 26. Of old Thou laid'st the earth's firm base, Thy hands built up the heavens : These shall decay, but Thou endure. Yea, they shall all wax old As raiment doth : like vestures Thou Dost change them, and they're changed. 27, 28. But Thou art He, the eternal God ; Thy years are never full. The children of thy saints shall dwell At peace within the land : And in thy presence shall their seed Stand fast for evermore. 186 pSx\LM cm. By David. 1, 2. Bless God, my soul, and every power Within me, bless his holy name . bless the Lord, and Thou, my soul, Forget not all his benefits. 3, 4. Bless Him, who all thy sins forgives, And every pain and sickness heals : Who from the pit thy life redeems, And crowns thee with his tender love. 5, 6. Who fills thy mouth with goodness full, And, eagle-like, thy youth renews : Who executeth righteousness. And renders justice to the oppressM. 7, 8. The Lord his ways to Moses shew'd, To Israel's sons his works displayM : The Lord is merciful and kind, To anger slow, in goodness rich. 9, 1 0. The Lord will not for ever chide. And not for aye his wrath retain : He hath not recompensed our sins. Nor dealt us our transgressions' meed. PSALM OIII. 187 11, 12. For high as heaven o'er earth expands, With so great love God o'er us bends : Far as the east is from the west, So far He parts us from our sins. 13, 14. A father's pity for his child, Such pity God his servants shews : For, as for Him, He knows our frame, And He remembers that we're dust. 15, 16. For man, his days are as the grass, He blossoms Hke the field's frail flower. Which, when the wind sweeps o'er it, dies, Forgotten from its place for ever. 17, 18. But God's eternal mercies bide, With them that fear his name, for ever : For evermore his righteousness Shall with the children's children dwell Of such as keep his covenant, Remember, and obey his laws. 19, 20. The Lord in heaven has fix'd his throne. And o'er the universe He rules : Bless Him, ye angels of the Lord, Ye powers that execute his word. Ye that, with mighty strength endued, Unto his voice obedient move. 21, 22. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his Hosts ; His ministers, that do his will : Bless ye the Lord, all ye his works In every place, where'er He reigns. And thou, my soul, through all thy life, With all thy strength, bless thou the Lord. 188 PSALM CIV. 1, 2. My soul, bless thou the Lord : Lord, my God, Thou art exceeding great ; With splendour and with majesty Thou hast array'd Thyself: Thou puttest light as 'twere a garment on, And, like a curtain, spreadest out the heavens. S, 4. God on the waters lays His chamber beams, and for his chariot takes Thick clouds : He walks upon the wings Of the strong rushing wind : The winds He chooses for his messengers. And for his ministers a flaming fire. 5, 6. The earth upon its base He founded, that it might unshaken rest For ever and for ever firm : As with a vesture Thou Didst clothe its surface with the liquid deep. And o''er the mountain tops the waters stood. PSALM CIV. 189 7, 8, 9. At thy rebuke they fled : They shrank affrighted from thy thunder's voice : They cHmbM the hills, ran down the vales, To their appointed place : A bound Thou''st set them which they shall not Nor back return, nor cover more the earth. 10, llj Into the dells He sends 12. ) The gushing springs, which wind among the hills : There drinks each creature of the field. The wild ass slakes his thirst : . About their banks the birds of heaven dwell, And from the branches send the voice of song. 13, 14. He watereth the hills From his high chambers : earth is filled full With fruit of thy benignant works : He maketh grass to grow For cattle ; for man'*s use the juicy herb ; That so from earth He may cause bread to spring, 15, 16. And wine that cheers the heart : That with glad oil the face of man may shine. And with the life-sustaining bread His heart may be refreshed : The trees of God are lusty and full fed, Lebanon's cedars, planted by the Lord. 17, 18. There build the birds their nests. And on the fir-tree tops the stork doth lodge. The heights of lofty mountains yield A refuge to the goat : Whilst mid the rocks the feeble coney hides, And seeks a dwelling in their sheltering clefts. 190 PSALM CIV. 19, 20. The moon for seasons serves, And at the time ordainM the sun goes down : The darkness Thou dost summon forth. And night overspreads the earth : Then quits each beast of night its secret lair, And o'er the trampled forest roams at will. 21, 22,1 The hungry Hons roar 23. J In quest of prey, and ask their meat of God The sun arises, and in troops They get them to their dens : Then man awakening to his labour goes, And plies his work until the shades of eve. 24, 25. Lord, how manifold Thy works : in wisdom hast Thou made them all: The earth is with thy riches full : So is this sea, so great. So wide on either hand, where countless swarm Thy living creatures, forms minute and huge. 26, 27. There find the ships a road ; And that leviathan whom Thou hast made To take his pastime in the deep : These all upon Thee wait, And look expectant to thy bounteous hand. That at their season Thou may'st give them meat. 28, 29. Thou giv'st it them, and they Do gather it : Thou openest thine hand. PSALM CIV. 191 And they are with thy goodness filFd : Thou hid'st thy face, and they Are troubled : Thou tak'st away their breath, And lo, they die, and turn again to dust. SO, 31. Thou sendest forth thy breath, And they created are : to life they wake. And Thou renew'st the face of earth. The Lord be magnified ; Yea, let his glory evermore endure ; Let the Creator in his works rejoice. 32, 33. He looks upon the earth, And lo, it trembles : if He do but touch The mountains, they burst forth and smoke : Unto the Lord V\\ sing As long as life endures ; whilst being lasts, With voice and music will I praise the Lord. 34, 35. In God is my delight : let the meditations of my heart Be pleasing unto Thee, O Lord ! Transgressors from the earth Shall be cut off, and sinners be no more : Bless thou the Lord, my soul: praise the Lord ! 192 PSALM CV. 1, 2. Give thanks to God, his name invoke ; His deeds amidst the people tell : With songs, with psalms his praise extol. Yea, all his wonders celebrate. 3, 4. His holy name your glory make ; Be glad, ye hearts, that seek the Lord : The Lord approach, his might adore ; Seek ye his countenance for ever. 5, 6. Remember his stupendous deeds ; His marvels, and his dread decrees : Seed of his servant Abraham, Ye sons of Jacob his elect. 7, 8. 'Tis He, the Lord, who is our God ; O'er all the earth his judgments sway : He hath for aye his covenant kept ; And for a thousand ages seaPd 9, J 0. The league He struck with Abraham ; His solemn oath to Isaac sworn : The ordinance to Jacob given, And unto Israel assigned For an eternal covenant : PSALM CV. 193 11. When thus He spake — " To thee, my son, The land of Canaan I give : This thine inheritance shall be Thy measured portion, and thy lot." 12, 13. When weak they were, in number few. And sojourners in foreign lands ; When wandering from tribe to tribe. Adrift from realm to nation borne : 14, 15. He suffered none to do them wrong, Yea, kings for their sakes He rebuked : " Forbear, nor mine anointed touch ; See ye do not my prophets harm." 16, 17. When famine on the land He calFd, And all the staff of bread destroyed, Before them then a chief He sent, And Joseph for a slave was sold. 18, 19. His foot was with the fetter bruised. His soul in iron bondage pined ; Until the Lord his sentence gave. The word of God pronounced him clear. 20, 21. Then sent the king and loosed him. The nation'*s ruler set him free : And made him lord o"'er all his house, Of all he had the governor : 22, 23. To bind his princes at his will. And to instruct his counsellors. So Israel unto Egypt came. The land of Ham was Jacobus home. 194 PSALM CV. 24, 25. He gave his people large increase, And made them stronger than their foes. Who, changed in heart, his people hate, And shrewdly with his servants deal. 26, 27. He sent his servant Moses then. And Aaron his elected priest : Amongst them they his signs displayed, • His wonders in the land of Ham. 28, 29. Darkness He sent, and lo, 'twas dark ; And men despised his word no more : He turn'd their waters into blood, And brought destruction on their fish. 80, 81. With swarms of frogs their country teem'd. Their monarch*'s chambers were defiled : He spake, and lo, the gadfly came, And lice o'er all their borders spread. 82, 33. For showers He sent them storms of hail, And fire which blazed across their land : Their fig-trees and their vines He smote. And brake the trees about their coasts. 34, 35. He spake, and in unnumber'd swarms Locust and caterpillar came : They ate up every herb which grew, They ate the fruit up of the ground. 36, 37. The first-bom also through the land, The prime of all their strength He smote : And forth, with gold and silver deck'd. And firm of foot He brought the tribes. PSALM OVI. 195 S8, 39. Egypt at their departure joy'd. For they had learn d their slaves to fear : A cloud to cover them He spread, And sent a fire to light the night. 40, 41. They ask'd, and flights of quails He brought, And filFd them with the bread of heaven : He clave the rock, and waters ran Like rivers o'er the parched waste. 42, 43. For on his holy word He thought, And on his servant Abraham : And brought his people forth with joy, His chosen with triumphant shouts. 44, 45. He gave them then the Gentiles' lands, And let them reap their foemen's toil : That so his statutes they might keep. And heed his laws. O praise the Lord ! PSALM CVI. 1, 2, 3. PRAISE the Lord, unto the Lord give thanks ; For He is good ; his love endures for ever : Who can express his wondrous deeds of might, Or utter all the praises of the Lord ? Blessed are they who uprightness maintain, And he who always worketh righteousness. o 2 196 PSALM CVI. 4, 5, 6. Let me, with thine, thy thoughts of mercy share. Yea, visit me with thy salvation. Lord : That I the good for thine elect reserved Myself may see : that I too may rejoice In that rejoicing which thy people know. And in Thee boast with thine inheritance. 6, 7. We with our fathers have transgressed ; have sinnM; Have acted wickedly. In Egypt they Did not consider all thy wondrous works ; They thought not of thy many kindnesses ; But by the sea thine anger they provoked, Yea, by the sea of reeds, thy spirit vexM. 8, 9,] Yet He, for his name's sake, delivered them; 10. J To let his strength be known, his mighty power: He chid the sea of reeds, and it dried up ; And led them through the deep, as 'twere a plain, Thus from their haters He delivered them. Yea, He redeemed them from their foemen's hands. 11, 12, 1 The floods returning covered up their foes ; IS. j Amongst them all not one remained alive. Then did his people in his word believe, And chanted forth the praises of his name : But soon, ungrateful, they forgat his works, And from his counsels turn'd away their ear. 14, 15. With lust they lusted in the wilderness. And in the desert tempted still their God : And so He gave them all their hearts' desire. But leanness sent to gnaw into their souls. PSALM CVI. 197 16, 17, 1 Again, they envied Moses in the camp, 18. J And Aaron, the anointed of the Lord : Then gaped the earth, and swallowed Dathan up, And covered all Abirara*'s company : Amidst their company a fire blazed forth ; Those wicked men were burned in the flames. 19, 20,1 On Horeb's heights a golden calf they made, 21. J And down before a molten image bow'd : And thus they changed their Glory for the form Of brutish ox that browseth on the grass : Of God their Saviour they no longer thought. Nor of his mighty deeds in Egypt wrought : 22, 23. His wondrous works within the land of Ham, His deeds of terror by the sea of reeds : For this. He said, He would destroy them all- Had not his chosen Moses in the breach Before Him stood — to take away his wrath, To intercede — that He might not destroy. 24, 25. Moreover they the pleasant land despised, And would not place their trust upon his word : But in their tents perversely murmured, And hearkenM not unto the voice of God. 26, 27. Against them then He lifted up his hand To overthrow them in the wilderness : Amidst the nations to overthrow their seed. To scatter them amidst the heathen lands. 198 PSALM CVI. 28, 29. They joined themselves to Baal-peor too, And shared the feast presented to the dead : With such inventions they provoked his wrath, Until upon them burst the deadly plague ! 30, 31. With zeal inflamed then Phinehas stood up. And judgment wrought, and so the plague was stay'd : And this was counted as a righteous work, A deed of praise from age to age for ever. 32, 33. The Lord they anger'd by Meribah's streams, And through their fault, with Moses it went ill : For with their stubbornness they vexM his soul, Till words of folly issued from his lips. 34, 35,1 They did not cut the rebel nations off, 36. J Whom God their Lord had charged them to destroy : But intermingled with the heathen hordes. And learned all their deeds of wickedness ; With them they served their graven images, And this became a snare unto their souls. 37, 38. For now, behold, they sacrificed their sons. And slew their daughters at a devil's shrine : They poured out the blood of innocence, The blood of their own daughters and their sons, Whom unto Canaan's graven gods they slew, And the foul land was all profaned with blood. PSALM CVI. 199 39, 40, 1 Thus they with their own works themselves defiled, 41. J And with base lust to their own creatures clave : So 'gainst his people burnM the wrath of God, And He abhorr'd his own inheritance : He gave them up into the Gentiles' hands, And they that hated them, became their lords. 42, 43. Their enemies laid their yoke upon their necks, And made them, trembling, stoop beneath their hands; Ofttimes did He release them from their woes, But as for them, in heart rebellious still. They sunk again through their iniquity. 44, 45, 1 Yet still did He look down on their distress, 46. J What time He heard their miserable cry : His covenant with them He recalFd to mind. And of his great compassion pitied them : Yea, drew upon them merciful regards From those that led them to captivity. 47, 48. Save us, Lord our God, and gather us From heathen lands ; that we thy holy name May glorify, and triumph in thy praise. Bless'd be the Lord, the God of Israel, From age to age for ever ; and let all The people say. Amen. Praise ye the Lord. 200 PSALM CVII. 1, 2, 3. O THANK the Lord, for He is good ; His mercy doth endure for ever : Speak, ye redeemed of the Lord, Redeemed from your foemen*'s hands, And gathered out of regions wide, From east, from west, from north, and from the southern sea. 4, 5, 6. They wanderM o'er the desert waste, Nor city found wherein to dwell : With hunger famishM, parch'd with thirst, Their souls within them languished : Then in their straits to God they cried, And He deliverM them from all their misery. 7, 8, 9. He shewM them where a city stood. And led them straight to their abode. The Lord be for his mercy praised, His wonders to the sons of men : For He the longing soul doth stay, The lean and hungry soul He fiUeth full with good. PSALM CVII. 201 10, 11, 1 Who in death's darksome shadow lay, 12, 13.j In sorrow and in iron bound — [For they rebelPd against the words Of God, and spum'd the High One'^s law ; So He bow'd down their hearts with toil. They fainted, and found none to help] These cried to God in their distress. And He delivered them from all their misery. 14, 15,1 From darkness, and death'*s shadow drear 16. J He brought them forth, and burst their bonds. The Lord be for his mercy praised, His wonders to the sons of men ; For He doth break the gates of brass, And doth asunder cleave each iron forged bolt. 17, 18, 1 The foolish for their wickedness 19. J And their transgressions are chastised : Their soul diseased all food abhors, And nigh the gates of death they draw : Then in their straits on God they call. And He delivers them from all their misery. 20, 21,1 He sends his word, and healeth them, 22. J And saves them from the yawning pit. The Lord be for his mercy praised. His wonders to the sons of men : Be thanksgiving their sacrifice. And let them in glad songs his mighty deeds pro- claim. 23, 24, 1 They who in ships go down the sea, 25. I And mid the waste of waters toil ; 202 PSALM OVII. These men behold the works of God, His wonders in the ocean''s depths : He speaks, and makes the storm-wind rise, Which o'er the waters sweeps, and lifts the waves on high. 26, 27,) To heaven they mount ; into the deeps 28. J They sink ; their soul for trouble melts : Like drunken men they reel and rock, And spent is all their trusted skill : Then in their straits on God they call. And He delivers them from all their misery, 29, 80,] 8L j The storm to stillness He subdues,. And every billow sinks to rest : Then are they glad, for they're at peace. And, wafted by his kindly breeze, They reach the haven of their hopes. The Lord be for his goodness praised, And for his wonders wrought for man*'s ungrateful sons. 32, 33,1 Amidst the people Him extol, 34. J And praise Him where the elders meet : The streams dry up at his command. Where fountains gushM, a desert burns : A fruitful land to barrenness He turneth for the sins of them that dwell therein. 35, 36,1 The desert to a lake He turns, 37, J An arid land to gushing streams : PSALM CVIIT. 203 And there He bids the hungry dwell, And build a city for their rest ; Commands them there the fields to sow, And vineyards plant to yield the fruits of their increase. 38, 39, 1 Their favoured seed He multiplies, 40. J Nor lets their cattle be decreased ; Though erst they were decreased, and low Through bonds, affliction, and distress. On noble chiefs contempt He pours, And bids them wander lost amidst the trackless waste : 41, 42, 1 And from their woes the poor He lifts, 43. J And full as flocks their households makes. With gladness this the righteous see, And every wicked tongue is still. Whoe'er is wise these things will weigh. And he shall understand the goodness of the Lord. PSALM CVIII. A psalm of David. 1, 2, 3,1 God, my heart is tun^d to thy praise ; 4, 5. J To Thee I'll sing ; Thee shall my powers exalt. Awake my harp, and psaltery awake ; 204 PSALM CVIII. Now will I waken up the slumbering morn : Amidst the nations Thee I'll praise, Lord, Yea, midst the heathen Thee Til celebrate : For thy great goodness reaches down from heaven, And to the skies thy faithfulness extends : Above the heavens be Thou exalted, Lord, And be thy glory o'er the earth displayed. 6, 7, 8, 1 Lord, that thy loved ones may deliverance find, 9. J Save with thy right hand ; hearken to our prayer. God in his holiness his word hath pledged ; And I will in his promises exult : Shechem I will divide, and Succoth's vale Will I mete out : for mine is Gilead, And mine Manasseh : Ephraim too is mine, My head's defence : lawgiving Judah mine. Moab my washpot is : I cast my shoe O'er Edom : swell my pomp, Philistia ! 10, 11,1 But who will lead me into Edom's gates ? 12, IS.J Or who will lodge me in her towers of strength? Lord, wilt not Thou, tho' Thou didst cast us off. Though with our armies Thou would'st not go forth ? O give to us thy help from trouble. Lord, For false the hope of man's deliverance. But we through God will valiant deeds perform. For He it is shall tread our foemen down ! 205 PSALM CIX. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1,2, 3. God of my praise, hold not thy peace : For wicked men and men of guile Against me open wide their mouths, Against me speak with lying tongues. With words of hate they compass me, And fight against me, unprovoked. 4, 5. I loved them, and they sought my life ; Yet I betook myself to prayer : But they for good returned me ill, And paid me hatred for my love. 6, 7. Set over him a man of guilt, And at his right hand plant a foe : From judgment let him go condemnM, And let his very prayer be sin. 8, 9. His days be few, another man Be to his vacant office raised : Make Thou his children fatherless, His wife be doomM to widowhood. 206 PSALM CIX. 10, 11. His sons be wanderers, forced to seek Through desert haunts the beggar's dole : His wealth be by the extortioner seized, His labour be the strangers' spoil. 12, 13. Let none to him the hand of mercy stretch. And none shew pity to his orphan child : Let his posterity be all cut off, And after ages know not of his name. 14, 15. The Lord remember his forefathers' sins, Nor let his mother's guilt be blotted out : Before God's face let their transgressions stand. And let Him sweep their memory from the earth. 16. Because compassion he remember'd not, Nor deed of mercy by his hand was done ; But he pursued the wretched and the poor, And sought to slay the man of broken heart. 17, 18. Curses he loved, let such his portion be ; Nor nigh him come the blessings which he loathed Because with curses he did clothe himself As with a garment, let their venom flow Into his bowels like the fountain's draught. Yea, let it sink like oil into his bones. 1 9, 20. Let curses round him like his vesture cling. And Hke his 'customed girdle clasp his loins : Such be the Lord's reward unto my foes, Plotters of evil, leagued against my soul. PSALM OIX. 207 21, 22. But Thou, Lord Jehovah, for the sake Of thine own name, work Thou on my behalf : For thy dear mercy's sake, deliver me : For, as for me, Tm wretched and forlorn. And my heart bleeds, pierced through and through with wounds. 23, 24. Like eve's declining shadow, I depart, I'm swept away like locusts in the gale : My feeble knees through fasting faint and bend. Nor knows my languid flesh the cheerful oil. 25, 26. I am become a scorn unto my foes ; They look upon me, and they shake their heads : Lord my God, do Thou thy succour bring. Of thy great goodness, save me from my woes. 27, 28,) Yea, let men know that thine own hand is here ; 29. 3 That Thou, O Lord, hast my salvation wrought : Let them curse on, but Thou thy blessings shed. Let them to shame — thy servant rise to joy. Yea, let mine enemies with shame be clothed, And with confusion cover'd as a cloak. 30, 31. So shall my mouth the Lord my God extol. And 'midst the multitude his praises sing : For at the right hand of the poor He stands, And from the oppressor's sentence saves his soul. 208 PSALM ex. A psalm of David. 1 , 2. Jehovah to my Lord hath said — Sit Thou at my right hand, until Thy foemen I thy footstool make. The Lord shall out of Zion send The rod of thy victorious strength ; Rule Thou amidst thine enemies. 8. Thy people in thy day of power Their free-will offerings shall bring : In beauteous garb of holiness Thy dew of youth shall radiant glow, More brilliant than the glistening drops Which issue from the womb of morn. 4, 5. The Lord hath sworn — nor will repent : A priest art Thou, ordain'd for ever ; Thine order is Melchizedek's : At thy right hand Jehovah's might Shall princes to destruction send Down-stricken in his day of wrath. 6, 7. The heathen shall his judgment feel ; Their fields with corpses He shall fill. And crush the heads of many realms. The brook shall cheer Him by the way, And drinking from its quickening streams, In triumph shall He lift his head. 209 PSALM CXI. 1. PRAISE the Lord : with all my heart I'll magnify Jehovah's name, Where righteous men assembly hold, And where the congregation meets. 2, 3. Great are Jehovah's works ; by all Who love them, are their marvels searched : Glory and might his deeds attend. His righteousness stands fast for ever. 4. He hath for his stupendous works An endless memory achieved : The Lord our God is merciful, In grace and loving-kindness rich. 5, 6. To them that fear Him meat He gives ; His covenant He ne'er forgets : His own his mighty power He shews, And makes them rich with heathen stores. 7, 8. His hands with truth and justice deal ; His laws are laws of faithfulness : For ever and for ever sure, They're wrought in truth and righteousness. 9. To Israel's race in thraldom bound He sent his strong redemption down : His covenant He ordain'd for ever, Holy and reverend is his name. 210 PSALM CXII. 10. The fear of God the fountain is Whence wisdom flows : aright shall they Judge alway who its rules pursue, The praise of it endures for ever. PSALM CXII. 1, 2, 3. O PRAISE the Lord. Happy the man that fears the Lord, That in his law takes great delight : Mighty on earth his seed shall be, Yea, blest the issue of the just : Riches and wealth his house shall fill, His righteousness stands fast for ever. 4, 5, 6. For him light out of darkness springs, The upright, merciful, and kind : The good man gracious is and lends ; He is in all his dealings just : Ne'er shall he fall, nor ever fade The memory of his righteousness. 7, 8. His stedfast heart shall tremble not At message of mischance or ill, Because he trusteth in the Lord : His heart is stayed upon his God, And fearless shall he wait, until He looks triumphant on his foes. PSALM CXIII. 211 9, 10. His bounty o'er the poor he pours ; His righteousness endures for ever ; His horn of honour is upraised : The wicked shall behold, and grieve, And gnash his teeth, and pine away, And all his vengeful hopes shall die ! PSALM CXIII. 1,2. O PRAISE the Lord, His name be praised By ye his servants ; praise ye all the Lord. BlessM be the name of God the Lord From this time forth for evermore ! 3, 4. The Lord's name worthy is of praise From the sun's rising to his going down : The Lord, above all nations high, Above the heavens glorious. 5, 6. Who's like unto the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, yet deigns on heaven to look. Yea, deigns to look down and behold The things that pass upon the earth. 7, 8. The poor He raises from the dust, And from the dunghill lifts the needy up ; To make him amidst princes sit. Midst Israel's princes honoured, p 2 212 PSALM CXIV. 9, 10. He makes the barren woman bear, And warms her bosom with a mother's joys : In all his works his love is shewn ; all ye people, praise the Lord ! PSALM CXIV. 1, 2. PRAISE the Lord. When Israel forth from Egypt went, And Jacob's children from a strange-tongued race, God's sanctuary was Judah's tribe. His sovereignty in Israel. 3, 4. The sea their coming saw, and fled, And backward tum'd the flow of Jordan's stream : Like rams the mountains bounded high, And leapt like lambs the startled hills. 5, 6. What ail'd thee, that thou fled'st, O sea ? And Jordan, thee, that thou didst backward turn ? Ye mountains, that like rams ye leapt ! And ye, ye startled hills, like lambs ? 7, 8. Tremble, thou earth, before the Lord, Before the presence quake of Israel's God ; Who out of rock creates a pool. From flint calls forth a gushing stream. 213 PSALM CXV, 1. Not unto us, not unto us. But unto thine own name Give glory, Lord, and vindicate Thy goodness and thy truth. 2, o. Why should the braggart nations say, " Where now is Israel's God?" Surely our God is in the heavens. He does whatever He lists. 4, 5. Their idols silver are and gold, The work of human hands : Mouths have they, but they do not speak, They've eyes, but do not see. 6, 7. Ears have they, but they do not hear, They've nostrils, but smell not : Hands have they, but they do not feel, And feet, but cannot walk : No voice proceedeth from their throat, There's not a murmur heard. 8, 9. Like unto them their makers are, And all that trust in them : Israel in Jehovah trust — He is their help and shield. 214 PSALM CXV. 10, 11. house of Aaron, trust in Jah, — He is their help and shield ; Trust ye in Jah, who Jah do fear — He is their help and shield. 12. The Lord hath now rememberM us : He'll bless, yea, He will bless The house of Israel ; He will bless The house of Aaron. 13, 14. Whoe'er they be that fear the Lord, He'll bless them, small and great : The Lord will give you large increase, To you and to your seed. 15, 16. Lo, ye shall of the Lord be bless'd. Who heaven and earth hath made : The heavens, the heavens are God's ; the earth He gives the sons of men. 17, 18. The dead praise not the Lord, nor all Who to the land go down Of silence ; but we'll praise the Lord Henceforth for evermore, Praise ye the Lord ! 215 PSALM CXVI. 1, 2. I LOVE the Lord, for He my voice, My supplicating cries hath heard : His ear to me He bow^d down, So, all my days, on Him TU call. 3, 4. Around me clung the pangs of death ; The pains of Hell gat hold of me ; I fell into the straits of woe : Then on Jehovah's name I calFd — '' Lord, I pray Thee, save my soul."" 6, 6. Gracious the Lord, and righteous is ; Our God is full of tenderness : The Lord defends the simple folk ; I fainted, and He helped me. 7, 8, 9. Return, my soul, unto thy rest. Because the Lord hath helped thee ; Yea, Thou hast saved my soul from death, From tears mine eyes, my feet from falls : Now shall I in God's presence dwell, And walk along the land of life. 216 PSALM CXVI. 10, 11. I trusted, and my faith avow'd, Tho' sorely by affliction tried : In my dismay and grief I said, The sons of men are all untrue I 12, 13. What shall I render to the Lord For all the bounties of his love ? The cup of God's deliverance I'll take, and call upon his name. 14, 15. My vows unto the Lord I'll pay. And praise Him in his people's sight : Of highest count his servants' deaths Are held before the eyes of God ! 16, 17. Behold, I am thy servant, Lord, Thy servant, and thine handmaid's son ; My fetters Thou hast severed : To Thee an offering of praise I'll offer, and invoke thy name. 18, 19. My vows unto the Lord I'll pay. And praise Him in his people's sight, Within Jehovah's temple-courts. Yea, in thy midst, Jerusalem. O praise the Lord ! 217 PSALM CXVII. 1, 2. ALL ye nations, praise the Lord, laud Him, all ye tribes of earth : For o'er us flows his mighty love, His truth is our eternal stay. praise the Lord ! PSALM CXVIIL 1, 2 A PRAISE the Lord, for He is good, 3, 4. j And everlasting is his love : now, let Israel declare That everlasting is his love : now, let Aaron's house declare That everlasting is his love : ye, that fear the Lord, declare That everlasting is his love ! 5, 6, "I From straits upon the Lord I call'd ; 7, 8. J The Lord in freedom answer'd me : The Lord is with me, as for man, 1 will not fear what he can do : 218 PSALM CXVIII. The Lord amidst my helpers comes, And on my foes I shall look down : 'Tis better on the Lord to trust Than in the succour of a man. 9, 10, 1 'Tis better on the^ Lord to trust 11, 12. J Than on a prince's aid to lean : Lo, all the nations hem me round, But in God's name I'll cut them off : They hem me round, they hem me round. But in God's name I'll cut them off: Like bees they compass me about. But like the blaze of thorns they'll fall, For in God's name I'll cut them off. 18, 14,1 ^^^^ stravest hard to thrust me down, 15, 16.) But I was helped of the Lord: The Lord my strength is, and my song, Yea, He has my salvation been : The shout of joy and safety rings Amidst the dwellings of the just : " The Lord's right hand doth strength impart ; The Lord's right hand exalts on high ; The Lord's right hand doth strength impart." 17, 18,1 I shall not die ; but still shall live, 19, 20. J And celebrate the works of God : The Lord hath scourged and chasten'd me, But hath not yielded me to death : Now ope the gates of righteousness, And I'll go in, and praise the Lord : " Lo, these the Lord's gates are, through these The sons of righteousness go in." PSALM CXVIII. 219 21, 22, 1 ril praise Thee, for Thou'st heard my prayer ; 23, 24.J Yea, Thou hast my salvation been : The stone the builders cast aside, Is now for the foundation ta'en. And bears the angle of the wall : The Lord Himself this work has wrought, Its wonders well our eyes may charm : This is the day the Lord hath made ; 'Tis ours for triumph and for joy. 25, 26,1 " ^ ^^^® ^® ^^^' ^^ P^^y Thee, Lord; 27. J Lord, we pray Thee, prosper us ; Blessed be he who hither comes In the Lord's name his courts to tread ; We bless thee from the house of God : The Lord is God, and on us shines ; Then to the homed altar bind With cords the ready sacrifice. 28, 29. Thou art my God, and Thee 111 praise ; Thee, my God, I'll magnify : O praise the Lord, for He is good, And everlasting is his love." 220 PSALM CXIX. ALEPH. 1, 2, 3. Blessed are they whose ways are clean, Who in the Lord's commandments walk : Blessed are they who keep his laws, Who seek Him with a perfect heart : They, who no wickedness commit. Whose walk is in the ways of God. 4, 5. Thyself hast thy decrees ordain'd To be observed with strictest care : that my ways so stable were, That I might keep thine ordinances. 6, 7, 8. Then shall 1 be preserved from shame, When all thy precepts I obey : With upright heart 111 praise Thee then, When in thy righteous judgments taught : For me, thy statutes I will keep, Forsake me not, Lord, for ever. BETH. 9, 10. How shall a young man cleanse his path ! By making still thy word his guide : Thee, Lord, with all my heart Fve sought ; Let me not from thy statutes stray. PSALM CXIX. 221 11, 12. Thy words I've treasured in my heart, That I may not transgress thy law : Blessed art Thou, Lord my God, Instruct me in thine ordinances. 13, 14. My lips have published abroad Each rule and sentence of thy mouth : As much as all earth's wealth, the path Of thy commandments charms my soul. 15, 16. Thy statutes I will ponder o'er, And on thy ways I'll meditate : Thy precepts my delight shall be. And I will ne'er forget thy law. GIMEL. 17, 18. Lord, grant thy servant life. And I will keep thy word : Ope Thou mine eyes, and let me see The wonders of thy law. 19, 20. From me, earth's fleeting guest. Do not thy counsels hide : My heart with longing bursts to read Thy judgments age by age. 21 , 22. Thou'st chid the proud, the cursed. Who from thy statutes stray : Remove from me reproach and scorn. For I thy precepts keep. 222 PSALM CXIX. 23, 24. Against me chiefs combined : On thy commandments still Thy servant mused : in them my joy And counsellors I found. DALETH. 25, 26. My soul is glued unto the dust ; quicken me, according to thy word : 1 told Thee all my ways, and Thou didst hear ; Instruct me in thy law. 27, 28. Teach me the way of thy commands, And on thy marvels I will meditate : My soul for sorrow melts ; lift me up, According to thy word. 29, 30. Far from me cast the way of lies, And grant me. Lord, the knowledge of thy law The law of truth IVe chosen ; I have set Thy judgments for my guide. 31, 32. Unto thy statutes I have cleaved; Lord, put me not to shame : along the path Of thy commandments I will run, for Thou Hast made my heart to swell. HE. 38, 34. Teach me the way of thy decrees. And I will keep it to the end : Instruct me, and Til keep thy law, And cleave to it with all my heart. PSALM CXJX. 223 35, 36. Along the way of thy commands Lead me, for I delight therein : My heart unto thy precepts bend, And save me from the lust of gain. 37, 38. Let not mine eyes on sin be turnM, But let me keep thy ways, and live : Thy promise to thy servant pledged Fulfil — for in thy fear he dwells. 39, 40. Turn from me the reproach I fear, Because thy judgments. Lord, are good : See, I have longed for thy word, Through thy uprightness quicken me. VAU. 41, 42. Now let thy promised mercies come, Thy pledged salvation greet me. Lord : That to my scorners I may say, " My trust is in the word of God." 43, 44. Not wholly from my mouth remove This word of strength, '' I wait my judge." So shall I keep thy laws for ever, For ever, and for evermore, 45, 46. Yea, I shall walk at large and free. Because thy statutes I have sought : Of thy commandments I will speak To kings, and will not be ashamed. 224 PSALM CXIX. 47, 48. And in thy precepts, which Fre loved, I will exult : with lifted hands Thy laws, which I have loved, I'll praise, And on thy counsels meditate. ZAIN. 49, 50. Remember, Lord, the promised aid. In which Thou bad'st thy servant trust : This is my comfort in my woe — Thy word, I know, shall quicken me. 51, 52. Though much despised by the proud, I have not from thy statutes swerved : I called to mind thy deeds of old. And so I comforted my soul. 53, 54. With horror and deep dread I view''d The wicked disregard thy law : Thy judgments then I sang, and cheer'd The dwelling of my pilgrimage. 55, 56. By night I thought upon thy name. And so I kept thy laws, Lord : And this my confidence became, That thy commandments I observed. CHETH. 57, 58. The Lord my portion is, I said; Now will I keep thy word : With all my heart thy grace Tve sought, Thy promised mercy shew. PSALM CXIX. 225 59, 60. My ways I pondered o'er, and turned My feet unto thy laws : I hasted, and did not delay Thy statutes to fulfil. 61, 62. Though troops of sinners hemm'd me round, I ne''er forgot thy laws : At midnight I arose to praise Thy righteous government, 63, 64. I cherish all who fear thy name. And thy commandments keep : The earth is of thy goodness full ; Lord, teach me thy decrees. TETH. 65, 66. Well with thy servant, Lord, Thou'st dealt According to thy word : Teach me, to thy commandments true, To judge and know the right. 67, 68. UnchastenM once, I went astray ; But now I keep thy word : Good art Thou, and Thou doest good ; Instruct me in thy will. 69, 70. My haughty foes with cunning lies Have sought my overthrow : But as for me, with all my heart Thy statutes I. embrace : Their hearts are thick as fat ; for me. Thy precepts are my joy. Q 226 PSALM CXIX. 71, 72. 'Tis well that I have been chastised, For so I\e learnM thy law : The lessons of thy mouth I prize Above uncounted gold. JOD. 73, 74. Thy hands have made me, and built up my frame ; give me wisdom, thy commands to learn : So shall thy saints behold me and rejoice. Because my faith Tve kept, and waited for thy word. 75, 76. I know, Lord, that thy decrees are just. And that, chastising. Thou art faithful still : Then let thy mercies comfort me, I pray, And be thy servant's stay, according to thy word. 77, 78. Thy loving-kindness send, and quicken me, Because thy law is sweet unto my soul : Confounded be the proud, who seek with lies To thrust me down ; but I upon thy statutes muse. 79, 80. Let those who fear Thee, turn themselves to me, And let them there thine ordinances learn : O let me. Lord, to thy commandments cleave With perfectness of heart, and ne'er be put to shame. CAPH. 81, 82. My soul for thy salvation pines, Thy promise I await : Mine eyes for thy word pine ; I cry — " When wilt Thou comfort me?'' PSALM CXIX. 227 83, 84. I'm like a smoky, shrivellM hide, Yet ne'er forget thy law : How many are thy servant's days ? When doomest Thou my foes ? 85, 86. The proud, to thy commandments deaf, Dig pits to take my life : Thy statutes are all truth : with lies They hunt me ; help me, Lord. 87, 88. I'm nigh destroy'd from off the earth, Yet hold thy precepts fast : In mercy save me, and I'll keep The lessons of thy mouth. LAMED. 89, 90,1 For evermore, Lord, stands fast 91. J In heaven thy sure unfailing word : From age to age thy truth endures. The earth Thou'st founded, and it stands This day they stand, and thy decrees Await, for Thee all things obey. 92, 93. Had not thy law been my delight, I should have perish'd in my woe ; Thy statutes I will ne'er forget. Because by them Thou'st quicken'd me. 94, 95, 1 Behold, I'm thine ; O save me. Lord, 96. J For thy commandments I have sought : The wicked my destruction schemed. But on thy promises I thought : Of all things else the bounds I've seen ; Far beyond ken thy statutes range I Q 2 228 PSALM CXIX. MEM. 97, 98. O how I love thy law ! all day Upon thy word I meditate : Thy statutes, my eternal guides, Have made me wiser than my foes. 99, 100. In thy commandments versed, the lore Of all my teachers I surpass : The old in prudence I excel, Because I keep thine ordinances. 101, 102. From paths of sin my feet Fve kept, That so I might obey thy word : From thy decrees I have not swerved, For Thou thyself instructed'^st me. 103, 104. How sweet thy lessons to my taste ! More sweet than honey to my tongue : With wisdom from thy doctrines fraught. My soul abhors the paths of lies. NUN. 105, 106. Thy word's a lamp unto my feet ; A light it is upon my path : Fve sworn, and my resolve is fixM, To keep thy righteous ordinances. 107, 108. IVe been sore troubled, quicken me, Lord, according to thy word : The offerings of my mouth, Lord, Accept, and teach Thou me thy will. PSALM CXIX. 229 J 09, 110. My life is ever in thy hand, Yet do I not forget thy law : The wicked lay their snares for me, Yet swerve I not from thy commands. n 1, 112. Thy statutes for myself for ever Fve chosen, for they charm my heart : My heart is on thy precepts fix'd For ever, and for evermore. SAMEOH. 113, 11 4, 1 I hate a false, divided heart; 115. J But thy decrees I love : Thou art my shelter, and my shield, Thy promise I await : Avaunt, ye wicked ; I will keep The statutes of my God. 1 16, 117. Uphold me. Lord, and let me live. According to thy word : let me not be put to shame, Nor from my hope be driven : Help me, and save me, and for aye Thy precepts I'll obey. 118, 119. Those who from thy commandments stray Thou lightly dost esteem ; For all their craft is rottenness : As dross Thou sweep'st away Each wicked dweller on the earth : For this I love thy law. 230 PSALM CXIX. 120. My shuddering flesh thy terrors owns, Thy judgments, Lord, I fear. AIN. 121, 122. Justice and righteousness Fve done; To my oppressors yield me not : With pledge of bliss thy servant cheer, Nor let the proud oppress my soul. 123, 124. Mine eyes for thy salvation long ; Yea, for thy promised justice pine : Thy wonted love thy servant shew, And let me thy commandments learn. 125, 126. Lo, I'm thy servant, make me wise, And let me understand thy law : 'Tis time, Lord, thy might to shew ; They've broken and contemnM thy word. 127, 128. Yet still, thy statutes I have loved Beyond the choicest golden ore : Yet still, all, all thy rules I prize, And all the paths of lies abhor. PE. 129, 130. Thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful ; My soul shall therefore mark them well Light shines from thy unfolded word, Illumining the simple mind. PSALM OXIX. 281 131, 132. I gape and pant ; with such desire The knowledge of thy law I crave : Behold and pity me ; thy faith To those that love thy name maintain. 1 33, 1 34. My steps unto thy word conform. And let no sin my spirit sway : From man*'s oppression set me free, And make me to thy precepts firm. 135, 136. O let thy face upon me shine ; And make me learned in thy law : With streams of tears mine eyes run down, Because men thy commandments spurn. TSAD. 137, 138. Thou, Jehovah, righteous art, And in thy judgments just : Thy statutes Thou hast firmly based On righteousness and truth. 139, 140. My zeal consumes me, when I see My foes thy lessons slight : Thy word is well refined and pure, Thy servant loveth it. 141, ] 42. For me, I am despised and mean, Yet ne'er forget thy law : Eternal is thy righteousness, And thy commandments truth. 232 PSALM OXIX. 143, 144. Though pain and sorrow find me out, Thy counsels are my joy : For ever just are thy decrees ; Teach me, and I shall live. COPH. 145, 146. To Thee with all my heart I cried — " Hear me, Lord, thy law Til keep :" To Thee 1 cried — " O save me, Lord, And I'll observe thine ordinances." 147, 148. Ere morning brake, my voice I raised, I hoped, and waited for thy word : Ere night had fled, mine eyes awoke, To muse upon thy promises. 149, 150. Lord, of thy goodness, hear my voice ; As Thou art righteous, quicken me : The followers of sin draw nigh. They who from thy commandments stray. 151, 152. Thou too, O Lord, Thou drawest nigh ; And every word of thine is truth : Of thy decrees I've known of old, That Thou hast founded them for ever. RASOH. 153, 154. Behold my woes, and rescue me, For IVe forgotten not thy law : Plead Thou my cause, and set me free, And for thy word's sake, quicken me. PSALM CXIX. 233 155, 156. Salvation far from sinners flies, Because they heed not thy commands : Great are thy tender mercies, Lord, Of thy uprightness, quicken me. 157, 158. Though swarms of foes my hfe pursue, I have not from thy statutes swerved : The wicked I beheld, and grieved To see them still transgress thy law. 159, 160. See how I love thy precepts, Lord; Of thy great goodness, quicken me: On truth thy word is built, and all Thy righteous judgments stand for ever. SIN. 161, 162. By chiefs with causeless rage pursued. Thy promise stirs my throbbing heart : For me, upon thy word I gloat As warriors o'er a heap of spoil. 163, 164. Falsehood I hate, and I abhor, But thy commandments, Lord, I love : Seven times a day will I extol The judgments of thy righteousness. 165, 166. Much peace have they that love thy law ; And safe their steps, from stumbling free. For thy salvation, O my God, I've waited, and I've done thy will. 234 PSALM OXIX. 1 67, 1 68. My soul hath thy commandments kept, I've lovfed them exceedingly : IVe kept thy statutes and thy word, For all my ways are seen by Thee ! THAU. 169, 170. Lord, let my cry before Thee come ; For thy word's sake, enlighten me : Before Thee let my prayer arise ; As Thou hast promised, rescue me. 171, 172. My lips shall with thy praise overflow, When Thou hast taught me thy commands My tongue shall to thy word respond. For all thy laws are righteousness. 173, 174. Sustain me with thy helping hand, Because I've made thy will my choice : For thy salvation, Lord, I've long'd. And thy decrees are all my joy. 175, 176. Let my soul live, and praise thy name, And let thy judgments be my stay : Like a lost sheep I've wandered ; O seek thy servant, for thy laws I've still remember'd in my woe. 235 PSALM CXX. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. To God in my distress I cried, And He my prayer vouchsafed to hear . Lord, save my soul from lying lips, Defend me from a treacherous tongue. 3, 4. What shall He give thee, what reward On thee bestow, thou treacherous tongue ? Sharp arrows from a warrior's arm, With glowing coals of juniper ! 5, 6. Woe''s me, that I must sojourn still In Mesech, amidst Kedar's tents : that my soul must dwell so long Amongst the enemies of peace. 7. For me, I am a man of peace ; But as for them, whene'er I speak, With angry scorn my words they spurn. And straightway arm themselves for war. 236 PSALM CXXI. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. Mine eyes I lift up to the hills, From whence my help proceeds : My help proceedeth from the Lord, Who made the heavens and earth. 3, 4. He will not let thy footsteps slip, Thy Keeper slumbers not : Lo, He that keepeth Israel Nor slumbereth nor sleeps. 5, 6. The Lord thy Keeper is, the Lord Thy shield on thy right hand : The sun shall wound thee not by day. Nor shall the moon by night. 7, 8. The Lord shall keep thee from all harm, Yea, He thy soul shall keep : Thy goings out and comings in The Lord shall keep for ever. 237 PSALM CXXII. A song for pilgrims. By David. 1, 2, 3. With joy I answered to the call — " Up with us to the House of God." With joy our feet advancing stand Within thy gates, Jerusalem ! Jerusalem, thou city fair. In strength compact, well knit together. 4, 5, 6. 'Tis there the tribes, the tribes of God Go up, fulfilling Israel's law, The name of God to celebrate : For there the thrones of judgment stand, The thrones for David's house prepared. Israel, seek Jerusalem's weal ; Peace be with them that love thy walls ! 7, 8, 9. May peace thy ramparts crown, and rest Within thy palaces abide ; Now, for my brethren's sake and friends. Thy peace shall be my daily prayer : Yea, for that holy house where dwells The Lord our God, thy good I'll seek. 238 PSALM CXXIII. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2, 3. To Thee I lift mine eyes, Thou That dwellest in the heavens : Lo, as the eyes of servants turn Unto their master's hand, And as a maiden's eyes the hand Of her own mistress watch, So seek our eyes the Lord our God, And for his mercy look. 4, 6, 6. Have pity on our wretched state. Have pity on us. Lord : For we have eaten to the full The bitter bread of shame : Our souls have eaten to the full Of insolence and scorn From braggart wealth, and of contempt From proud oppressors' lips. 239 PSALM CXXIV. A song for pilgrims. By David. 1,2. " Unless the Lord had been with us***-- Now may the sons of Israel say : " Unless THE Lord had been with us When men against us rose to war " — 3, 4. Then had they swallow'd us alive, What time their wrath against us burnM Then had the waters drowned us, The floods had overwhelm'd our souls. 5, 6. Then had our souls been overwhelmed Beneath the proud and angry floods : But bless'd be God, who left us not A prey unto our foemen's teeth. 7, 8. Our souls have like a bird escaped The meshes of the fowler''s net : It broke, and we the toils escaped. Our help is in Jehovah's name, Maker and Lord of heaven and earth. 240 PSALM CXXV. A song for pilgrims. 1 , 2. Who in the Lord their trust repose, Like Sion's mount shall not be moved, But stand for ever fast : As round Jerusalem the hills. The Lord around his people dwells, From this time forth for ever. S. For sin's dark sceptre shall not rest Upon the holy heritage For righteous men prepared : That righteous men may not yield up Their hands to deeds of wickedness. Forgetful of their God. 4, 5. Do good, O Lord, unto the good, Thy grace upon the just bestow. The men of upright heart : But who unto their evil ways Incline, them shall the Lord cut off, With all the brood of sin. Peace be tolsrael 1 241 PSALM CXXVI. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. When unto Zion's captive state The Lord his eyes of mercy turnM, And freed her from her chains — Then were we like to men who dream'd. Our mouths with laughter then were filFd, Our lips o'erflow'd with praise : Then was it midst the heathen said — " Behold, what mighty things the Lord Hath for his people wrought." 3. 4, 1 The Lord did mighty things for us, 5, 6.J And we were glad. Turn, Lord, again Our captive state relieve, As freshening streams the barren south ; And let thy servants reap in joy, Who now have sown in tears : Let him who, bearing precious seed, Went weeping forth, with joy return. And bring with him his sheaves. 242 PSALM CXXVII. A song for pilgrims. By Solomon. 1. Unless the Lord doth build the house, In vain the builders o'er it toil : Unless the Lord the city watch, The watchman waketh all in vain. 2. In vain for you at early dawn To rise, and late at night take rest ; In vain ye eat the bread of care, Whilst his beloved He soothes with sleep. 3, 4. Lo, children are the gift of God, A fruitful womb is his reward : As arrows in a warrior's hand. So are the lusty sons of youth. 5. Blessed is he, the man of might. Who hath with such his quiver filPd : They unabash'd their foes will meet, And with them parley at the gate. 243 PSALM CXXVIII. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. Blest is the man that fears the Lord, That walketh in Jehovah's ways : For thou shalt of thy labour eat, Blest shalt thou be, and filFd with good. 8, 4. Thy wife shall, Uke a fruitful vine Upon thy walls, thine house adorn : Thy sons, like olive branches, shine In prime of youth, thy table round. 5. Behold, thus shall the man be blest. The righteous man that fears the Lord. 6, 7. Thee shall the Lord from Zion bless. And, all the days thou liv'st, thine eyes Shall look upon Jerusalem's joy. Thy children's children shalt thou see. And Israel's borders clothed with peace. R 2 244 PSALM CXXIX. A song for pilgrims. 3,2. Oft from my youth have they afflicted me. May Israel now say : Oft from my youth have they afflicted me, But they've subdued me not. 3, 4. Upon my back the ploughers drew their ploughs, Long furrows there they made : The Lord the righteous to my rescue came, And cut the sinners' cords. 5, 6. Who Zion hate shall all confounded be, And driven back with shame ; Like grass upon the house-top shall they be. Which fades ere 'tis grown up : 7, 8. With which the mower fiUeth not his hand. Nor sheaf-binder his arm. Nor shall the passers-by " God speed you " say, ** We greet you in God's name." 245 PSALM CXXX. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. Lord, from the deep on Thee I call. Hear Thou my voice, Lord : let thine ears consider well The voice of my complaint. 3, 4. If Thou, Lord God, our sins dost mark, Who can thy judgments bear ? But with Thee pardoning mercy dwells, That Thou mayst still be fearM. 5, 6. For God I wait ; my soul doth wait ; And in his word 1 hope : More eagerly my soul doth wait For her redeeming Lord, Than watchmen for the lingering morn, Than watchmen for the morn. 7, 8. Let Israel in the Lord confide, For with the Lord are found Goodness and mercy, and with Him Are ransoms large and free : Yea, He shall Israel redeem From all her wickedness. 246 PSALM CXXXI. A song for pilgrims. 1. Lord, I am not high-minded, nor Have I proud looks : In things too great for me and high I meddle not. 2. Surely my soul I have composed. And stiird its cries : Like child new wean'd, that on her lap The mother lulls, E'en like such weaned child, my Soul With me doth rest. 3. Israel, thy trust repose Upon the Lord : From this time forth for evermore In Him confide. 247 PSALM CXXXII. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. Think on thy servant David, Lord, Remember all his woes : Who to Jehovah sware, who vow'd To Jacob's Mighty One, 3, 4. " Beneath my roof I will not step, Nor mount upon my bed ; Mine eyes with sleep I will not soothe, Nor give mine eyelids rest ; 5. " Till for Jehovah I have found A place where He may rest : For Jacob's Lord, the mighty God, A habitation meet." 6. Behold, at Ephratah we heard The tidings of God's Ark : And found it in the woody plains Of Kirjath-jearim. 7, 8. Now let us to God's house go up, And at his footstool bow : Rise, Lord, betake Thee to thy rest, Thou, and thine Ark of strength. 248 PSALM CXXXII. 9, 10. Thy priests with righteousness be clothed, And let thy saints rejoice : Spurn not, for David's sake, the face Of thine anointed one. 11. The Lord hath unto David sworn — (His word He will not break) " Upon thy throne thy seed Til place, The fruit of thine own loins. 1 2. " And, if thy sons my covenant keep. And to my laws give heed. Their sons also for evermore Upon thy throne shall sit." 13, 14. For Zion is the chosen seat Desired of the Lord : " Here will I rest, here dwell for ever. For here is my desire. 15, 16. " With blessings will I bless her food, And fill her poor with bread : Her priests with health will I adorn, Her saints shall sing for joy. 17. "Here David's horn will I exalt. And make it sprout and grow : And here, for mine anointed one A lamp have I prepared. 18. '' His enemies I'll put to shame. And clothe them with disgrace: But as for him, his crown shall bloom For ever on his head." 249 PSALM CXXXIII. A song for pilgrims. 1, 2. Behold, how good, how pleasant 'tis When brethren dwell in unity together 'Tis like the precious oil Which pour'd upon the head Unto the beard, to Aaron's beard runs down, And, ghding on, perfumes his garments'* skirts. 3, 4. 'Tis like the dew which Hermon drinks. The dew which, with refreshing virtue fraught, Upon the mountains falls Where Zion's city stands. Thou happy Zion, for to thee hath God Decreed his blessing — life for evermore. PSALM CXXXIV. A song for pilgrims. Behold, bless ye the Lord, Ye servants of the Lord : All ye that in the Lord's house stand. And there by night keep watch. 250 PSALM CXXXV. 2. Yea, lift ye up your hands Within the holy place : And bless ye there the Lord your God, Yea, bless the Lord of Hosts. 3. " The Lord, the mighty God, Who heaven and earth hath made. From Zion^s mount his blessings send Upon thy head for ever." PSALM CXXXV. 1, 2, 3. PRAISE the Lord, the Lord's name praise ye his servants, praise the Lord : ye that in his temple stand, Ye that his temple-courts frequent, Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good ; And chant his name, for his name is sweet. 4, 5, 6. For Jacob hath the Lord preferr d. And chosen Israel for Himself: And great Jehovah is, I know, Yea, great our God above all gods. Whatever He lists, the Lord doth do. In heaven and earth, in seas and floods. 7, 8, 9. From earth's far bounds the clouds He lifts, He makes the lightning and the rain. And from his storehouse sends the winds. 'Tis He that Egypt's first-born smote PSALM CXXXV. 251 From child of man to young of beast ; His fearful signs and prodigies Midst thee, Egypt, He sent forth On Pharaoh, and on all his train. 10, 11, 1 Full many a nation He struck down, 12. J And many a mighty king He slew ; Sihon, the Amoritish king, And Og, the king of Basan's hordes. And all the realms of Canaan ; And of their land a gift He made, A gift to Israel, his son. 13, 14, 1 O Lord, thy name for aye endures, 15. J Thy glory, Lord, from age to age ; For lo, the Lord his people rights, And looks with pity on their woes. The idols by the nations fear'd Are gold and silver, made by man. 16, 17,1 Mouths have they, but they do not speak, 18. J And eyes they have, but do not see : Ears have they, but they do not hear. And in their mouths no breath is found : Like unto them their makers are, And so are all that trust in them. 19, 20,1 O house of Israel, bless the Lord ; 21 . JO house of Aaron, bless the Lord ; O house of Levi, bless the Lord ; All ye that fear Him, bless the Lord ; The Lord, who in Jerusalem dwells. Be blest from Zion. Praise the Lord ! 252 PSALM CXXXVI. 1, 2, 3. The Lord extol, for He is good, And everlasting is his love : come, extol the God of gods, For everlasting is his love ; come, extol the Lord of lords. For everlasting is his love. 4, 5, 6. Who by Himself his wonders works, For everlasting is his love : Who hath in wisdom framed the heavens, For everlasting is his love ; And stretch'd the land out by the sea. For everlasting is his love. 7, 8, 9. Who in the skies great lights hath set, For everlasting is his love ; The sun to bear the rule by day, For everlasting is his love ; The moon and stars to rule by night. For everlasting is his love. 10, 11,] Who Egypt in her first-born smote, 12. J For everlasting is his love : Who from her midst brought Israel forth, For everlasting is his love. With mighty hand and stretchM out arm. For everlasting is his love. PSALM CXXXVI. 253 IS, 14, 1 Who cleft in twain the sea of reeds, 15. J For everlasting is his love, And through her midst led Israel out. For everlasting is his love, But Pharaoh and his hosts o''erwhelmed, For everlasting is his love. 16, 17, 1 Who through the waste his people led, 18. J For everlasting is his love ; Who mighty kings before them smote, For everlasting is his love ; Yea, greatest kings before them slew, For everlasting is his love : 19, 20,^ Sihon, the Amoritish king, 21, 22.J For everlasting is his love, And Og, the king of Basan's hosts, For everlasting is his love, And gave his people Israel (For everlasting is his love) Their land for their inheritance, For everlasting is his love. 23, 24,1 Who in our woes remembered us, 25, 2 6. J For everlasting is his love ; And saved us from our enemies, For everlasting is his love : Who food upon all flesh bestows, For everlasting is his love. O come, the Lord of heaven extol, For everlasting is his love I 254 PSALM CXXXVII. 1, 2. By BabeFs waters, there we sat, And thought on Zion's towers and wept ; And there, upon the willow trees, We hung our sad and silent harps. 3. For they that led us captive came. And ask^d of our grief a song : Yea, they that bruised us, calFd for mirth, " Come, sing us now a song of Zion." 4, 5. How shall we sing Jehovah's song To strangers, in a heathen land ? If thee, Jerusalem, I forget. Let my right hand forget her power ! 6. When I no more remember thee. My tongue be to my palate glued : Unless Jerusalem I prefer Above my chiefest, dearest joy. 7. Lord, on Edom's sons avenge Jerusalem's day of shame and woe : " Destroy her, lay her waste," they cried, " Destroy her, rase her to the ground." PSALM CXXXVIII. 256 8. Daughter of Babylon, for whom Impending desolation waits, Blest be the man that deals with thee, As thou, proud Queen, with us hast dealt. 9. Yea, blessed shall that man be calPd, Who thy destructions on thee turns ; And who thy little ones shall take, And dash them down upon the stones. PSALM CXXXVIII By David. 1, 2. Lord, Thee with all my heart Til praise ; To Thee, before the gods, PU sing ; To Thee my worship I will pay. And towards thy holy temple bow. 2, 3. Yea, for thy loving-kindness' sake And for thy truth thy name I'll praise : For Thou thy name hast lifted high, And o'er the earth made known thy word Thou heard'st me when on Thee I call'd. Thou breathed'st strength into my soul. 256 PSALM CXXXTX. 4, 5, 6. All kings shall praise Thee, when they hear Thy words, and learn thy judgments, Lord : And in the Lord's ways they shall walk, And of the Lord's great glory sing, Who, throned on high, the lowly owns, But views with distant glance the proud. 7. If snares and troubles hem me round. Thou shalt preserve me : Thou thine hand Against my foes' fell rage shalt stretch, And with thy right hand set me free. 8. The Lord shall all his promised grace To me and to my seed fulfil : Thy goodness. Lord, endures for ever, Forsake not Thou thy handiwork ! PSALM CXXXIX. To the chief musician. By David. 1 , 2. Lord, Thou hast search'd me out, and knowest me ; Thou know'st my sitting down, and rising up : My dawning thoughts, imperfect and remote, Before thy prescience revealed lie. PSALM CXXXIX. 257 3, 4. My walk Thou notest, and dost watch my bed, And Thou art conversant with all my ways : Though not a sound escapeth from my tongue, My words, unspoken, are all known to Thee. 5, 6. Behind, before, I'*m compass'd by thy power ; Above me and around, I feel thy hand : Too wonderful for me this knowledge is ; 'Tis high indeed : above my reach it towers. 7, 8. O whither from thy Spirit shall I go ? Or whither from thy presence shall I flee 1 If up to heaven I mount, there, Lord, art Thou ; If down in hell I lie — behold, Thou'rt there ! 9, 10. If on the morning's wings I take my flight. And past the furthest bounds of ocean dwell. There also shall I find thy guiding hand. And thy right hand shall still uphold me there. 11, 12. With fears of death when darkness scares my soul, The night itself around me glows with light : For with Thee darkness is not dark, and night Like day doth shine : darkness and light are one. 13, 14. For Thou didst fashion all my inward parts, And shelter me within my mother's womb : Thee will I praise for this most marvellous frame, Marvellous thy works : they fill my soul with awe. 15, 16. Not hid from Thee my substance was, when first In earth's dark loom its lineaments were wrought : The matter, yet unshaped, thine eyes beheld, And in thy book each day was written down — Whilst none was yet — of its predestined life. 258 PSALM CXL. . m 1 7, 18. How precious to me are thy thoughts of love, How great the sum of all thy mercies, Lord : To count them, they're more numerous than the sand ; With Thee I sleep, Thou fiirst my waking hours. 19, 20. Wilt Thou not slay the wicked, O my God? Depart then from me, all ye men of blood ! For lo, thine enemies blaspheme thy name, And with their perjuries thy vengeance mock. 21, 22. Do not I hate all them that hate Thee, Lord l And do not those that grieve Thee, vex my soul ? With perfect hatred I have hated them. And all thine enemies I count as mine. 23, 24. Search me, Lord, and throughly sift my heart ; Try me, and penetrate my inmost thoughts : See that no wickedness defile my soul, And lead me in the everlasting way. PSALM CXL. To the chief musician. A psalm of David. 1, 2, 3. Deliver me, Lord, from evil men. Protect me from the man of violence : Guard me from them whose hearts are set on wrong. Who all day long are gathering for war. Whose whetted tongues are sharp as serpents' fangs, And adders' poison lurks within their lips. PSALM CXL. 259 4, 5. Keep me, O Lord, from sinners' impious hands, Protect me from the man of violence ; From them that seek to overthrow my steps. To catch me unawares my haughty foes Laid hidden snares, their nets and cords they spread. And in my path placed pitfalls for my feet. 6, 7, 8. Then said I to the Lord — Thou art my God, Lord, hear my voice, regard my earnest prayer : O Lord my God, my salvation's strength. My head Thou coverest in the day of arms : Grant not, Lord, the wicked their desire, Nor prosper Thou their schemes, nor swell thei pride. 9, 10. As for those men that compass me about, The sorrows which their lips have caused, shall be The covering of their heads : hot burning coals Shall on them fall, the Lord shall cast them down Into the fire, beneath the whelming floods ; There shall they sink, no more to rise again. 11, 12,1 The man of slanderous tongue within the land 13. J Shall not abide ; the man of violence Shall dire destruction to his ruin hunt : The Lord, I know, the poor man's cause upholds, And to his right the destitute restores : Surely the righteous shall thy name extol, And upright men shall in thy presence dwell. 260 PSALM CXLT. A psalm of David. 1,2. To Thee I cry ; Lord, haste to me, O hear me when to Thee I cry : Before thy presence let my prayer Continually hke incense rise, And, as an evening sacrifice, Accept, O Lord, my lifted hands. 3, 4. Lord, set a watch upon my mouth, And guard the passage of my lips : Turn not mine heart to wickedness, To work the impious works of sin With doers of iniquity ; Nor let me of their dainties taste. 5, 6. The Just One in his love may smite And chide me. The head-anointing oil He will not from my head withhold : For still, whatever befall, to God Against their wickedness FU pray : Their princes, on the rocks overthrown, Shall hear my words, and own their power. PSALM CXLTI. 261 7, 8, By the grave'*s mouth our bones are strewn, As on the earth the sever'*d clods : But unto Thee, Lord our God, Our eyes for our salvation turn : On Thee IVe trusted, pour not out The life which on thy hand depends. 9, 10. Preserve me from the cunning snares Against me by my foes contrived. And from the evil-doers' nets. Let sinners be together caught Within the nets themselves have laid, Whilst I, unharmM, the perils pass. PSALM CXLTL A psalm of instruction. A prayer of David when in the cave. 1, 2. With trembling voice to God I cry. With trembling voice to God I pray : Before Him I pour out my sighs. Before Him I recount my woes. 3. Because my fainting spirit sinks. And Thou, Lord, Thou my path dost know : Along the path I walk they've laid Their nets for me, and hid their snares. 262 PSALM CXLIII. 4. I turn to the right hand, and look, But meet no sympathizing eye : Escape has vanish'd from my sight, And no man careth for my soul. 5. Then unto Thee, Lord, I cry, And say. Thou art my confidence : Within the land of life Thou art My portion, and shalt give me rest. 6. Regard my supplications. Lord, For I am weak and sore distressed : From these my persecuting foes Save me, for they're too strong for me. 7. My soul from her imprisonment Save, Lord, that I thy name may praise The righteous shall around me throng, When thou dost bless me with thy love. PSALM CXLIIL 1. Lord, hear my prayer, incline thine ear To him who craves thine aid : For thine own truth''s sake, answer me, For thine own righteousness. PSALM CXLIII. 263 2. And into judgment enter not With thy poor servant, Lord ; For in thy presence none that Hves Shall be accounted pure. 3. Because the foe my soul pursues, My life he tramples down, To darkness dooming me, like those Who're sunk in endless death. 4, 5. My spirit now within me faints. My heart is desolate : I call to mind the days of old, I muse o'er all thy works : 5, 6. I meditate upon the works Of thine almighty hand : To Thee I stretch my hands ; for Thee My soul like dry ground thirsts. 7. Make haste, and answer me, Lord, My spirit pines away : Hide not thy face lest I be like The tenants of the grave. 8. At morn thy mercy let me hear, Because in Thee I trust : Teach me the way wherein to walk, Because to Thee I look. 9, 10. Lord, save me from my enemies, For Thou my refuge art : 264 PSALM OXLIV. Teach me to execute thy will, For Thou, Thou art ray God. Let thy good Spirit guide my feet Unto a land of peace. 11. Because of thy great name, Lord, Eestore me unto life : Because of thine own righteousness, My soul from trouble save. 1 2. And for thy loving-kindness' sake. Cut off mine enemies : All them that hate my soul destroy, For I thy servant am. . PSALM CXLIV. By David. 1, 2. Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who has trained my hands to war, And my fingers taught to fight : He my wealth and fortress is, Refuge and deliverance : He my shield is, and my trust, He my people 'neath me bends. PSALM CXLIV. 266 3, 4. What is man, Lord, that on him Thou bestowest thy regard ? What a mortaPs feeble race, That on them Thou pour'st thy love ? Man is Hke a fleeting breath, Like a passing cloud his days. 5, 6. Bow thy heavens and come down. Touch the mountains that they smoke Hurl thy lightnings and disperse, Shoot thine arrows and confound Thy presumptuous enemies. 7, 8, 9. From on high thine arm extend. Save me. Lord, and rescue me : Save me from the mighty floods^ From the hands of strangers'* sons : Lies they utter, their right hands Right hands are of treachery. 10. Lord, to Thee new songs V\\ sing ; On the psaltery and harp I will celebrate thy praise. Who to kings salvation giv'st, Who thy servant David sav'st From the sword of wickedness. IL Save me, Lord, and rescue me From the hands of strangers' sons : Lies they utter, their right hands Right hands are of treachery. 12. That our sons, like well grown plants, Vigorous in their youth may be ; And our daughters like the shafts For the temple-corners carved. PSALM CXLV. 13. That our gamers may be full, Yielding produce of all kinds : That our flocks may thousands bear, Tens of thousands in our folds. 14, 15. That our oxen laden be, That no hurt nor loss befall. Nor complaining in our streets : Blest the people favour^ thus. Blest the people who can boast For their God, the Lord of Hosts ! PSALM CXLV. A song of praise. By David. 1, 2. Thee I'll extol, my God, the mighty King, And bless thy name for ever and for ever : Thee every day with blessings I will greet. And praise thy name for ever and for ever. 3, 4. The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised ; His greatness none can tell, no search find out : Age unto age thy works, Lord, shall praise. And through the earth thy mighty deeds make known. 5. 6. The splendour of thy glorious majesty And thy stupendous works will I declare : Thy deeds of fearful might each tongue shall tell, And, all around, thy greatness I'll proclaim. PSALM OXLV. 267 7. In streams of song thy saints shall celebrate The memory of thy exceeding love : And with thanksgivings loud thy goodness own, Thy righteousness and thy eternal truth. 8, 9. The Lord is merciful and kind, To anger slow, and rich in love : The Lord is good to every man. His mercy is o''er all his works. 10, 11. Thy works shall all praise Thee, Lord, And Thee shall all thy servants bless : Thy kingdom's glory they shall tell. And celebrate thy mighty deeds — 12. That taught by them, the sons of men Jehovah's mighty deeds may know ; And every nation may confess His kingdom's glorious majesty. 1 3. Thy kingdom through all time shall stand, A kingdom of eternal might : And thy dominion shall be own'd By generations without end. 14, 15,] The Lord supporteth all that fall, 16. J And lifts the prostrate from the ground : The eyes of all upon Thee wait, And Thou giv'st each the food he needs : Thou openest thine hand, and fiU'st All living things with plenteousness. 17, 18. The Lord is just in all his ways And merciful in all his works : He's nigh to all that call on Him, That call on Him with hearts sincere. 268 PSALM OXLVI. 19, 20. The Lord fulfilleth the desire Of such as reverence his name : In their distress He hears their cry, And sets them from their trouble free The Lord his loving servants guards. But cuts each wicked sinner off. 21. My grateful lips shall ever sing The praises of the Lord my God : And let all flesh his holy name For ever and for ever bless. PSALM CXLVL 1, 2. Praise the Lord, O Israel : Praise the Lord, O thou my soul : While I live, the Lord FU praise ; While I breathe, to God PU sing. 3, 4. In princes trust not, lean not thou On child of man, that cannot save : His breath goes forth, and he returns Unto the dust from which he sprang ; That day his projects die. 5, 6. He^s blest, whom Jacob's God defends, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, And all that in them is contained, Who keeps his truth for ever. PSALM CXLVII. 269 7, 8. He renders justice to the oppressed ; He feeds the famished with bread : The Lord unties the prisoner's bonds ; The Lord gives sight unto the bhnd ; The Lord the prostrate raises up ; The Lord the righteous loves. 9, 10. The Lord the stranger guards ; He keeps The widow and the fatherless ; But sinners' ways He overthrows : The Lord shall reign for evermore ; Yea, Zion's God from age to age. Israel, praise the Lord. PSALM CXLVII. I. Praise thou the Lord, Israel ; For good and sweet it is to sing The praises of the Lord our God • His praise becomes us well. 2, 3. The Lord builds up Jerusalem, And gathers Israel's scattered flock : The Lord the broken-hearted heals, He bindeth up their wounds. 270 PSALM CXLVII. 4, 5. He counts the number of the stars ; He calls them every one by name : Our Lord is great, his power immense, His wisdom infinite. 6, 7. The Lord the lowly setteth up, And down to earth the wicked casts : Sing praises to the Lord ; extol Our God upon the harp. 8, 9. The face of heaven in clouds He wraps, And rain for earth provides : He makes The grass upon the mountains spring, He gives the beasts their food ; He hears The ravens when they cry. 10, 11. The horse's strength delights Him not; Nor pleases Him man's sinewy leg : They please the Lord, who fear his name. Who on his mercy trust. 12, 13. Praise thou the Lord, Jerusalem, And, Zion, thou thy God extol : By Him thy gates with strength are barr'd. Thy sons within thee blest. 14, 15. Upon thy borders peace He brings. And fills thee with the fat of wheat : His mandates thro"* the earth He sends. His word with swiftness runs. 16, 17,] Snow o'er the land like wool He spreads, 18. J Hoar-frost, like ashes, scattereth : His ice in fragments round He throws. And who before his frost can stand i At his command they melt ; when breathes His wind, the waters flow. PSALM CXLVIII. 271 19, 20. His word to Jacob He hath taught ; His statutes and his judgments given To Israel : with no people else Thus hath He dealt : they have not known His judgments. Praise the Lord. PSALM CXLVIII. 1, 2. Praise the Lord ; from heaven praise Him Praise Him in the heights above : Praise Him, ye angelic powers ; Praise Him, ye his heavenly hosts. 3, 4. Praise the Lord, ye sun and moon ; Praise Him, all ye stars of light : Praise the Lord, ye heavens of heavens ; Him, ye heaven-poised waters, praise. 5, 6. Let them praise Jehovah''s name ; For He spake, and they were made : He hath set them fast for ever. Held by his unchanging law. 7, 8. Praise the Lord, ye things of earth,' Dragons, and devouring floods : Fire and hail, and snow and mist. Storms that his behests obey. 272 PSALM CXLIX. 9, 10. Him ye hills and mountains praise ; Cedars, and fruit-bearing trees : Cattle, and each roaming beast, Creeping things and winged fowl : 11, 12. Kings and nations of the earth, Rulers of the earth, and chiefs ; Youths and maidens in their prime, Children, and their elders grey. 13. Let them praise Jehovah's name, For his name alone is high : Over heaven his glory shines, Through the earth his power is known. 14. He hath raised his people's horn : Sons of Israel, ye that stand Nigh your God — 'tis yours to praise All his mercies. Praise the Lord. PSALM CXLIX. 1. O PRAISE the Lord ; to Him New strains of song awake : Amidst the assembly of the saints His praises celebrate. 2. Let Israel rejoice In his Creator's might : And Zion's children in their King Exult and leap for joy. PSALM CXLIX. 273 8. In dances let them praise Jehovah's holy name : Unto the harp and timbrePs sound His mercies let them sing. 4. Because the Lord's delight Is in his people's weal : With his salvation He'll adorn The humble and the meek. 5. Then let his saints rejoice, By Him with glory crown\i : And from their beds exulting sing The triumphs of his love. 6. Let God's high majesty Their mouths with praises fill : And let them in their hands lift up The Lord's two-edged sword — 7. His vengeance to perform Upon the heathen tribes : And on the nations to inflict His fearful chastisements. 8. Their kings with chains to bind. Their chiefs with iron bonds : And on them execute the doom Which in the book is writ. 9. This glory He will give To all his faithful ones : Then let his saints his name extol, Israel, praise the Lord. 274 PSALM CL. 1. Praise the Lord, the Lord of Hosts ; Praise Him in his sanctuary : Praise Him in the firmament, Where his power sublime He shews. 2, 3. Praise Him for his mighty strength ; Praise his wondrous majesty : Praise Him with the trumpet's sound ; Praise Him with the harp and lyre. 4. With the tinkling cymbals praise Him ; Praise Him in the circling dance : Praise Him on the tuneful strings ; Praise Him on the vocal pipes. 5, 6. With the cymbal's clangour praise Him ; With the cymbal's tones of joy : Creatures all that live and breathe, Praise your God. Yea, praise the Lord. THE END. GILBERT AND BIVINGTON, PRINTEBS, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, LONDON. ^ YB /Ub; uu- / ^"--1" XfA^li