Category: Songs of Christ
1 Plead, Lord, with those that plead; and fight
with those that fight with me.
2 Of shield and buckler take thou hold,
stand up mine help to be.
3 Draw also out the spear, and do
against them stop the way
That me pursue: unto my soul,
I’m thy salvation, say.
4 Let them confounded be and sham’d
that for my soul have sought:
Who plot my hurt turn’d back be they,
and to confusion brought.
5 Let them be like unto the chaff
that flies before the wind;
And let the angel of the Lord
pursue them hard behind.
6 With darkness cover thou their way,
and let it slipp’ry prove;
And let the angel of the Lord
pursue them from above.
7 For without cause have they for me
their net hid in a pit,
They also have without a cause
for my soul digged it.
8 Let ruin seize him unawares;
his net he hid withal
Himself let catch; and in the same
destruction let him fall.
9 My soul in God shall joy; and glad
in his salvation be:
10 And all my bones shall say, O Lord,
who is like unto thee,
Which dost the poor set free from him
that is for him too strong;
The poor and needy from the man
that spoils and does him wrong?
11 False witnesses rose; to my charge
things I not knew they laid.
12 They, to the spoiling of my soul,
me ill for good repaid.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
in sackcloth sad I mourn’d:
My humbled soul did fast, my pray’r
into my bosom turn’d.
14 Myself I did behave as he
had been my friend or brother;
I heavily bow’d down, as one
that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in my trouble they rejoic’d,
gath’ring themselves together;
Yea, abjects vile together did
themselves against me gather:
I knew it not; they did me tear,
and quiet would not be.
16 With mocking hypocrites, at feasts
they gnash’d their teeth at me.
17 How long, Lord, look’st thou on? from those
destructions they intend
Rescue my soul, from lions young
my darling do defend.
18 I will give thanks to thee, O Lord,
within th’ assembly great;
And where much people gather’d are
thy praises forth will set.
19 Let not my wrongful enemies
proudly rejoice o’er me;
Nor who me hate without a cause,
let them wink with the eye.
20 For peace they do not speak at all;
but crafty plots prepare
Against all those within the land
that meek and quiet are.
21 With mouths set wide, they ‘gainst me said,
Ha, ha! our eye doth see.
22 Lord, thou hast seen, hold not thy peace;
Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself; wake, that thou may’st
judgment to me afford,
Ev’n to my cause, O thou that art
my only God and Lord.
24 O Lord my God, do thou me judge
after thy righteousness;
And let them not their joy ‘gainst me
triumphantly express:
25 Nor let them say within their hearts,
Ah, we would have it thus;
Nor suffer them to say, that he
is swallow’d up by us.
26 Sham’d and confounded be they all
that at my hurt are glad;
Let those against me that do boast
with shame and scorn be clad.
27 Let them that love my righteous cause
be glad, shout, and not cease
To say, The Lord be magnify’d,
who loves his servant’s peace.
28 Thy righteousness shall also be
declared by my tongue;
The praises that belong to thee
speak shall it all day long.
1 The wicked man’s transgression
within my heart thus says,
Undoubtedly the fear of God
is not before his eyes.
2 Because himself he flattereth
in his own blinded eye,
Until the hatefulness be found
of his iniquity.
3 Words from his mouth proceeding are,
fraud and iniquity:
He to be wise, and to do good,
hath left off utterly.
4 He mischief, lying on his bed,
most cunningly doth plot:
He sets himself in ways not good,
ill he abhorreth not.
5 Thy mercy, Lord, is in the heav’ns;
thy truth doth reach the clouds:
6 Thy justice is like mountains great;
thy judgments deep as floods:
Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How precious is thy grace!
Therefore in shadow of thy wings
men’s sons their trust shall place.
8 They with the fatness of thy house
shall be well satisfy’d;
From rivers of thy pleasures thou
wilt drink to them provide.
9 Because of life the fountain pure
remains alone with thee;
And in that purest light of thine
we clearly light shall see.
10 Thy loving-kindness unto them
continue that thee know;
And still on men upright in heart
thy righteousness bestow.
11 Let not the foot of cruel pride
come, and against me stand;
And let me not removed be,
Lord, by the wicked’s hand.
12 There fallen are they, and ruined,
that work iniquities:
Cast down they are, and never shall
be able to arise.
1 The king in thy great strength, O Lord,
shall very joyful be:
In thy salvation rejoice
how veh’mently shall he!
2 Thou hast bestowed upon him
all that his heart would have;
And thou from him didst not withhold
whate’er his lips did crave.
3 For thou with blessings him prevent’st
of goodness manifold;
And thou hast set upon his head
a crown of purest gold.
4 When he desired life of thee,
thou life to him didst give;
Ev’n such a length of days, that he
for evermore should live.
5 In that salvation wrought by thee
his glory is made great;
Honour and comely majesty
thou hast upon him set.
6 Because that thou for evermore
most blessed hast him made;
And thou hast with thy countenance
made him exceeding glad.
7 Because the king upon the Lord
his confidence doth lay;
And through the grace of the most High
shall not be mov’d away.
8 Thine hand shall all those men find out
that en’mies are to thee;
Ev’n thy right hand shall find out those
of thee that haters be.
9 Like fiery ov’n thou shalt them make,
when kindled is thine ire;
God shall them swallow in his wrath,
devour them shall the fire.
10 Their fruit from earth thou shalt destroy,
their seed men from among:
11 For they beyond their might ‘gainst thee
did plot mischief and wrong.
12 Thou therefore shalt make them turn back,
when thou thy shafts shalt place
Upon thy strings, made ready all
to fly against their face.
13 In thy great pow’r and strength, O Lord,
be thou exalted high;
So shall we sing with joyful hearts,
thy power praise shall we.
1 My God, my God, why hast thou me
forsaken? why so far
Art thou from helping me, and from
my words that roaring are?
2 All day, my God, to thee I cry,
yet am not heard by thee;
And in the season of the night
I cannot silent be.
3 But thou art holy, thou that dost
inhabit Isr’el’s praise.
4 Our fathers hop’d in thee, they hop’d
and thou didst them release.
5 When unto thee they sent their cry,
to them deliv’rance came:
Because they put their trust in thee,
they were not put to shame.
6 But as for me, a worm I am,
and as no man am priz’d:
Reproach of men I am, and by
the people am despis’d.
7 All that me see laugh me to scorn;
shoot out the lip do they;
They nod and shake their heads at me,
and, mocking, thus do say,
8 This man did trust in God, that he
would free him by his might:
Let him deliver him, sith he
had in him such delight.
9 But thou art he out of the womb
that didst me safely take;
When I was on my mother’s breasts
thou me to hope didst make.
10 And I was cast upon thy care,
ev’n from the womb till now;
And from my mother’s belly, Lord,
my God and guide art thou.
11 Be not far off, for grief is near,
and none to help is found.
12 Bulls many compass me, strong bulls
of Bashan me surround.
13 Their mouths they open’d wide on me,
upon me gape did they,
Like to a lion ravening
and roaring for his prey.
14 Like water I’m pour’d out, my bones
all out of joint do part:
Amidst my bowels, as the wax,
so melted is my heart.
15 My strength is like a potsherd dry’d;
my tongue it cleaveth fast
Unto my jaws; and to the dust
of death thou brought me hast.
16 For dogs have compass’d me about:
the wicked, that did meet
In their assembly, me inclos’d;
they pierc’d my hands and feet.
17 I all my bones may tell; they do
upon me look and stare.
18 Upon my vesture lots they cast,
and clothes among them share.
19 But be not far, O Lord, my strength;
haste to give help to me.
20 From sword my soul, from pow’r of dogs
my darling set thou free.
21 Out of the roaring lion’s mouth
do thou me shield and save:
For from the horns of unicorns
an ear to me thou gave.
22 I will shew forth thy name unto
those that my brethren are;
Amidst the congregation
thy praise I will declare.
23 Praise ye the Lord, who do him fear;
him glorify all ye
The seed of Jacob: fear him all
that Isr’el’s children be.
24 For he despis’d not nor abhorr’d
th’ afflicted’s misery;
Nor from him hid his face, but heard
when he to him did cry.
25 Within the congregation great
my praise shall be of thee;
My vows before them that him fear
shall be perform’d by me.
26 The meek shall eat, and shall be fill’d;
they also praise shall give
Unto the Lord that do him seek:
your heart shall ever live.
27 All ends of th’ earth remember shall,
and turn the Lord unto;
All kindreds of the nations
to him shall homage do:
28 Because the kingdom to the Lord
doth appertain as his;
Likewise among the nations
the Governor he is.
29 Earth’s fat ones eat, and worship shall:
all who to dust descend
Shall bow to him; none of them can
his soul from death defend.
30 A seed shall service do to him;
unto the Lord it shall
Be for a generation
reckon’d in ages all.
31 They shall come, and they shall declare
his truth and righteousness
Unto a people yet unborn,
and that he hath done this.
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want.
2 He makes me down to lie
In pastures green: he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
3 My soul he doth restore again;
and me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
ev’n for his own name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear none ill:
For thou art with me; and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
5 My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
6 Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me:
And in God’s house for evermore
my dwelling-place shall be.