Category: Uncategorized

First Version (Long Metre)

1    Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not;

          Nor in thy hot rage chasten me.

2    Lord, pity me, for I am weak:

          Heal me, for my bones vexed be.

3    My soul is also vexed sore;

          But, Lord, how long stay wilt thou make?

4    Return, O Lord, my soul set free;

          O save me, for thy mercies’ sake.

5    Because those that deceased are

          Of thee shall no remembrance have;

     And who is he that will to thee

          Give praises lying in the grave?

6    I with my groaning weary am,

          I also all the night my bed

     Have caused for to swim; and I

          With tears my couch have watered.

7    Mine eye, consum’d with grief, grows old,

          Because of all mine enemies.

8    Hence from me, wicked workers all;

          For God hath heard my weeping cries.

9    God hath my supplication heard,

          My pray’r received graciously

10   Sham’d and sore vex’d be all my foes,

          Sham’d and back turned suddenly.

Second Version (C.M.)

1    In thy great indignation,

          O Lord, rebuke me not;

     Nor on me lay thy chast ‘ning hand,

          in thy displeasure hot.

2    Lord, I am weak, therefore on me

          have mercy, and me spare:

     Heal me, O Lord, because thou know’st

          my bones much vexed are.

3    My soul is vexed sore: but, Lord,

          how long stay wilt thou make?

4    Return, Lord, free my soul; and save

          me, for thy mercies’ sake.

5    Because of thee in death there shall

          no more remembrance be:

     Of those that in the grave do lie,

          who shall give thanks to thee?

6    I with my groaning weary am,

          and all the night my bed

     I caused for to swim; with tears

          my couch I watered.

7     By reason of my vexing grief,

          mine eye consumed is;

     It waxeth old, because of all

          that be mine enemies.

8    But now, depart from me all ye

          that work iniquity:

     For why? the Lord hath heard my voice,

          when I did mourn and cry.

9    Unto my supplication

          the Lord did hearing give:

     When I to him my prayer make,

          the Lord will it receive.

10   Let all be sham’d and troubled sore,

          That en’mies are to me;

     Let them turn back, and suddenly

          ashamed let them be.

1    I in the Lord do put my trust:

          how is it then that ye

     Say to my soul, Flee, as a bird,

          unto your mountain high?

2    For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,

          their shafts on string they fit,

     That those who upright are in heart

          they privily may hit.

3    If the foundations be destroy’d,

          what hath the righteous done?

4    God in his holy temple is,

          in heaven is his throne:

     His eyes do see, his eye-lids try

5         men’s sons. The just he proves:

     But his soul hates the wicked man,

          and him that vi’lence loves.

6    Snares, fire and brimstone, furious storms,

          on sinners he shall rain:

     This, as the portion of their cup,

          doth unto them pertain.

7    Because the Lord most righteous doth

          in righteousness delight;

     And with a pleasant countenance

          beholdeth the upright.

1    Wherefore is it that thou, O Lord,

          dost stand from us afar?

     And wherefore hidest thou thyself,

          when times so troublous are?

2    The wicked in his loftiness

          doth persecute the poor:

     In these devices they have fram’d

          let them be taken sure.

3    The wicked of his heart’s desire

          doth talk with boasting great;

     He blesseth him that’s covetous,

          whom yet the Lord doth hate.

4    The wicked, through his pride of face,

          on God he doth not call;

     And in the counsels of his heart

          the Lord is not at all.

5    His ways they always grievous are;

          thy judgments from his sight

     Removed are: at all his foes

          he puffeth with despight.

6    Within his heart he thus hath said,

          I shall not moved be;

     And no adversity at all

          shall ever come to me.

7    His mouth with cursing, fraud, deceit,

          is fill’d abundantly;

     And underneath his tongue there is

          mischief and vanity.

8    He closely sits in villages;

          he slays the innocent:

     Against the poor that pass him by

          his cruel eyes are bent.

9    He, lion-like, lurks in his den;

          he waits the poor to take;

     And when he draws him in his net,

          his prey he doth him make.

10   Himself he humbleth very low,

          he croucheth down withal,

     That so a multitude of poor

          may by his strong ones fall.

11   He thus hath said within his heart,

          The Lord hath quite forgot;

     He hides his countenance, and he

          for ever sees it not.

12   O Lord, do thou arise; O God,

          lift up thine hand on high:

     Put not the meek afflicted ones

          out of thy memory.

13   Why is it that the wicked man

          thus doth the Lord despise?

     Because that God will it require

          he in his heart denies.

14   Thou hast it seen; for their mischief

          and spite thou wilt repay:

     The poor commits himself to thee;

          thou art the orphan’s stay.

15   The arm break of the wicked man,

          and of the evil one;

     Do thou seek out his wickedness,

          until thou findest none.

16   The Lord is King through ages all,

          ev’n to eternity;

     The heathen people from his land

          are perish’d utterly.

17   O Lord, of those that humble are

          thou the desire didst hear;

     Thou wilt prepare their heart, and thou

          to hear wilt bend thine ear;

18   To judge the fatherless, and those

          that are oppressed sore;

     That man, that is but sprung of earth,

          may them oppress no more.

1    That there is not a God, the fool

          doth in his heart conclude:

     They are corrupt, their works are vile;

          not one of them doth good.

2    Upon men’s sons the Lord from heav’n

          did cast his eyes abroad,

     To see if any understood,

          and did seek after God.

3    They altogether filthy are,

          they all aside are gone;

     And there is none that doeth good,

          yea, sure there is not one.

4    These workers of iniquity

          do they not know at all,

     That they my people eat as bread,

          and on God do not call?

5    There fear’d they much; for God is with

          the whole race of the just.

6    You shame the counsel of the poor,

          because God is his trust.

7    Let Isr’el’s help from Sion come:

          when back the Lord shall bring

     His captives, Jacob shall rejoice,

          and Israel shall sing.

1    How excellent in all the earth,

          Lord, our Lord, is thy name!

     Who hast thy glory far advanc’d

          above the starry frame.

2    From infants’ and from sucklings’ mouth

          thou didest strength ordain,

     For thy foes’ cause, that so thou might’st

          th’ avenging foe restrain.

3    When I look up unto the heav’ns,

          which thine own fingers fram’d,

     Unto the moon, and to the stars,

          which were by thee ordain’d;

4    Then say I, What is man, that he

          remember’d is by thee?

     Or what the son of man, that thou

          so kind to him should’st be?

5    For thou a little lower hast

          him than the angels made;

     With glory and with dignity

          thou crowned hast his head.

6    Of thy hands’ works thou mad’st him lord,

          all under’s feet didst lay;

7    All sheep and oxen, yea, and beasts

          that in the field do stray;

8    Fowls of the air, fish of the sea,

          all that pass through the same.

9    How excellent in all the earth,

          Lord, our Lord, is thy name!

1    How long wilt thou forget me, Lord?

          shall it for ever be?

     O how long shall it be that thou

          wilt hide thy face from me?

2    How long take counsel in my soul,

          still sad in heart, shall I?

     How long exalted over me

          shall be mine enemy?

3    O Lord my God, consider well,

          and answer to me make:

     Mine eyes enlighten, lest the sleep

          of death me overtake:

4    Lest that mine enemy should say,

          Against him I prevail’d;

     And those that trouble me rejoice,

          when I am mov’d and fail’d.

5    But I have all my confidence

          thy mercy set upon;

     My heart within me shall rejoice

          in thy salvation.

6    I will unto the Lord my God

          sing praises cheerfully,

     Because he hath his bounty shown

          to me abundantly.

1    O Lord my God, in thee do I

          my confidence repose:

     Save and deliver me from all

          my persecuting foes;

2    Lest that the enemy my soul

          should, like a lion, tear,

     In pieces rending it, while there

          is no deliverer.

3    O Lord my God, if it be so

          that I committed this;

     If it be so that in my hands

          iniquity there is:

4    If I rewarded ill to him

          that was at peace with me;

     (Yea, ev’n the man that without cause

          my foe was I did free;)

5    Then let the foe pursue and take

          my soul, and my life thrust

     Down to the earth, and let him lay

          mine honour in the dust.

6    Rise in thy wrath, Lord, raise thyself,

          for my foes raging be;

     And, to the judgment which thou hast

          commanded, wake for me.

7    So shall th’ assembly of thy folk

          about encompass thee:

     Thou, therefore, for their sakes, return

          unto thy place on high.

8    The Lord he shall the people judge:

          my judge, Jehovah, be,

     After my righteousness, and mine

          integrity in me.

9    O let the wicked’s malice end;

          but stablish stedfastly

     The righteous: for the righteous God

          the hearts and reins doth try.

10   In God, who saves th’ upright in heart,

          is my defence and stay.

11   God just men judgeth, God is wroth

          with ill men ev’ry day.

12   If he do not return again,

          then he his sword will whet;

     His bow he hath already bent,

          and hath it ready set:

13   He also hath for him prepar’d

          the instruments of death;

     Against the persecutors he

          his shafts ordained hath.

14   Behold, he with iniquity

          doth travail, as in birth;

     A mischief he conceived hath,

          and falsehood shall bring forth.

15   He made a pit and digg’d it deep,

          another there to take;

     But he is fall’n into the ditch

          which he himself did make.

16   Upon his own head his mischief

          shall be returned home;

     His vi’lent dealing also down

          on his own pate shall come.

17   According to his righteousness

          the Lord I’ll magnify;

     And will sing praise unto the name

          of God that is most high.

1    Give ear unto my words, O Lord,

          my meditation weigh.

2    Hear my loud cry, my King, my God;

          for I to thee will pray.

3    Lord, thou shalt early hear my voice:

          I early will direct

     My pray’r to thee; and, looking up,

          an answer will expect.

4    For thou art not a God that doth

          in wickedness delight;

     Neither shall evil dwell with thee,

5         Nor fools stand in thy sight.

     All that ill-doers are thou hat’st;

6         Cutt’st off that liars be:

     The bloody and deceitful man

          abhorred is by thee.

7    But I into thy house will come

          in thine abundant grace;

     And I will worship in thy fear

          toward thy holy place.

8    Because of those mine enemies,

          Lord, in thy righteousness

     Do thou me lead; do thou thy way

          make straight before my face.

9    For in their mouth there is no truth,

          their inward part is ill;

     Their throat’s an open sepulchre,

          their tongue doth flatter still.

10   O God, destroy them; let them be

          by their own counsel quell’d:

     Them for their many sins cast out,

          for they ‘gainst thee rebell’d.

11   But let all joy that trust in thee,

          and still make shouting noise;

     For them thou sav’st; let all that love

          thy name in thee rejoice.

12   For, Lord, unto the righteous man

          thou wilt thy blessing yield:

     With favour thou wilt compass him

          about, as with a shield.

1    Lord, hear the right, attend my cry,

          unto my pray’r give heed,

     That doth not in hypocrisy

          from feigned lips proceed.

2    And from before thy presence forth

          my sentence do thou send:

     Toward these things that equal are

          do thou thine eyes intend.

3    Thou prov’dst mine heart, thou visit’dst me

          by night, thou didst me try,

     Yet nothing found’st; for that my mouth

          shall not sin, purpos’d I.

4    As for men’s works, I, by the word

          that from thy lips doth flow,

     Did me preserve out of the paths

          wherein destroyers go.

5    Hold up my goings, Lord, me guide

          in those thy paths divine,

     So that my footsteps may not slide

          out of those ways of thine.

6    I called have on thee, O God,

          because thou wilt me hear:

     That thou may’st hearken to my speech,

          to me incline thine ear.

7    Thy wondrous loving-kindness show,

          thou that, by thy right hand,

     Sav’st them that trust in thee from those

          that up against them stand.

8    As th’ apple of the eye me keep;

          in thy wings shade me close

9    From lewd oppressors, compassing

          me round, as deadly foes.

10   In their own fat they are inclos’d;

          their mouth speaks loftily.

11   Our steps they compass’d; and to ground

          down bowing set their eye.

12   He like unto a lion is

          that’s greedy of his prey,

     Or lion young, which lurking doth

          in secret places stay.

13   Arise, and disappoint my foe,

          and cast him down, O Lord:

     My soul save from the wicked man,

          the man which is thy sword.

14  From men, which are thy hand, O Lord,

          from worldly men me save,

     Which only in this present life

          their part and portion have.

     Whose belly with thy treasure hid

          thou fill’st: they children have

     In plenty; of their goods the rest

          they to their children leave.

15  But as for me, I thine own face

          in righteousness will see;

     And with thy likeness, when I wake,

          I satisfy’d shall be.

TUNE = All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

1    Lord, keep me; for I trust in thee.
2          To God thus was my speech,
     Thou art my Lord; and unto thee
          my goodness doth not reach:

3    To saints on earth, to th’ excellent,
          where my delight’s all plac’d.
4    Their sorrows shall be multiply’d
          to other gods that haste:

     Of their drink-offerings of blood
          I will no off ‘ring make;
     Yea, neither I their very names
          up in my lips will take.

5    God is of mine inheritance
          and cup the portion;
     The lot that fallen is to me
          thou dost maintain alone.

6    Unto me happily the lines
          in pleasant places fell;
     Yea, the inheritance I got
          in beauty doth excel.

7    I bless the Lord, because he doth
          by counsel me conduct;
     And in the seasons of the night
          my reins do me instruct.

8    Before me still the Lord I set:
          sith it is so that he
     Doth ever stand at my right hand,
          I shall not moved be.

9    Because of this my heart is glad,
          and joy shall be exprest
     Ev’n by my glory; and my flesh
          in confidence shall rest.

10   Because my soul in grave to dwell
          shall not be left by thee;
     Nor wilt thou give thine Holy One
          corruption to see.

11   Thou wilt me shew the path of life:
          of joys there is full store
     Before thy face; at thy right hand
          are pleasures evermore.