Tag: Songs of Christ

1    O God, we with our ears have heard,

          our fathers have us told,

     What works thou in their days hadst done,

          ev’n in the days of old.

2    Thy hand did drive the heathen out,

          and plant them in their place;

     Thou didst afflict the nations,

          but them thou didst increase.

3    For neither got their sword the land,

          nor did their arm them save;

     But thy right hand, arm, countenance;

          for thou them favour gave.

4    Thou art my King: for Jacob, Lord,

          deliv’rances command.

5    Through thee we shall push down our foes,

          that do against us stand:

     We, through thy name, shall tread down those

          that ris’n against us have.

6    For in my bow I shall not trust,

          nor shall my sword me save.

7    But from our foes thou hast us sav’d,

          our haters put to shame.

8    In God we all the day do boast,

          and ever praise thy name.

9    But now we are cast off by thee,

          and us thou putt’st to shame;

     And when our armies do go forth,

          thou go’st not with the same.

10   Thou mak’st us from the enemy,

          faint-hearted, to turn back;

     And they who hate us for themselves

          our spoils away do take.

11   Like sheep for meat thou gavest us;

          ‘mong heathen cast we be.

12   Thou didst for nought thy people sell;

          their price enrich’d not thee.

13   Thou mak’st us a reproach to be

          unto our neighbours near;

     Derision and a scorn to them

          that round about us are.

14   A by-word also thou dost us

          among the heathen make;

     The people, in contempt and spite,

          at us their heads do shake.

15   Before me my confusion

          continually abides;

     And of my bashful countenance

          the shame me ever hides:

16   For voice of him that doth reproach,

          and speaketh blasphemy;

     By reason of th’ avenging foe,

          and cruel enemy.

17   All this is come on us, yet we

          have not forgotten thee;

     Nor falsely in thy covenant

          behav’d ourselves have we.

18   Back from thy way our heart not turn’d;

          our steps no straying made;

19   Though us thou brak’st in dragons’ place,

          and cover’dst with death’s shade.

20   If we God’s name forgot, or stretch’d

          to a strange god our hands,

21   Shall not God search this out? for he

          heart’s secrets understands.

22   Yea, for thy sake we’re kill’d all day,

          counted as slaughter-sheep.

23   Rise, Lord, cast us not ever off;

          awake, why dost thou sleep?

24    O wherefore hidest thou thy face?

          forgett’st our cause distress’d,

25    And our oppression? For our soul

          is to the dust down press’d:

     Our belly also on the earth

          fast cleaving, hold doth take.

26    Rise for our help, and us redeem,

          ev’n for thy mercies’ sake.

1    Be merciful to me, O God;

          thy mercy unto me

     Do thou extend; because my soul

          doth put her trust in thee:

     Yea, in the shadow of thy wings

          my refuge I will place,

     Until these sad calamities

          do wholly overpass.

2    My cry I will cause to ascend

          unto the Lord most high;

     To God, who doth all things for me

          perform most perfectly.

3    From heav’n he shall send down, and me

          from his reproach defend

     That would devour me: God his truth

          and mercy forth shall send.

4    My soul among fierce lions is,

          I firebrands live among,

     Men’s sons, whose teeth are spears and darts,

          a sharp sword is their tongue.

5    Be thou exalted very high

          above the heav’ns, O God;

     Let thou thy glory be advanc’d

          o’er all the earth abroad.

6    My soul’s bow’d down; for they a net

          have laid, my steps to snare:

     Into the pit which they have digg’d

          for me, they fallen are.

7    My heart is fix’d, my heart is fix’d,

          O God; I’ll sing and praise.

8    My glory wake; wake psalt’ry, harp;

          myself I’ll early raise.

9    I’ll praise thee ‘mong the people, Lord;

          ‘mong nations sing will I:

10   For great to heav’n thy mercy is,

          thy truth is to the sky.

11   O Lord, exalted be thy name

          above the heav’ns to stand:

     Do thou thy glory far advance

          above both sea and land.

1    Judge me, O God, and plead my cause

          against th’ ungodly nation;

     From the unjust and crafty man,

          O be thou my salvation.

2    For thou the God art of my strength;

          why thrusts thou me thee fro’?

     For th’ enemy’s oppression

          why do I mourning go?

3    O send thy light forth and thy truth;

          let them be guides to me,

     And bring me to thine holy hill,

          ev’n where thy dwellings be.

4    Then will I to God’s altar go,

          to God my chiefest joy:

     Yea, God, my God, thy name to praise

          my harp I will employ.

5    Why art thou then cast down, my soul?

          what should discourage thee?

     And why with vexing thoughts art thou

          disquieted in me?

     Still trust in God; for him to praise

          good cause I yet shall have:

     He of my count’nance is the health,

          my God that doth me save.

1    I mercy will and judgment sing,

          Lord, I will sing to thee.

2    With wisdom in a perfect way

          shall my behaviour be.

     O when, in kindness unto me,

          wilt thou be pleas’d to come?

     I with a perfect heart will walk

          within my house at home.

3    I will endure no wicked thing

          before mine eyes to be:

     I hate their work that turn aside,

          it shall not cleave to me.

4    A stubborn and a froward heart

          depart quite from me shall;

     A person giv’n to wickedness

          I will not know at all.

5    I’ll cut him off that slandereth

          his neighbour privily:

     The haughty heart I will not bear,

          nor him that looketh high.

6    Upon the faithful of the land

          mine eyes shall be, that they

     May dwell with me: he shall me serve

          that walks in perfect way.

7    Who of deceit a worker is

          in my house shall not dwell;

     And in my presence shall he not

          remain that lies doth tell.

8    Yea, all the wicked of the land

          early destroy will I;

     All from God’s city to cut off

          that work iniquity.

First Version (L.M.)

1    All people that on earth do dwell,         
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
2    Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell,
          Come ye before him and rejoice.

3    Know that the Lord is God indeed;
          Without our aid he did us make:
     We are his flock, he doth us feed,
          And for his sheep he doth us take.

4    O enter then his gates with praise,
          Approach with joy his courts unto:
     Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
          For it is seemly so to do.

5    For why? the Lord our God is good,
          His mercy is for ever sure;
     His truth at all times firmly stood,
          And shall from age to age endure.

Second Version (C.M.)

1    O all ye lands, unto the Lord
          make ye a joyful noise.
2    Serve God with gladness, him before
          come with a singing voice.

3    Know ye the Lord that he is God;
          not we, but he us made:
     We are his people, and the sheep
          within his pasture fed.

4    Enter his gates and courts with praise,
          to thank him go ye thither:
     To him express your thankfulness,
          and bless his name together.

5    Because the Lord our God is good,
          his mercy faileth never;
     And to all generations
          his truth endureth ever.

1    O sing a new song to the Lord,

          for wonders he hath done:

     His right hand and his holy arm

          him victory hath won.

2    The Lord God his salvation

          hath caused to be known;

     His justice in the heathen’s sight

          he openly hath shown.

3    He mindful of his grace and truth

          to Isr’el’s house hath been;

     And the salvation of our God

          all ends of th’ earth have seen.

4    Let all the earth unto the Lord

          send forth a joyful noise;

     Lift up your voice aloud to him,

          sing praises, and rejoice.

5    With harp, with harp, and voice of psalms,

          unto Jehovah sing:

6    With trumpets, cornets, gladly sound

          before the Lord the King.

7    Let seas and all their fulness roar;

          the world, and dwellers there;

8    Let floods clap hands, and let the hills

          together joy declare

9    Before the Lord; because he comes,

          to judge the earth comes he:

     He’ll judge the world with righteousness,

          his folk with equity.

1    God reigneth, let the earth be glad,

          and isles rejoice each one.

2    Dark clouds him compass; and in right

          with judgment dwells his throne.

3    Fire goes before him, and his foes

          it burns up round about:

4    His lightnings lighten did the world;

          earth saw, and shook throughout.

5    Hills at the presence of the Lord,

          like wax, did melt away;

     Ev’n at the presence of the Lord

          of all the earth, I say.

6    The heav’ns declare his righteousness,

          all men his glory see.

7    All who serve graven images,

          confounded let them be.

     Who do of idols boast themselves,

          let shame upon them fall:

     Ye that are called gods, see that

          ye do him worship all.

8    Sion did hear, and joyful was,

          glad Judah’s daughters were;

     They much rejoic’d, O Lord, because

          thy judgments did appear.

9    For thou, O Lord, art high above

          all things on earth that are;

     Above all other gods thou art

          exalted very far.

10    Hate ill, all ye that love the Lord:

          his saints’ souls keepeth he;

     And from the hands of wicked men

          he sets them safe and free.

11   For all those that be righteous

          sown is a joyful light,

     And gladness sown is for all those

          that are in heart upright.

12   Ye righteous, in the Lord rejoice;

          express your thankfulness,

          When ye into your memory

          do call his holiness.

1    Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place
          in generations all.
2    Before thou ever hadst brought forth
          the mountains great or small;

     Ere ever thou hadst form’d the earth,
          and all the world abroad;
     Ev’n thou from everlasting art
          to everlasting God.

3    Thou dost unto destruction
          man that is mortal turn;
     And unto them thou say’st, Again,
          ye sons of men, return.

4    Because a thousand years appear
          no more before thy sight
     Than yesterday, when it is past,
          or than a watch by night.

5    As with an overflowing flood
          thou carry’st them away:
     They like a sleep are, like the grass
          that grows at morn are they.

6    At morn it flourishes and grows,
          cut down at ev’n doth fade.
7    For by thine anger we’re consum’d,
          thy wrath makes us afraid.

8    Our sins thou and iniquities
          dost in thy presence place,
     And sett’st our secret faults before
          the brightness of thy face.

9    For in thine anger all our days
          do pass on to an end;
     And as a tale that hath been told,
          so we our years do spend.

10   Threescore and ten years do sum up
          our days and years, we see;
     Or, if, by reason of more strength,
          in some fourscore they be:

     Yet doth the strength of such old men
          but grief and labour prove;
     For it is soon cut off, and we
          fly hence, and soon remove.

Verses 11-17 to the tune of To Us A Child of Hope Is Born

11   Who knows the power of thy wrath?
          according to thy fear
12   So is thy wrath: Lord, teach thou us
          our end in mind to bear;

     And so to count our days, that we
          our hearts may still apply
     To learn thy wisdom and thy truth,
          that we may live thereby.

13   Turn yet again to us, O Lord,
          how long thus shall it be?
     Let it repent thee now for those
          that servants are to thee.

14   O with thy tender mercies, Lord,
          us early satisfy;
     So we rejoice shall all our days,
          and still be glad in thee.

15   According as the days have been,
          wherein we grief have had,
     And years wherein we ill have seen,
          so do thou make us glad.

16   O let thy work and pow’r appear
          thy servants’ face before;
     And shew unto their children dear
          thy glory evermore:

17   And let the beauty of the Lord
          our God be us upon:
     Our handy-works establish thou,
          establish them each one.

1    O come, let us sing to the Lord:

          come, let us ev’ry one

     A joyful noise make to the Rock

          of our salvation.

2    Let us before his presence come

          with praise and thankful voice;

     Let us sing psalms to him with grace,

          and make a joyful noise.

3    For God, a great God, and great King,

          above all gods he is.

4    Depths of the earth are in his hand,

          the strength of hills is his.

5    To him the spacious sea belongs,

          for he the same did make;

     The dry land also from his hands

          its form at first did take.

6    O come, and let us worship him,

          let us bow down withal,

     And on our knees before the Lord

          our Maker let us fall.

7    For he’s our God, the people we

          of his own pasture are,

     And of his hand the sheep; to-day,

          if ye his voice will hear,

8    Then harden not your hearts, as in

          the provocation,

     As in the desert, on the day

          of the tentation:

9    When me your fathers tempt’d and prov’d,

          and did my working see;

10   Ev’n for the space of forty years

          this race hath grieved me.

     I said, This people errs in heart,

          my ways they do not know:

11   To whom I sware in wrath, that to

          my rest they should not go.