Category: Songs of Christ

1    O Lord God, unto whom alone

          all vengeance doth belong;

     O mighty God, who vengeance own’st,

          shine forth, avenging wrong.

2    Lift up thyself, thou of the earth

          the sov’reign Judge that art;

     And unto those that are so proud

          a due reward impart.

3    How long, O mighty God, shall they

          who lewd and wicked be,

     How long shall they who wicked are

          thus triumph haughtily?

4    How long shall things most hard by them

          be uttered and told?

     And all that work iniquity

          to boast themselves be bold?

5    Thy folk they break in pieces, Lord,

          thine heritage oppress:

6    The widow they and stranger slay,

          and kill the fatherless.

7    Yet say they, God it shall not see,

          nor God of Jacob know.

8    Ye brutish people! understand;

          fools! when wise will ye grow?

9    The Lord did plant the ear of man,

          and hear then shall not he?

     He only form’d the eye, and then

          shall he not clearly see?

10   He that the nations doth correct,

          shall he not chastise you?

     He knowledge unto man doth teach,

          and shall himself not know?

11   Man’s thoughts to be but vanity

          the Lord doth well discern.

12   Bless’d is the man thou chast’nest, Lord,

          and mak’st thy law to learn:

13   That thou may’st give him rest from days

          of sad adversity,

     Until the pit be digg’d for those

          that work iniquity.

14   For sure the Lord will not cast off

          those that his people be,

     Neither his own inheritance

          quit and forsake will he:

15   But judgment unto righteousness

          shall yet return again;

     And all shall follow after it

          that are right-hearted men.

16   Who will rise up for me against

          those that do wickedly?

     Who will stand up for me ‘gainst those

          that work iniquity?

17   Unless the Lord had been my help

          when I was sore opprest,

     Almost my soul had in the house

          of silence been at rest.

18   When I had uttered this word,

          (my foot doth slip away,)

     Thy mercy held me up, O Lord,

          thy goodness did me stay.

19   Amidst the multitude of thoughts

          which in my heart do fight,

     My soul, lest it be overcharg’d,

          thy comforts do delight.

20   Shall of iniquity the throne

          have fellowship with thee,

     Which mischief, cunningly contriv’d,

          doth by a law decree?

21   Against the righteous souls they join,

          they guiltless blood condemn.

22   But of my refuge God’s the rock,

          and my defence from them.

23    On them their own iniquity

          the Lord shall bring and lay,

     And cut them off in their own sin;

          our Lord God shall them slay.

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.

1    The Lord doth reign, and cloth’d is he

          with majesty most bright;

     His works do shew him cloth’d to be,

          and girt about with might.

     The world is also stablished,

          that it cannot depart.

2    Thy throne is fix’d of old, and thou

          from everlasting art.

3    The floods, O Lord, have lifted up,

          they lifted up their voice;

     The floods have lifted up their waves,

          and made a mighty noise.

4    But yet the Lord, that is on high,

          is more of might by far

     Than noise of many waters is,

          or great sea-billows are.

5    Thy testimonies ev’ry one

          in faithfulness excel;

     And holiness for ever, Lord,

          thine house becometh well.

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    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.

1    He that doth in the secret place

          of the most High reside,

     Under the shade of him that is

          th’ Almighty shall abide.

2    I of the Lord my God will say,

          He is my refuge still,

     He is my fortress, and my God,

          and in him trust I will.

3    Assuredly he shall thee save,

          and give deliverance

     From subtile fowler’s snare, and from

          the noisome pestilence.

4    His feathers shall thee hide; thy trust

          under his wings shall be:

     His faithfulness shall be a shield

          and buckler unto thee.

5    Thou shalt not need to be afraid

          for terrors of the night;

     Nor for the arrow that doth fly

          by day, while it is light;

6    Nor for the pestilence, that walks

          in darkness secretly;

     Nor for destruction, that doth waste

          at noon-day openly.

7    A thousand at thy side shall fall,

          on thy right hand shall lie

     Ten thousand dead; yet unto thee

          it shall not once come nigh.

8    Only thou with thine eyes shalt look,

          and a beholder be;

     And thou therein the just reward

          of wicked men shalt see.

9    Because the Lord, who constantly

          my refuge is alone,

     Ev’n the most High, is made by thee

          thy habitation;

10   No plague shall near thy dwelling come;

          no ill shall thee befall:

11   For thee to keep in all thy ways

          his angels charge he shall.

12   They in their hands shall bear thee up,

          still waiting thee upon;

     Lest thou at any time should’st dash

          thy foot against a stone.

13   Upon the adder thou shalt tread,

          and on the lion strong;

     Thy feet on dragons trample shall,

          and on the lions young.

14   Because on me he set his love,

          I’ll save and set him free;

     Because my great name he hath known,

          I will him set on high.

15   He’ll call on me, I’ll answer him;

          I will be with him still

     In trouble, to deliver him,

          and honour him I will.

16   With length of days unto his mind

          I will him satisfy;

     I also my salvation

          will cause his eyes to see.

1    I waited for the Lord my God,
          and patiently did bear;
     At length to me he did incline
          my voice and cry to hear.

2    He took me from a fearful pit,
          and from the miry clay,
     And on a rock he set my feet,
          establishing my way.

3    He put a new song in my mouth,
          our God to magnify:
     Many shall see it, and shall fear,
          and on the Lord rely.

4    O blessed is the man whose trust
          upon the Lord relies;
     Respecting not the proud, nor such
          as turn aside to lies.

5    O Lord my God, full many are
          the wonders thou hast done;
     Thy gracious thoughts to us-ward far
          above all thoughts are gone:

     In order none can reckon them

          to thee: if them declare,

     And speak of them I would, they more

          than can be number’d are.

6    No sacrifice nor offering

          didst thou at all desire;

     Mine ears thou bor’d: sin-off ‘ring thou

          and burnt didst not require:

7    Then to the Lord these were my words,

          I come, behold and see;

     Within the volume of the book

          it written is of me:

8    To do thy will I take delight,

          O thou my God that art;

     Yea, that most holy law of thine

          I have within my heart.

9    Within the congregation great

          I righteousness did preach:

     Lo, thou dost know, O Lord, that I

          refrained not my speech.

10   I never did within my heart

          conceal thy righteousness;

     I thy salvation have declar’d,

          and shown thy faithfulness:

     Thy kindness, which most loving is,

          concealed have not I,

     Nor from the congregation great

          have hid thy verity.

11   Thy tender mercies, Lord, from me

          O do thou not restrain;

     Thy loving-kindness, and thy truth,

          let them me still maintain.

12   For ills past reck’ning compass me,

          and mine iniquities

     Such hold upon me taken have,

          I cannot lift mine eyes:

     They more than hairs are on mine head,

          thence is my heart dismay’d.

13   Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me;

          Lord, hasten to mine aid.

14   Sham’d and confounded be they all

          that seek my soul to kill;

     Yea, let them backward driven be,

          and sham’d, that wish me ill.

15   For a reward of this their shame

          confounded let them be.

     That in this manner scoffing say,

          Aha, aha! to me.

16   In thee let all be glad, and joy,

          who seeking thee abide;

     Who thy salvation love, say still,

          The Lord be magnify’d.

17   I’m poor and needy, yet the Lord

          of me a care doth take:

     Thou art my help and saviour,

          my God, no tarrying make.