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1    Praise God. The Lord praise, O my soul.

2         I’ll praise God while I live;

     While I have being to my God

          in songs I’ll praises give.

3    Trust not in princes, nor man’s son,

          in whom there is no stay:

4    His breath departs, to’s earth he turns;

          that day his thoughts decay.

5    O happy is that man and blest,

          whom Jacob’s God doth aid;

     Whose hope upon the Lord doth rest,

          and on his God is stay’d:

6    Who made the earth and heavens high,

          who made the swelling deep,

     And all that is within the same;

          who truth doth ever keep:

7    Who righteous judgment executes

          for those oppress’d that be,

     Who to the hungry giveth food;

          God sets the pris’ners free.

8    The Lord doth give the blind their sight,

          the bowed down doth raise:

     The Lord doth dearly love all those

          that walk in upright ways.

9    The stranger’s shield, the widow’s stay,

          the orphan’s help, is he:

     But yet by him the wicked’s way

          turn’d upside down shall be.

10   The Lord shall reign for evermore:

          thy God, O Sion, he

     Reigns to all generations.

          Praise to the Lord give ye.

Second Version (L.M.)
TUNE: Before the Throne of God Above

1    O Lord, thou art my God and King;
          Thee will I magnify and praise:
     I will thee bless, and gladly sing
          Unto thy holy name always.

2    Each day I rise I will thee bless,
 And praise thy name time without end.
3    Much to be prais’d, and great God is;
          His greatness none can comprehend.

4    Race shall thy works praise unto race,
          The mighty acts show done by thee.
5    I will speak of the glorious grace,
          And honour of thy majesty;

     Thy wondrous works I will record.
6         By men the might shall be extoll’d
     Of all thy dreadful acts, O Lord:
          And I thy greatness will unfold.

7    They utter shall abundantly
          The mem’ry of thy goodness great;
     And shall sing praises cheerfully,
          Whilst they thy righteousness relate.

8    The Lord our God is gracious,
          Compassionate is he also;
     In mercy he is plenteous,
          But unto wrath and anger slow.

9    Good unto all men is the Lord:
          O’er all his works his mercy is.
10   Thy works all praise to thee afford:
          Thy saints, O Lord, thy name shall bless.

11   The glory of thy kingdom show
          Shall they, and of thy power tell:
12   That so men’s sons his deeds may know,
          His kingdom’s grace that doth excel.

13   Thy kingdom hath none end at all,
          It doth through ages all remain.
14   The Lord upholdeth all that fall,
          The cast-down raiseth up again.

15   The eyes of all things, Lord, attend,
          And on thee wait that here do live,
     And thou, in season due, dost send
          Sufficient food them to relieve.

16   Yea, thou thine hand dost open wide,
          And ev’ry thing dost satisfy
That lives, and doth on earth abide,
          Of thy great liberality.

17   The Lord is just in his ways all,
          And holy in his works each one.
18   He’s near to all that on him call,
          Who call in truth on him alone.

19   God will the just desire fulfil
          Of such as do him fear and dread:
     Their cry regard, and hear he will,
          And save them in the time of need.

20   The Lord preserves all, more and less,
          That bear to him a loving heart:
     But workers all of wickedness
          Destroy will he, and clean subvert.

21   Therefore my mouth and lips I’ll frame
          To speak the praises of the Lord:
     To magnify his holy name
          For ever let all flesh accord.

First Version (C.M.)

1    I’ll thee extol, my God, O King;

          I’ll bless thy name always.

2    Thee will I bless each day, and will

          thy name for ever praise.

3    Great is the Lord, much to be prais’d;

          his greatness search exceeds.

4    Race unto race shall praise thy works,

          and shew thy mighty deeds.

5    I of thy glorious majesty

          the honour will record;

     I’ll speak of all thy mighty works,

          which wondrous are, O Lord.

6    Men of thine acts the might shall show,

          thine acts that dreadful are;

     And I, thy glory to advance,

          thy greatness will declare.

7    The mem’ry of thy goodness great

          they largely shall express;

     With songs of praise they shall extol

          thy perfect righteousness.

8    The Lord is very gracious,

          in him compassions flow;

     In mercy he is very great,

          and is to anger slow.

9    The Lord Jehovah unto all

          his goodness doth declare;

     And over all his other works

          his tender mercies are.

10   Thee all thy works shall praise, O Lord,

          and thee thy saints shall bless;

11   They shall thy kingdom’s glory show,

          thy pow’r by speech express:

12   To make the sons of men to know

          his acts done mightily,

And of his kingdom th’ excellent

          and glorious majesty.

13   Thy kingdom shall for ever stand,

          thy reign through ages all.

14   God raiseth all that are bow’d down,

          upholdeth all that fall.

15   The eyes of all things wait on thee,

          the giver of all good;

     And thou, in time convenient,

          bestow’st on them their food:

16   Thine hand thou open’st lib’rally,

          and of thy bounty gives

     Enough to satisfy the need

          of ev’ry thing that lives.

17   The Lord is just in all his ways,

          holy in his works all.

18   God’s near to all that call on him,

          in truth that on him call.

19   He will accomplish the desire

          of those that do him fear:

     He also will deliver them,

          and he their cry will hear.

20   The Lord preserves all who him love,

          that nought can them annoy:

     But he all those that wicked are

          will utterly destroy.

21   My mouth the praises of the Lord

          to publish cease shall never:

     Let all flesh bless his holy name

          for ever and for ever.

Second Version (6.6.6.6.D.)

1    Oh, hear my prayer, Lord,
          And unto my desire
     To bow thine ear accord,
          I humbly thee require;

     And, in thy faithfulness,
          Unto me answer make,
     And, in thy righteousness,
          Upon me pity take.

2    In judgment enter not
          With me thy servant poor;
     For why, this well I wot,
          No sinner can endure

     The sight of thee, O God:
          If thou his deeds shalt try,
     He dare make none abode
          Himself to justify.

3    Behold, the cruel foe
          Me persecutes with spite,
     My soul to overthrow:
          Yea, he my life down quite

     Unto the ground hath smote,
          And made me dwell full low
     In darkness, as forgot,
          Or men dead long ago.

4    Therefore my sp’rit much vex’d,
          O’erwhelm’d is me within;
     My heart right sore perplex’d
          And desolate hath been.

5    Yet I do call to mind
          What ancient days record,
     Thy works of ev’ry kind
          I think upon, O Lord.

6    Lo, I do stretch my hands
          To thee, my help alone;
     For thou well understands
          All my complaint and moan:

     My thirsting soul desires,
          And longeth after thee,
     As thirsty ground requires
          With rain refresh’d to be.

7    Lord, let my pray’r prevail,
          To answer it make speed;
     For, lo, my sp’rit doth fail:
          Hide not thy face in need;

     Lest I be like to those
          That do in darkness sit,
     Or him that downward goes
          Into the dreadful pit.

8    Because I trust in thee,
          O Lord, cause me to hear
     Thy loving-kindness free,
          When morning doth appear:

     Cause me to know the way
          Wherein my path should be;
     For why, my soul on high
          I do lift up to thee.

9    From my fierce enemy
          In safety do me guide,
     Because I flee to thee,
          Lord, that thou may’st me hide.

10   My God alone art thou,
          Teach me thy righteousness:
     Thy Sp’rit’s good, lead me to
          The land of uprightness.

11   O Lord, for thy name’s sake,
          Be pleas’d to quicken me;
     And, for thy truth, forth take
          My soul from misery.

12   And of thy grace destroy
          My foes, and put to shame
     All who my soul annoy;
For I thy servant am

1    I with my voice cry’d to the Lord,

          with it made my request:

2    Pour’d out to him my plaint, to him

          my trouble I exprest.

3    When in me was o’erwhelm’d my sp’rit,

          then well thou knew’st my way;

     Where I did walk a snare for me

          they privily did lay.

4    I look’d on my right hand, and view’d,

          but none to know me were;

     All refuge failed me, no man

          did for my soul take care.

5    I cry’d to thee; I said, Thou art

          my refuge, Lord, alone;

     And in the land of those that live

          thou art my portion.

6    Because I am brought very low,

          attend unto my cry:

     Me from my persecutors save,

          who stronger are than I.

7    From prison bring my soul, that I

          thy name may glorify:

     The just shall compass me, when thou

          with me deal’st bounteously.

1    Lord, from the ill and froward man

          give me deliverance,

     And do thou safe preserve me from

          the man of violence:

2    Who in their heart mischievous things

          are meditating ever;

     And they for war assembled are

          continually together.

3    Much like unto a serpent’s tongue

          their tongues they sharp do make;

     And underneath their lips there lies

          the poison of a snake.

4    Lord, keep me from the wicked’s hands,

          from vi’lent men me save;

     Who utterly to overthrow

          my goings purpos’d have.

5    The proud for me a snare have hid,

          and cords; yea, they a net

     Have by the way-side for me spread;

          they gins for me have set.

6    I said unto the Lord, Thou art

          my God: unto the cry

     Of all my supplications,

          Lord, do thine ear apply.

7    O God the Lord, who art the strength

          of my salvation:

     A cov’ring in the day of war

          my head thou hast put on.

8    Unto the wicked man, O Lord,

          his wishes do not grant;

     Nor further thou his ill device,

          lest they themselves should vaunt.

9    As for the head and chief of those

          about that compass me,

     Ev’n by the mischief of their lips

          let thou them cover’d be.

10   Let burning coals upon them fall,

          them throw in fiery flame,

     And in deep pits, that they no more

          may rise out of the same.

11   Let not an evil speaker be

          on earth established:

     Mischief shall hunt the vi’lent man,

          till he be ruined.

12   I know God will th’ afflicted’s cause

          maintain, and poor men’s right.

13   Surely the just shall praise thy name;

          th’ upright dwell in thy sight.

1    O thou that dwellest in the heav’ns,

          I lift mine eyes to thee.

2    Behold, as servants’ eyes do look

          their masters’ hand to see,

     As handmaid’s eyes her mistress’ hand;

          so do our eyes attend

     Upon the Lord our God, until

          to us he mercy send.

3    O Lord, be gracious to us,

          unto us gracious be;

     Because replenish’d with contempt

          exceedingly are we.

4    Our soul is fill’d with scorn of those

          that at their ease abide,

     And with the insolent contempt

          of those that swell in pride.

1    O Lord, thou hast me search’d and known.

2         Thou know’st my sitting down,

     And rising up; yea, all my thoughts

          afar to thee are known.

3    My footsteps, and my lying down,

          thou compassest always;

     Thou also most entirely art

          acquaint with all my ways.

4    For in my tongue, before I speak,

          not any word can be,

     But altogether, lo, O Lord,

          it is well known to thee.

5    Behind, before, thou hast beset,

          and laid on me thine hand.

6    Such knowledge is too strange for me,

          too high to understand.

7    From thy Sp’rit whither shall I go?

          or from thy presence fly?

8    Ascend I heav’n, lo, thou art there;

          there, if in hell I lie.

9    Take I the morning wings, and dwell

          in utmost parts of sea;

10   Ev’n there, Lord, shall thy hand me lead,

          thy right hand hold shall me.

11   If I do say that darkness shall

          me cover from thy sight,

     Then surely shall the very night

          about me be as light.

12   Yea, darkness hideth not from thee,

          but night doth shine as day:

     To thee the darkness and the light

          are both alike alway.

13   For thou possessed hast my reins,

          and thou hast cover’d me,

     When I within my mother’s womb

          inclosed was by thee.

14   Thee will I praise; for fearfully

          and strangely made I am;

     Thy works are marv’llous, and right well

          my soul doth know the same.

15   My substance was not hid from thee,

          when as in secret I

     Was made; and in earth’s lowest parts

          was wrought most curiously.

16   Thine eyes my substance did behold,

          yet being unperfect;

     And in the volume of thy book

          my members all were writ;

     Which after in continuance

          were fashion’d ev’ry one,

     When as they yet all shapeless were,

          and of them there was none.

17   How precious also are thy thoughts,

          O gracious God, to me!

     And in their sum how passing great

          and numberless they be!

18   If I should count them, than the sand

          they more in number be:

     What time soever I awake,

          I ever am with thee.

19   Thou, Lord, wilt sure the wicked slay:

          hence from me bloody men.

20   Thy foes against thee loudly speak,

          and take thy name in vain.

21   Do not I hate all those, O Lord,

          that hatred bear to thee?

     With those that up against thee rise

          can I but grieved be?

22   With perfect hatred them I hate,

          my foes I them do hold.

23   Search me, O God, and know my heart,

          try me, my thoughts unfold:

24   And see if any wicked way

          there be at all in me;

     And in thine everlasting way

          to me a leader be.