Tag: Songs of Christ

1    O God, give ear unto my cry;

          unto my pray’r attend.

2    From th’ utmost corner of the land

          my cry to thee I’ll send.

     What time my heart is overwhelm’d,

          and in perplexity,

     Do thou me lead unto the Rock

          that higher is than I.

3    For thou hast for my refuge been

          a shelter by thy pow’r;

     And for defence against my foes

          thou hast been a strong tow’r.

4    Within thy tabernacle I

          for ever will abide;

     And under covert of thy wings

          with confidence me hide.

5    For thou the vows that I did make,

          O Lord my God, didst hear:

     Thou hast giv’n me the heritage

          of those thy name that fear.

6    A life prolong’d for many days

          thou to the king shalt give;

     Like many generations be

          the years which he shall live.

7    He in God’s presence his abode

          for evermore shall have:

     O do thou truth and mercy both

          prepare, that may him save.

8    And so will I perpetually

          sing praise unto thy name;

     That having made my vows, I may

          each day perform the same.

1    My God, deliver me from those

          that are mine enemies;

     And do thou me defend from those

          that up against me rise.

2    Do thou deliver me from them

          that work iniquity;

     And give me safety from the men

          of bloody cruelty.

3    For, lo, they for my soul lay wait:

          the mighty do combine

     Against me, Lord; not for my fault,

          nor any sin of mine.

4    They run, and, without fault in me,

          themselves do ready make:

     Awake to meet me with thy help;

          and do thou notice take.

5    Awake therefore, Lord God of hosts,

          thou God of Israel,

     To visit heathen all: spare none

          that wickedly rebel.

6    At ev’ning they go to and fro;

          they make great noise and sound,

     Like to a dog, and often walk

          about the city round.

7    Behold, they belch out with their mouth,

          and in their lips are swords:

     For they do say thus, Who is he

          that now doth hear our words?

8    But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them,

          and all the heathen mock.

9    While he’s in pow’r I’ll wait on thee;

          for God is my high rock.

10   He of my mercy that is God

          betimes shall me prevent;

     Upon mine en’mies God shall let

          me see mine heart’s content.

11   Them slay not, lest my folk forget;

          but scatter them abroad

     By thy strong pow’r; and bring them down,

          O thou our shield and God.

12   For their mouth’s sin, and for the words

          that from their lips do fly,

     Let them be taken in their pride;

          because they curse and lie.

13   In wrath consume them, them consume,

          that so they may not be:

     And that in Jacob God doth rule

          to th’ earth’s ends let them see.

14   At ev’ning let thou them return,

          making great noise and sound,

     Like to a dog, and often walk

          about the city round.

15   And let them wander up and down,

          in seeking food to eat;

     And let them grudge when they shall not

          be satisfy’d with meat.

16   But of thy pow’r I’ll sing aloud;

          at morn thy mercy praise:

     For thou to me my refuge wast,

          and tow’r, in troublous days.

17   O God, thou art my strength, I will

          sing praises unto thee;

     For God is my defence, a God

          of mercy unto me.

1    O Lord, thou hast been favourable

          to thy beloved land:

     Jacob’s captivity thou hast

          recall’d with mighty hand.

2    Thou pardoned thy people hast

          all their iniquities;

     Thou all their trespasses and sins

          hast cover’d from thine eyes.

3    Thou took’st off all thine ire, and turn’dst

          from thy wrath’s furiousness.

4    Turn us, God of our health, and cause

          thy wrath ‘gainst us to cease.

5    Shall thy displeasure thus endure

          against us without end?

     Wilt thou to generations all

          thine anger forth extend?

6    That in thee may thy people joy,

          wilt thou not us revive?

7    Shew us thy mercy, Lord, to us

          do thy salvation give.

8    I’ll hear what God the Lord will speak:

          to his folk he’ll speak peace,

     And to his saints; but let them not

          return to foolishness.

9    To them that fear him surely near

          is his salvation;

     That glory in our land may have

          her habitation.

10   Truth met with mercy, righteousness

          and peace kiss’d mutually:

11   Truth springs from earth, and righteousness

          looks down from heaven high.

12   Yea, what is good the Lord shall give;

          our land shall yield increase:

13   Justice, to set us in his steps,

          shall go before his face.

1    Keep not, O God, we thee entreat,

          O keep not silence now:

     Do thou not hold thy peace, O God,

          and still no more be thou.

2    For, lo, thine enemies a noise

          tumultuously have made;

     And they that haters are of thee

          have lifted up the head.

3    Against thy chosen people they

          do crafty counsel take;

     And they against thy hidden ones

          do consultations make.

4    Come, let us cut them off, said they,

          from being a nation,

     That of the name of Isr’el may

          no more be mention.

5    For with joint heart they plot, in league

          against thee they combine.

6    The tents of Edom, Ishm’elites,

          Moab’s and Hagar’s line;

7    Gebal, and Ammon, Amalek,

          Philistines, those of Tyre;

8    And Assur join’d with them, to help

          Lot’s children they conspire.

9    Do to them as to Midian,

          Jabin at Kison strand;

10   And Sis’ra, which at En-dor fell,

          as dung to fat the land.

11   Like Oreb and like Zeeb make

          their noble men to fall;

     Like Zeba and Zalmunna like,

          make thou their princes all;

12   Who said, For our possession

          let us God’s houses take.

13   My God, them like a wheel, as chaff

          before the wind, them make.

14   As fire consumes the wood, as flame

          doth mountains set on fire,

15   Chase and affright them with the storm

          and tempest of thine ire.

16   Their faces fill with shame, O Lord,

          that they may seek thy name.

17   Let them confounded be, and vex’d,

          and perish in their shame:

18   That men may know that thou, to whom

          alone doth appertain

     The name Jehovah, dost most high

          o’er all the earth remain.

1     In gods’ assembly God doth stand;
          he judgeth gods among.
2     How long, accepting persons vile,
          will ye give judgment wrong?

3     Defend the poor and fatherless;
          to poor oppress’d do right.
4     The poor and needy ones set free;
          rid them from ill men’s might.

5     They know not, nor will understand;
          in darkness they walk on:
     All the foundations of the earth
          out of their course are gone.

6     I said that ye are gods, and are
          sons of the Highest all:
7     But ye shall die like men, and as
          one of the princes fall.

8     O God, do thou raise up thyself,
          the earth to judgment call:
     For thou, as thine inheritance,
          shalt take the nations all.

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    The Lord upon the sons of men

          from heav’n did cast his eyes,

     To see if any one there was

          that sought God, and was wise.

3    They altogether filthy are,

          they all are backward gone;

     And there is none that doeth good,

          no, not so much as 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    Ev’n there they were afraid, and stood

          with trembling, all dismay’d,

     Whereas there was no cause at all

          why they should be afraid:

     For God his bones that thee besieg’d

          hath scatter’d all abroad;

     Thou hast confounded them, for they

          despised are of God.

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

          when back the Lord shall bring

     His captives, Jacob shall rejoice,

          and Israel shall sing.

1    Why dost thou boast, O mighty man,

          of mischief and of ill?

     The goodness of Almighty God

          endureth ever still.

2    Thy tongue mischievous calumnies

          deviseth subtilely,

     Like to a razor sharp to cut,

          working deceitfully.

3    Ill more than good, and more than truth

          thou lovest to speak wrong:

4    Thou lovest all-devouring words,

          O thou deceitful tongue.

5    So God shall thee destroy for aye,

          remove thee, pluck thee out

     Quite from thy house, out of the land

          of life he shall thee root.

6    The righteous shall it see, and fear,

          and laugh at him they shall:

7    Lo, this the man is that did not

          make God his strength at all:

     But he in his abundant wealth

          his confidence did place;

     And he took strength unto himself

          from his own wickedness.

8    But I am in the house of God

          like to an olive green:

     My confidence for ever hath

          upon God’s mercy been.

9    And I for ever will thee praise,

          because thou hast done this:

     I on thy name will wait; for good

          before thy saints it is.

First Version (S.M.)
Tune: Crown Him with Many Crowns

1    The mighty God, the Lord,
          hath spoken, and did call
     The earth, from rising of the sun,
          to where he hath his fall.

2    From out of Sion hill,
          which of excellency
     And beauty the perfection is,
          God shined gloriously.

3    Our God shall surely come,
          keep silence shall not he:
     Before him fire shall waste, great storms
          shall round about him be.

4    Unto the heavens clear
          he from above shall call,
     And to the earth likewise, that he
          may judge his people all.

5    Together let my saints
          unto me gather’d be,
     Those that by sacrifice have made
          a covenant with me.

6    And then the heavens shall
          his righteousness declare:
     Because the Lord himself is he
          by whom men judged are.

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7    My people Isr’el hear,

          speak will I from on high,

     Against thee I will testify;

          God, ev’n thy God, am I.

8    I for thy sacrifice

          no blame will on thee lay,

     Nor for burnt-off ‘rings, which to me

          thou offer’dst ev’ry day.

9    I’ll take no calf nor goats

          from house or fold of thine:

10   For beasts of forests, cattle all

          on thousand hills, are mine.

11   The fowls on mountains high

          are all to me well known;

     Wild beasts which in the fields do lie,

          ev’n they are all mine own.

12   Then, if I hungry were,

          I would not tell it thee;

     Because the world, and fulness all

          thereof, belongs to me.

13   Will I eat flesh of bulls?

          or goats’ blood drink will I?

14   Thanks offer thou to God, and pay

          thy vows to the most High.

15   And call upon me when

          in trouble thou shalt be;

     I will deliver thee, and thou

          my name shalt glorify.

16   But to the wicked man

          God saith, My laws and truth

     Should’st thou declare? how dar’st thou take

          my cov’nant in thy mouth?

17   Sith thou instruction hat’st,

          which should thy ways direct;

     And sith my words behind thy back

          thou cast’st, and dost reject.

18   When thou a thief didst see,

          with him thou didst consent;

     And with the vile adulterers

          partaker on thou went.

19   Thou giv’st thy mouth to ill,

          thy tongue deceit doth frame;

20   Thou sitt’st, and ‘gainst thy brother speak’st,

          thy mother’s son dost shame.

21   Because I silence kept,

          while thou these things hast wrought;

     That I was altogether like

          thyself, hath been thy thought;

     Yet I will thee reprove,

          and set before thine eyes,

     In order ranked, thy misdeeds

          and thine iniquities.

22   Now, ye that God forget,

          this carefully consider;

     Lest I in pieces tear you all,

          and none can you deliver.

23   Whoso doth offer praise

          me glorifies; and I

     Will shew him God’s salvation,

          that orders right his way.

Second Version (C.M.)

1    The mighty God, the Lord, hath spoke,

          and call’d the earth upon,

     Ev’n from the rising of the sun

          unto his going down.

2    From out of Sion, his own hill,

          where the perfection high

     Of beauty is, from thence the Lord

          hath shined gloriously.

3    Our God shall come, and shall no more

          be silent, but speak out:

     Before him fire shall waste, great storms

          shall compass him about.

4    He to the heavens from above,

          and to the earth below,

     Shall call, that he his judgments may

          before his people show.

5    Let all my saints together be

          unto me gathered;

     Those that by sacrifice with me

          a covenant have made.

6    And then the heavens shall declare

          his righteousness abroad:

     Because the Lord himself doth come;

          none else is judge but God.

7    Hear, O my people, and I’ll speak;

          O Israel by name,

     Against thee I will testify;

          God, ev’n thy God, I am.

8    I for thy sacrifices few

          reprove thee never will,

     Nor for burnt-off ‘rings to have been

          before me offer’d still.

9    I’ll take no bullock nor he-goats

          from house nor folds of thine:

10   For beasts of forests, cattle all

          on thousand hills, are mine.

11   The fowls are all to me well known

          that mountains high do yield;

     And I do challenge as mine own

          the wild beasts of the field.

12   If I were hungry, I would not

          to thee for need complain;

     For earth, and all its fulness, doth

          to me of right pertain.

13   That I to eat the flesh of bulls

          take pleasure dost thou think?

     Or that I need, to quench my thirst,

          the blood of goats to drink?

14   Nay, rather unto me, thy God,

          thanksgiving offer thou:

     To the most High perform thy word,

          and fully pay thy vow:

15   And in the day of trouble great

          see that thou call on me;

     I will deliver thee, and thou

          my name shalt glorify.

16   But God unto the wicked saith,

          Why should’st thou mention make

     Of my commands? how dar’st thou in

          thy mouth my cov’nant take?

17   Sith it is so that thou dost hate

          all good instruction;

     And sith thou cast’st behind thy back,

          and slight’st my words each one.

18   When thou a thief didst see, then straight

          thou join’dst with him in sin,

     And with the vile adulterers

          thou hast partaker been.

19   Thy mouth to evil thou dost give,

          thy tongue deceit doth frame.

20   Thou sitt’st, and ‘gainst thy brother speak’st,

          thy mother’s son to shame.

21   These things thou wickedly hast done,

          and I have silent been:

     Thou thought’st that I was like thyself,

          and did approve thy sin:

     But I will sharply thee reprove,

          and I will order right

     Thy sins and thy transgressions

          in presence of thy sight.

22   Consider this, and be afraid,

          ye that forget the Lord,

     Lest I in pieces tear you all,

          when none can help afford.

23   Who off’reth praise me glorifies:

          I will shew God’s salvation

     To him that ordereth aright

          his life and conversation.

1    Hear this, all people, and give ear,

          all in the world that dwell;

2    Both low and high, both rich and poor.

3         My mouth shall wisdom tell:

     My heart shall knowledge meditate.

4         I will incline mine ear

     To parables, and on the harp

          my sayings dark declare.

5    Amidst those days that evil be,

          why should I, fearing, doubt?

     When of my heels th’ iniquity

          shall compass me about.

6    Whoe’er they be that in their wealth

          their confidence do pitch,

     And boast themselves, because they are

          become exceeding rich:

7    Yet none of these his brother can

          redeem by any way;

     Nor can he unto God for him

          sufficient ransom pay,

8    (Their soul’s redemption precious is,

          and it can never be,)

9    That still he should for ever live,

          and not corruption see.

10   For why? he seeth that wise men die,

          and brutish fools also

     Do perish; and their wealth, when dead,

          to others they let go.

11   Their inward thought is, that their house

          and dwelling-places shall

     Stand through all ages; they their lands

          by their own names do call.

12   But yet in honour shall not man

          abide continually;

     But passing hence, may be compar’d

          unto the beasts that die.

13   Thus brutish folly plainly is

          their wisdom and their way;

     Yet their posterity approve

          what they do fondly say.

14   Like sheep they in the grave are laid,

          and death shall them devour;

     And in the morning upright men

          shall over them have pow’r:

     Their beauty from their dwelling shall

          consume within the grave.

15   But from hell’s hand God will me free,

          for he shall me receive.

16   Be thou not then afraid when one

          enriched thou dost see,

     Nor when the glory of his house

          advanced is on high:

17   For he shall carry nothing hence

          when death his days doth end;

     Nor shall his glory after him

          into the grave descend.

18   Although he his own soul did bless

          whilst he on earth did live;

     (And when thou to thyself dost well,

          men will thee praises give;)

19   He to his fathers’ race shall go,

          they never shall see light.

20   Man honour’d wanting knowledge is

          like beasts that perish quite.

1    Blessed is he that wisely doth

          the poor man’s case consider;

     For when the time of trouble is,

          the Lord will him deliver.

2    God will him keep, yea, save alive;

          on earth he bless’d shall live;

     And to his enemies’ desire

          thou wilt him not up give.

3    God will give strength when he on bed

          of languishing doth mourn;

     And in his sickness sore, O Lord,

          thou all his bed wilt turn.

4    I said, O Lord, do thou extend

          thy mercy unto me;

     O do thou heal my soul; for why?

          I have offended thee.

5    Those that to me are enemies,

          of me do evil say,

     When shall he die, that so his name

          may perish quite away?

6    To see me if he comes, he speaks

          vain words: but then his heart

     Heaps mischief to it, which he tells,

          when forth he doth depart.

7    My haters jointly whispering,

          ‘gainst me my hurt devise.

8    Mischief, say they, cleaves fast to him;

          he li’th, and shall not rise.

9    Yea, ev’n mine own familiar friend,

          on whom I did rely,

     Who ate my bread, ev’n he his heel

          against me lifted high.

10   But, Lord, be merciful to me,

          and up again me raise,

     That I may justly them requite

          according to their ways.

11   By this I know that certainly

          I favour’d am by thee;

     Because my hateful enemy

          triumphs not over me.

12   But as for me, thou me uphold’st

          in mine integrity;

     And me before thy countenance

          thou sett’st continually.

13   The Lord, the God of Israel,

          be bless’d for ever then,

     From age to age eternally.

          Amen, yea, and amen.