Tag: Songs of Christ

1    Do ye, O congregation,

          indeed speak righteousness?

     O ye that are the sons of men,

          judge ye with uprightness?

2    Yea, ev’n within your very hearts

          ye wickedness have done;

     And ye the vi’lence of your hands

          do weigh the earth upon.

3    The wicked men estranged are,

          ev’n from the very womb;

     They, speaking lies, do stray as soon

          as to the world they come.

4    Unto a serpent’s poison like

          their poison doth appear;

     Yea, they are like the adder deaf,

          that closely stops her ear;

5    That so she may not hear the voice

          of one that charm her would,

     No, not though he most cunning were,

          and charm most wisely could.

6    Their teeth, O God, within their mouth

          break thou in pieces small;

     The great teeth break thou out, O Lord,

          of these young lions all.

7    Let them like waters melt away,

          which downward still do flow:

     In pieces cut his arrows all,

          when he shall bend his bow.

8    Like to a snail that melts away,

          let each of them be gone;

     Like woman’s birth untimely, that

          they never see the sun.

9    He shall them take away before

          your pots the thorns can find,

     Both living, and in fury great,

          as with a stormy wind.

10   The righteous, when he vengeance sees,

          he shall be joyful then;

     The righteous one shall wash his feet

          in blood of wicked men.

11   So men shall say, The righteous man

          reward shall never miss:

     And verily upon the earth

          a God to judge there is.

First Version (C.M.)

1    My heart brings forth a goodly thing;

          my words that I indite

     Concern the King: my tongue’s a pen

          of one that swift doth write.

2    Thou fairer art than sons of men:

          into thy lips is store

     Of grace infus’d; God therefore thee

          hath bless’d for evermore.

3    O thou that art the mighty One,

          thy sword gird on thy thigh;

     Ev’n with thy glory excellent,

          and with thy majesty.

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Tune = All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

4    For meekness, truth, and righteousness,
          in state ride prosp’rously;
     And thy right hand shall thee instruct
          in things that fearful be.

5    Thine arrows sharply pierce the heart
          of th’ en’mies of the King;
     And under thy subjection
          the people down do bring.

6    For ever and for ever is,
          O God, thy throne of might;
     The sceptre of thy kingdom is
          a sceptre that is right.

7    Thou lovest right, and hatest ill;
          for God, thy God, most high,
     Above thy fellows hath with th’ oil
          of joy anointed thee.

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8    Of aloes, myrrh, and cassia,

          a smell thy garments had,

     Out of the iv’ry palaces,

          whereby they made thee glad.

9    Among thy women honourable

          kings’ daughters were at hand:

     Upon thy right hand did the queen

          in gold of Ophir stand.

10   O daughter, hearken and regard,

          and do thine ear incline;

     Likewise forget thy father’s house,

          and people that are thine.

11   Then of the King desir’d shall be

          thy beauty veh’mently:

     Because he is thy Lord, do thou

          him worship rev’rently.

12   The daughter there of Tyre shall be

          with gifts and off ‘rings great:

     Those of the people that are rich

          thy favour shall entreat.

13   Behold, the daughter of the King

          all glorious is within;

     And with embroideries of gold

          her garments wrought have been.

14   She shall be brought unto the King

          in robes with needle wrought;

     Her fellow-virgins following

          shall unto thee be brought.

15   They shall be brought with gladness great,

          and mirth on ev’ry side,

     Into the palace of the King,

          and there they shall abide.

16   Instead of those thy fathers dear,

          thy children thou may’st take,

     And in all places of the earth

          them noble princes make.

17   Thy name remember’d I will make

          through ages all to be:

     The people therefore evermore

          shall praises give to thee.

Second Version (S.M.)

1    My heart inditing is

          good matter in a song:

     I speak the things that I have made,

          which to the King belong:

     My tongue shall be as quick,

          his honour to indite,

     As is the pen of any scribe

          that useth fast to write.

2    Thou’rt fairest of all men;

          grace in thy lips doth flow:

     And therefore blessings evermore

          on thee doth God bestow.

3    Thy sword gird on thy thigh,

          thou that art most of might:

     Appear in dreadful majesty,

          and in thy glory bright.

4    For meekness, truth, and right,

          ride prosp’rously in state;

     And thy right hand shall teach to thee

          things terrible and great.

5    Thy shafts shall pierce their hearts

          that foes are to the King;

     Whereby into subjection

          the people thou shalt bring.

6    Thy royal seat, O Lord,

          for ever shall remain:

     The sceptre of thy kingdom doth

          all righteousness maintain.

7    Thou lov’st right, and hat’st ill;

          for God, thy God, most high,

     Above thy fellows hath with th’ oil

          of joy anointed thee.

8    Of myrrh and spices sweet

          a smell thy garments had,

     Out of the iv’ry palaces,

          whereby they made thee glad.

9    And in thy glorious train

          kings’ daughters waiting stand;

     And thy fair queen, in Ophir gold,

          doth stand at thy right hand.

10   O daughter, take good heed,

          incline, and give good ear;

     Thou must forget thy kindred all,

          and father’s house most dear.

11   Thy beauty to the King

          shall then delightful be:

     And do thou humbly worship him,

          because thy Lord is he.

12   The daughter then of Tyre

          there with a gift shall be,

     And all the wealthy of the land

          shall make their suit to thee.

13   The daughter of the King

          all glorious is within;

     And with embroideries of gold

          her garments wrought have been.

14   She cometh to the King

          in robes with needle wrought;

     The virgins that do follow her

          shall unto thee be brought.

15   They shall be brought with joy,

          and mirth on ev’ry side,

     Into the palace of the King,

          and there they shall abide.

16   And in thy fathers’ stead,

          thy children thou may’st take,

     And in all places of the earth

          them noble princes make.

17   I will shew forth thy name

          to generations all:

     Therefore the people evermore

          to thee give praises shall.

Tune = God Moves in A Mysterious Way

v 1    Shew mercy, Lord, to me, for man
          would swallow me outright;
     He me oppresseth, while he doth
          against me daily fight.

v 2    They daily would me swallow up
          that hate me spitefully;
     For they be many that do fight
          against me, O most High.

c 3    When I’m afraid I’ll trust in thee:
4         In God I’ll praise his word;
     I will not fear what flesh can do,
          my trust is in the Lord.

v 5    Each day they wrest my words; their thoughts
          ‘gainst me are all for ill.
6    They meet, they lurk, they mark my steps,
          waiting my soul to kill.

v 7    But shall they by iniquity
          escape thy judgments so?
     O God, with indignation down
          do thou the people throw.

c 8    My wand’rings all what they have been
          thou know’st, their number took;
     Into thy bottle put my tears:
          are they not in thy book?

v 9    My foes shall, when I cry, turn back;
          I know’t, God is for me.
10   In God his word I’ll praise; his word
        in God shall praised be.

v 11   In God I trust; I will not fear
          what man can do to me.
12   Thy vows upon me are, O God:
          I’ll render praise to thee.

c 13   Wilt thou not, who from death me sav’d,
          my feet from falls keep free,
     To walk before God in the light
          of those that living be?

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    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    Th’ eternal Lord doth reign as king,

          let all the people quake;

     He sits between the cherubims,

          let th’ earth be mov’d and shake.

2    The Lord in Sion great and high

          above all people is;

3    Thy great and dreadful name (for it

          is holy) let them bless.

4    The king’s strength also judgment loves;

          thou settlest equity:

     Just judgment thou dost execute

          in Jacob righteously.

5    The Lord our God exalt on high,

          and rev’rently do ye

     Before his footstool worship him:

          the Holy One is he.

6    Moses and Aaron ‘mong his priests,

          Samuel, with them that call

     Upon his name: these call’d on God,

          and he them answer’d all.

7    Within the pillar of the cloud

          he unto them did speak:

     The testimonies he them taught,

          and laws, they did not break.

8    Thou answer’dst them, O Lord our God;

          thou wast a God that gave

     Pardon to them, though on their deeds

          thou wouldest vengeance have.

9    Do ye exalt the Lord our God,

          and at his holy hill

     Do ye him worship: for the Lord

          our God is holy still.

¹ To render thanks unto the Lord
it is a comely thing,
And to thy name, O thou most High,
due praise aloud to sing.

² Thy loving-kindness to show forth
when shines the morning light;
And to declare thy faithfulness
with pleasure ev’ry night.

³ On a ten-stringed instrument,
upon the psaltery,
And on the harp with solemn sound,
and grave sweet melody.

⁴ For thou, Lord, by thy mighty works
hast made my heart right glad;
And I will triumph in the works
which by thine hands were made.

⁵ How great, Lord, are thy works! each thought
of thine a deep it is:
⁶ A brutish man it knoweth not;
fools understand not this.

⁷ When those that lewd and wicked are
spring quickly up like grass,
And workers of iniquity
do flourish all apace;

It is that they for ever may
destroyed be and slain;
⁸ But thou, O Lord, art the most High,
for ever to remain.

⁹ For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord,
thine en’mies perish shall;
The workers of iniquity
shall be dispersed all.

¹⁰ But thou shalt, like unto the horn
of th’ unicorn, exalt
My horn on high: thou with fresh oil
anoint me also shalt.

¹¹ Mine eyes shall also my desire
see on mine enemies;
Mine ears shall of the wicked hear
that do against me rise.

¹² But like the palm-tree flourishing
shall be the righteous one;
He shall like to the cedar grow
that is in Lebanon.

¹³ Those that within the house of God
are planted by his grace,
They shall grow up, and flourish all
in our God’s holy place.

¹⁴ And in old age, when others fade,
they fruit still forth shall bring;
They shall be fat, and full of sap,
and aye be flourishing;

¹⁵ To show that upright is the Lord:
he is a rock to me;
And he from all unrighteousness
is altogether free.