English text
To sing the mercies of the Lord
My tongue shall never spare,
My mouth from age to age accord
Thy truth for to declare:
For I have said, that mercy shall
For evermore endure;
Thy faithfulness in the heav'ns all
Is stablish'd firm and sure.
With mine elect, saith God, have I
A faithful cov'nant made,
And sworn to David solemnly,
Having to him thus said;
Thy seed for ever I will stay,
And stablish it full fast,
And still uphold thy throne alway
From age to age to last.
The heavns do shew with joy and mirth
Thy wondrous works, O Lord;
Thy saints within thy church on earth
Thy faith and truth record.
Who with the Lord is equal then
In all the clouds abroad?
Among the sons of gods or men
What one is like our God?
God in the assembly of the saints
Is greatly to be dread,
And over all that dwell about
In rev'rence to be had.
Lord God of hosts, in all the world
what one is like to thee?
On every side, most mighty Lord,
Thy truth is seen to be.
The rage and fury of the sea
Thou rulest at thy will,
And when the waves thereof arise,
Thou mak'st them calm and still:
And Egypt, Lord, thou hast subdu'd,
Thou hast destroy'd it quite;
Thy foes thou closely hast pursu'd,
And scatter'd through thy might.
The Second Part
The heav'ns are thine, and still have been,
Likewise the earth and land,
The world and all that is therein
Thou foundedst with thy hand:
Both north and south, with east and west,
Thyself didst make and frame:
Both Tabor mount and Hermon hill
Rejoice and praise thy name.
Thine arm is strong and full of pow'r,
All might therein doth lie;
The strength of thy right hand each hour
Thou liftest up on high:
In righteousness and equity
Thou hast thy seat and place;
Mercy and truth are still with thee,
And go before thy face.
That folk is blest that knoweth right
The joyful sound, O God;
For in the favour of thy sight
They walk full safe abroad:
And in thy name throughout the day
They greatly do rejoice,
And through thy righteousness have they
A pleasant fame and noise.
For why? their glory, strength, and aid,
In thee alone doth lie;
And thy goodness which hath us staid,
Shall lift our horn on high.
Our strength that doth defend us well,
The Lord to us doth bring;
The Holy One of Israel
He is our Guide and King.
Sometimes thy will to holy men
In visions thou didst show,
And thus didst say unto them then,
Thy mind to make them know:
A man of might I have erect
Your king and guide to be,
And set him up whom I elect
Among the folk to me.
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The Third Part
My servant David I appoint
To rule my people well,
And with my holy oil anoint
Him king of Israel.
For why? my hand is ready still
With him for to remain,
And with my arm also I will
Him strengthen and sustain:
The enemies shall not oppress,
They shall not him devour.
Nor shall the sons of wickedness
on him have any pow'r:
His foes likewise I will destroy
Before his face in sight,
Those that him hate I will annoy,
And strike them with my might:
My truth and mercy shall likewise
Upon him ever lie;
And in my name his horn shall rise,
And be exalted high:
His kingdom I will set to be
Upon the sea and land;
Also the running flood shall he
Embrace with his right hand:
He shall depend with all his heart
On me, and thus shall say,
My Father and my God thou art,
My rock, my health, and stay:
As my first-born I will him count
Of all on earth that springs;
His might and honour shall surmount
Above all earthly kings:
My mercy shall be with him still,
As I myself have told,
My faithful cov'nant to fulfil
My promise I will hold:
Also his seed I will sustain
For ever strong and sure;
So that his seed shall still remain,
While heav'n and earth endure.
The Fourth Part
But if his sons forsake my law,
And so begin to swerve,
And of my judgements have no awe,
And will not them observe;
Or if they do not use aright
My laws for them prepar'd;
But set all my commandments light,
And will not them regard:
Then with the rod will I begin
Their doings to amend,
And so will scourge them for their sin,
Whenever they offend.
But yet my mercy and goodness
I will not take away
From him, nor let my faithfulness
In any wise decay:
But sure my cov'nant I will hold,
With all that I have spoke:
No word the which my lips have told
Shall alter or be broke.
Once sware I by my holiness,
And that perform will I;
With David I will promise keep,
To him I will not lie:
His seed for evermore shall reign.
Also his throne of might,
As doth the sun it shall remain
For ever in my sight:
And as the moon within the sky
For ever standeth fast,
A faithful witness from on high;
So shall his kingdom last.
But, Lord, thou dost him now reject,
And put him in great fear;
Yea, thou art wroth with thine elect,
Thine own anointed dear.
The cov'nant with thy servant made,
Thou hast quite overthrown.
And down upon the ground hast laid
And cast his royal crown.
The Fifth Part
His hedges thou hast overthrown,
His walls destroy'd quite round;
All his strong holds hast beaten down,
And levell'd with the ground:
That he is sore destroy'd and torn
Of comers-by throughout,
And so is made a mock and scorn
To all that dwell about:
Thou their right hand hast arm'd with pow'r,
That him so sore annoy:
And all his foes that him devour,
Lo, thou hast made to joy:
His sword's edge thou dost take away
That should his foes withstand;
To him in war no victory
Thou giv'st, nor upper hand:
His glory thou dost also waste,
His throne, his joy, and mirth,
By thee is overthrown and cast
Full low upon the earth:
Thou hast cut off and made full short
His youth and joyful days,
And rais'd of him an ill report,
To his shame and dispraise.
How long away from me therefore,
For ever wilt thou turn?
And shall thine anger evermore
Like fire consume and burn?
O call to mind, remember then,
My time consumeth fast:
Why hast thou made the sons of men
As things in vain to waste,
What man is he that liveth, and
Death never thinks to see,
Or from the grave's devouring hand
Shall he his soul set free?
Where is, O Lord, thy great goodness,
So oft declar'd before,
Which by thy truth and uprightness
To David thou hast swore?
The great rebukes to mind I call,
That on thy servants lie,
The railings of the people all,
Borne in my breast have I;
Wherewith, O Lord. thine enemies
Blasphemed have thy name:
The steps of thine anointed one
They cease not to defame.
All praise be given unto thee,
O God, the Lord most high,
From this time forth for evermore,
Amen, Amen, say I.
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Metrical paraphrase by Isaac Watts, 1719
English text
PART 1 (C. M.)
The faithfulness of God
My never-ceasing songs shall show
The mercies of the Lord;
And make succeeding ages know
How faithful is his word.
The sacred truths his lips pronounce
Shall firm as heav'n endure;
And if he speak a promise once,
Th' eternal grace is sure.
How long the race of David held
The promised Jewish throne!
But there's a nobler cov'nant sealed
To David's greater Son.
His seed for ever shall possess
A throne above the skies;
The meanest subject of his grace
Shall to that glory rise.
Lord God of hosts, thy wondrous ways
Are sung by saints above;
And saints on earth their honors raise
To thy unchanging love.
PART 2, v.7 ff. (C. M.)
The power and majesty of God; or, Reverential worship
With rev'rence let the saints appear,
And bow before the Lord;
His high commands with rev'rence hear,
And tremble at his word.
How terrible thy glories be!
How bright thine armies shine!
Where is the power that vies with thee,
Or truth compared to thine?
The northern pole and southern rest
On thy supporting hand;
Darkness and day, from east to west,
Move round at thy command.
Thy words the raging winds control,
And rule the boist'rous deep;
Thou mak'st the sleeping billows roll,
The rolling billows sleep.
Heav'n, earth, and air, and sea, are thine,
And the dark world of hell;
How did thine arm in vengeance shine
When Egypt durst rebel!
Justice and judgment are thy throne,
Yet wondrous is thy grace;
While truth and mercy, joined in one,
Invite us near thy face.
PART 3, v.15 ff. (C. M.)
A blessed gospel
Blest are the souls that hear and know
The gospel's joyful sound;
Peace shall attend the path they go,
And light their steps surround.
Their joy shall bear their spirits up
Through their Redeemer's name;
His righteousness exalts their hope,
Nor Satan dares condemn.
The Lord, our glory and defence,
Strength and salvation gives;
Isr'el, thy King for ever reigns,
Thy God for ever lives.
PART 4, v.19 ff. (C. M.)
Christ's mediatorial kingdom; or, His Divine and human nature
Hear what the Lord in vision said,
And made his mercy known:
"Sinners, behold your help is laid
On my Almighty Son.
"Behold the Man my wisdom chose
Among your mortal race:
His head my holy oil o'erflows,
The Spirit of my grace.
"High shall he reign on David's throne,
My people's better King;
My arm shall beat his rivals down,
And still new subjects bring.
"My truth shall guard him in his way,
With mercy by his side,
While in my name through earth and sea
He shall in triumph ride.
"Me for his Father and his God
He shall for ever own,
Call me his rock, his high abode,
And I'll support my Son.
"My first-born Son arrayed in grace
At my right hand shall sit;
Beneath him angels know their place,
And monarchs at his feet.
"My cov'nant stands for ever fast,
My promises are strong;
Firm as the heav'ns his throne shall last,
His seed endure as long."
PART 5, v.30 ff. (C. M.)
The covenant of grace unchangeable
"Yet," saith the Lord, "if David's race,
The children of my Son,
Should break my laws, abuse my grace,
And tempt mine anger down;
"Their sins I'll visit with the rod
And make their folly smart;
But I'll not cease to be their God,
Nor from my truth depart.
"My cov'nant I will ne'er revoke,
But keep my grace in mind
And what eternal love hath spoke
Eternal truth shall bind.
"Once have I sworn (I need no more)
And pledged my holiness,
To seal the sacred promise sure
To David and his race.
"The sun shall see his offspring rise
And spread from sea to sea,
Long as he travels round the skies
To give the nations day.
"Sure as the moon that rules the night
His kingdom shall endure,
Till the fixed laws of shade and light
Shall be observed no more.
PART 6, v.47 ff. (L. M.)
Mortality and hope. A funeral psalm
Remember, Lord, our mortal state,
How frail our life! how short the date!
Where is the man that draws his breath
Safe from disease, secure from death'?
Lord, while we see whole nations die,
Our flesh and sense repine and cry,
"Must death for ever rage and reign?
Or hast thou made mankind in vain?
"Where is thy promise to the just?
Are not thy servants turned to dust?"
But faith forbids these mournful sighs,
And sees the sleeping dust arise.
That glorious hour, that dreadful day,
Wipes the reproach of saints away,
And clears the honor of thy word:
Awake, our souls, and bless the Lord.
LAST PART, v.47 ff. (8,8,8,8,8,8)
Life, death, and the resurrection
Think, mighty God, on feeble man;
How few his hours! how short his span!
Short from the cradle to the grave
Who can secure his vital breath
Against the bold demands of death,
With skill to fly, or power to save?
Lord, shall it be for ever said,
"The race of man was only made
For sickness, sorrow, and the dust?"
Are not thy servants day by day
Sent to their graves, and turned to clay?
Lord, where's thy kindness to the just?
Hast thou not promised to thy Son
And all his seed a heav'nly crown?
But flesh and sense indulge despair:
For ever blessed be the Lord,
That faith can read his holy word,
And find a resurrection there.
For ever blessed be the Lord,
Who gives his saints a long reward
For all their toil, reproach, and pain:
Let all below and all above
Join to proclaim thy wondrous love,
And each repeat their loud Amen.
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