The whole Psalter translated into English Metre which contayneth an hundreth and fifty Psalmes |
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Psalme. LXXXIX.
The Argument.
The letter here: describeth to eare,the state of Dauids raygne:
The sprite to hart: doth this impart,
that Christ shall aye remayne.
1
Gods mercies all: wyth song I shall,for euer sing and play:
Wyth mouth euen still: expresse I will
hys truth from day to day.
2
For thus I sayd: hys mercy stayde,for euer shall remayne:
Thou shalt confirme: thy truth most firme,
in heauen and it maintayne.
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3
With Abraham: in league I am,who was my chief elect:
To Dauid lo: I sware euen so,
for hym and all his sect.
4
I will thy sede: prepare in dede,for euer world to ende:
I will aduaunce: thy gouernaunce,
for aye thy raigne extende.
5
The heauens O Lord: shall iust recorde,thy meruayles great in dede:
Euen so thy saintes: wythout restraintes,
thy truth in church shall sprede.
6
For who compare: so boldly dare,with God in heauen so cleare?
Whom can we seke: the Lord so like,
among Gods children deare.
7
This God of blisse: most puissant is,amids his saintes echone:
Most louely feare: to hym they beare,
which stand about his throne.
8
O Lord and God: of hostes so brode,who (Lord) so strong as thou?
Euen round about: thy truth falth out,
to them which thee allow.
9
Thou canst represse: the seas excesse,by power imperiall:
When they do swell: in surges fell,
thou makest them downe to fall.
247
10
Thou Egipt braidst: and it so raydst,as wounded carcasse proude:
Thou scatredst wyde: thine enemies pride,
such strength thyne arme auowde.
11
The heauens be thyne: wyth all their shyne,the earth is thine ful sure:
The world so round: thou dydst it found,
with all the furniture.
12
As North and South: stood thorow thy mouththy worde them both dyd frame:
So Tabor West: and Hermon East,
both hils shall ioy thy name.
13
An arme endude: with fortitude,thou hast omnipotent:
O let thyne hand: then strongly stand,
thy ryght hand hie be bent.
14
As ryghteousnes: so iudgement is,thy throne and royall seat:
With mercy truth: most ioyntly sueth,
before thy face so swete.
15
O then most blest: such folke doth rest,that ioyeth and feelth the same:
In thy pure light: they walke shall right,
O Lord to prayse thy name.
16
Thy name so bright: shall them delite,all day to ioy therin:
And they alwayes: themselfe shall rayse,
by thy iust word to winne.
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17
For thou thy selfe: doost worke their welth,the ioy of all theyr strength:
By thy good grace: thou shalt in place,
lyft vp our hornes at length.
18
On God is set: our helpe so great,our shield he is to tell:
And be our kyng: all health to bryng,
that saint of Israell.
19
Thou spakest thus once: in visions,to thy swete saintes full nye:
My helpe I layd: to strong mens ayde,
I chase and hauntst him hye.
20
I Dauid found: my seruant sound,I sacred hym wyth oyle:
Hym kyng made I: ryght holily,
and Lord of all the soyle.
21
Wyth hym my hand: shall strongly stand,my power shall hym defend:
My valiant arme: shall whole hym arme,
for strength I will him send.
22
No force so fyne: can vndermyne,hys strength to make him thrall:
No crafty wyle: shall him beguile,
by wycked man to fall.
23
I down will bray: his foes aray,which shall hys face resist:
His haters lyke: I will them strike,
and stroy them shall my fist.
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24
My faythfulnes: and gentlenes,wyth hym shall long abyde:
In my good name: shall spring his fame,
hys horne and strength full wyde.
25
Unto the sea: his raigne shall be,and he the Lord of it:
His right hand shall: rule ryuers all,
on fluds as chiefe to sit.
26
He me full grate: shall inuocate,most frankly thus to say:
My father thou: my Gods t'auow,
my helth, my rocke, my stay.
27
Yea more then this: I wyll him blisse,my first begotten sonne:
More hie to stand: then kings in land,
that yet to earth be gone.
28
I will him kepe: my fauour meke,for euer hym to loue:
My couenaunt fast: to hym so past,
shall neuer voyde remoue.
29
His seede euen so: shall stable go,so depe I will it plant:
His regall powers: shall days and howers,
as heauen stand valiant.
30
But if his sede: from me recede,and shall my law forsake:
Or yet shall balke: in all theyr walke
my iudgemente them to slake.
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31
And shall perchance: myne ordinance,prophane and cast it backe:
Or my precept: as light reiect,
to kepe it shall be slacke.
32
I wyll no doubt: then visite stout,to scourge theyr wyckednes:
I wyll them smite: wyth plagues in sight,
to beate their sinnefulnes.
33
Yet wyll not I: my clemency,wythdraw from them to go:
And lowd to lye: so wyll not I,
my fayth to ieopard so.
34
I list not vayne: my pact prophane,though they defile theyr south:
I wyll me take: to that I spake,
to kepe my word of mouth.
35
Once sware I dyd: and testified,my holines to pledge:
From Dauids part: I would not start,
as this may he alledge.
36
That is, his sede: should euer sprede,and neuer should decay:
Hys throne begunne: should shyne as sunne,
in my swete light to lay.
37
As moone in sight: it should be bryght,though oft it feelth the clips:
These witnes sure: in heauen endure,
to try my fayth of lips.
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38
But lo as now: what done hast thou,thou hast abhord thy Christ:
And hym forsakt: and abiect makt,
at hym displeasd thou lighst.
39
Of couenant made: thou breakst the trade,wyth this thy seruant knit:
His regall crowne: thou rentst it down,
euen flat on earth to sit.
40
His walles as wast: thou battred hast,and none thou leauest to stand:
Thou breakst hys fortes: & stroyst his portes,
thyne ire seemth now so grand.
41
All they to spy: which iorney by,tread downe hys raygne in spyte:
The neyghbour next: hys state hath vext,
as laughyng stocke in fight.
42
Who foes therto: in hatred go,theyr handes thou lyftes on hye:
The enemy coye: thou makst him ioy,
at it, hys iestes to wry.
43
Thou hast whole stynt: hys weapons dynt,hys edge of sword but blunt:
It had no power: as conquerour,
to wynne as it was wont.
44
Thus hys renowne: thou pulst a downe,wyth darkenes all obscurde:
Hys scepter flat: on ground is plat,
dispayre he seeth assurde.
252
45
Thou hast in deede: thus shortened,hys yong and flouryng dayes:
Thou hast hym clad: wyth shame bestad,
ashamed thus he layes.
46
How long by day: wylt thou for aye,O Lord thus hyde thy face?
And shall thyne ire: thus burne as fire,
wylt thou thys raigne disgrace?
47
O call to mynde: in hart yet kynde,what brittle date I beare:
Or hast thou wrought: mankynd for nought,
to stroy hym thus in feare.
48
What man is hee: in lyfe so free,that death shall neuer see?
Can he escape: hys mortall shape,
from graue whole ryd to bee?
49
Where may we holde: thy mercies olde,O Lord, where do they lygh?
As thou dydst sweare: in Dauids eare,
in truth most earnestly.
50
Then call to mynde: spite done vnkynde,O Lord to thyne electes:
What tauntes in brest: I hold at rest,
of diuers peoples sectes.
51
Wherwyth thy foes: haue wrought vs woes,O Lord despitefully:
They threat vs hye: opprobriously,
no steps of Christ to spy.
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52
We may conclude: though we be rude,the Lord will turne agayne:
The Lord therfore: for euermore,
be blest, Amen, Amen.
| The whole Psalter translated into English Metre | |