 | The Book of Psalms in English Metre |  |
Psalm CXIX.
[I.]
1
Blessed are they that are sincere,And upright in their way:
Whose lives and conversations
From God's laws never stray.
2
Blessed are they that keep his word,And seek him with their heart:
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And from all sin depart.
3
Thou hast commanded us, O Lord,Our steps with care to guide:
O that my ways directed were,
That I may never slide.
4
Then shall I not ashamed be,But shew my self sincere:
When I to all thy holy laws
A due respect shall bear.
5
Then with a true and upright heart,I will advance thy praise:
When I shall learn thy judgments just,
And understand thy ways.
6
And when of thy most holy will,I have the knowledge got:
I will perform it by thy grace;
O Lord, forsake me not.
II.
1
How shall a young man cleanse his wayFrom all impurity?
By marking well thy holy word,
To guide his life thereby.
2
With all my heart I have thee sought,And earnestly did pray:
O never suffer me, O Lord,
From thy commands to stray.
3
Thy word I in my heart have hid,That I might never sin:
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And me instruct therein.
4
My lips, O Lord, have never ceas'd,To others to declare
The righteous judgments of thy mouth,
How good and sweet they are.
5
To walk in thy most holy ways,I have rejoyc'd no less,
Than worldly men in all the wealth,
And treasures they possess.
6
Thy precepts shall my study be,On which my mind is set,
And I in them will so delight,
As never to forget.
III.
1
Thy grace unto thy servant, Lord,So bountifully give:
That I may keep thy holy word,
As long as I shall live.
2
Open my eyes, O gracious God,And so enlighten me,
That of thy wise and holy law,
The wonders I may see.
3
I am a stranger in the earth;Hide not thy word, O Lord:
My very heart begins to break
With longing for thy word.
4
Thou do'st rebuke and curse the proud,That from thy precepts stray:
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For I have kept thy way.
5
Though princes did against me speak,And that without a cause:
Yet did thy servant meditate
On thy most holy laws.
6
When troubles come, they are my joy,And all my hearts delight:
And they are all my counsellors,
To guide my steps aright.
IV.
1
My soul unto the dust doth cleave,Through misery and pain:
According to thy promise, Lord,
Revive me once again.
2
I have confest my ways to thee,And thou did'st me forgive:
O teach me for the time to come,
How I aright may live.
3
Make me, O Lord to understandThy precepts every one:
And then I will to others tell
What wonders thou hast done.
4
My soul is faint, and melts away,By reason of my grief:
According to thy promises,
Lord, send me some relief.
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5
Grant me, O Lord, thy holy law,Remove the way of lies:
For I have chose the way of truth,
And set before mine eyes.
6
I cleave unto thy laws, O Lord,O put me not to shame:
And when thou shalt enlarge my heart,
I will perform the same.
V.
1
Instruct me, Lord, that I may knowThy laws and holy ways:
And stedfastly I will resolve
To keep them all my days.
2
Grant me the knowledge of thy law,And I my self will bind,
To keep and to observe it well
With all my heart and mind.
3
Thy ways in which I so delight,O help me, Lord, to run:
Encline my heart to love thy word,
And covetousness to shun.
4
From all these worldly vanities,Lord, turn away my sight:
And of thy mercy quicken me,
To walk thy ways aright.
5
Perform the word which thou hast spokeTo them that fear thy name:
Nor let me break thy laws so good,
To my eternal shame.
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6
Behold, O Lord, how I have long'dTo know thy holy will:
O quicken me so with thy grace,
That I may it fulfil.
VI.
1
O let thy tender mercies come,And succour me, O Lord:
And be my help and Saviour,
According to thy word.
2
So shall I have to answer himThat makes a mock of me:
For he shall see, that not in vain
I have rely'd on thee.
3
Let him not say my words were false,When I my boast did make,
That thou would'st judge my righteous cause,
And come my part to take.
4
Then will I ever keep thy laws,Until my days expire:
And freely walk in thy commands,
Which is my whole desire.
5
I will not blush to speak of themTo kings, and men of might:
But count them still my chiefest joy,
And all my hearts delight.
6
I earnestly will meditateOn thy belov'd commands:
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Will daily set my hands.
VII.
1
Thy promise to thy servant made,Forget not, Lord, I pray:
For thou hast caused me therein
To set my hope and stay.
2
Thy word my greatest comfort isIn all my grief and pain:
For when my heart begins to faint,
It brings my life again.
3
Though proud men mock'd, yet did not IThy holy laws forsake:
I thought upon thy ways of old,
And thence did comfort take.
4
I tremble when I think uponThe wicked and profane:
How openly they break thy laws,
And thy commands disdain.
5
Thy statutes, Lord, have been the songs,Wherewith my heart I chear,
When like a pilgrim in this world,
I travel here and there.
6
By night, O Lord, I think on thee,And when I call to mind:
That I have kept thy precepts well,
In this I comfort find.
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VIII.
1
My portion and inheritance,Thou only art, O Lord:
And therefore I have promised
That I would keep thy word.
2
Thy favour, Lord, with all my heart,I did most humbly crave:
According therefore to thy word
Let me thy mercy have.
3
I thought upon my former ways,And turned to thy will:
I hasted and delayed not,
Thy precepts to fulfil.
4
When wicked men in troops did come,To make of me a prey,
No terrors did prevail with me,
Thy laws to disobey.
5
At midnight I will rise, O Lord,Thy righteous laws to praise:
And will companion be to none,
But those that keep thy ways.
6
On every creature in the worldThou do'st thy gifts bestow:
But let my portion be, O Lord,
Thy holy will to know.
IX.
1
Thou hast unto thy servant beenMost bountiful and kind:
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Thy mercy, Lord, I find.
2
Teach me, O Lord, and bend my heartTo what is good and just:
For in thy good and holy word
I put my hope and trust.
3
Before that I afflicted was,I often went astray:
But now I have observ'd thy word,
And walked in thy way.
4
Lord, thou art infinitely good,And doest good to all.
Instruct me in thy statutes then,
That I may never fall.
5
The proud my false accusers were,But I will walk upright:
And while in fat their hearts do swim,
Thy laws are my delight.
6
This by affliction I have gain'd,To learn thy statutes well,
Which gold and silver in their price
A thousand times excel.
X.
1
Thy hands have made me, and my shape,And fashion did bestow:
Lord give me understanding too,
That I thy laws may know.
2
All they that truly fear thy name,Will much rejoyce to see,
204
To set my hope in thee.
3
Thy judgments, Lord, I know are right,And ever must confess,
That thou hast now afflicted me
In very faithfulness.
4
Now, Lord, according to thy word,Thy heavy hand remove:
Have mercy, Lord, that I may live,
And I thy laws will love.
5
Confound my proud and spiteful foes,That hate without a cause:
And I will ever meditate
On thy most holy laws.
6
Let those that know thee turn to me,And those that are sincere:
And make me in thy statutes sound,
That I no shame may fear.
XI.
1
My soul for thy salvation faints,Yet hopes still in thy word:
My eyes with expectation fail,
And cry, how long, O Lord.
2
Like to a bottle in the smoke,My skin with grief is dri'd:
Yet do I not forget thy laws,
Nor from thy precepts slide.
3
How many, Lord, will be the days,E'er thou wilt favour shew,
205
Of them that me pursue?
4
The proud have digged pits for me,That wander from thy laws,
Thy word is true: save me from those
That hate without a cause.
5
They had almost consumed me,And rooted from the land:
Yet did I not forsake thy law,
Nor turn from thy command.
6
According to thy wonted love,Revive my drooping heart:
So from the judgments of thy mouth
I never will depart.
XII.
1
Firm as the heavens is thy word,And stands forever sure,
Thy faithfulness from age to age
Shall stedfastly endure.
2
Even as the earth unmoved stands,And to this very day,
Both heaven and earth thy orders keep,
And thy command obey.
3
Had not thy law been my support,And all my hearts delight:
So heavy my afflictions were,
I must have perish'd quite.
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4
Thy laws I never will forget,For they have quick'ned me:
O save me, for I love thy word,
And thine will ever be.
5
The wicked have been waiting long,That they might me destroy;
But I have thought upon thy word,
And that has been my joy.
6
Of all perfections in this world,I have observ'd an end:
But the perfections of thy law,
No thought can comprehend.
XIII.
1
O how I love thy laws, O Lord!How sweet they are to me!
I all the day can think of them,
And never weary be.
2
By them thou hast me wiser madeThan all mine enemies:
For they are ever in my thoughts,
And still before mine eyes.
3
My teachers I in knowledge pass,Yea ancients too excel:
For on thy word I meditate,
And keep thy precepts well.
4
All sinful ways I did refrain,Nor from thy precepts go:
That so I might observe thy word,
For thou hast taught me so.
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5
How pleasant are thy words to me!In sweetness they surpass:
So sweet unto my tast as they,
No honey ever was.
6
I am enlightned by thy word,And with true knowledge blest:
All falshood therefore I abhor,
And sinful ways detest.
XIV.
1
Thy word a lamp is to my feet,And to my path a light:
And I, as I have sworn to do,
Will keep thy judgments right.
2
I am afflicted very sore,Revive my soul, O Lord:
Thy promise is to quicken me,
O think upon thy word.
3
Accept the free-will offerings,And praises that I give:
And by thy word enlighten me,
And teach me how to live.
4
My life is ever in my hand,And snares for me are set:
Yet do I not forsake thy laws,
Nor once thy word forget.
5
Thy testimonies I accountMy sure inheritance:
And at the very thought of them,
My heart doth leap and dance.
208
6
My heart and mind unto thy laws,I did incline and bend,
And ever will perform the same,
Until my life shall end.
XV.
1
I hate the men, whose thoughts are vain,But love thy laws most just:
Thou art my shield and hiding place,
And in thy word I trust.
2
Depart from me, ye wicked men,And get ye far away:
For the commandments of my God,
I purpose to obey.
3
According to thy promise, Lord,Let me supported be:
And let me never be asham'd
That I have hop'd in thee.
4
Uphold me and I shall be safe,And I thy laws will own:
But wicked and deceitful men
Shall all be trodden down.
5
The wicked thou wilt put away,And as vile dross despise:
And for that very cause, O Lord,
Thy word I highly prize.
6
When I consider thee, O Lord,My flesh doth fear and quake,
To think what judgments are in store,
For such as thee forsake.
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XVI.
1
I have upright and faithful been,Be surety, Lord, for me:
And from my proud oppressors hands,
Relieve and set me free.
2
With looking for deliverance,My eyes begin to fade:
And for the faithful promises,
Which thou to me hast made.
3
According to thy mercy, Lord,To me thy statutes shew:
And make me know thy holy will,
Who am thy servant true.
4
'Tis time for thee, O Lord, to work,And shew thy mighty hand:
For wicked men make void thy low,
And laugh at thy command.
5
But thy commandments I will love,And value still the more:
I will esteem them more than gold,
Yea finest golden oar.
6
Most highly will I prize thy word,Whose precepts are so pure:
But hate the ways of wickedness,
And no false ways endure.
XVII.
1
The wisdom of thy holy lawsIs wonderful and deep:
210
Most strictly them to keep.
2
The very entrance of thy wordAffords so great a light:
That simple ones may soon perceive
Their minds grow clear and bright.
3
I long'd and panted for thy word;O smile upon me so,
As unto them that love thy name,
Thou usest, Lord to do.
4
My steps to order by thy word,Let me assistance have:
And keep me, that prevailing sin
May never me enslave.
5
From man's oppression rescue me,And I thy laws will do:
O smile on me, and teach me, Lord,
Thy holy will to know.
6
In gushing streams my tears run down,Like rivers from mine eyes;
For grief to see how wicked men
Thy righteous laws despise.
XVIII.
1
O Lord thou art a God most just;Thy judgments are upright:
Thy testimonies and commands
Are faithful just and right.
2
I am with zeal almost consum'd,And set into a flame,
211
And vilifie thy name.
3
Because thy word is very pure,Thy servant loveth it:
And though I am despis'd and low,
I will it not forget.
4
The equity of thy commands,Forever shall endure:
Nor can thy precepts cease to be
Most holy just and pure.
5
When troubles and afflictions come,And all upon me seize:
Yet thy commands are my delight,
And give me present ease.
6
Thy word is of eternal truth;O Lord, unto me give
The understanding of thy law:
Grant this, and I shall live.
XIX.
1
To thee I cry'd, O Lord my God,And with my heart did pray:
Hear me, O Lord and answer me,
And I shall thee obey.
2
Before the dawning of the day,To thee, O Lord, I cry'd:
And in the midst of all my grief,
Upon thy word rely'd.
3
Yea in the watches of the night,Mine eyes were waking still,
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And understand thy will.
4
Then listen to my voice, O Lord,As thou art good and kind:
According to thy promises,
Revive my fainting mind.
5
The wicked ones draw near to me,That mischief still pursue:
But thou art nearer, Lord, than they,
And all thy words are true.
6
As to thy testimonies all,That in thy word are told,
I know they are most firm and sure,
And so have found of old.
XX.
1
Behold my grief, and save me, Lord,For I observe thy laws:
As thou hast promis'd, quicken me;
Help, Lord, and plead my cause.
2
Safety is far from wicked men,Who thy commandments hate:
But quicken me as thou art wont,
And shew thy mercies great.
3
Although their numbers multiply,That at my ruine aim:
Thy testimonies to observe,
My zeal shall be the same.
4
I view'd the lives of wicked men,And sorely did lament,
That they to break thy holy laws,
Were all so fully bent.
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5
Consider, Lord, what fervent loveTo thy commands I bear:
And after thy compassions great
My fainting spirits chear.
6
From the beginning of the world,Thy word was true and sure:
Thy judgments to the end thereof,
Most firmly shall endure.
XXI.
1
Though princes did my life pursue,And that without a cause:
My heart, O Lord, doth stand in aw
Of nothing but thy laws.
2
I at thy holy word rejoyce,As one that spoils doth find:
I lies abhor, but love thy law
With all my heart and mind.
3
So righteous are thy judgments all,That I will them proclaim:
And set my self seven times a day
To praise thy holy name.
4
Great is the peace which thou do'st giveTo them that love thy laws:
Whatever in this world they meet,
It shall no trouble cause.
5
For thy salvation, Lord, I hope,And thy commands have done:
I love them all exceedingly,
And keep them every one.
6
Thy testimonies and thy lawsI keep most faithfully:
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Of thine all-seeing eye.
XXII.
1
O let my cry before thee come,And hear the prayer I make:
I ask for wisdom: grant it, Lord,
For thy good promise sake.
2
O let my supplications all,Presented be to thee:
And as thy word has promised,
O Lord, deliver me.
3
When thou hast me thy statutes taught,My lips shall speak thy praise:
My joyful tongue shall celebrate
Thy word and holy ways.
4
Help me, O Lord to walk aright,Who make thy laws my choice:
For I for thy salvation long,
And in thy word rejoyce.
5
Revive my weak and fainting soul,And I shall thankful be:
And let thy word continually
Direct and comfort me.
6
Lord, I have gone astray from thee,Much like a wandring sheep:
Seek me, O Lord, and bring me back,
And I thy laws will keep.
| The Book of Psalms in English Metre | |