The whole Psalter translated into English Metre :: :: University of Virginia Library

The whole Psalter translated into English Metre

which contayneth an hundreth and fifty Psalmes

Parker, Matthew (1504-1575)

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Psalme. CV.

The Argument.

Gods actes here lauded be: by stories order tolde:
His pact alledge: no thanke to man: but God most due extolde.

O prayse in voyce the Lord,
Syng out wyth iust accord:
Exalt hys name: search out hys fame,
Hys worthy dedes record.

Confitemi ni domino

1

O prayse in voyce the Lord: vpon hys name to call
Denounce and tell the people cleare: his doynges liberall.

2

Syng out, wyth iust accorde: and play in instrumentes:
Tell all hys factes most meruelous: sprede out hys ornamentes.

3

Exalt hys name wyth ioy: most hye, and most deuyne:
And let theyr hart that seke the Lord: to mirth all glad inclyne.

299

4

Search out hys fame and power: the Lordes right famous arke:
Seeke here hys face still euermore: draw nye to note hys warke.

5

Hys worthy deedes recorde: which he hath wrought as God,
His strange foreshewes: hys godly domes: so past his mouth abrode

O prayse in voyce the Lord,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: search out hys fame,
Hys worthy dedes recorde.

6

Ye seede of Abraham: hys seruaunt thys respect:
I you appeale, praise ye the Lord: ye Iacobs stocke elect.

7

He is the Lord our God: yea none I say but hee:
His iudgementes be in all the world: but most wyth vs to see.

8

For he hys couenant myndth: for euer it to do:
In thousand worldes, still fast to stand, hys word commaunded so.

9

Hys pact to Abraham: fast made, with fayth endude:
Hys othe also to Isaac: agayne the same renude.

10

And he this league as law: to Iacob sure decreed:
To Israell as testament: for euer well to speede.

11

Thus saying, geue I will: to the land Canaan:
For plot of your inheritaunce: as met with lyne by man.

12

But thus when few they were: to them in lyke respect:
And there in land as straungers set: as Pilgrimes whole reiect.

13

And strayed from land to land: of nations wandringly:
From countries wyde to other realmes: of people diuersly.

300

14

He suffred yet no man: to do them any wrong:
For all theyr sake: yea kinges be chect: and plaged them among.

15

He sayd, touch not my Christes: that sacred flocke to mee:
My Prophetes true: afflict not ye: which preach my maiestie.

O prayse in voyce the Lord,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: search out hys fame,
Hys worthy dedes recorde.

16

When he sent dearth on earth: to stop theyr foodes reliefe:
And stroyed of bread: the sustenance: which stayd their strength most chiefe

17

A man before he sent: to them as herbeger,
Lo Ioseph sold to seruitude: to serue in Egipt theare.

18

Whose feete they wrung in stockes: by Putiphars complaynt:
In iron cast wyth chaynes I bound: hys lyfe felt hard constraynt.

19

Untill the tyme was come: that iust hys cause was seene:
Whom God approued: and throughly tryed: by Oracle deuine.

20

The kyng then sent and hym: dyd lose by men of hys:
The Prince that there: the people ruld: did him frō bondes dismisse.

21

He made hym Lord in chiefe: of all hys court about:
And ruler sole: of all hys goods: in hys Empyre full out.

22

That he might bynde and lose: his Dukes and lordes at wyll:
And wit to teache: hys sages all: by hys approued skill.

301

O prayse in voyce the Lord,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: searche out hys fame,
Hys worthy dedes recorde.

23

So Israell in went: to Egypt glad and sad:
This Iacob olde: a straunger liued: in land of Cham the bad.

24

And there God multiplied: hys people notably,
And made hym far: more strong and big: then were hys foes at eye.

25

The Moores then changd theyr hartes: as God dyd them detect:
That they dyd hate: his people sore: wt guiles hys seruantes checkt.

26

Then God sent Moses out: hys seruant good and true:
Yea Aaron eke: whom he dyd chose: his hart on them dyd rue.

27

Which there to them dyd splay: his workes and wordes by signes
Hys meruels rare: in land of Cham: such power thē God resignes.

28

And he depe darkenes sent: all thinges then darke was so:
The signes themselfe: ne Moses yet: rebeld Gods wyll to do.

29

He turnd theyr waters all: to bloud, not them they dranke:
He slue theyr fish: theyr nourishment: for all theyr waters stanke.

30

The Lord euen so brought frogs: in numbers wonderfull:
Which crept vpon: the beds of kynges: theyr priuy chambers full.

31

He spake the worde then came: on heapes all kynde of flies:
So lyse of dust: as myngyns small: in all theyr costes dyd ryse.

302

32

For all theyr raynes and dewes: he gaue them hayle to change,
And flames of fyer: so mixt wyth thē: in all their landes most strange.

33

Wherwyth he smote their vines: their fig trees flat to ground:
He brake euen down: their fruitful trees: in all their quarters round

34

And when hys worde came forth: of grashoppers on heape:
In numbers theare: nigh infinite: dyd Caterpillers leape.

35

Which dyd all whole deuoure: theyr grasse about the land:
Yea frute and all: that grew in soyle: thus heauy lay hys hand.

36

Theyr fruites first borne he slue: in all theyr realme in length:
Their pryme ofspring: most principal: of all their natures strength.

O prayse in voyce the Lord,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: searche out hys fame,
Hys worthy deedes recorde,

37

He then dyd lead them out: wyth gold and siluer stuft:
And none there was: in all theyr tribes: that fell or febly puft.

38

So Egypt ioyd full glad: when they went out of realme:
For they the Iewes: drad fearefully: theyr feare so fell on them.

39

He spred on them a cloud: to couer them by day:
Wyth piller bryght: to cleare the nyght: he dyd dyrect their way.

40

At theyr request and sute: he brought them quayles for meate:
He filled them: with bread of heauen: sweete aungels foode to eate.

41

He claue and opte the rock: whence water flowed full prest:
They ran lyke streames: in wildernes: to comfort man and beast.

303

42

For why he bare in mynde: hys holy promise thus:
Hys loue also: to Abraham: hys seruaunt vertuous.

43

And full wyth ioy and myrth: he led hys people forth:
Hys deare electes: wyth iubilies: so taken well in worth.

O prayse in voyce the Lorde,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: searche out hys fame,
Hys worthy deedes recorde.

44

And last he gaue them whole: the gentils landes by met:
They all possest: for heritage: for which the people swet.

45

To thend that they should kepe: hys statutes true and ryght:
That they should aye: obserue his lawes: prayse ye this lord of might

O prayse in voyce the Lorde,
Syng out wyth iust accorde:
Exalt hys name: searche out hys fame,
Hys worthy deedes recorde.