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

When Dauid fledde to Achis king,
At death the doore he was full neere,
And saued yet this Psalme dyd sing
Wyth all his frendes in godly quiere,
To God hys Lorde, to hym so dere,
In voyces clere, with hart and will.
Geue thankes I will.

For the Lute.

This psalm aforesaid in an other Metre.

Benedicā dominum.

Note the reuolutiōs of sixe diuers terminations.

1

Geue thankes I will: geue thankes I will,
For aye to God most gratious,
He is my forte, my rocke on hill
My Lord he is most bounteous,
My mouth shall prayse hym plenteous,
In hart and mynde most feruent still.
Geue thankes I will.

2

My soule may boast: of this my Lord,
He was my helpe so trustelie,
Let meeke men heare wyth one accorde:
Let wofull men ioye willingly,
That God hath done so louingly,
From whom all grace doth downe distill.
Geue thankes I will.

3

Prayse ye the Lorde wyth hart and voyce,
With me ye see hys gentlenes,
Together come, let vs reioyce,
To laude hys name in faythfulnes,
Lyke ayde to you he wyll expresse,
To keepe from you, all troublous ill.
Geue thankes I will.

4

I sought the Lord he sent me ease,
He hard my griefe and all my payne,
He pluckt me forth of all disease,
That deadly gript my hart the vayne,
He rid my feare, he turnd agayne,
For I hym sought with all my skill.
Geue thankes I will.

5

I fledde to hym, and sawe his light,
Who eye did cast to his good grace,
All lightened were with visage bright,
Confounded not were they in face,
No payne no spite could them disgrace,
God them defendes, none can them spill.
Geue thankes I will.

6

God hard my crye as sweete incense,
I poore man lo felt this in part,
He geueth all blisse, he quith offence,
He bade all wo from me depart,
Of troublous paine to quench the dart,
Right sone he did his worde fulfill.
Geue thankes I will.

7

Gods host stode by to strength my fight,
For angels power most glorious,
About the iust lie strong in myght,
To make hym goe victorious,
To scape theyr foes so quarilous,
Hys power in grace endureth still.
Geue thankes I wil.

8

O taste and see he none forsakth,
Gods goodnes smelleth most fragrantly,
To whom who wyll themselfe betake,
O blest they go ryght happelie,
Who trust in hym assuredlie,
To them all helpe shall downe distill.
Geue thankes I will.

9

O feare the Lord in childelie feare,
Ye saintes of hys in holines,
Serue hym in truth your hartes him beare
For who hym dredth in singlenes,
Can feele no want in baronnes,
No hurt no harme nor other ill.
Geue thankes I will.

10

The Lyons lacke in hunger fret,
The ryche I meane and gluttons vayne,
To seke theyr pray though they be set,
No foode wyth rest can they obtayne,
Who seekes the Lord shall misse no gayne,
Of all mens neede he hath the skill.
Geue thankes I wil.

11

I saylde full sure: the seas at length,
Ye children come and heare the case,
I wyll you teach Gods feare and strength,
By that I scapte so doubtfull place,
For God me kept in all my race.
From all theyr hate which would me spill.
Geue thankes I will.

12

Sweete lyfe is good, it makth men glad,
Who loueth it well wyth all hys hart,
He shall not neede to be adrad,
From dayes eterne who would not start,
Keepe ye hys tong from ouerthwart.
And all good wordes let hym fulfill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

13

Fast truthfull worde confoundth all blame,
Inure thy tong in truth to lose,
Truth may be shent yet feare no shame.
Forbeare all wordes opprobrious
All craft, all curse most odious,
For God of myght wyll strength thee still.
Geue thankes I will.

14

Flee euill, do good, and haue good rest,
Olde Adam kill thou formerlie,
So Adam newe wyll follow best,
Then seeke thou peace most busilie,
But it ensue most earnestly,
For peace from God doth full distill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

15

God seeth the iust in prouidence,
Hys eyes them marke in tendernes,
He them relieueth in indigens,
Hys eares he bendes in redines,
When they do pray in carefulnes,
He heares theyr voyce that worke none ill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

16

God hateth the proude and them beshenth,
With irefull face to daunt theyr brayne
Hys vysage grim on them is bent
Theyr gay renowne he wyll distayne
Whych aye to lyue they would so fayne.
Where they reiect all truth and skill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

17

The iust opprest to God they cryed,
He heard them soone in tyme and place
In stresse and neede he them espyed,
Wyth all defence he them dyd brace,
To make them safe he hyed hys pace
For ryghtfull men no spyte can spyll.
Geue thankes I wyll.

18

God loueth the meeke: theyr ghostes be sweete
To them soft sprites he doth impart
Wyth faythfull teares who here doth greete
He wyll them ease of all theyr smarte,
To scape their foes, theyr spytefull arte
Who would theyr wrecke on them fulfill.
Geue thankes I will.

19

The iust felt payne: they yet indurde,
In woes though wrapt all dolorous,
Great gayne to them is death assured,
God them so stayeth most meruelous,
They ioye in lyfe most troubelous,
The rage therof to quenche and still.
Geue thankes I wyll.

20

The iust be strong: they neuer quayle,
Theyr bones in strength kept totallie,
Theyr constant hartes can neuer fayle,
Theyr heyres be numbred seuerallie
No bone to breake can possiblie,
Such helpe from God doth most distill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

21

The euill, dyeth euyll to death full loth,
To late he spyeth hys wyckednes
He must feare death that hated troth,
He must for sweete feele bitternes,
He harmde the iust, he sinnd no lesse,
As euill he lyued, so dyeth he ill.
Geue thankes I wyll.

22

Thanke thou the Lord who keepes thee still,
All helpe from hym doth ay distill,
Poore soules he ridde, from bondage ill
Of wo and thrall none shall haue skill
Whych trust in hym nought shall them spill,
O then hys prayse looke ye fulfill.
Geue thankes I wyll.