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A translation of the psalms of David

attempted in the Spirit of Christianity, and adapted to the divine service. By Christopher Smart

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 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 IV. 
 V. 
 VI. 
 VII. 
 VIII. 
 IX. 
 X. 
 XI. 
 XII. 
 XIII. 
 XIV. 
 XV. 
 XVI. 
 XVII. 
 XVIII. 
 XIX. 
 XX. 
 XXI. 
 XXII. 
 XXIII. 
  
 XXIV. 
 XXV. 
 XXVI. 
 XXVII. 
 XXVIII. 
 XXIX. 
 XXX. 
 XXXI. 
 XXXII. 
 XXXIII. 
 XXXIV. 
 XXXV. 
 XXXVI. 
 XXXVII. 
 XXXVIII. 
 XXXIX. 
 XL. 
 XLI. 
 XLII. 
 XLIII. 
 XLIV. 
 XLV. 
 XLVI. 
 XLVII. 
 XLVIII. 
 XLIX. 
 L. 
 LI. 
 LII. 
 LIII. 
 LIV. 
 LV. 
 LVI. 
 LVII. 
 LVIII. 
 LIX. 
 LX. 
 LXI. 
 LXII. 
 LXIII. 
 LXIV. 
 LXV. 
 LXVI. 
 LXVII. 
 LXVIII. 
 LXIX. 
 LXX. 
 LXXI. 
 LXXII. 
 LXXIII. 
 LXXIV. 
 LXXV. 
 LXXVI. 
 LXXVII. 
 LXXVIII. 
 LXXIX. 
 LXXX. 
 LXXXI. 
 LXXXII. 
 LXXXIII. 
 LXXXIV. 
  
 LXXXV. 
 LXXXVI. 
 LXXXVII. 
 LXXXVIII. 
PSALM LXXXVIII.
 LXXXIX. 
 XC. 
 XCI. 
 XCII. 
 XCIII. 
 XCIV. 
 XCV. 
 XCVI. 
 XCVII. 
 XCVIII. 
  
 XCIX. 
 C. 
  
 CI. 
 CII. 
 CIII. 
  
 CIV. 
 CV. 
 CVI. 
 CVII. 
 CVIII. 
 CIX. 
 CX. 
 CXI. 
 CXII. 
 CXIII. 
 CXIV. 
 CXV. 
 CXVI. 
 CXVII. 
  
 CXVIII. 
 CXIX. 
 CXX. 
 CXXI. 
 CXXII. 
 CXXIII. 
 CXXIV. 
 CXXV. 
 CXXVI. 
 CXXVII. 
 CXXVIII. 
 CXXIX. 
 CXXX. 
 CXXXI. 
 CXXXII. 
 CXXXIII. 
 CXXXIV. 
 CXXXV. 
 CXXXVI. 
 CXXXVII. 
 CXXXVIII. 
 CXXXIX. 
 CXL. 
 CXLI. 
 CXLII. 
 CXLIII. 
 CXLIV. 
 CXLV. 
 CXLVI. 
 CXLVII. 
 CXLVIII. 
  
 CXLIX. 
  
 CL. 
  
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PSALM LXXXVIII.

O my Saviour, I beseech thee
Day and night my cry to hear;
Oh! let these my breathings reach thee,
And my calling touch thine ear.
For my soul is weak and weary,
As the floods of grief prevail,
And my life in darkness dreary
Is upon the point to fail.
I am of no rank accounted,
Ev'n like one whom worms devour;
And consider'd as dismounted
From all eminence and pow'r.
Free to lay me down and perish,
Where the slaughter'd warrior moulds,
Whom no friendly mem'ries cherish,
And thy hand no longer holds.
Thou for punishment hast laid me
In the lowest pit to dwell,
And to outer gloom convey'd me
In the dismal depth of hell.
Thy fierce anger has embarrass'd
And my loaded heart depress'd;
All thy plagues at once have harrass'd,
All thy storms have wreck'd my rest.
Thou hast broke my sweet connections,
All my friends my wants exile;
And have turn'd their kind affections
To malevolence and bile.
Under such severe restriction
Am I to my bed confin'd,
That I cannot sooth affliction
By conversing with mankind.
I am weak thro' tears habitual
In my eyes and in my head;
Yet I daily serve thy ritual,
And to thee my hands I spread.
Wilt thou miracles exhibit
Wasted on the lifeless lump?
Shall the dead to pay their tribute
Rise before the warning trump?
Wilt thou speed the gracious mission
Of thy mercy to the pit;
And consign'd to deep perdition
Shall thy faith the man refit?

83

In the dark, when dead and rotten,
Shall the flesh thy works adore,
Where all favours are forgotten,
And where musick is no more?
Thee, Lord Jesus, I solicit
With my plaintive voice and lyre;
And deriv'd from faith implicit
Early shall my pray'r aspire.
Wherefore, Lord, is this denial,
As my spirit sues for grace?
Why at such a time of trial
Dost thou take away thy face?
Full of pain, with terror shaken,
Ev'n as gasping to depart,
All thy plagues I have partaken,
Youth and age, with anxious heart.
As my faith begins to waver,
Then the storms of wrath increase;
And the fear of thy disfavour
Has undone my private peace.
All mine enemies combining,
Come about me like a moat,
Harm against my life designing,
Which they to their wrath devote.
Banish'd every friend and lover,
Broke each link of dear delight;
And the shades of darkness hover
O'er my desolated sight.