10

When I behold Thy heavens, Thy fingers' art,

The moon and stars, which Thou so bright hast set In the pure firmament, then saith my heart,

Oh, what is man that thou rememberest yet

And think'st upon him, or of man begot

That him Thou visit'st, and of him art found ? Scarce to be less than gods Thou mad'st his lot;

With honour and with state Thou hast him crowned.

O'er the works of Thy hand Thou mad'st him lord ;

Thou hast put all under his lordly feet,
All flocks and herds, by Thy commanding word,

All beasts that in the field or forest meet,

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Fowl of the heavens, and fish that through the wet

Sea-paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth. O Jehovah our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is Thy name through all the earth!

April, 1648. Nine of the Psalms done into Metre; wherein all, but what is in a different

character, are the very words of the Text, translated from the original.

That sitt'st between the cherubs bright,

Between their wings outspread;
Shine forth, and from Thy cloud give light,

And on our foes Thy dread.

2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's,

And in Manasseh's sight,
Awake Thy strength, come, and be seen

To save us by Thy might.

3 Turn us again, Thy grace divine

To us, O God, vouchsafe;
Cause Thou Thy face on us to shine,

And then we shall be safe.

4 Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt Thou,

How long wilt Thou declare
Thy smoking wrath, and angry brow,

Against Thy people's prayer ?

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5 Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears;

Their bread with tears they eat;
And mak'st them largely drink the tears

Wherewith their cheeks are wet.

6 A strife Thou mak'st us and a prey

To every neighbour foe;
Among themselves they laugh, they play,

And flouts at us they throw.

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7 Return us, and Thy grace divine,

O God of Hosts, vouchsafe;
Cause Thou Thy face on us to shine,

And then we shall be safe.
8 A vine from Egypt Thou hast brought,

Thy free love made it thine,
And drov'st out nations proud and haut,

To plant this lovely vine.
9 Thou didst prepare for it a place,

And root it deep and fast, That it began to grow apace,

And filled the land at last.

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10 With her green shade that covered all

The hills were overspread;
Her boughs as high as cedars tall

Advanced their lofty head.

II Her branches on the western side

Down to the sea she sent, And upward to that river wide

Her other branches went.

12 Why hast Thou laid her hedges low,

And broken down her fence,
That all may pluck her, as they go,

With rudest violence ?

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13 The tusked boar out of the wood

Up turns it by the roots ;
Wild beasts there browse, and make their food

Her grapes and tender shoots.

14 Return now, God of Hosts; look down

From Heaven, Thy seat divine; Behold us, but without a frown,

And visit this Thy vine.

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15 Visit this vine, which Thy right hand

Hath set, and planted long,
And the young branch, that for Thyself

Thou hast made firm and strong.

16 But now it is consumed with fire,

And cut with axes down ; They perish at Thy dreadful ire,

At Thy rebuke and frown. 17 Upon the Man of Thy right hand

Let Thy good hand be laid; Upon the Son of Man, whom Thou

Strong for Thyself hast made.

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1 To God our strength sing loud and clear;

Sing loud to God our King;
To Jacob's God, that all may hear,

Loud acclamations ring.

2 Prepare a hymn, prepare a song ;

The timbrel hither bring;
The cheerful psaltery bring along,

And harp with pleasant string.

3 Blow, as is wont, in the new moon,

' lofty sound,
The appointed time, the day whereon

Our solemn feast comes round.

Witze

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4 This was a statute given of old

For Israel to observe,
A law of Jacob's God to hold,

From whence they might not swerve.

5 This He a testimony ordained

In Joseph, not to change,
When as he passed through Egypt land;

The tongue I heard was strange.

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6 From burden, and from slavish toil,

I set his shoulder free;
His hands from pots, and miry soil,

Delivered were by Me.

7 When trouble did thee sore assail,

On Me then didst thou call, And I to free thee did not fail,

And led thee out of thrall.

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I answered thee in thunder deep,

With clouds encompassed round; I tried thee at the water steep

Of Meriba renowned.

8 Hear, O my people, hearken well:

I testify to thee,
Thou ancient stock of Israel,

If thou wilt list to Me:

9 Throughout the land of thy abode

No alien god shall be,
Nor shalt thou to a foreign god

In honour bend thy knee.

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10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought

Thee out of Egypt land;
Ask large enough, and I, besought,

Will grant thy full demand.
11 And yet My people would not hear,

Nor hearken to My voice;
And Israel, whom I loved so dear,

Misliked Me for his choice.

12 Then did I leave them to their will,

And to their wandering mind; Their own conceits they followed still,

Their own devices blind.