When he fled from Absalom
Lord how many are my foes,
How many those
That in arms against me rise.
Many are they
5 That of my life distrustfully thus say,
No help for him in God there lies.
But thou Lord art my shield, my glory;
Thee through my story
Th’ exalter of my head I count;
10 Aloud I cried
Unto Jehovah; he full soon replied
And heard me from his holy mount.
I lay and slept, I waked again,
For my sustain
15 Was the Lord. Of many millions
The populous rout
I fear not though encamping round about
They pitch against me their pavilions.
Rise Lord, save me my God for thou
20 Hast smote ere now
On the cheek-bone all my foes,
Of men abhorred
Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the Lord;
Thy blessing on thy people flows.
Psalm IV
August 10, 1653
Answer me when I call,
God of my righteousness;
In straits and in distress
Thou didst me disenthrall
5 And set at large; now spare,
Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer.
Great ones how long will ye
My glory have in scorn,
How long be thus forborne
10 Still to love vanity,
To love, to seek, to prize
Things false and vain and nothing else but lies?
Yet know the Lord hath chose,
Chose to himself apart
15 The good and meek of heart
(For whom to choose he knows);
Jehovah from on high
Will hear my voice what time to him I cry.
Be awed, and do not sin,
20 Speak to your hearts alone,
Upon your beds, each one,
And be at peace within.
Offer the offerings just
Of righteousness and in Jehovah trust.
25 Many there be that say
Who yet will show us good?
Talking like this world’s brood;
But Lord, thus let me pray,
On us lift up the light,
30 Lift up the favour of thy count’nance bright.
Into my heart more joy
And gladness thou hast put
Than when a year of glut
Their stores doth over-cloy
35 And from their plenteous grounds
With vast increase their corn and wine abounds.
In peace at once will I
Both lay me down and sleep,
For thou alone dost keep
40 Me safe where’er I lie;
As in a rocky cell
Thou Lord alone in safety mak’st me dwell.
Psalm V
August 12, 1653
Jehovah to my words give ear,
My meditation weigh;
The voice of my complaining hear,
My King and God, for unto thee I pray.
5 Jehovah thou my early voice
Shalt in the morning hear;
I’ th’ morning I to thee with choice
Will rank my prayers, and watch till thou appear.
For thou art not a God that takes
10 In wickedness delight;
Evil with thee no biding makes;
Fools or mad men stand not within thy sight.
All workers of iniquity
Thou hat’st; and them unblest
15 Thou wilt destroy that speak a lie;
The bloody and guileful man God doth detest.
But I will in thy mercies dear,
Thy numerous mercies, go
Into thy house; I in thy fear
20 Will towards thy holy temple worship low.
Lord lead me in thy righteousness,
Lead me because of those
That do observe if I transgress;
Set thy ways right before, where my step goes.
25 For in his falt’ring mouth unstable
No word is firm or sooth;
Their inside, troubles miseráble;
An open grave their throat, their tongue they smooth.
God, find them guilty, let them fall
30 By their own counsels quelled;
Push them in their rebellions all
Then all who trust in thee shall bring
Their joy, while thou from blame
35 Defend’st them; they shall ever sing
And shall triúmph in thee, who love thy name.
For thou Jehovah wilt be found
To bless the just man still,
As with a shield thou wilt surround
40 Him with thy lasting favour and good will.
Psalm VI
August 13, 1653
Lord in thine anger do not reprehend me,
Nor in thy hot displeasure me correct;
Pity me Lord for I am much deject,
Am very weak and faint; heal and amend me,
5 For all my bones, that even with anguish ache,
Are troubled, yea my soul is troubled sore
And thou O Lord how long? turn Lord, restore
My soul, O save me for thy goodness’ sake,
For in death no remembrance is of thee;
10 Who in the grave can celebrate thy praise?
Wearied I am with sighing out my days,
Nightly my couch I make a kind of sea;
My bed I water with my tears; mine eye
Through grief consumes, is waxen old and dark
15 I’ th’ midst of all mine enemies that mark.
Depart all ye that work iniquity.
Depart from me, for the voice of my weeping
The Lord hath heard, the Lord hath heard my prayer;
My supplication with acceptance fair
20 The Lord will own, and have me in his keeping.
Mine enemies shall all be blank and dashed
With much confusion; then grow red with shame;
They shall return in haste the way they came
And in a moment shall be quite abashed.
Psalm VII
August 14, 1653
Upon the words of Chush the Benjamite against him
Lord my God to thee I fly;
Save me and secure me under
Thy protection while I cry,
Lest as a lion (and no wonder)
5 He haste to tear my soul asunder,
Tearing and no rescue nigh.
Lord my God if I have thought
Or done this, if wickedness
Be in my hands, if I have wrought
10 Ill to him that meant me peace,
Or to him have rendered less,
And not freed my foe for naught;
Let th’ enemy pursue my soul
And overtake it, let him tread
15 My life down to the earth and roll
In the dust my glory dead,
In the dust and there outspread
Lodge it with dishonour foul.
Rise Jehovah in thine ire,
20 Rouse thyself amidst the rage
Of my foes that urge like fire;
And wake for me, their fury assuage;
Judgement here thou didst engage
And command which I desire.
25 So th’ assemblies of each nation
Will surround thee, seeking right;
Thence to thy glorious habitation
Return on high and in their sight.
Jehovah judgeth most upright
30 All people from the world’s foundation.
Judge me Lord, be judge in this
According to my righteousness
And the innocence which is
Upon me: cause at length to cease
35 Of evil men the wickedness
And their power that do amiss.
But the just establish fast,
Since thou art the just God that tries
Hearts and reins. On God is cast
40 My defence, and in him lies,
In him who both just and wise
Saves th’ upright of heart at last.
God is a just Judge and severe,
And God is every day offended;
45 If th’ unjust will not forbear,
His sword he whets, his bow hath bended
Already, and for him intended
The tools of death, that waits him near.
(His arrows purposely made he
50 For them that persecute.) Behold
He travails big with vanity,
Trouble he hath conceived of old
As in a womb, and from that mould
Hath at length brought forth a lie.
55 He digged a pit, and delved it deep,
And fell into the pit he made;
His mischief that due course doth keep,
Turns on his head, and his ill trade
Of violence will undelayed
60 Fall on his crown with ruin steep.
Then will I Jehovah’s praise
According to his justice raise,
And sing the name and deity
Of Jehovah the most high.
Psalm VIII
August 14, 1653
O Jehovah our Lord how wondrous great
And glorious is thy name through all the earth!
So as above the heavens thy praise to set
Out of the tender mouths of latest birth,
5 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou
Hast founded strength because of all thy foes
To stint th’ enemy, and slack th’ avenger’s brow
That bends his rage thy providence to oppose.
When I behold thy heavens, thy fingers’ art,
10 The moon and stars which thou so bright hast set
In the pure firmament, then saith my heart,
O what is man that thou rememb’rest yet,
And think’st upon him; or of man begot
That him thou visit’st and of him art found?
15 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,
20 All beasts that in the field or forest meet,
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, J.M.
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.
Psalm LXXX
1 Thou Shepherd that dost Israel keep,
Give ear in time of need,
Who leadest like a flock of sheep
Thy lovèd Joseph’s seed,
5 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,
10 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;
15 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
20 Against thy people’s prayer?
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.
25 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.
7 Return us, and thy grace divine,
30 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,
35 And drov’st out nations proud and haught
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,
40 And filled the land at last.
10 With her green shade that covered all,
The hills were overspread;
Her boughs as high as cedars tall
Advanced their lofty head.
45 11 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
50 And broken down her fence,
That all may pluck her, as they go,
With rudest violence?
13 The tuskèd boar out of the wood
Upturns it by the roots,
55 Wild beasts there browse, and make their food
Her grapes and tender shoots.
14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down
From Heav’n, thy seat divine,
Behold us, but without a frown,
60 And visit this thy vine.
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.
65 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
70 Let thy good hand be laid,
Upon the Son of Man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.
18 So shall we not go back from thee
To ways of sin and shame,
75 Quicken us thou, then gladly we
Shall call upon thy name.
Return us, and thy grace divine
Lord God of Hosts vouchsafe,
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
80 And then we shall be safe.
Psalm LXXXI
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.
5 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
10 With trumpets’ lofty sound,
Th’ appointed time, the day whereon
Our solemn feast comes round.
4 This was a statute giv’n of old
For Israel to observe,
15 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;
20 The tongue I heard, was strange.
6 From burden, and from slavish toil
I set his shoulder free;
His hands from pots, and miry soil
Delivered were by me.
25 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.
I answered thee in * thunder deep
30 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
35 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
40 In honour bend thy knee.
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.
45 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
50 And to their wand’ring mind;
Their own conceits they followed still,
Their own devices blind.
13 O that my people would be wise
To serve me all their days,
55 And O that Israel would advise
To walk my righteous ways.
14 Then would I soon bring down their foes
That now so proudly rise,
And turn my hand against all those
60 That are their enemies.
15 Who hate the Lord should then be fain
To bow to him and bend,
But they, his people, should remain,
Their time should have no end.
65 16 And we would feed them from the shock
With flour of finest wheat,
And satisfy them from the rock
With honey for their meat.
Psalm LXXXII
1 God in the *great *assembly stands
Of kings and lordly states;
†Among the gods on both his hands
He judges and debates.
5 2 How long will ye *pervert the right
With *judgement false and wrong,
Favouring the wicked by your might,
Who thence grow bold and strong?
3 *Regard the *weak and fatherless,
10 *Despatch the *poor man’s cause,
And †raise the man in deep distress
By †just and equal laws
4 Defend the poor and desolate,
And rescue from the hands
15 Of wicked men the low estate
Of him that help demands.
5 They know not nor will understand,
In darkness they walk on;
The earth’s foundations all are *moved
20 And *out of order gone.
6 I said that ye were gods, yea all
The sons of God most high;
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall