1God’s mercies I will ever sing; and with my mouth I shall Thy faithfulness make to be known to generations all. | 2For mercy shall be built, said I, for ever to endure; Thy faithfulness, ev’n in the heav’ns, thou wilt establish sure. | 3I with my chosen One have made a cov’nant graciously; And to my servant, whom I lov’d, to David sworn have I; | 4That I thy seed establish shall for ever to remain, And will to generations all thy throne build and maintain. | 5The praises of thy wonders, Lord, the heavens shall express; And in the congregation of saints thy faithfulness. | 6For who in heaven with the Lord may once himself compare? Who is like God among the sons of those that mighty are? | 7Great fear in meeting of the saints is due unto the Lord; And he of all about him should with rev’rence be ador’d. | 8O thou that art the Lord of hosts, what Lord in mightiness Is like to thee? who compass’d round art with thy faithfulness. | 9Ev’n in the raging of the sea thou over it dost reign; And when the waves thereof do swell, thou stillest them again. | 10Rahab in pieces thou didst break, like one that slaughter’d is; And with thy mighty arm thou hast dispers’d thine enemies. | 11The heav’ns are thine, thou for thine own the earth dost also take; The world, and fulness of the same, thy pow’r did found and make. | 12The north and south from thee alone their first beginning had; Both Tabor mount and Hermon hill shall in thy name be glad. | 13Thou hast an arm that’s full of pow’r, thy hand is great in might; And thy right hand exceedingly exalted is in height. | 14Justice and judgment of thy throne are made the dwelling-place; Mercy, accompany’d with truth, shall go before thy face. | 15O greatly bless’d the people are the joyful sound that know; In brightness of thy face, O Lord, they ever on shall go. | 16They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly; And in thy righteousness shall they exalted be on high. | 17Because the glory of their strength doth only stand in thee; And in thy favour shall our horn and pow’r exalted be. | 18For God is our defence; and he to us doth safety bring: The Holy One of Israel is our almighty King. | 19In vision to thy Holy One thou saidst, I help upon A strong one laid; out of the folk I rais’d a chosen one; | 20Ev’n David, I have found him out a servant unto me; And with my holy oil my King anointed him to be. | 21With whom my hand shall stablish’d be; mine arm shall make him strong. 22On him the foe shall not exact, nor son of mischief wrong. | 23I will beat down before his face all his malicious foes; I will them greatly plague who do with hatred him oppose. | 24My mercy and my faithfulness with him yet still shall be; And in my name his horn and pow’r men shall exalted see. | 25His hand and pow’r shall reach afar; I’ll set it in the sea; And his right hand established shall in the rivers be. | 26Thou art my Father, he shall cry, thou art my God alone; And he shall say, Thou art the Rock of my salvation. | 27I’ll make him my first-born, more high than kings of any land. 28My love I’ll ever keep for him, my cov’nant fast shall stand. | 29His seed I by my pow’r will make for ever to endure; And, as the days of heav’n, his throne shall stable be, and sure. | 30But if his children shall forsake my laws, and go astray, And in my judgments shall not walk, but wander from my way: | 31If they my laws break, and do not keep my commandements; 32I’ll visit then their faults with rods, their sins with chastisements. | 33Yet I’ll not take my love from him, nor false my promise make. 34My cov’nant I’ll not break, nor change what with my mouth I spake. | 35Once by my holiness I sware, to David I’ll not lie; 36His seed and throne shall, as the sun, before me last for aye. | 37It, like the moon, shall ever be establish’d stedfastly; And like to that which in the heav’n doth witness faithfully. | 38But thou, displeased, hast cast off, thou didst abhor and loathe; With him that thine anointed is thou hast been very wroth. | 39Thou hast thy servant’s covenant made void, and quite cast by; Thou hast profan’d his crown, while it cast on the ground doth lie. | 40Thou all his hedges hast broke down, his strong holds down hast torn. 41He to all passers-by a spoil, to neighbours is a scorn. | 42Thou hast set up his foes’ right hand; mad’st all his en’mies glad: 43Turn’d his sword’s edge, and him to stand in battle hast not made. | 44His glory thou hast made to cease, his throne to ground down cast; 45Shorten’d his days of youth, and him with shame thou cover’d hast. | 46How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself? for ever, in thine ire? And shall thine indignation burn like unto a fire? | 47Remember, Lord, how short a time I shall on earth remain: O wherefore is it so that thou has made all men in vain? | 48What man is he that liveth here, and death shall never see? Or from the power of the grave what man his soul shall free? | 49Thy former loving-kindnesses, O Lord, where be they now? Those which in truth and faithfulness to David sworn hast thou? | 50Mind, Lord, thy servant’s sad reproach; how I in bosom bear The scornings of the people all, who strong and mighty are. | 51Wherewith thy raging enemies reproach’d, O Lord, think on; Wherewith they have reproach’d the steps of thine anointed one. | 52All blessing to the Lord our God let be ascribed then: For evermore so let it be. Amen, yea, and amen. | |