Psalm 50 W.W.
Words: Sternhold and Hopkins, The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre
Metre: 10,10,10,10,11,11
| Music: | Old 50th, from the French Psalters of 1558-1561, probably by Louis Bourgeous |
1 The mighty God, th'Eternal hath thus spoke,
And all the world. He will call and provoke!
E'en from the east, and so forth to the west:
Out of Zion, which place he liketh best,
God will appear, in beauty most excellent,
God will come before that long time be spent:
2 Devouring fire Shall go before his face,
A tempest great shall round about him trace.
Then shall he call the earth and heavens bright,
To judge his folk with equity and right.
Saying, Go to, and now my saints assemble;
My pact they keep, their gifts do not dissemble.
3 The heav'ns they shall declare his righteousness
For God is Judge of all things more and less
Hear, my people, for I will now reveal;
List, Israel, I'll from thee naught conceal:
Thy God, the Lord and I, and will not blame thee
For not giving all sorts of off'rings to me:
4 I have no need to take of thee at all
Goats of thy fold, or calves out of thy stall.
For all the beasts are mine within the woods,
On thousand hills cattle are mine own goods;
I know for mine all birds that are on mountains,
All beasts mine are which haunt the fields and fountains.
5 Were I hungry I would not thee it tell;
For all is mine that in the world doth dwell.
Eat I the flesh of great bulls or bullocks!
Or drink the blood of goats or of the flocks.
Offer to God praise and hearty thanksgiving,
And pay thy vows unto God ever living.
6 Call upon me when troubled thou shalt be;
Then will I help, and thou shalt honor me.
To the wicked thus saith th' eternal God,
Why dost thou preach my words and laws abroad,
Seeing thou hast them with thy mouth abused,
And hat'st to be by discipline reduced!
7 My words, I say, thou dost reject and hate:
If that thou seest a thief, as with thy mate,
Thou runn'st with him, and so your prey seek out;
And art all one with the adult'rous rout.
Thou giv'st thyself to backbite and to slander,
And how thy tongue deceiveth, is a wonder.
8 Thou sitt'st musing thy brother how to blame,
And how to put thy mother's son to shame.
These things thou didst, and while I held my tongue,
Thou didst me judge, because I stayed so long,
Like to thyself; yet though I kept long silence,
Once shalt thou feel of thy wrongs just recompense.
9 Consider this, ye that forget the Lord,
And fear not when he threat'neth with his word,
Lest without help I spoil you as a prey:
But he that thanks offers, praiseth alway,
Saith the Lord God, and he that walketh this trace,
I will him teach God's saving health t'embrace.
Another of the same, by J.H.
1 The God of gods, the Lord,
hath called the earth by name,
From whence the sun doth rise unto
the setting of~the same.
2 From Zion his fair place,
his glory bright and clear,
The perfect beauty of his grace,
from thence it did appear,
3 Our God shall come in haste,
to speak aloud, no doubt;
Before him shall the fire waste,
and tempest round about.
4 The heav'ns which are so high,
the earth below likewise,
He will call forth, that he may try
the people that are his.
5 Bring forth my saints, saith he,
my faithful flock most dear,
Who are in band and league with me,
my law to love and fear.
6 And when these thins are try'd
then shall the heav'ns record;
That God is just, and all must 'bide
the judgement of the Lord.
7 My people, now give heed,
Israel, to thee I cry;
I am thy God, thy help at need,
thou canst it not deny.
8 I do not say to thee,
Thy sacrifice is slack;
Thou offer'st daily unto me
much more than I do lack.
9 Think'st thou that I do need
thy cattle young or old?.
Or else so much desire to feed
on goats out of thy fold?
10 Nay, all the beasts are mine,
in woods that eat their fills
And thousand more of neat and kine
that run wild on the hills:
The Second Part,
11 The birds that build on high,
on hills and out of sight,
And beasts that in the fields do lie,
are subject to my might,
12 Then, though I hungered sore,
what need I ought of thine;
Since that the earth with her great store;
and all therein is mine?
13 To bulls' flesh have I mind
to eat it, dost thou think
Or such a sweetness do I find
the blood of goats to drink!
14 Give to the Lord his praise,
with thanks to him apply,
And see thou pay thy vows always
unto the God most high:
15 Then seek and call to me
when ought would work thee blame;
And I will sure deliver thee,
that thou may'st praise my Name.
16 But to the wicked train,
who talk of God each day,
And yet their works are foul and vain,
to them the Lord will say;
17 With what face darest thou
my word once speak or name;
Why do thy words my law allow,
thy deeds deny the same?
18 Whereas for to amend
thy life thou art so slack;
My word, the which thou dost pretend,
is cast behind thy back,
The Third Part.
19 When thou a thief dost see
by theft to live in wealth,.
With him thou runn'st, and dost agree
likewise to thrive by stealth.
20 When thou dost them behold
that wives and maids defile,
Thou lik'st it well, and waxest bold,
To use that life most vile.
21 Thy lips thou dost apply
to slander and defame,
Thy tongue doth teach to cheat and lie,
and still dotli use the same;
22 Thou study'st to revile
thy friends to thee most near,
With slander basely dost defile
thy mother's son most dear.
23 Hereat while I do wink,
as though I did not see,
go'st on still, and so dost think
that I am like to thee.
24 But sure I will not let
to strike when I begin;
Thy faults in order I will set,
And open all thy sin.
25 Mark this, I you require,
who have not God in mind,
Lest when I plague you in mine ire
your help be far to find,
26 He that doth give to me
the Sacrifice of praise,
Doth please me well, and he shall see
to walk in godly ways.
