Misericordias

1 To sing the mercies of the Lord
my tongue shall never spare;
My mouth from age to age accord
thy truth for to declare.

2 For I have said, that mercy shall
for evermore endure,
Thy faithfulness in the heav'ns all
is stablish'd firm and sure.

3 With mine elect, saith God, have I
a faithful cov'nant made,
And sworn to David solemnly,
having to him thus said;

4 Thy seed for ever I will stay,
and stablish it full fast,
And still uphold thy throne alway,
from age to age to last.

5 The heav'ns do shew with joy and mirth
thy wond'rous works, O Lord;
Thy saints within thy Church on earth
thy faith and truth record.

6 Who with the Lord is equal then
in all the clouds abroad?
Among the sons of gods or men
what one is like our God?

7 God in th' assembly of the saints
is greatly to be dread,
And over all that dwell about
in rev'rence to be had.

8 Lord God of hosts, in all the world,
what one is like to thee?
On every side, most mighty Lord,
thy truth is seen to be.

9 The rage and fury of the sea
thou rulest at thy will,
And when the waves thereof arise,
thou mak'st them calm and still:

10 And Egypt, Lord, thou hast subdu'd,
thou hast destroy'd it quite;
Thy foes thou closely hast pursu'd,
and scatter'd thro' thy might.

The Second Part.

11 The heav'ns are thine, and still have been,
likewise the earth and land,
The world and all that is therein
thou foundedst with thy hand:

12 Both north and south, with east and west,
thyself didst make and frame:
Both Tabor mount and Hermon hill
rejoice, and praise thy Name.

13 Thine arm is strong and full of power,
all might therein doth lie;
The strength of thy right hand each hour
thou liftest up on high.

14 In righteousness and equity
thou hast thy seat and place;
Mercy and truth are still with thee,
and go before thy face,

15 That folk is blest, that knoweth right
the joyful sound, O God;
For in the favour of thy sight
they walk full safe abroad;

16 And in thy Name throughout the day
they greatly do rejoice,
And through thy righteousness have they
a pleasant fame and noise.

17 For why? their glory, strength, and aid,
in thee alone doth lie;
And thy goodness which hath us staid,
shall lift our horn on high.

18 Our strength that doth defend us well,
the Lord to us doth bring;
The Holy One of Israel
he is our guide and King.

19 Sometimes thy will to holy men
in visions thou didst show,
And thus didst say unto them then,
thy mind to make them know;

20 A man of might I have erect
your King and guide to be,
And set him up, whom I elect
among the folk to me;

The Third Part.

21 My servant David I appoint
to rule my people well,
And with my holy oil anoint
him king of Israel.

22 For why? my hand is ready still
with him for to remain,
And with my arm also I will
him strengthen and sustain:

23 The enemies shall not oppress,
they shall not him devour,
Nor shall the sons of wickedness
on him have any pow'r:

24 His foes likewise I will destroy
before his face in sight,
Those that him hate I will annoy,
and strike them with my might:

25 My truth and mercy shall likewise
upon him ever lie,
And in my name his horn shall rise,
and be exalted high:

26 His kingdom I will set to be :
upon the sea and land;
Also the running flood shall he
embrace with his right hand:

27 He shall depend with all his heart
on me, and thus shall say,
My Father and my God thou art,
my rock, my health, and stay:

28 As my first-born I will him count
of all on earth that springs;
His might and honour shall surmount
above all earthly kings:

29 My mercy shall be with him still,
as I myself have told,
My faithful cov'nant to fulfil,
my promise I will hold:

30 Also his seed I will sustain
for ever strong and sure;
So that his seed shall still reanain,
while heav'n and earth endure.

The Fourth Part.

31 But if his sons forsake my law,
and so begin to swerve,
And of my judgements have no awe,
and will not them observe;

32 Or if they do not use aright
my laws for them prepar'd;
But set all my commandments light,
and will not them regard:

33 Then with the rod will I begin
their doing to amend,
and so will scourge them for their sin,
whenever they offend.

34 But yet my mercy and goodness
I will not take away
From him, nor let my faithfulness
in any wise decay:

35 But sure my cov'nant I will hold,
with all that I have spoke:
No word the which my lips have
shall alter or be broke.

36 Once sware I by my holiness,
and that perform will I;
With David I will promise keep,
to him I will not lye:

37 His seed for evermore shall reign,
also his throne of might,
As doth the sun it shall remain
for ever in my sight.

38 And as the moon within the sky
for ever standeth fast,
A faithful witness from on high;
so shall his kingdom last.

39 But, Lord, thou dost him now reject,
and put him in great fear;
Yea, thou art wroth with thine elect,
thine own anointed dear;

40 The cov'nant with thy servant made
thou hast quite overthrown,
And down upon the ground hast laid
and cast his royal crown:

The fifth Part.

41 His hedges thou hast overthrown,
his walls destroy'd quite round;
All his strong holds hast beaten down,
and levell'd with the ground:

42 That he is sore destroy'd and torn
of comers-by throughout,
And so is made a mock and scorn
to all that dwell about:

43 Thou their right hand hast arm'd with pow'r,
that him so sore annoy;
And all his foes that him devour,
lo, thou hast made to joy:

44 His sword's edge thou dost take away
that should his foes withstand;
To him in war no victory
thou giv'st, nor upper-hand:

45 His glory thou dost also waste,
his throne, his joy and mirth,
By thee is overthrown and cast
full low upon the earth:

46 Thou hast cut off, and made full short
his youth and joyful days,
And rais'd of him an ill report,
to his shame and dispraise.

47 How long away from me therefore,
for ever wilt thou turn?
And shall thine anger evermore
like fire consume and burn?

48 O call to mind, remember then,
my time consumeth fast:
Why hast thou made the sons of men
as things in vain to waste?

49 What man is he that liveth, and
death never thinks to see?
Or from the grave's devouring hand
shall he his soul set free?

50 Where is, O Lord, thy great goodness,
so oft declar'd before,
Which by thy truth and uprightness
to David thou hast swore?

51 The great rebukes to mind I call,
that on thy servants lie,
The railings of the people all,
borne in my breast have I.

52 Wherewith, O Lord, thine enemies
blasphemed have thy Name;
The steps of thine anointed one
they cease not to defame.

53 All praise be given unto thee,
O God the Lord most high,
From this time forth for evermore,
Amen, amen, say I.

Source: The Whole Book of Psalms #LXXXIX