English text
1 Sing ye unto the Lord our God
A new rejoicing song,
And let the praise of him be heard
His holy saints among.
2 Let Israel rejoice in God,
And praises to him sing;
And let the seed of Sion be
Most joyful in their King:
3 Let them sound praise with voice of lute
Unto his holy name,
And with the timbrel and the harp
Sing praises to the same.
4 For why? the Lord his pleasure all
Hath in his people set,
And by deliv'rance he will raise
The meek to glory great.
5 With glory and with honour now
Let all his saints rejoice;
Aloud upon their beds also
Advance their singing voice.
6 And in their mouths let be the high
Praises of God the Lord,
And in their hands likewise a sharp
And a two-edged sword,
7 To plague the heathen, and correct
The people with their hands;
To bind their stately kings in chains,
Their lords in iron bands:
8 To execute on them the doom
That written was before:
This honour all his saints shall have;
Praise ye the Lord therefore.
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Metrical 'New Version' (Tate and Brady)
English text
1, 2 O praise ye the Lord, prepare your glad voice,
His praise in the great assembly to sing:
In our great creator let Israel rejoice;
And children of Sion be glad in their King.
3,4 Let them his great name extol in the dance;
With timbrel and harp his praises express:
Who always takes pleasure his saints to advance,
And with his salvation the humble to bless.
5, 6 With glory adorn'd, his people shall sing
To God, who their beds with safety does shield:
Their mouths fill'd with praises of him their great king;
Whilst a two-edged sword their right hand shall wield;
7, 8 Just vengeance to take for injuries past;
To punish those lands for ruin design'd;
With chains, as their captives, to tie their kings fast,
With fetters of iron their nobles to bind.
9 Thus shall they make good, when them they destroy,
The dreadful decree which God does proclaim:
Such honour and triumph his saints shall enjoy,
O therefore for ever exalt his great name!
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English text
1. O praise ye the Lord, prepare a new song,
And let all his saints in full concert join;
Ye tribes all assemble the feast to prolong,
In solemn procession with music divine.
2. O Israel, In him that made ye rejoice,
Let all Zion's sons exult in their King;
While to martial dances you join a glad voice,
Your lutes, harps, and timbrels in harmony bring.
3. The Lord in his saints still finds his delight;
Salvation from him the meek shall adorn;
They well may be joyful, sustained by his might,
And crowned by his favor may lift up their horn.
4. Let carpets be spread and banquets prepared
Those altars around, whose incense ascends;
While anthems of glory through Salem are heard,
And God whom we worship indulgent attends.
5. Then as your hearts bound with music and wine
Inspired by the God who reigns in this place:
Unsheathe all your weapons, and bright let them shine,
And brandish your faulchions† while chanting his praise.
6. Then march to the field, the heathen defy,
And scatter his wrath on nations around;
Like angels of vengeance your swords lift on high,
And boast that Jehovah commissions the wound.
7. Their generals subdued your triumphs shall grace,
And loaded with chains their kings shall be brought;
On the necks shall ye trample on Canaan's proud race,
And all their last remnant for slaughter be sought.
8. No rage of your own such rigor demands;
A sentence divine your arms must fulfill;
Of old he this vengeance consigned to your hands,
And in sacred volumes recorded his will.
9. The honor, ye saints, appointed for you,
All-grateful receive, and faithful obey;
And while his dread pleasure resistless ye do,
Still make his high praises the song of the day.
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†. A kind of curved sword.
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