Metrical 'Old Version' (John Markant, 1560)
English text
Remember David's troubles, Lord,
How unto thee he swore,
And vow'd a vow to Jacob's God,
To keep for evermore;
I will not come within my house,
Nor climb up to my bed,
Nor let my temples take their rest,
Nor eyes within my head;
Till I have found out for the Lord
A place to sit thereon,
An house for Jacob's God to be
An habitation.
We heard of it at Ephrata,
Where did we hear this sound,
And in the fields and forests there
These voices first were found:
We will assay and go into
His tabernacle there,
Before his footstool to fall down,
And worship him in fear.
Arise, O Lord, arise, I pray,
Into thy resting place,
Thou and the ark of thy great strength,
The presence of thy grace.
Let all thy priests be clothed, Lord,
With truth and righteousness,
Let all thy saints with songs of praise
Their joyfulness express.
And for thy servant David's sake
Refuse not, Lord, I pray,
The face of thy Anointed, and
Turn not from him away.
The Second Part
The Lord to David sware in truth,
And will not shrink from it;
The fruit which from thy loins proceed
Upon thy seat shall sit:
And if thy sons my laws will keep,
That I shall learn each one,
Then shall their sons for ever sit
Upon thy princely throne.
The Lord himself hath Sion chose,
And loves therein to dwell,
Saying, This is my resting place,
I love and like it well;
And I will bless with great increase
Her victuals every where,
And also satisfy with bread
The needy that be there.
With my salvation I will clothe
Her priests for evermore,
And all her saints likewise shall sing
And shout for joy therefore.
There will I surely make the horn
Of David for to bud;
For there I have ordain'd for him
A lantern bright and good.
As for his foes, I will them clothe
With shame for evermore;
But I will cause his crown to shine
More fresh than heretofore.
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Metrical 'New Version' (Tate/Brady)
English text
Let David, Lord, a constant place
In thy remembrance find;
Let all the sorrows he endur'd
Be ever in thy mind.
Remember what a solemn oath
To thee, his Lord, he swore;
How to the mighty God he vow'd,
Whom Jacob's sons adore.
I will not go into my house,
Nor to my bed ascend;
No soft repose shall close my eyes,
Nor sleep my eyelids bend:
Till for the Lord's design'd abode
I mark the destin'd ground;
Till I a decent place of rest
For Jacob's God have found.
Th'appointed place with shouts of joy
At Ephrata we found,
And made the woods and neighb'ring fields
Our glad applause resound.
O with due rev'rence let us then
To his abode repair;
And, prostrate at his footstool fall'n,
Pour out our humble pray'r.
Arise, O Lord, and now possess
Thy constant place of rest;
Be that, not only with thy ark,
But with thy presence blest.
Clothe thou thy priests with righteousness,
Make thou thy saints rejoice;
And, for thy servant David's sake,
Hear thy anointed's voice.
God sware to David in his truth,
(Nor shall his oath be vain,)
One of thy offspring, after thee,
Upon thy throne shall reign.
And if thy seed my cov'nant keep,
And to my laws submit,
Their children too upon thy throne
For evermore shall sit.
For Sion does in God's esteem
All other seats excel;
His place of everlasting rest,
Where he desires to dwell
Her store, says he, I will increase,
Her poor with plenty bless;
Her saints shall shout for joy, her priests
My saving health confess.
There David's pow'r shall long remain
In his successive line,
And my anointed servant there
Shall with fresh lustre shine.
The faces of his vanquish'd foes
Confusion shall o'erspread,
Whilst, with confirm'd success, his crown
Shall flourish on his head.
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