English metrical 'Old Version' (by John Hopkins)
English text
O God, my heart prepared is,
My tongue is likewise so :
I will advance my voice in song,
That I thy praise may show.
Awake, my viol and my harp,
Sweet melody to make;
And in the morning I myself
Right early will awake.
By me among the people, Lord.
Still praised shalt thou be,
And I among the heathen folk
Will praises sing to thee:
Because thy mercy doth ascend
Above the heav'ns most high;
Also thy truth doth reach the clouds
Within the lofty sky.
Above the starry heavens high
Exalt thyself, O God,
Display likewise upon the earth
Thy glory all abroad:
That thy beloved also may
Be set at liberty;
Help, O my God, with thy right hand.
And hear me speedily.
God in his holiness hath spoke.
Wherefore my joys abound,
Sichem I will divide, and mete
The vale of Succoth's ground.
And Gilead shall be my own,
Manasses mine shall be;
My head-strength Ephraim, and law
Shall Judah give to me.
Moab my wash-pot is, my shoe
O'er Edom I will throw,
Upon the land of Palestine
In triumph I will go.
Who to the city strong shall be
Leader and guide to me?
Also by whom to Edom’s land
Conveyed shall I be?
Is it not thou, O Lord, who late
Hast us forsaken quite?
And wilt not thou, Lord, also go
Forth with our hosts to fight?
Give us, O Lord, thy saving aid,
When troubles do assail;
For all the help of man is vain,
And can no whit avail.
Through God we shall do valiant acts,
And worthy of renown;
He shall subdue our enemies,
Yea, he shall tread them down.
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English metrical 'New Version' (Tate & Brady)
English text
O God, my heart is fully bent
To magnify thy name;
My tongue with cheerful songs of praise
Shall celebrate thy fame.
Awake, my lute; nor thou, my harp,
Thy warbling notes delay;
Whilst I with early hymns of joy
Prevent the dawning day.
To all the list'ning tribes, O Lord,
Thy wonders I will tell;
And to those nations sing thy praise
That round about us dwell:
Because thy mercy's boundless height
The highest heav'n transcends,
And far beyond th'aspiring clouds
Thy faithful truth extends.
Be thou, O God, exalted high
Above the starry frame;
And let the world, with one consent,
Confess thy glorious name.
That all thy chosen people thee
Their saviour may declare:
Let thy right hand protect me still,
And answer thou my pray'r.
Since God himself hath said the word,
Whose promise cannot fail,
With joy I Shechem shall divide,
And measure Succoth's vale.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh too,
And Ephraim owns my cause:
Their strength my regal pow'r supports,
And Judah gives my laws.
Moab I'll make my servile drudge,
On vanquish'd Edom tread;
And through the proud Philistine lands
My conqu'ring banners spread.
By whose support and aid shall I
Their well-fenc'd city gain?
Who will my troops securely lead
Through Edom's guarded plain?
Lord, wilt not thou assist our arms,
Which late thou didst forsake?
And wilt not thou of these our hosts
Once more the guidance take?
O to thy servants in distress
Thy speedy succour send!
For vain it is on human aid
For safety to depend.
Then valiant acts shall we perform,
If thou thy pow'r disclose;
For God it is, and God alone,
That treads down all our foes.
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Metrical Paraphrase by Joel Barlow, 1786
English text
1. Awake, my soul, to sound his praise,
Awake my harp to sing:
Join all my powers the song to raise,
And morning incense bring.
2. Among the people of his care,
And through the nations round;
Glad songs of praise will I prepare,
And there his name resound.
3. Be thou exalted, O my God,
Above the starry train;
Diffuse thy heavenly grace abroad,
And teach the world thy reign.
4. So shall thy chosen sons rejoice,
And throng thy courts above;
While sinners hear thy pardoning voice,
And taste redeeming love.
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