Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases

¹O blessed is the man to whom

is freely pardoned

All the transgression he hath done,

whose sin is covered.

²Bless’d is the man to whom the Lord

imputeth not his sin,

And in whose sp’rit there is no guile,

nor fraud is found therein.

³When as I did refrain my speech,

and silent was my tongue,

My bones then waxed old, because

I roared all day long.

⁴For upon me both day and night

thine hand did heavy lie,

So that my moisture turned is

in summer’s drought thereby.

⁵I thereupon have unto thee

my sin acknowledged,

And likewise mine iniquity

I have not covered:

I will confess unto the Lord

my trespasses, said I;

And of my sin thou freely didst

forgive th’ iniquity.

⁶For this shall ev’ry godly one

his prayer make to thee;

In such a time he shall thee seek,

as found thou mayest be.

Surely, when floods of waters great

do swell up to the brim,

They shall not overwhelm his soul,

nor once come near to him.

⁷Thou art my hiding-place, thou shalt

from trouble keep me free:

Thou with songs of deliverance

about shalt compass me.

⁸I will instruct thee, and thee teach

the way that thou shalt go;

And, with mine eye upon thee set,

I will direction show.

⁹Then be not like the horse or mule,

which do not understand;

Whose mouth, lest they come near to thee,

a bridle must command.

¹⁰Unto the man that wicked is

his sorrows shall abound;

But him that trusteth in the Lord

mercy shall compass round.

¹¹Ye righteous, in the Lord be glad,

in him do ye rejoice:

All ye that upright are in heart,

for joy lift up your voice.