Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases

¹I waited for the Lord my God,

and patiently did bear;

At length to me he did incline

my voice and cry to hear.

²He took me from a fearful pit,

and from the miry clay,

And on a rock he set my feet,

establishing my way.

³He put a new song in my mouth,

our God to magnify:

Many shall see it, and shall fear,

and on the Lord rely.

⁴O blessed is the man whose trust

upon the Lord relies;

Respecting not the proud, nor such

as turn aside to lies.

⁵O Lord my God, full many are

the wonders thou hast done;

Thy gracious thoughts to us-ward far

above all thoughts are gone:

In order none can reckon them

to thee: if them declare,

And speak of them I would, they more

than can be number’d are.

⁶No sacrifice nor offering

didst thou at all desire;

Mine ears thou bor’d: sin-off ‘ring thou

and burnt didst not require:

⁷Then to the Lord these were my words,

I come, behold and see;

Within the volume of the book

it written is of me:

⁸To do thy will I take delight,

O thou my God that art;

Yea, that most holy law of thine

I have within my heart.

⁹Within the congregation great

I righteousness did preach:

Lo, thou dost know, O Lord, that I

refrained not my speech.

¹⁰I never did within my heart

conceal thy righteousness;

I thy salvation have declar’d,

and shown thy faithfulness:

Thy kindness, which most loving is,

concealed have not I,

Nor from the congregation great

have hid thy verity.

¹¹Thy tender mercies, Lord, from me

O do thou not restrain;

Thy loving-kindness, and thy truth,

let them me still maintain.

¹²For ills past reck’ning compass me,

and mine iniquities

Such hold upon me taken have,

I cannot lift mine eyes:

They more than hairs are on mine head,

thence is my heart dismay’d.

¹³Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me;

Lord, hasten to mine aid.

¹⁴Sham’d and confounded be they all

that seek my soul to kill;

Yea, let them backward driven be,

and sham’d, that wish me ill.

¹⁵For a reward of this their shame

confounded let them be.

That in this manner scoffing say,

Aha, aha! to me.

¹⁶In thee let all be glad, and joy,

who seeking thee abide;

Who thy salvation love, say still,

The Lord be magnify’d.

¹⁷I’m poor and needy, yet the Lord

of me a care doth take:

Thou art my help and saviour,

my God, no tarrying make.