Metrical 'Old Version' (John Hopkins)
English text
1 The Lord is our defence and aid,
The strength whereby we stand;
When we with woe are much dismay'd
He is our help at hand.
2 Though earth do move, we will not fear,
Though mountains high and steep
Be thrust and hurled here and there
Within the sea so deep:
3 No, though the sea do rage so sore,
That all the banks it spills,
And though it overflow the shore,
And beat down mighty hills:
4 For one fair flood doth send abroad
His pleasant streams apace,
To glad the city of our God,
And wash his holy place.
5 In midst of her the Lord doth dwell,
She never can decay,
All things against her that rebel
The Lord will surely slay.
6 The heathen folk and kingdoms fear,
The people make a noise,
The earth doth melt and disappear,
When God puts forth his voice.
7 The Lord of hosts doth take our part,
To us he hath an eye:
Our hope of health with all our heart
On Jacob's God doth lie.
8 Come here, and see with mind and thought
The working of our God,
What wonders he himself hath wrought
In all the world abroad:
9 By him all wars are hush'd and gone,
Though countries did conspire;
Their bows and spears he brake each one,
Their chariots burnt with fire.
10 Be still therefore, and know that I
Am God, and therefore will
Among the heathen people be
Highly exalted still.
11 The Lord of hosts doth us defend,
He is our strength and tow'r;
On Jacob's God we do depend,
And on his mighty pow'r.
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Metrical 'New Version' (Tate and Brady)
English text
1 God is our refuge in distress,
A present help when dangers press.
In him undaunted we'll confide,
2-3 Though earth were from her centre tossed,
And mountains in the ocean lost,
Torn piecemeal by the roaring tide.
4 A gentler stream with gladness still
The city of our God shall fill,
The royal seat of God most high.
5 God dwells in Sion, whose fair tow’rs
Shall mock th’assaults of earthly pow’rs
While his almighty aid is nigh.
6 In tumults when the heathen raged,
And kingdoms war against us waged,
He thundered, and dispersed their pow’rs.
7 The Lord of Hosts conducts our arms,
Our tow’r of refuge in alarms,
Our fathers’ guardian God, and ours.
8 Come see the wonders he hath wrought,
On earth what desolation brought;
How he has calm’d the jarring world:
9 He broke the warlike spear and bow;
With them their thund’ring chariots too
Into devouring flames were hurl’d.
10 Submit to God’s almighty sway,
For him the heathen shall obey,
And earth her sov’reign Lord confess:
11 The God of Hosts conducts our arms,
Our tow’r of refuge in alarms,
As to our fathers in distress.
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English translation by Henry Ainsworth
English translation
- The Book of Psalmes : Englished both in Prose and Meter (Amsterdam 1612) carried to New England on the Mayflower
An hopeful-shelter and a strength,
unto us God wilbee:
A succour in distresses, find
vehemently shal wee.
Therfore we wil not be a-frayed,
al-though the earth change place:
and though the mountaynes moved be,
unto hart of the seas.
Though waters therof make a noyse,
though muddy be shal they:
though for the haughty-ness therof,
the mountains quake Selah.
Ther is a flood, the streams therof,
shal gladd the citie of God:
the holy-place, the places of
the Highest-ones abode.
6.God is in middest of the same,
it shal not moved bee:
at looking-forth of th'early-morn,
God help the same wil bee.
The nations did make a noyse,
the kingdoms moved were:
give-forth did he his thondring-voice,
the earth did melt-with-fear.
8.The God of armies is with us,
the everbeing-JAH:
the God of Jakob is for us
a refuge-hye Selah.
Jehovahs operations,
O come-on ye & see:
that wondrous-desolations
put in the earth dooth hee.
10.Unto the utmost end of th'earth,
he maketh cease the warrs:
he breaks the bow, and cutts the spear,
in fyre he burns the carrs.
11.Surcease & know, that I am God:
exalted be wil I
among the heathens: through the earth
Ile be exalted-hye.
12.The God of armies is with us
the ever-being-JAH:
the God of Jakob is for us
a refuge-hye Selah.
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