Psalm 47

Nottingham

All you nations, clap your hands;
Shout to God with joyful cry.
Awesome is the Lord Most High,
Great King over all earth’s lands!

Through us nations he's subdued,
Put beneath our feet our foes.
Our inheritance he chose,
Jacob’s Pride, whom he has loved.

God, midst joyful shouts, takes wing,
There the Lord midst trumpets' ring.
Sing God’s praises, praises sing;
Praises sing, praise to our King.

God is King, all earth’s his own;
To him sing a psalm of praise.
God rules lands, his sceptre sways;
God sits on his holy throne.

As the God of Abram’s own,
Nations’ heads together throng,
For earth’s kings to God belong;
Honoured, great is his renown.

Psalm 46

Ein Feste Burg

God is our refuge and our might,
An ever present help in trial.
Therefore against our fears we fight,
Though earth give way and mountains fall,
Though mountains all be thrown
Into the sea and drown,
Though waters roar and foam
And mountains start to quake
With surging as they move and shake.

A river flows whose streams give joy,
God’s city, holiest place of all,
Where dwells our God, our God Most High,
God’s in her and she will not fall;
He’ll help at break of day.
Realms quake, kingdoms decay;
He speaks - earth melts away.
He’s with us - mighty Lord,
Our safe stronghold is Jacob’s God.

Come see the works of God the Lord,
The desolations he has worked.
Throughout the earth he ends discord;
Breaks bow and spear and burns up shield.
Be still, know I am He;
Exalted I will be
Exalted - let earth see.
He’s with us - mighty Lord;
Our safe stronghold is Jacob’s God.

Psalm 45

Melita

A noble theme my heart it stirs
As for the king I words recite;
My tongue a pen that now in verse
With skill conveys the things I write.
You hold midst men the highest place,
Your lips anointed with true grace.

For God has blessed you and forev'r.
Come, gird your sword upon your side,
O mighty one; great splendour wear,
Be clothed in majesty to ride,
Be for the truth victorious,
For meekness too and righteousness.

Deeds awesome with your right hand show.
Let your sharp arrows pierce the heart
Of each who is the Great King’s foe;
Let nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God, will always last;
Your kingdom's sceptre - sceptre just.

You love what’s righteous, hate what’s bad;
So God, your God, has made you Lord.
Above each peer, each one you had,
The oil of joy upon you poured.
All of your robes they fragrant are -
With aloes, myrrh and cassia.

From palaces of ivory
The sound of strings it brings you mirth.
Honoured by you we often see
Daughters of kings, of royal birth;
The Royal Bride’s at your right hand
In gold from Ophir’s distant land.

Give ear, O daughter, hark, recall:
Your father's house no thought accord.
How does your charm the king enthral;
Him honour, for he is your Lord.
Tyre's daughter will with gifts embrace
And men of wealth your favour chase.

Within her room the princess shines;
In rich embroidered clothes they bring,
In woven gown with gold designs,
Into the presence of the king;
Her virgin friends then follow too
As all of them are brought to you.

With joy they in his palace stand.
Your fathers by your sons replaced;
They'll princes be throughout the land.
Your mem'ry I'll perpetuate
On down the generations all;
Forever praised by nations all.

Catechism 5

Questions 28-33
CM

And what is it that Adam's sin
To all mankind did do?
In sin and mis'ry all are born,
Of all mankind that's true.

What have we all inherited
Due to orig'nal sin?
A sinful nature's credited
Because of Adam's sin.

What is sin? Sin is transgression,
Yes, of the law of God.
What is meant by that expression?
To do what's banned by God.

What is by every sin deserved?
God's anger, we must say,
And the judgement that is reserved
For use on that great day.

Do we know just what God requires?
Yes. Laws to us are giv'n,
Both in our hearts (our good desires),
And (surer yet) those writt'n.

Psalm 44b

Psalm 44:9-26
Protection

But now we’re rejected and humbled to dust,
You no longer march out, our armies repulsed.
Before all our foes you have made us retreat,
Our enemies plunder and we face defeat.

You’ve given us up, they devour us like sheep,
To all the world’s nations your people you sweep.
You sold off your people, a pittance retail,
Receiving no profit as gain from the sale.

To all of our neighbours we’re made a reproach,
The scorn and derision of all who approach.
You’ve made us a byword the nations among;
The people their heads shake at what has been done.

Disgrace is before me; I’m covered with shame,
All through the long day as each one takes his aim -
Reproaching, reviling, how their taunts torment,
The enemy railing, he's on vengeance bent.

All this has now happened, though faithful to you,
Rememb’ring your covenant, staying still true.
Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed
Away from the path that before us you laid.

But you crushed and made us for jackals a lair
And covered us over with darkest despair.
As if we’d forgotten the name of our God
Or spread out our hands to praise a foreign god.

But God would have seen that, he knows the heart deep,
Yet for you we face death; we’re slaughtered as sheep.
Awake, Lord! Arise now! O why do you sleep?
Don’t leave us for ever, your face hid don’t keep.

Forget not our misery, our troubles all round,
We’re brought down to dust; bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up, Lord, and help us; O show us your face,
Redeem us and show us your unfailing grace.

Psalm 44a

Psalm 43:1-8
Protection

O God, our ears have heard; our fathers have told
What you did in their days, in great days of old.
Your hand drove out nations, our fathers to sow;
The peoples you crushed and our fathers made grow.

Their winning the land was not done by their sword,
Nor did such a victory their own arm afford;
No, your right hand, your arm, the light of your face,
These did it for love’s sake, you did it by grace.

You’re my King and my God, the one who decrees,
Who decrees for Jacob such great victories.
Through you we push back those who us do oppose,
Through your name we trample on all of our foes.

My sword brings no vict’ry, I don’t trust my bow,
You shame my opposers, you bring down each foe.
In God we are boasting through all of our days,
For ever and ever your name we will praise.

Catechism 4

Q&A 22-27
CM

In what condition had God made
Adam and Eve at first?
Holy and happy they were made,
That's how they were at first.

Happy and holy did they stay?
No, they against God sinned.
Our parents sinned in just what way?
They ate the fruit God banned.

Forbidden fruit, why did they eat?
Because they'd not believe
What God had said. Let us repeat:
No, they would not believe.

Who tempted into sin this pair?
The devil tempted Eve,
And she with Adam did then share,
He took the fruit from Eve.

What was it to our parents came
When they sinned at the tree?
They sinful, mis'rable became,
Happy not, nor holy.

Psalm 43

CM

Me vindicate, O God, and plead
My cause against a state
That wicked is; relief I need
From men who lie and cheat.

You’re God my stronghold, my relief,
Why am I turned away?
Why must I go about in grief,
Oppressed by foes all day.

Send forth your truth, send forth your light,
And let them be my guide
And bring me to your holy height,
The place where you reside.

Then at God’s altar I’ll be found,
With God, my joy, my bliss,
And with the harp I there will sound,
O God, my God, your praise.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 42

CM

As pants the deer for streams that flow,
I pant for you, O God.
My soul the God who lives would know,
When can I meet with God?

My tears my food both day and night,
While ‘Where's your God?’ men shout.
These things my memory brings to light
As I my soul pour out:

How to God’s house I would progress,
Lead multitudes in song,
With shouts of joy and thankfulness
Among the festive throng.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

My soul’s downcast within again,
So I’ll remember you
From Hermon’s heights, from Jordan’s plain
And from Mount Mizar too.

Deep calls to deep beneath the roar
Of your high cataract;
Your waves and breakers on me pour,
Across me they have swept.

By day the Lord directs his love,
At night his song’s with me -
A prayer to my life’s God above,
To God my rock I flee:

I - ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I mourning go?
Why is it that I’m constantly
Cowed by the enemy?’

My bones in mortal agony,
My foes all taunting me,
They all day long still say to me
‘Where is your God? Where’s he?’.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 41

CM

Blessed he who to the weak shows care;
The Lord in times of strife
Will save; the Lord that man will spare,
He will protect his life.

The Lord will bless him in the land,
Yield not to his foes’ will.
When sick, the Lord will strength command,
Raise him from bed when ill.

'O Lord show mercy', this I said
'For I've wronged you. Heal me.'
'When will he rot, his name be dead?’
Harsh speaks my enemy.

Whenever one on me attends,
He lies. Meanwhile his heart
Amasses slander, then he spreads
These things to every part.

Against me all my foes conspire;
The worst for me conceive,
‘A vile disease will him bemire;
His bed he'll never leave.’

My close friend whom I learned to trust,
Who with me shared my bread,
Has his raised heel against me thrust
But you have mercy, Lord.

O raise me up, let me repay.
I know you’re pleased with me,
My enemy holds not full sway,
My ruler he'll not be.

You do in my integrity
Uphold me constantly
And in your presence you set me
For ever more to be.

So bring your praise the Lord before,
The God of Israel praise,
From evermore to evermore
Amen, amen, always.

Catechism 3

Q&A 14-21
SM

So where can you learn how
To love God and obey?
The Bible is the one place now,
Then read that book we say.

Who did the Bible write?
It was those holy men
Who had the Holy Spirit's light,
He taught those holy men.

Who were our parents first?
Adam it was and Eve.
How were they made our parents first?
What is it we believe?

God Adam's body made,
He made it from the ground,
Then from that body Eve he made
And so the two were found.

What else did God supply?
Besides their bodies, what?
He gave them souls that could not die
That's what from him they got.

And do you have a soul
Besides a body, say?
Yes. I've a never dying soul,
That's how it is today.

A soul - how do you know?
The Bible tells me so.
'What is my soul?' All that should know
And love God too – that's so.

Psalm 40b

Psalm 40:11-17
Ballerma CM

O Lord, your mercy don’t withhold,
With love and truth surround.
For troubles vast and manifold
All round me now are found.

My sins in front of me have sped
I cannot see ahead.
They’re more than hairs upon my head,
Within, my heart is dead.

Be pleased, O Lord, me safe to make:
To help me, Lord, make haste.
May all who seek my life to take,
Be brought down and disgraced;

May all who ruin for me seek
Turned back, lose their good name.
May those ‘Aha! Aha!’ who speak,
Be shocked at their own shame.

But all who seek for you, may they
Be glad in you with joy;
Let all who love your grace still say
‘The Lord be lifted high!’

Yet needy still I am and poor,
Lord, think of me, I pray.
My deliv'rer, my help, you are;
My God, O don't delay.

Psalm 40a

PSALM 40:1-11
Ballerma CM

I waited for the Lord did I,
With patience ’til his time;
Until he turned and heard my cry
And took me from the slime.

He lifted me out of the pit,
Out of the sinking sand.
My feet upon a rock he set,
Enabling me to stand.

He put a new song on my tongue,
Praise to our God, a hymn.
A host in fear see what God's done;
The Lord - they trust in him.

The man who trusts the Lord is blessed,
All false gods he denies.
He does not seek the proud for rest
Or turn aside to lies.

How many wonders you have done,
O Lord my God, what care.
For us you’ve planned a greater sum
Than any can declare.

A sacrifice you don’t desire
But pierce my ears instead;
Burnt offerings, too, you don’t require,
Or offering up the dead.

‘I’m here, I’ve come’ I said to you,
‘It’s written in the scroll.
Your will it’s my desire to do
Your law is in my soul.’

Proclaim I righteousness not woe,
My lips I do not seal.
In the assembly great, you know,
O Lord, I you reveal.

Your righteousness I don’t conceal;
Your saving love my song,
Your love and truth, yes, I reveal
To the assembled throng.

Psalm 39

SM

I said, I'll watch my way,
From sin keep my tongue free;
A muzzle on my mouth I'll lay,
While sinners are with me.

But when I silent stood,
From movement having ceased,
Not even saying one thing good,
My anguish it increased.

My heart grew hot in me,
As I did meditate,
The fire it burned; my tongue ran free
With words I now relate:

Lord, show me my life's end,
The number of my days;
Let me know just how soon I'll spend
My life, its earthly phase.

You've made my days to be
The merest hand in breadth;
My years' span you pass easily,
And each life's but a breath.

A phantom, that is man,
As he goes to and fro.
He heaps up wealth, bustles in vain -
For whom, he does not know.

Lord, what would I now see?
My hope to you it flies.
From my transgressions set me free;
Let fools not me despise.

Silent; my mouth was bound -
It's you who has this planned.
Remove from me your scourge. I'm downed
By blows from your own hand.

You charge men and you scold,
It is because of sin;
As a moth you consume their gold -
He's but a breath, each man.

Please hear, O Lord, my prayer,
My cry for help hear tell;
Be deaf not to my tears but care.
An alien here I dwell.

I am an alien,
Like those who came before.
Look from me, make me glad again
Before I am no more.

Psalm 38

O Lord in wrath don't chasten me
Or scold me angrily.
For arrows from you have pierced me,
Your hand's come down on me.
Due to your wrath, my frame lacks health;
My sin makes my bones tear.
My guilt it will me overwhelm,
The weight's too great to bear.

My wounds turn foul, they loathsome grow -
For I'm a fool, so bad.
I am bowed down and brought so low;
Throughout the day how sad.
My back with searing pain is wracked
No health my frame has known.
I feeble am, completely cracked.
With anguished heart I groan.

Before you, Lord, my longings lie,
I cannot hide my sighs.
My heart it pounds, my strength will die,
The light's gone from my eyes.
My friends and my companions stray,
Because of all my wounds,
My neighbours far away they stay,
Each one me he avoids.

To take my life their traps they lay,
They seek my destruction.
They speak about my end all day,
They plot their deception.
I'm like a deaf man, who can't hear,
A mute, whose mouth is dry;
I'm now like one who does not hear,
whose mouth gives no reply.

For you it is, O Lord, I wait;
Lord God, you will reply.
I said “Don't let them deprecate,
Gloat, when my foot goes wry."
For I have started to regress,
Always my pain's with me.
I my iniquity confess;
How my sin troubles me.

How many are my vigorous foes,
Who for no cause despise.
They all my good with ill oppose,
The right I seek with lies.
O Lord, do not be far from me;
My God, don't me forsake.
O Lord, my Saviour, come help me,
O to my aid, come quick!