Psalm 5
Modified by me from A.D. 1650 Scottish Psalter. One tune that works is named “Naomi” (composer died A.D. 1872), used for hymn “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.” One place to find it is “22A” in “THE BOOK OF PSALMS FOR SINGING.” (Common Meter–C.M.–many such tunes work).
To the overseer concerning the inheritance psalm of David
My sayings hear, O Jehovah
My meditation weigh
Hear well my cry, my King and God
To you I always pray.
Jehovah, mornings you hear me
At morning I array
My prayer to you and I look out
Your answer I await.
For you are not a God that does
In wickedness delight
Neither shall evil live in you
Nor fools stand in your sight.
All evildoing men you hate
And liars you destroy
The bloody and deceitful man
Abhor-red is by thee.
But I into your house will come
In your abundant grace
And I will worship in your fear
To-ward your holy place.
Jehovah, in your righteousness
Lead me, O Lord, because
Of enemies mine; do your way
Make straight before my face.
For in their mouth there is not truth
Within is only sin
Their throat’s an open sepulchre
They flatter with their tongue.
O God destroy them; let them be
By their own counsel felled.
For many sins, O thrown them out
–against you they rebelled.
But let all joy that trust in you
And ever shout with joys
For you save them; let all that love
Your name in you rejoice.
Jehovah, to the righteous man
You will your blessing yield
With favor you surround him will
It’s from you as a shield.
Psalm 6
Modified by me from A.D. 1650 Scottish church Psalter (available in modern reprints.) “Long meter” (L.M.)–8 syllables per line. (C.M. is 8-6-8-6). I expect shortly to put up my instructions for swapping such tunes (on paper and to play or sing; NOT electric swapping.) One tune that fits this is a tune named “Bera,” composer died A.D. 1875, sometimes used for hymn “O Thou to whose all-searching sight.” One place to find it is 85A in “The Book of Psalms for Singing” from Crown & Covenant Publications.
To the overseer with stringed instruments on the octave, Psalm of David.
Jehovah, in your wrath rebuke
Me not nor chasten me in rage.
Jehovah, favor me; I’m weak
Heal me, for my bones troubled be
And my soul has been troubled sore
And you, Jehovah, till when wait?
Return, Jehovah, pull my soul;
O save me for your kindness’ sake.
Because those that deceas-ed are
Shall no remembrance of You have
And who is he that will give thanks
To you while lying in the grave?
I with my sighing weary’ve been
I meditate through all the night
Upon my bed; my eyes run; I
With tears my couch am ruining.
Old is my eye from provoca-
tion; old due t’all my enemies
Turn from me, wicked workers all!
Jehovah heard my weeping voice.
He has my supplication heard;
Jehovah does receive my prayer.
Shamed, troubled much, are all my foes
They turn back, sham-ed suddenly.
Why “Shamed” in the 2nd-to-last line but “sham-ed” in the last line? To make pronunciation easier. The tune’s rhythm requires SHAYM-ed, two syllables, in the last line, and I typed it to try to convey that. (In 1650 that may have been the ordinary pronunciation.) In the 2nd-to-last line the same word needed only one syllable, which is how we usually say it these days, so I typed it in the usual way. Four stanzas up, I split “deceas-ed” to try to convey that the “ed” needs to be pronounced. Not careless spelling, but deliberate poetic license, if you will allow me.
