NATIONAL PSALMS Song of the Lord's Anointed Why do the nations rage, And the peoples imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD, and against his Anointed: 'Let us break their bands asunder, And cast away their cords from us.' He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: Upon my holy hill of Zion." "Thou art my son; "This day have I begotten thee. "Ask of me, and I will give the nations for thine inheritance, "And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; "Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the I OPD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. King and Priest The LORD saith unto my lord, "Sit thou at my right hand, "Until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The LORD shall stretch forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power; On the mountains of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thy youth are to thee as the dew. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, "After the order of Melchizedek." The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the nations-the places are full of dead bodies He shall strike through the head over a wide land: He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head. A Dynasty of Righteousness Thine house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. Give the king thy judgements, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king's son. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, He shall judge the poor of the people, And shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee while the sun endureth, And so long as the moon, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: All nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; He shall have pity on the poor and needy, And the souls of the needy he shall save. He shall redeem their soul from oppression and violence; And precious shall their blood be in his sight: And they shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: And men shall pray for him continually; They shall bless him all the day long. There shall be abundance of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him; All nations shall call him happy. Zion Mother of Nations ZION His foundation in the holy mountains the LORD loveth; I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; This one was born there. Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee. A Processional Hymn Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; As smoke is driven away, So drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. I Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: Cast up a high way for him that rideth through the deserts; His name is JAH; And exult ye before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity: O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: Yon Sinai at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. 'Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil'— 'Will ye lie among the sheepfolds? '— 'The wings of a dove covered with silver and her pinions with yellow gold' 'When the Almighty scattered kings therein It was as when it snoweth in Zalmon.' A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; Why look ye askance, ye high mountains, at the mountain Yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever. 'The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands' The Lord is among them, Sinai is in the sanctuary. 'Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led thy captivity captive, thou hast received gifts among men Yea, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell with them. II Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden, Even the God who is our salvation. |