{"slug": "o-blessed-ever-be-the-lord", "title": "O Blessed Ever Be the Lord", "first_line": "O blessed ever be the Lord", "author_source": "Scottish Psalter, 1650", "foot": "iambic", "meter": {"pattern": [8, 6, 8, 6], "doubled": false, "refrain": false, "alleluia": false, "irregular": false}, "psalm": 144, "topics": ["Psalms"], "scripture": ["Psalm 144"], "provenance": {"layer": "text", "source": "scottish-psalter-1650", "source_kind": "open_encoding", "encoding_origin": "reformed-standards/compendium (cross-verified against thewestminsterstandard.org)", "pd_basis": "pub_pre_1931", "pd_evidence": "The Psalms of David in Metre (Scottish Psalter), 1650 \u2014 Psalm 144. Committee versification (Rous revision); all contributors d. before 1700. Imported by tools/psalter_import.py: transcription cross-verified word-for-word against an independent edition; every line machine-scanned to the metre.", "pd_jurisdictions": {"US": true}}, "stanzas": {"1": {"syllabified": "O bless -- ed ev -- er be the Lord, who is my strength and might, Who doth in -- struct my hands to war, my fin -- gers teach to fight.", "prose": ["O blessed ever be the Lord,", "who is my strength and might,", "Who doth instruct my hands to war,", "my fingers teach to fight."]}, "2": {"syllabified": "My good -- ness, for -- tress, my high tower, de -- liv -- er -- er, and shield, In whom I trust: who un -- der me my peo -- ple makes to yield.", "prose": ["My goodness, fortress, my high tower,", "deliverer, and shield,", "In whom I trust: who under me", "my people makes to yield."]}, "3": {"syllabified": "Lord, what is man, that thou of him dost so much knowl -- edge take? Or son of man, that thou of him so great ac -- count dost make?", "prose": ["Lord, what is man, that thou of him", "dost so much knowledge take?", "Or son of man, that thou of him", "so great account dost make?"]}, "4": {"syllabified": "Man is like van -- i -- ty; his days, as shad -- ows, pass a -- way. Lord, bow thy heav'ns, come down, touch thou the hills, and smoke shall they.", "prose": ["Man is like vanity; his days,", "as shadows, pass away.", "Lord, bow thy heav'ns, come down, touch thou", "the hills, and smoke shall they."]}, "5": {"syllabified": "Cast forth thy light -- ning, scat -- ter them; thine ar -- rows shoot, them rout. Thine hand send from a -- bove, me save; from great depths draw me out;", "prose": ["Cast forth thy lightning, scatter them;", "thine arrows shoot, them rout.", "Thine hand send from above, me save;", "from great depths draw me out;"]}, "6": {"syllabified": "And from the hand of chil -- dren strange, Whose mouth speaks van -- i -- ty; And their right hand is a right hand that works de -- ceit -- ful -- ly.", "prose": ["And from the hand of children strange,", "Whose mouth speaks vanity;", "And their right hand is a right hand", "that works deceitfully."]}, "7": {"syllabified": "A new song I to thee will sing, Lord, on a psal -- ter -- y; I on a ten -- stringed in -- stru -- ment will prais -- es sing to thee.", "prose": ["A new song I to thee will sing,", "Lord, on a psaltery;", "I on a ten-stringed instrument", "will praises sing to thee."]}, "8": {"syllabified": "Ev'n he it is that un -- to kings sal -- va -- ti -- on doth send; Who his own ser -- vant Da -- vid doth from hurt -- ful sword de -- fend.", "prose": ["Ev'n he it is that unto kings", "salvation doth send;", "Who his own servant David doth", "from hurtful sword defend."]}, "9": {"syllabified": "O free me from strange chil -- dren's hand, whose mouth speaks van -- i -- ty; And their right hand a right hand is that works de -- ceit -- ful -- ly.", "prose": ["O free me from strange children's hand,", "whose mouth speaks vanity;", "And their right hand a right hand is", "that works deceitfully."]}, "10": {"syllabified": "That, as the plants, our sons may be in youth grown up that are; Our daugh -- ters like to cor -- ner -- stones, carved like a pal -- ace fair.", "prose": ["That, as the plants, our sons may be", "in youth grown up that are;", "Our daughters like to corner-stones,", "carved like a palace fair."]}, "11": {"syllabified": "That to af -- ford all kind of store our gar -- ners may be filled; That our sheep thou -- sands, in our streets ten thou -- sands they may yield.", "prose": ["That to afford all kind of store", "our garners may be filled;", "That our sheep thousands, in our streets", "ten thousands they may yield."]}, "12": {"syllabified": "That strong our ox -- en be for work, that no in -- break -- ing be, Nor go -- ing out; and that our streets may from com -- plaints be free.", "prose": ["That strong our oxen be for work,", "that no in-breaking be,", "Nor going out; and that our streets", "may from complaints be free."]}, "13": {"syllabified": "Those peo -- ple bless -- ed are who be in such a case as this; Yea, bless -- ed all those peo -- ple are, whose God JE -- HO -- VAH is.", "prose": ["Those people blessed are who be", "in such a case as this;", "Yea, blessed all those people are,", "whose God JEHOVAH is."]}}, "license": "The hymn texts and tunes are in the public domain; per-layer provenance is recorded on each record."}