Isaac Watts
(1674-1748)
Psalm 146
The Words of the King James Bible and Isaac Watts
Presented in Parallel
Verse
What Saith the Scripture?
What Singeth the Poet?
1
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
2
While I live will I praise the Lord:
I will sing praises unto my God
while I have any being.
I will sing praises unto my God
while I have any being.
3
Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the son of man,
in whom there is no help.
nor in the son of man,
in whom there is no help.
Why should I make a man my trust?
Princes must die and turn to dust;
Vain is the help of flesh and blood:
Their breath departs,
their pomp, and power,
And thoughts, all vanish in an hour,
Nor can they make their promise good.
Princes must die and turn to dust;
Vain is the help of flesh and blood:
Their breath departs,
their pomp, and power,
And thoughts, all vanish in an hour,
Nor can they make their promise good.
4
His breath goeth forth,
he returneth to his earth;
in that very day his thoughts perish.
he returneth to his earth;
in that very day his thoughts perish.
5
Happy is he that hath
the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the Lord his God:
the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the Lord his God:
Happy the man whose hopes rely
On Israel’s God: He made the sky,
And earth, and seas, with all their train:
His truth for ever stands secure;
He saves th’oppressed,
He feeds the poor,
And none shall find His promise vain.
On Israel’s God: He made the sky,
And earth, and seas, with all their train:
His truth for ever stands secure;
He saves th’oppressed,
He feeds the poor,
And none shall find His promise vain.
6
Which made heaven, and earth,
the sea, and all that therein is:
which keepeth truth for ever:
the sea, and all that therein is:
which keepeth truth for ever:
7
Which executeth judgment
for the oppressed:
which giveth food to the hungry.
The Lord looseth the prisoners:
for the oppressed:
which giveth food to the hungry.
The Lord looseth the prisoners:
8
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind:
the Lord raiseth them
that are bowed down:
the Lord loveth the righteous:
the Lord raiseth them
that are bowed down:
the Lord loveth the righteous:
The Lord has eyes to give the blind;
The Lord supports the sinking mind;
He sends the labr’ing conscience peace;
He helps the stranger in distress,
The widow, and the fatherless,
And grants the pris’ner sweet release.
He loves His saints,
He knows them well,
But turns the wicked down to hell;
The Lord supports the sinking mind;
He sends the labr’ing conscience peace;
He helps the stranger in distress,
The widow, and the fatherless,
And grants the pris’ner sweet release.
He loves His saints,
He knows them well,
But turns the wicked down to hell;
9
The Lord preserveth the strangers;
He relieveth the fatherless and widow:
but the way of the wicked
He turneth upside down.
He relieveth the fatherless and widow:
but the way of the wicked
He turneth upside down.
10
The Lord shall reign for ever,
even thy God, O Zion,
unto all generations.
Praise ye the Lord.
even thy God, O Zion,
unto all generations.
Praise ye the Lord.
Thy God, O Zion! ever reigns:
Let every tongue, let every age,
In this exalted work engage;
Praise Him in everlasting strains.I’ll praise Him
while He lends me breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
Let every tongue, let every age,
In this exalted work engage;
Praise Him in everlasting strains.I’ll praise Him
while He lends me breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
View the standalone version of the hymn
(without the parallel verses from Psalm 146).[Note: This hymn was originally #102 in Book I of Watts’
Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books.
I have taken the words from my personal copy
of an 1826 edition printed in Concord, New Hampshire, USA.]
