PREPARED AND PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF BLACKIE & SON: 89 TALBOT STREET, DUBLIN, AND 1881. PREFACE. IN this Psalter the Scottish Metrical Version of the Psalms has been revised. The time, it was believed, had come for attempting to remove the blemishes which mar to some extent that admirable version. As it is now more than two hundred years old, several of its words and phrases, and not a few of its grammatical forms, have become antiquated; while, through the progress of Hebrew scholarship and the labours of critical expositors, some of its renderings have been shown to be inaccurate. In the present work an attempt has been made to remove these blemishes by emendations of those portions where there are erroneous renderings, errors of syntax, faulty rhymes, obsolete words, or want of correspondence between the rhythm of sense and the rhythm of sound. And while the Old Version, out of regard for the place which it has in the memory and affections of the people, has been very tenderly dealt with, it is hoped that most of its graver blemishes have been removed, and that something has been done to make it a more faithful conveyance of the original and a more suitable vehicle of the Church's praise. The additional Psalm-Versions give a little more variety of metre than is to be und in the Scottish Version. 134202 THE PSALMS. 1 2 Psalm I. Dunfermline, 15. HAT man hath perfect blessedness In counsel of ungodly men, Nor stands in sinners' way, Nor sitteth in the scorner's chair: Upon God's law, and meditates 3 He shall be like a tree that hath Which in its season yields its fruit, But like they are unto the chaff, 5 In judgment therefore shall not stand Such as ungodly are; Nor in the assembly of the just 6 Because the way of godly men Whereas the way of wicked men |