Origin of a Psalm in English

The Sternhold and Hopkins Psalter ~1548

1 The Lord is only my support,
and he that doth me feed;
How can I then lack any thing,
whereof I stand in need?
2 In pastures green he feedeth me,
where I do safely lie,
And after leads me to the streams
which run most pleasantly.
3 And when I find myself near lost,
then doth he me home take,
conducting me in his right paths,
e'en for his own Name's sake.
4 And though I were e'en at death's door,
yet would I fear no ill;
For both thy rod and shepherd's crook
afford me comfort still.
5 Thou hast my table richly spread
in presence of my foe;
Thou hast my head with balm refreshed,
my cup doth overflow;
6 And finally, while breath doth last,
thy grace shall me defend;
And in the house of God will I
my life for ever spend.

From the 1640 Bay Psalter in metre (the first book printed in America)
"If therefore the verses are not alwayes so smooth and elegant as some may desire or expect; let them confider that Gods Altar needs not our pollishings: Ex. 20 for wee have respected a plaine translation then to smooth our verses with the sweetnes of any paraphrase, and soe have attended Conscience rather then Elegance, fidelity rather then poetry, in translating the hebrew words into english language, and Davids poetry into english meetre…" [Bay Psalm Preface, page 13]

A Psalme of David

THe Lord to mee a shepheard is,
want therefore shall not I
2 Hee in the folds of tender-grasse,
doth cause mee to downe to lie:
To waters calme me gently leads
3 Restore my soule doth hee:
he doth in paths of righteousnes:
for his names sake leade mee.
4 Yea though in valley of deaths shade
I walk, none ill I’le feare:
because thou art with mee, thy rod,
and staffe my comfort are.
5 For mee a table thou hast spread,
in presence of my foes:
thou dost annoynt my head with oyle,
my cup it over-flowes.
6 Goodnes & mecy shrely shall
all my dayes follow mee:
and in the Lords house I shall dwell

 

George Joy 1534

The lorde is my pastore &
feader: wherfore I shal
Not wante.
He made me to feade &
a full plentuous batle grownde: &
dyd dryve and retche me at layser
by the swete rivers.
He restored my life and led me by
the pathes of rightwifnes: for his
names sake.
(?)eif I shulde go thorow the myd
des of deth: yet would I feare non
evel: for thou art with me: thy staf
fe and thy shepe hoke counfort me
Thou shalt sprede and garneshe
me a table/ ye and that in the syght
Of myn enymes: thou shalt souple
my hed with oyntment/ & my full
cuppe shall laughe upon me.
Ye/ and thy mercy & ientlenes shall
folowe me all my lyfe: I shall sit=
te in the house of the lord a longe
tyme.


I could not make out the first letter in line 11.
Line 20 i stood for J in early english "Ye/ and thy mercy & jentlenes shall"

 

I now think that line 11 says,
"Ye if I shulde go thorow the myd
des of deth"

Ye if I shulde go thorow the myddes of deth

myddes =midst=amidst=middle of death

 

George Joy 1530

The Psalter of David in Englishe
purely and faithfully translated
aftir the text of ffeline
1530

Blesssed is the man
which walketh
not in the counsell
of the ungodly: and standeth
not in the way of siners/
and sitteth not in the seate of the pestelent scorners.
But hath all his plesure in the lawe
of the lord: and upon it his minde
is occupyed/ bothe daye & nyghte
Wyche a man shal be like a tre planted
by the riverside: which will gyue
forth hyr frutis in due time/ and
hyr leves shall not wither: for what
so ever he shall do/ shall prospere.
But so shall not the ungodly: for
they shal be like duste which is dispersed with the winde.
Where fore theis ungodly shall not
stande in the iugement: nether theis
sinners maye abyde in the companey
of the rightwise.
For the lorde aproueth the waye
of the rightwise: but the waye of sinners
shall perishe.