For some time, I’ve felt that the English-speaking church could be helped by having some Psalms written in rhyme and familiar poetic structure. The first audience for whom the Psalms were written benefited from Hebrew linguistic and literary devices designed to aid memory. Sadly, those devices get lost in translation.
I’m not a musician or even a poet, but I do have a decent command of English, so I thought I’d try to adapt strategic (read “short”) Psalms to make them easier for kids and the rest of us to memorize.
While studying for “The Holy One,” message #2 in The Ologies, I came across Psalm 113 and thought it would be a good one to adapt for inclusion in our intergenerational curriculum.
Here’s my first attempt at a Psalm adapted to English rhyme and meter
Ha le lu yah! Amen! God's servants sing the song Ha le lu yah! Amen! Sing now and from now on Praise God with all your might Under the sun's warm light God, his name for 'er Yahweh Praise through the constant day Yahweh rules all nations Angels are his creations The stars he rules above And looks at us with love He holds the poor who died He lifts them to his side Women with empty wombs Will he give lively homes