Psalm 23 - Version 5

From “ A Scots Garland – an Anthology of Scottish Vernacular Verse”by Thomas Henderson, Edinburgh 1931. This version is by Alexander Montgomerie (1545 – 1610), poet laureate to King James VI of Scotland and a relative, possible uncle, of Sir Hugh Montgomery the first Viscount of the Great Ardes.
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The Lord maist hie
I know will be
And herd to me;
I cannot lang have stress, nor stand in neid,
He makes my lair
In fields maist fair,
Quhair I bot care,
Reposing at my pleasure, safely feid.
He sweetly me convoys
To pleasant springs
Quhair naething me annoys
But pleasure brings.
He brings my mynd
Fit to sic kind,
That fors, or fears of foe cannot me grieve,
He does me leid
In perfect freid,
And for his name he never will me lieve.
Thoch I wald stray,
Ilk day by day,
In deadly way,
Yet I will not dispair; I fear none ill,
For quhy? thy grace
In every place,
Does me embrace,
Thy rod and shepherd’s crook conforts me still.
In spite of foes
My tabil grows
Thou balmes my head with joy;
My cup owerflows.
Kyndness and grace,
Mercy and piece,
Sall follow me for all my wretched days,
And me convoy,
To endless joy,
In heaven quhair I sall be with thee always