The Book of Psalms for Worship

Publisher: Crown & Covenant Publications
Released: 2009

This American psalter offers many familiar tunes and new arrangements with language that is easily understood by the 21st-century Christian, while remaining faithful to the Hebrew text.

Contains all 150 Psalms in over 440 selections in multiple arrangements. Settings include traditional tunes, original tunes, and familiar hymn tunes. Translated from the original language into modern English meter for singing. Features 4-part music for each selection for singing. Also includes introductory essays on the practice and history of psalm singing and several indices.

Listen to Selections From This Psalter

Deliverance
Justice
Glory
Covenant
Refuge
I Am: Kids Sing Psalms!

Resources

Digital Edition

The Book of Psalms for Worship is available as a digital edition on Psalter.org! This free site allows you to search through the text of lyrics for key words, play audio of each selection, use a digital pitch pipe, and sort through information on composer, meter, and more. The full sheet music with lyrics, along with choir recordings, are available with a premium subscription for $9/year.

Psalter.org

The Book of Psalms for Worship App

Download the Book of Psalms for Worship app on Apple or Android to always have your psalter in your pocket! The app offers full sheet music, a lyric-only view, search capabilities for topics and key words, a tune and parts player (Apple only) and linked access to your library of any purchased psalm recordings.

Psalm Selection Guide

If you are interested in recording your progress in singing through the psalter, download The Book of Psalms for Worship Selection Guide. Here you will find a convenient way to keep track of what you have sung so far.

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Familiar Tune List

Sometimes it is easier to learn a new psalm to a tune you already know. Below is a list of familiar hymn tunes found in The Book of Psalms for Worship. You may also download a print version here.

Click to show Familiar Tune List
Psalm Tune Name Hymn
1A, 21B Ellacombe I Sing the Mighty Power of God
2B, 5B Aberystwyth Jesus, Lover of My Soul
2C Hollingside Take My Life and Let It Be
3A New Britain Amazing Grace
4B Penitence In the Hour of Trial
6A, 35B, 119D Olive’s Brow Tis Midnight, and on Olive’s Brow
6B Morecambe Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
7A, 125 Slane Be Thou My Vision
7B, 59A National Hymn God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand
8B, 49A Amsterdam Rise, My Soul, and Stretch Thy Wings
9A Sankey Hiding in Thee; Faith Is the Victory
9B, 29A Joanna (St. Denio) Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
10B Sursum Corda Lift Up Your Hearts!
14A Passion Chorale O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
15A Lowry Savior, Thy Dying Love; Something for Jesus
16C, 44A Foundation How Firm a Foundation
17A Landas My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
18B, 18F Freuen Wir Uns Holy Jesus! God of Love
18C Canonbury Lord, Speak to Me that I May Speak; I Gave My Life for Thee
20A Sagina And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
21A, 89B Noel It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; A Thousand Years Have Come and Gone
22B, 42B Veni Emmanuel O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
22E Creation The Spacious Firmament on High
23A St. Columba The King of Love My Shepherd Is
23B Crimond The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
23C Bunessan Morning Has Broken
25C Trentham Breathe on Me, Breath of God
27C, 71B St. Peter In Christ There Is No East or West; How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
29B Normandy Carol When Wise Men Came Seeking
30A Angel’s Story O Jesus I Have Promised; I Love to Hear the Story
30B St. Theodulph All Glory, Laud, and Honor
31B Lancashire The Day of the Resurrection; Lead On, O King Eternal
31C Llangloffan O God of Earth and Altar
32C Vox Dilecti I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
33A Dennis Blessed be the Tie that Binds
34C Sweet Hour Sweet Hour of Prayer
35A, 119U Hamburg When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
35D, 77B, 139D Wareham Great God We Sing That Mighty Hand
36A Manoah Begin, My Tongue, Some Heavenly Theme
39B, 119J Eventide Abide with Me
42A, 73A, 90B, 148A St. Catherine Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still
43A, 133A Azmon O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
44B Maldwyn The Earth and the Fullness…
45B Fairfield A Goodly Theme Is Mine
45C, 108D Diademata Crown Him with Many Crowns
46C Ein’ Feste Burg A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
47A Petersham Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord
47B, 72A Truro Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
47C* God Rest You Merry,… God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
48A St. Clement The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended
48B Bethlehem How Vast the Benefits Divine; All Nature’s Works His Praise Declare
50B St. Thomas Come, We that Love the Lord; I Love Your Kingdom, Lord
50C Dinbych Commit Thou All Thy Griefs
51A Toplady Rock of Ages
51C Jesu Meine Zuversicht Welcome God and Mary’s Son
51D Ajalon Go to Dark Gethsemane
52B, 80 Bryn Calfaria Hear, O Hear Us, Israel’s Shepherd
53A Southwell Out of the Deep I Call
54A, 94A, 135A Austria Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
54B, 94B, 109D Ebenezer (Ton-y-Botel) O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus; Once to Every Man and Nation
55A, 115A St. Anne O God, Our Help in Ages Past
56A Consolation Awake, Awake to Love and Work
56B, 96A Coronation All Hail the Power
58B Leicester O King of Kings
60B, 110B All Saints New The Son of God Goes Forth to War
61A, 104A Lyons O Worship the King; Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim
61B Josephine Fret Not Thyself
62B Resignation My Shepherd Will Supply My Needs
65A Webb Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
65B Sheffield The Praises of Thy Wonders
65C Lauda Anima Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
65D Solid Rock On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand
66A Miles Lane All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
66B Forest Green O Little Town of Bethlehem; Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord
66C Wie Schon Leuchtet How Brightly Shines the Morning Star!; O Morning-star, How Fair! How Bright!
67A Missionary Hymn From Greenland’s Icy Mountains
67B, 101B Aurelia The Church’s One Foundation
68C, 102B Park Street But You, Jehovah, Shall Endure
68D In Babilone Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus
68E, 124 Old 124th Now Israel May Say and That in Truth
72B, 145A Duke Street Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun
72D, 140B Yorkshire Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn
72E Siyahamba Marching in the Light of God
73B Vater Unser Our Father, Though in Heaven Above
76A Regent Square Angels from the Realms of Glory
76B Westminster Abbey Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation
77A He Leadeth Me He Leadeth Me
78A Illa I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
84B Melita Eternal Father Strong to Save
84C Sussex Carol On Christmas Night All Christians Sing
84D, 91B, 139C Woodworth Just as I Am, Without One Plea
85B Bradbury Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
87A St. Leonard May the Mind of Christ My Savior
88B Ellers Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise
89C St. Magnus The Head that Was Once Crowned with Thorns
91A Hyfrydol Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus; Allelulia! Sing to Jesus!
91C, 119R Retreat From Every Stormy Wind That Blows
92 Darwall Rejoice! The Lord Is King
93B Monks Gate To Be a Pilgrim (He Who Would Valiant Be)
96D, 110D Terra Beata This Is My Father’s World
97B, 103D Sicilian Mariners Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
98B Ode to Joy Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
99A Arnsberg God Is in His Temple
99B Leoni The God of Abram Praise
100A Old 100th Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
100C Lobe Den Herren Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
100E Festal Song Give to the Winds Thy Fears
103B Beecher Love Divine, All Love’s Excelling
105D Landas My Soul Has Found a Resting Place
107A St. Petersburg How Great Our Lord
107D Fountain There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
108A Nicea Holy, Holy, Holy
110A Jerusalem Jerusalem
112A, 118D Hetherton Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned
112B Sine Nomine For All the Saints
113A Hendon Take My Life and Let It Be
117A Christmas While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night
118E Jackson Eternal Wisdom, Thee We Praise
119A Christine How Good It Is to Thank the Lord
119C, 139B Maryton O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
119I Maitland Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone
119K Russian Hymn God, the Omnipotent
119Q Nettleton Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing; Hush My Dear, Lie Still and Slumber
119S Coventry Carol Lully, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child
119T Davis O Thou in Whom Presence My Soul Takes Delight
119V Hursley Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear
122A CWM Rhondda Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
126B Italian Hymn Come, Thou Almighty King
128A McKee All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
131B Repton Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
132A St. Andrew of Crete Christian, Doth Thou See Them?
136A Easter Hymn Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
136B Constance I’ve Found a Friend, O Such a Friend
136C Shining Shore My Days Are Gliding Swiftly By
141A When Jesus Wept When Jesus Wept
143B I Need Thee I Need Thee Every Hour
143C, 143D St. Elizabeth Fairest Lord Jesus; Beautiful Savior
144B Lennox (Edson) Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow
145C Rockingham When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
146A Converse What a Friend We Have in Jesus
146B Ripley Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah
150C* Helmsley Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
150D* Lasst Uns Erfreuen All Creatures of Our God and King

*Not included in current printings. See FAQ below.

Digital Psalm Slides

Interested in projecting lyrics and music from The Book of Psalms for Worship for your congregation? Crown and Covenant Publications offers digital slides for an affordable subscription at SingPsalms.org. The subscription fee is based on your congregation or group’s size. If you already own physical psalter books for more than 50% of your members, the annual subscription is only $40.

SingPsalms.org

FAQs

How does this psalter differ from others?

The Book of Psalms for Worship is the most recent psalter from Crown and Covenant Publications, and is their most popular offering. It offers 21st century English translations of every verse of all 150 psalms set to familiar tunes, new arrangements, new compositions, and some international tunes.

The Book of Psalms for Worship serves as the official psalter used in worship in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. It was first published in 2009 as an update to The Book of Psalms for Singing, which previously served as the RPCNA’s official psalter.

How does this psalter differ from The Book of Psalms for Singing?

Both psalters strive to remain as close as possible to the original Hebrew, in which the psalms were written. Both contain many common hymn tunes, are written for four-part congregational singing, and have approximately the same number of selections.

However, The Book of Psalms for Singing contains some chants and uses older language (like "Thee" and "Jehovah") in some selections. The Book of Psalms for Worship does not include chants and uses modernized language (except in historic selections such as Psalms 23B, 24B, and 100A). It also contains some new compositions and international tunes. Approximately 1/4th of the tunes differ from The Book of Psalms for Singing. Below is a comparison between the phrasing in the two psalters.

The Book of Psalms for Singing The Book of Psalms for Worship
Psalm 5:7 To Thy house will I repair To Your house will I draw near
Psalm 18:14 The deadly arrows He sent forth
Dispersed His foes in wild retreat.
The flaming lightnings He shot out
Made their discomfiture complete. 		He shot His arrows at His foes,
And made them scatter in retreat.
He made abundant lightning flash,
And sent them fleeing in defeat.
Psalm 36:1-2 Transgression to the wicked speaks;
Deep in the heart it lies.
There surely is no fear of God
At all before his eyes,
Because himself he flatters so
In his own blinded eyes,
That he in his iniquity
Sees nothing to despise. 		About the sin of wicked men,
My heart within me cries:
There surely is no fear of God
At all before his eyes.
With flattery he views himself
As good in his own eyes;
His sin he's certain no one will
Discover and despise.
Psalm 39:6 Each man doth surely walk in empty show;
They heap up wealth and vex themselves for naught,
Nor know to whom their garnered riches go. 		Man, like a shadow, wanders to and fro.
Surely an uproar he creates in vain,
He never knows to whom his riches go.
Psalm 133:1 Behold how good a thing it is,
And how becoming well,
When those that brethren are delight
In unity to dwell. 		Behold how very good it is,
A pleasant thing to see;
When brothers join to live as one
In peace and unity.

Why are some selections missing from some versions of the psalter?

Beginning with the 5th printing, some selections originally included were removed in the interest of preserving scriptural accuracy. The selections removed were 19C, 47C, 150C and 150D. These selections added extra refrains that changed the order of the text from scripture or added extra words not found in scripture.

To replace the removed selections, one selection was also added in the 5th printing - 136D.