New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-04-11
SEEKS TO REVISE
PSALMS OF DAVID
Of Bishops Committee
Recommends Drastic Changes

London, April 11.-Drastic change,
and elisions In the vivid Psalms o.
David In the Book of Common Prayer
are recommended by the special com
mittce OF the House of Bishops which
has been sitting In solemn conclavt
on the subject for many months. The
alterations, II sanctioned by the Ma.
tional Assembly of the Church oil
England, will constitute an alternative
text of the psalms, to be used at the
discretion of ministers. The proposed
revision of the prayer book includes
also the shortening Of the ten COM
mandments and the alteration of the
marriage service.
Modification Recommended
The psalmist's vision Of unforget-
able doom for the ungodly Is radically
modified. Psalm So is to be omitted
altogether. 1t contains such express
sions as:
Break their teeth, o God, in their
mouths. let them fall away like water
that runneth apace. Let them con-
sumo away like a snail. The righteous
shall rejoice when he seetb the VEN
geance; he shall wash his footsteps
in the blood of the ungodly."
Verses are to be left out from eight
other pslams, and In each case the
sentiments are for death and condem-
nation, as, for example. in psalm 6S.
verse 80: THAT thy foot may be dip
ped in the blood of thine enemies; and
that the tongue of the dog may be
red through the same" and in psalm
100, verses and 10: let his chill
dren be fatherless and his wife a
widow. Let his children be vaga-
bonds and. beg their bread"
348 Alterations Recommended
No fewer than 346 alterations are
suggested in the wording OF the verses
OF various psalms. A comparison of
the revised version with the old text
in a selection of these alterations is
given below. Ir each instance the re-
vised version is given first:
Psalm 81, Verse 20:
"As for the ungodly they shall per-
ish; and the enemies of the Lord shall
be as the flower of the field yea, even
as the smoke shall they consume
away"
''As for the ungodly they shall per-
ish, and the enemies of the Lord shall
consume as the fat of lambs; yea.
even as the smoke shall they consume
away"
Psalm 81, Verse 8:
"As for the children of men. they
are but vanity, the children of men
are deceitful: tried in the balance they
are altogether lighter than vanity
ITSELF"
"As for the children of men, they
are but vanity: the children of men
ire deceitful upon the weights, they
are altogether lighter than vanity it.
self"
Psalm ~, Verse 6:
HE shall come down like the rain
.pon the tender grass; even as the
lrops that water the EARTH"
"He shall come down like the rain
INTO a fleece of wool; even as the
rops that water the earth" 4
Urging that the suggested changes
e rejected, the London Daily Express
avs editorially: THE committee OF
evision has been trying to modify the
immortal songs of David to suit the
,ss robust constitutions of today. The
salms of David were for vigorous
ace, a race of conquerors. In their
erses we have found the fundamental
ASSIGNS of mighty people express
with inspired genius. When war
nd conquest was the theme there was h
ne clash Of battle in the very words.
[atred and anguish and sorrow were
ortrayed with the vividness of
.orm among the hills. And when the
salmist sang of beauty it was in such
ccents as shall survive until the hui
ian race no longer responds to the
ppeal of music. The Book of Com
ION Prayer is one of the twin glories
{ our literature. 1t has consoled and
lspired the people since the days of
dward VI. Our modern Bolsheviks
nd Bowdlers have no right to de-
rade the psalter." II