The Bible in Poetry

“This is an article de luxe, and is rather for the drawing room than for the study. A graphic pencil, first class typography, and a carefully written metrical translation make up an elegant work of art.” – Spurgeon

Quarles, Francis – Solomon’s Recantation, entitled Ecclesiastes Paraphrased with a Soliloquie or Meditation upon Every Chapter (1644)

Roe, George – Koheleth: a Metrical Paraphrase of the Canonical Book of Ecclesiastes (1912)

Isaiah

Erskine, Ralph – Songs Selected form the Prophet Isaiah, etc. in Works, vol. 7

Lamentations

1600’s

Sandys, George – A Paraphrase upon Lamentations (1638)

Anonymous – A Bottle of Holy Tears, or, Jeremiah’ Throws & Lamentations for Israel’s misery & Jerusalem’s woeful desolation metrically and meta-phrastically laid out in verse, explaining plainly the meaning of the prophet in his lamenting phrases. Very suitable to these times, wherein we have a call every day to learne the lessons of England’s lamentation, war and plague having made a strong entrance into diverse parts of the land, and lean famine and desolation knocking at the door for entrance (1645)

Quarles, John – The Lamentations of Jeremiah in Fons Lachrymarum, or, A Fountain of Tears from whence doth flow England’s complaint, Jeremiah’s Lamentations Paraphrased, with Divine Meditations… (London, 1649)

Anon. – The Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah Paraphrased, Suitable to the Exigencies of these Times (London, 1667)

Chamberlaine, James – A Sacred Poem wherein the Birth, Miracles, Death, Resurrection & Ascension of the Most Holy Jesus are Delineated… also Eighteen of David’s Psalms, with the Book of Lamentations Paraphrased, together with Poems on Several Occasions (London, 1680)

1700’s

Erskine, Ralph – A Short Paraphrase on the Lamentations of Jeremiah in Works, vol. 7

1800’s

Slight, Henry – A Metrical Version of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, p 403 ff. (1848)

Ezekiel

Newcome, William – An Attempt Towards an Improved Version, a Metrical Arrangement & an Explanation of the Prophet Ezekiel (1788)

** – “Dr. Fairbairn says: ‘The notes are of a very brief description, chiefly explanatory of the meanings given in the translation; and both the translation and the notes proceed to a large extent on the vicious principle, very prevalent at the time, of getting rid of difficulties in the sense by proposed emendations of the text.’ Yet Newcome showed both learning and diligence in this improved version.” – Spurgeon

The Minor Prophets

Erskine, Ralph – Poems Selected from the Minor Prophets in Works, vol. 7

Newcome, William – An Attempt Towards an Improved Version, a Metrical Arrangement, and an Explanation of the 12 Minor Prophets (1809)

Jonah

Quarles, Francis – A Feast for Worms Set forth in a Poem of the History of Jonah (1620)

Bunyan, John – The Prophecy of Jonah in Verse 4 pp.

The Gospels

The Whole

Coles, Elisha – Christologia: or, a Metrical Paraphrase on the History of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: dedicated to His Universal Church (London, 1671)

Coles (c.1608-1688) was an English puritan and an official in the University of Oxford before the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660. He also wrote, A Practical Discourse of God’s Sovereignty…

Parts

Bunyan, John – Christ’s Sermon on the Mount in Works, vol. 2

Erskine, Ralph – Songs Selected from the Four Evangelists in Works, vol. 7

Acts

Tye, Christopher – The Acts of the Apostles [chs. 1-14], translated into English meter… for all Christians that cannot sing, to read the good & Godly stories of the lives of Christ’s Apostles (1553)

The Epistles

Erskine, Ralph – Songs Selected from the Apostolical Epistles in Works, vol. 7

James

Bunyan, John – The General Epistle of James in Works, vol. 2

Revelation

Malet, Arthur – The Books of Job, Ecclesiastes & Revelation rendered into English Verse, also Solomon & His Bride, A Drama from the Song of Songs (London: Nisbet, 1883) 185 pp. ToC

Erskine, Ralph – Songs Selected from the Revelation in Works, vol. 7