# Book of Common Prayer (ECUSA)/The Psalter/Book One

Psalms 1–41
​The Psalter
Book One
First Day: Morning Prayer
1Beatus vir qui non abiit
1Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2Their delight is in the law of the Lord, * and they meditate on his law day and night.
3They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; * everything they do shall prosper.
4It is not so with the wicked; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, * nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked is doomed.
​2Quare fremuerunt gentes?
1Why are the nations in an uproar? * Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, * against the Lord and against his Anointed?
3“Let us break their yoke,” they say; * “let us cast off their bonds from us.”
4He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; * the Lord has them in derision.
5Then he speaks to them in his wrath, * and his rage fills them with terror.
6“I myself have set my king * upon my holy hill of Zion.”
7Let me announce the decree of the Lord: * he said to me, “You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance * and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9You shall crush them with an iron rod * and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
10And now, you kings, be wise; * be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11Submit to the Lord with fear, * and with trembling bow before him;
12Lest he be angry and you perish; * for his wrath is quickly kindled.
​13Happy are they all * who take refuge in him!
3Domine, quid multiplicati
1Lord, how many adversaries I have! * how many there are who rise up against me!
2How many there are who say of me, * “There is no help for him in his God.”
3But you, O Lord, are a shield about me; * you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.
4I call aloud upon the Lord, * and he answers me from his holy hill;
5I lie down and go to sleep; * I wake again, because the Lordsustains me.
6I do not fear the multitudes of people * who set themselves against me all around.
7Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God; * surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked.
8Deliverance belongs to the Lord. * Your blessing be upon your people!
4Cum invocarem
1Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; * you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
​2“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; * how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?”
3Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; * when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
4Tremble, then, and do not sin; * speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5Offer the appointed sacrifices * and put your trust in the Lord.
6Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” * Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.
7You have put gladness in my heart, * more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; * for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
5Verba mea auribus
1Give ear to my words, O Lord; * consider my meditation.
2Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, * for I make my prayer to you.
3In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; * early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, * and evil cannot dwell with you.
5Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; * you hate all those who work wickedness.
​6You destroy those who speak lies; * the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O Lord, you abhor.
7But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; * I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness,
because of those who lie in wait for me; * make your way straight before me.
9For there is no truth in their mouth; * there is destruction in their heart;
10Their throat is an open grave; * they flatter with their tongue.
11Declare them guilty, O God; * let them fall, because of their schemes.
12Because of their many transgressions cast them out, * for they have rebelled against you.
13But all who take refuge in you will be glad; * they will sing out their joy for ever.
14You will shelter them, * so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; * you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.
First Day: Evening Prayer
6Domine, ne in furore
1Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; * do not punish me in your wrath.
​2Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; * heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.
3My spirit shakes with terror; * how long, O Lord, how long?
4Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; * save me for your mercy’s sake.
5For in death no one remembers you; * and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6I grow weary because of my groaning; * every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
7My eyes are wasted with grief * and worn away because of all my enemies.
8Depart from me, all evildoers, * for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9The Lord has heard my supplication; * the Lord accepts my prayer.
10All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; * they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
7Domine, Deus meus
1O Lord my God, I take refuge in you; * save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
2Lest like a lion they tear me in pieces * and snatch me away with none to deliver me.
3O Lord my God, if I have done these things: * if there is any wickedness in my hands,
​4If I have repaid my friend with evil, * or plundered him who without cause is my enemy;
5Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me, * trample my life into the ground, and lay my honor in the dust.
6Stand up, O Lord, in your wrath; * rise up against the fury of my enemies.
7Awake, O my God, decree justice; * let the assembly of the peoples gather round you.
8Be seated on your lofty throne, O Most High; * O Lord, judge the nations.
9Give judgment for me according to my
righteousness, O Lord, * and according to my innocence, O Most High.
10Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous; * for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
11God is my shield and defense; * he is the savior of the true in heart.
12God is a righteous judge; * God sits in judgment every day.
13If they will not repent, God will whet his sword; * he will bend his bow and make it ready.
14He has prepared his weapons of death; * he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
15Look at those who are in labor with wickedness, * who conceive evil, and give birth to a lie.
​16They dig a pit and make it deep * and fall into the hole that they have made.
17Their malice turns back upon their own head; * their violence falls on their own scalp.
18I will bear witness that the Lord is righteous; * I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
8Domine, Dominus noster
1O Lord our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world!
2Out of the mouths of infants and children * your majesty is praised above the heavens.
3You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, * to quell the enemy and the avenger.
4When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, * the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
5What is man that you should be mindful of him? * the son of man that you should seek him out?
6You have made him but little lower than the angels; * you adorn him with glory and honor;
7You give him mastery over the works of your hands; * you put all things under his feet:
8All sheep and oxen, * even the wild beasts of the field,
9The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, * and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
10O Lord our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world!
​Second Day: Morning Prayer
9Confitebor tibi
1I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; * I will tell of all your marvelous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in you; * I will sing to your Name, O Most High.
3When my enemies are driven back, * they will stumble and perish at your presence.
4For you have maintained my right and my cause; * you sit upon your throne judging right.
5You have rebuked the ungodly and destroyed the wicked; * you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6As for the enemy, they are finished, in perpetual ruin, * their cities ploughed under, the memory of them perished;
7But the Lord is enthroned for ever; * he has set up his throne for judgment.
8It is he who rules the world with righteousness; * he judges the peoples with equity.
9The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, * a refuge in time of trouble.
10Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, * for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
11Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; * proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.
12The Avenger of blood will remember them; * he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
​13Have pity on me, O Lord; * see the misery I suffer from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gate of death;
14So that I may tell of all your praises and rejoice in your salvation * in the gates of the city of Zion.
15The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, * and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.
16The Lord is known by his acts of justice; * the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
17The wicked shall be given over to the grave, * and also all the peoples that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, * and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19Rise up, O Lord, let not the ungodly have the upper hand; * let them be judged before you.
20Put fear upon them, O Lord; * let the ungodly know they are but mortal.
10Ut quid, Domine?
1Why do you stand so far off, O Lord, * and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, * but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3The wicked boast of their heart’s desire; * the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
4The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; * their only thought is, “God does not matter.”
​5Their ways are devious at all times;
your judgments are far above out of their sight; * they defy all their enemies.
6They say in their heart, “I shall not be shaken; * no harm shall happen to me ever.”
7Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; * under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; * they spy out the helpless.
9They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert;
they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; * they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10The innocent are broken and humbled before them; * the helpless fall before their power.
11They say in their heart, “God has forgotten; * he hides his face; he will never notice.”
12Rise up, O Lord;
lift up your hand, O God; * do not forget the afflicted.
13Why should the wicked revile God? * why should they say in their heart, “You do not care”?
14Surely, you behold trouble and misery; * you see it and take it into your own hand.
15The helpless commit themselves to you, * for you are the helper of orphans.
16Break the power of the wicked and evil; * search out their wickedness until you find none.
​17The Lord is King for ever and ever; * the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18The Lord will hear the desire of the humble; * you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, * so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.
11In Domino confido
1In the Lord have I taken refuge; * how then can you say to me, “Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string, * to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3When the foundations are being destroyed, * what can the righteous do?”
4The Lordis in his holy temple; * the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
5His eyes behold the inhabited world; * his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, * but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; * a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8For the Lord is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds; * and the just shall see his face.
​Second Day: Evening Prayer
12Salvum me fac
1Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left; * the faithful have vanished from among us.
2Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; * with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
3Oh, that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues, * and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
4Those who say, “With our tongue will we prevail; * our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
5“Because the needy are oppressed,
and the poor cry out in misery, * I will rise up,” says the Lord, “and give them the help they long for.”
6The words of the Lord are pure words, * like silver refined from ore and purified seven times in the fire.
7O Lord, watch over us * and save us from this generation for ever.
8The wicked prowl on every side, * and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.
13Usquequo, Domine?
1How long, O Lord?
will you forget me for ever? * how long will you hide your face from me?
​2How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? * how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; * give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” * and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5But I put my trust in your mercy; * my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; * I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
14Dixit insipiens
1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” * All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good.
2The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, * to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.
3Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; * there is none who does good; no, not one.
4Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers * who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon the Lord?
5See how they tremble with fear, * because God is in the company of the righteous.
6Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, * but the Lord is their refuge.
​7Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come out of Zion! * when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Third Day: Morning Prayer
15Domine, quis habitabit?
1Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? * who may abide upon your holy hill?
2Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, * who speaks the truth from his heart.
3There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend; * he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
4In his sight the wicked is rejected, * but he honors those who fear the Lord.
5He has sworn to do no wrong * and does not take back his word.
6He does not give his money in hope of gain, * nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
7Whoever does these things * shall never be overthrown.
16Conserva me, Domine
1Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; * I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”
​2All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, * upon those who are noble among the people.
3But those who run after other gods * shall have their troubles multiplied.
4Their libations of blood I will not offer, * nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; * it is you who uphold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; * indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; * my heart teaches me, night after night.
8I have set the Lord always before me; * because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; * my body also shall rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me to the grave, * nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11You will show me the path of life; * in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
17Exaudi, Domine
1Hear my plea of innocence, O Lord;
give heed to my cry; * listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.
​2Let my vindication come forth from your presence; * let your eyes be fixed on justice.
3Weigh my heart, summon me by night, * melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.
4I give no offense with my mouth as others do; * I have heeded the words of your lips.
5My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law; * in your paths my feet shall not stumble.
6I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; * incline your ear to me and hear my words.
7Show me your marvelous loving‑kindness, * O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.
8Keep me as the apple of your eye; * hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9From the wicked who assault me, * from my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They have closed their heart to pity, * and their mouth speaks proud things.
11They press me hard,
now they surround me, * watching how they may cast me to the ground,
12Like a lion, greedy for its prey, * and like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13Arise, O Lord; confront them and bring them down; * deliver me from the wicked by your sword.
14Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand * from those whose portion in life is this world;
​15Whose bellies you fill with your treasure, * who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones.
16But at my vindication I shall see your face; * when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Third Day: Evening Prayer
18
Part IDiligam te, Domine.
1I love you, O Lord my strength, * O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, * my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.
3I will call upon the Lord, * and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4The breakers of death rolled over me, * and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5The cords of hell entangled me, * and the snares of death were set for me.
6I called upon the Lord in my distress * and cried out to my God for help.
7He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; * my cry of anguish came to his ears. ​8The earth reeled and rocked; * the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
9Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth; * hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10He parted the heavens and came down * with a storm cloud under his feet.
11He mounted on cherubim and flew; * he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12He wrapped darkness about him; * he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, * burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14The Lord thundered out of heaven; * the Most High uttered his voice.
15He loosed his arrows and scattered them; * he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare, * at your battle cry, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17He reached down from on high and grasped me; * he drew me out of great waters.
18He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; * for they were too mighty for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my disaster; * but the Lord was my support.
​20He brought me out into an open place; * he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Psalm 18: Part IIEt retribuet mihi
21The Lord rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; * because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22For I have kept the ways of the Lord * and have not offended against my God;
23For all his judgments are before my eyes, * and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24For I have been blameless with him * and have kept myself from iniquity;
25Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, * because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; * with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27With the pure you show yourself pure, * but with the crooked you are wily.
28You will save a lowly people, * but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29You, O Lord, are my lamp; * my God, you make my darkness bright.
30With you I will break down an enclosure; * with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31As for God, his ways are perfect;
the words of the Lord are tried in the fire; *
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
​32For who is God, but the Lord? * who is the Rock, except our God?
33It is God who girds me about with strength * and makes my way secure.
34He makes me sure‑footed like a deer * and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35He trains my hands for battle * and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36You have given me your shield of victory; * your right hand also sustains me; your loving care makes me great.
37You lengthen my stride beneath me, * and my ankles do not give way.
38I pursue my enemies and overtake them; * I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39I strike them down, and they cannot rise; * they fall defeated at my feet.
40You have girded me with strength for the battle; * you have cast down my adversaries beneath me; you have put my enemies to flight.
41I destroy those who hate me;
they cry out, but there is none to help them; * they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer.
42I beat them small like dust before the wind; * I trample them like mud in the streets.
43You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; * you put me at the head of the nations.
44A people I have not known shall serve me;
no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; * strangers will cringe before me.
​45The foreign peoples will lose heart; *  they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46The Lord lives! Blessed is my Rock! *  Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47He is the God who gave me victory *  and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48You rescued me from the fury of my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me; *  you saved me from my deadly foe.
49Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O Lord, *  and sing praises to your Name.
50He multiplies the victories of his king; *  he shows loving‑kindness to his anointed,  to David and his descendants for ever.
Fourth Day: Morning Prayer
19 Cæli enarrant
1The heavens declare the glory of God, *  and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2One day tells its tale to another, *  and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3Although they have no words or language, *  and their voices are not heard,
4Their sound has gone out into all lands, *  and their message to the ends of the world.
5In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *  it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;  it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
​6It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again; * nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
7The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.
9The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever; * the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, * sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
11By them also is your servant enlightened, * and in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can tell how often he offends? * cleanse me from my secret faults.
13Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; * then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, * O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
​20Exaudiat te Dominus
1May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, * the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2Send you help from his holy place * and strengthen you out of Zion;
3Remember all your offerings * and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4Grant you your heart’s desire * and prosper all your plans.
5We will shout for joy at your victory
and triumph in the Name of our God; * may the Lord grant all your requests.
6Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; * he will answer him out of his holy heaven, with the victorious strength of his right hand.
7Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, * but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.
8They collapse and fall down, * but we will arise and stand upright.
9O Lord, give victory to the king * and answer us when we call.
21Domine, in virtute tua
1The king rejoices in your strength, O Lord; * how greatly he exults in your victory!
2You have given him his heart’s desire; * you have not denied him the request of his lips. ​3For you meet him with blessings of prosperity, * and set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: * length of days, for ever and ever.
5His honor is great, because of your victory; * splendor and majesty have you bestowed upon him.
6For you will give him everlasting felicity * and will make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7For the king puts his trust in the Lord; * because of the loving‑kindness of the Most High, he will not fall.
8Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies; * your right hand will seize all those who hate you.
9You will make them like a fiery furnace * at the time of your appearing, O Lord.
10You will swallow them up in your wrath, * and fire shall consume them.
11You will destroy their offspring from the land * and their descendants from among the peoples of the earth.
12Though they intend evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, * yet they shall not prevail.
13For you will put them to flight * and aim your arrows at them.
14Be exalted, O Lord, in your might; * we will sing and praise your power.
​Fourth Day: Evening Prayer
22Deus, Deus meus
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? * and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * by night as well, but I find no rest.
3Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4Our forefathers put their trust in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them.
5They cried out to you and were delivered; * they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * scorned by all and despised by the people.
7All who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8“He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; * let him rescue him, if he delights in him.”
9Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, * and kept me safe upon my mother’s breast.
10I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb.
11Be not far from me, for trouble is near, * and there is none to help.
​12Many young bulls encircle me; * strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13They open wide their jaws at me, * like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; * my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15My mouth is dried out like a pot‑sherd;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; * and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16Packs of dogs close me in,
and gangs of evildoers circle around me; * they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
17They stare and gloat over me; * they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
18Be not far away, O Lord; * you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19Save me from the sword, * my life from the power of the dog.
20Save me from the lion’s mouth, * my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21I will declare your Name to my brethren; * in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22Praise the Lord, you that fear him; * stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob’s line, give glory.
​23For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;
neither does he hide his face from them; * but when they cry to him he hears them.
24My praise is of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *
“May your heart live for ever!”
26All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
27For kingship belongs to the Lord; * he rules over the nations.
28To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall serve him; * they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever.
30They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn * the saving deeds that he has done.
23Dominus regit me
1The Lord is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters.
​3He revives my soul * and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.
4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; * for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; * you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, * and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Fifth Day: Morning Prayer
24Domini est terra
1The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, * the world and all who dwell therein.
2For it is he who founded it upon the seas * and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord. * and who can stand in his holy place?”
4“Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud.
5They shall receive a blessing from the Lord * and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”
6Such is the generation of those who seek him, * of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
​7Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in.
8“Who is this King of glory?” * “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.”
9Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in.
10“Who is he, this King of glory?” * “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
25Ad te, Domine, levavi
1To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you; * let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
2Let none who look to you be put to shame; * let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
3Show me your ways, O Lord, * and teach me your paths.
4Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.
5Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.
​6Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; * remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
7Gracious and upright is the Lord; * therefore he teaches sinners in his way.
8He guides the humble in doing right * and teaches his way to the lowly.
9All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness * to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
10For your Name’s sake, O Lord, * forgive my sin, for it is great.
11Who are they who fear the Lord? * he will teach them the way that they should choose.
12They shall dwell in prosperity, * and their offspring shall inherit the land.
13The Lord is a friend to those who fear him * and will show them his covenant.
14My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, * for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15Turn to me and have pity on me, * for I am left alone and in misery.
16The sorrows of my heart have increased; * bring me out of my troubles.
17Look upon my adversity and misery * and forgive me all my sin.
18Look upon my enemies, for they are many, * and they bear a violent hatred against me.
​19Protect my life and deliver me; * let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.
20Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, * for my hope has been in you.
21Deliver Israel, O God, * out of all his troubles.
26Judica me, Domine
1Give judgment for me, O Lord,
for I have lived with integrity; * I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
2Test me, O Lord, and try me; * examine my heart and my mind.
3For your love is before my eyes; * I have walked faithfully with you.
4I have not sat with the worthless, * nor do I consort with the deceitful.
5I have hated the company of evildoers; * I will not sit down with the wicked.
6I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, * that I may go in procession round your altar,
7Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving * and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
8Lord, I love the house in which you dwell * and the place where your glory abides.
9Do not sweep me away with sinners, * nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
​10Whose hands are full of evil plots, * and their right hand full of bribes.
11As for me, I will live with integrity; * redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.
12My foot stands on level ground; * in the full assembly I will bless the Lord.
Fifth Day: Evening Prayer
27Dominus illuminatio
1The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? * the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
2When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, * it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.
3Though an army should encamp against me, * yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4And though war should rise up against me, * yet will I put my trust in him.
5One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; * that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
6To behold the fair beauty of the Lord * and to seek him in his temple.
​7For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; * he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock.
8Even now he lifts up my head * above my enemies round about me.
9Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; * I will sing and make music to the Lord.
10Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; * have mercy on me and answer me.
11You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” * Your face, Lord, will I seek.
12Hide not your face from me, * nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13You have been my helper;
cast me not away; * do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
14Though my father and my mother forsake me, * the Lord will sustain me.
15Show me your way, O Lord; * lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.
16Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, * for false witnesses have risen up against me, and also those who speak malice.
17What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the Lord * in the land of the living!
​18O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure;
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; * wait patiently for the Lord.
28Ad te, Domine
1O Lord, I call to you;
my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; * lest, if you do not hear me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, * when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, * who speak peaceably with their neighbors, while strife is in their hearts.
4Repay them according to their deeds, * and according to the wickedness of their actions.
5According to the work of their hands repay them, * and give them their just deserts.
6They have no understanding of the Lord’s doings,
nor of the works of his hands; * therefore he will break them down and not build them up.
7Blessed is the Lord! * for he has heard the voice of my prayer.
8The Lord is my strength and my shield; * my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;
9Therefore my heart dances for joy, * and in my song will I praise him.
​10The Lord is the strength of his people, * a safe refuge for his anointed.
11Save your people and bless your inheritance; * shepherd them and carry them for ever.
29Afferte Domino
1Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, * ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; * worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; * the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; * the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; * the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; * the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe * and strips the forests bare.
9And in the temple of the Lord * all are crying, “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; * the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
​11The Lord shall give strength to his people; * the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Sixth Day: Morning Prayer
30Exaltabo te, Domine
1I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have lifted me up * and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2O Lord my God, I cried out to you, * and you restored me to health.
3You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; * you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; * give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, * his favor for a lifetime.
6Weeping may spend the night, * but joy comes in the morning.
7While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed. * You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
8Then you hid your face, * and I was filled with fear.
9I cried to you, O Lord; * I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
​11Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; * O Lord, be my helper.”
12You have turned my wailing into dancing; * you have put off my sack‑cloth and clothed me with joy.
13Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; * O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.
31In te, Domine, speravi
1In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; * deliver me in your righteousness.
2Incline your ear to me; * make haste to deliver me.
3Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; * for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, * for you are my tower of strength.
5Into your hands I commend my spirit, * for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
6I hate those who cling to worthless idols, * and I put my trust in the Lord.
7I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; * for you have seen my affliction; you know my distress.
​8You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; * you have set my feet in an open place.
9Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; * my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and my belly.
10For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; * my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones are consumed.
11I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; * when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; * I am as useless as a broken pot.
13For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; * they put their heads together against me; they plot to take my life.
14But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. * I have said, “You are my God.
15My times are in your hand; * rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
16Make your face to shine upon your servant, * and in your loving‑kindness save me.”
17Lord, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; * rather, let the wicked be put to shame; let them be silent in the grave.
​18Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against the righteous, * haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt.
19How great is your goodness, O Lord!
which you have laid up for those who fear you; * which you have done in the sight of all for those who put their trust in you.
20You hide them in the covert of your presence from those who slander them; * you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
21Blessed be the Lord! * for he has shown me the wonders of his love in a besieged city.
22Yet I said in my alarm,
“I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.” * Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty when I cried out to you.
23Love the Lord, all you who worship him; * the Lord protects the faithful, but repays to the full those who act haughtily.
24Be strong and let your heart take courage, * all you who wait for the Lord.
Sixth Day: Evening Prayer
32Beati quorum
1Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, * and whose sin is put away!
​2Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, * and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, * because of my groaning all day long.
4For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; * my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you, * and did not conceal my guilt.
6I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” * Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; * when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8You are my hiding‑place;
you preserve me from trouble; * you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9“I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; * I will guide you with my eye.
10Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; * who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.”
11Great are the tribulations of the wicked; * but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; * shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
​33Exultate, justi
1Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; * it is good for the just to sing praises.
2Praise the Lord with the harp; * play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
3Sing for him a new song; * sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
4For the word of the Lord is right, * and all his works are sure.
5He loves righteousness and justice; * the loving‑kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.
6By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, * by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
7He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water‑skin * and stores up the depths of the sea.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; * let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
9For he spoke, and it came to pass; * he commanded, and it stood fast.
10The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught; * he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
11But the Lord’s will stands fast for ever, * and the designs of his heart from age to age.
12Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! * happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
​13The Lord looks down from heaven, * and beholds all the people in the world.
14From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze * on all who dwell on the earth.
15He fashions all the hearts of them * and understands all their works.
16There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; * a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
17The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; * for all its strength it cannot save.
18Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, * on those who wait upon his love,
19To pluck their lives from death, * and to feed them in time of famine.
20Our soul waits for the Lord; * he is our help and our shield.
21Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, * for in his holy Name we put our trust.
22Let your loving‑kindness, O Lord, be upon us, * as we have put our trust in you.
34Benedicam Dominum
1I will bless the Lord at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2I will glory in the Lord; * let the humble hear and rejoice.
3Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; * let us exalt his Name together.
​4I sought the Lord, and he answered me * and delivered me out of all my terror.
5Look upon him and be radiant, * and let not your faces be ashamed.
6I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me * and saved me from all my troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, * and he will deliver them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good; * happy are they who trust in him!
9Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, * for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The young lions lack and suffer hunger, * but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.
11Come, children, and listen to me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Who among you loves life * and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
13Keep your tongue from evil‑speaking * and your lips from lying words.
14Turn from evil and do good; * seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, * and his ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, * to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
​17The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them * and delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted * and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
19Many are the troubles of the righteous, * but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
20He will keep safe all his bones; * not one of them shall be broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked, * and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, * and none will be punished who trust in him.
Seventh Day: Morning Prayer
35Judica, Domine
1Fight those who fight me, O Lord; * attack those who are attacking me.
2Take up shield and armor * and rise up to help me.
3Draw the sword and bar the way against those who pursue me; * say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4Let those who seek after my life be shamed and humbled; * let those who plot my ruin fall back and be dismayed.
5Let them be like chaff before the wind, * and let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
​6Let their way be dark and slippery, * and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7For they have secretly spread a net for me without a cause; * without a cause they have dug a pit to take me alive.
8Let ruin come upon them unawares; * let them be caught in the net they hid; let them fall into the pit they dug.
9Then I will be joyful in the Lord; * I will glory in his victory.
10My very bones will say, “Lord, who is like you? * You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11Malicious witnesses rise up against me; * they charge me with matters I know nothing about.
12They pay me evil in exchange for good; * my soul is full of despair.
13But when they were sick I dressed in sack‑cloth * and humbled myself by fasting;
14I prayed with my whole heart,
as one would for a friend or a brother; * I behaved like one who mourns for his mother, bowed down and grieving.
15But when I stumbled, they were glad and gathered together;
they gathered against me; * strangers whom I did not know tore me to pieces and would not stop.
16They put me to the test and mocked me; * they gnashed at me with their teeth.
​17O Lord, how long will you look on? * rescue me from the roaring beasts, and my life from the young lions.
18I will give you thanks in the great congregation; * I will praise you in the mighty throng.
19Do not let my treacherous foes rejoice over me, * nor let those who hate me without a cause wink at each other.
20For they do not plan for peace, * but invent deceitful schemes against the quiet in the land.
21They opened their mouths at me and said, * “Aha! we saw it with our own eyes.”
22You saw it, O Lord; do not be silent; * O Lord, be not far from me.
23Awake, arise, to my cause! * to my defense, my God and my Lord!
24Give me justice, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness; * do not let them triumph over me.
25Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! just what we want!” * Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26Let all who rejoice at my ruin be ashamed and disgraced; * let those who boast against me be clothed with dismay and shame.
27Let those who favor my cause sing out with joy and be glad; * let them say always, “Great is the Lord, who desires the prosperity of his servant.”
​28And my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness * and of your praise all the day long.
36Dixit injustus
1There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; * there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2He flatters himself in his own eyes * that his hateful sin will not be found out.
3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; * he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
4He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way; * he does not abhor that which is evil.
5Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; * you save both man and beast, O Lord.
7How priceless is your love, O God! * your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8They feast upon the abundance of your house; * you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9For with you is the well of life, * and in your light we see light.
10Continue your loving‑kindness to those who know you, * and your favor to those who are true of heart.
​11Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *  nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
12See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *  they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.
Seventh Day: Evening Prayer
37
Part I Noli æmulari
1Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *  do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2For they shall soon wither like the grass, *  and like the green grass fade away.
3Put your trust in the Lord and do good; *  dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
4Take delight in the Lord, *  and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
5Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *  and he will bring it to pass.
6He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *  and your just dealing as the noonday.
7Be still before the Lord *  and wait patiently for him.
8Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *  the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *  do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
​10For evildoers shall be cut off, * but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.
11In a little while the wicked shall be no more; * you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.
12But the lowly shall possess the land; * they will delight in abundance of peace.
13The wicked plot against the righteous * and gnash at them with their teeth.
14The Lord laughs at the wicked, * because he sees that their day will come.
15The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow
to strike down the poor and needy, * to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.
16Their sword shall go through their own heart, * and their bow shall be broken.
17The little that the righteous has * is better than great riches of the wicked.
18For the power of the wicked shall be broken, * but the Lord upholds the righteous.
Psalm 37: Part IINovit Dominus
19The Lord cares for the lives of the godly, * and their inheritance shall last for ever.
20They shall not be ashamed in bad times, * and in days of famine they shall have enough.
21As for the wicked, they shall perish, * and the enemies of the Lord, like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish; they shall vanish like smoke.
​22The wicked borrow and do not repay, * but the righteous are generous in giving.
23Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, * but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
24Our steps are directed by the Lord; * he strengthens those in whose way he delights.
25If they stumble, they shall not fall headlong, * for the Lord holds them by the hand.
26I have been young and now I am old, * but never have I seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread.
27The righteous are always generous in their lending, * and their children shall be a blessing.
28Turn from evil, and do good, * and dwell in the land for ever.
29For the Lord loves justice; * he does not forsake his faithful ones.
30They shall be kept safe for ever, * but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.
31The righteous shall possess the land * and dwell in it for ever.
32The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, * and their tongue speaks what is right.
33The law of their God is in their heart, * and their footsteps shall not falter.
34The wicked spy on the righteous * and seek occasion to kill them.
​35The Lord will not abandon them to their hand, * nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.
36Wait upon the Lord and keep his way; * he will raise you up to possess the land, and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
37I have seen the wicked in their arrogance, * flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
38I went by, and behold, they were not there; * I searched for them, but they could not be found.
39Mark those who are honest; observe the upright; * for there is a future for the peaceable.
40Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all; * the future of the wicked is cut off.
41But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord; * he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
42The Lord will help them and rescue them; * he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because they seek refuge in him.
Eighth Day: Morning Prayer
38Domine, ne in furore
1O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; * do not punish me in your wrath.
2For your arrows have already pierced me, * and your hand presses hard upon me.
​3There is no health in my flesh,
because of your indignation; * there is no soundness in my body, because of my sin.
4For my iniquities overwhelm me; * like a heavy burden they are too much for me to bear.
5My wounds stink and fester * by reason of my foolishness.
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; * I go about in mourning all the day long.
7My loins are filled with searing pain; * there is no health in my body.
8I am utterly numb and crushed; * I wail, because of the groaning of my heart.
9O Lord, you know all my desires, * and my sighing is not hidden from you.
10My heart is pounding, my strength has failed me, * and the brightness of my eyes is gone from me.
11My friends and companions draw back from my affliction; * my neighbors stand afar off.
12Those who seek after my life lay snares for me; * those who strive to hurt me speak of my ruin and plot treachery all the day long.
13But I am like the deaf who do not hear, * like those who are mute and do not open their mouth.
14I have become like one who does not hear * and from whose mouth comes no defense.
15For in you, O Lord, have I fixed my hope; * you will answer me, O Lord my God.
​16For I said, “Do not let them rejoice at my expense, * those who gloat over me when my foot slips.”
17Truly, I am on the verge of falling, * and my pain is always with me.
18I will confess my iniquity * and be sorry for my sin.
19Those who are my enemies without cause are mighty, * and many in number are those who wrongfully hate me.
20Those who repay evil for good slander me, * because I follow the course that is right.
21O Lord, do not forsake me; * be not far from me, O my God.
22Make haste to help me, * O Lord of my salvation.
39Dixi, Custodiam
1I said, “I will keep watch upon my ways, * so that I do not offend with my tongue.
2I will put a muzzle on my mouth * while the wicked are in my presence.”
3So I held my tongue and said nothing; * I refrained from rash words; but my pain became unbearable.
4My heart was hot within me;
while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; * I spoke out with my tongue:
​5Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days, * so that I may know how short my life is.
6You have given me a mere handful of days,
and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight; * truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
7We walk about like a shadow,
and in vain we are in turmoil; * we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
8And now, what is my hope? * O Lord, my hope is in you.
9Deliver me from all my transgressions * and do not make me the taunt of the fool.
10I fell silent and did not open my mouth, * for surely it was you that did it.
11Take your affliction from me; * I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
12With rebukes for sin you punish us;
like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us; * truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.
13Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry; * hold not your peace at my tears.
14For I am but a sojourner with you, * a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.
15Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again, * before I go my way and am no more.
​40Expectans, expectavi
1I waited patiently upon the Lord; * he stooped to me and heard my cry.
2He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; * he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; * many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord.
4Happy are they who trust in the Lord! * they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
5Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! * there is none who can be compared with you.
6Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! * but they are more than I can count.
7In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure * (you have given me ears to hear you);
8Burnt‑offering and sin‑offering you have not required, * and so I said, “Behold, I come.
9In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: * ‘I love to do your will, O my God; your law is deep in my heart.’”
10I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; * behold, I did not restrain my lips; and that, O Lord, you know.
11Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; * I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.
​12You are the Lord;
do not withhold your compassion from me; * let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,
13For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; * they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.
14Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; * O Lord, make haste to help me.
15Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed
who seek after my life to destroy it; * let them draw back and be disgraced
who take pleasure in my misfortune.
16Let those who say “Aha!” and gloat over me be confounded, * because they are ashamed.
17Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; * let those who love your salvation continually say, “Great is the Lord!”
18Though I am poor and afflicted, * the Lord will have regard for me.
19You are my helper and my deliverer; * do not tarry, O my God.
Eighth Day: Evening Prayer
41Beatus qui intelligit
1Happy are they who consider the poor and needy! * the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble.
​2The Lord preserves them and keeps them alive,
so that they may be happy in the land; * he does not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
3The Lord sustains them on their sickbed * and ministers to them in their illness.
4I said, “Lord, be merciful to me; * heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5My enemies are saying wicked things about me: * “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words; * their heart collects false rumors; they go outside and spread them.
7All my enemies whisper together about me * and devise evil against me.
8“A deadly thing,” they say, “has fastened on him; * he has taken to his bed and will never get up again.”
9Even my best friend, whom I trusted,
who broke bread with me, * has lifted up his heel and turned against me.
10But you, O Lord, be merciful to me and raise me up, * and I shall repay them.
11By this I know you are pleased with me, * that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12In my integrity you hold me fast, * and shall set me before your face for ever.
13Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, * from age to age. Amen. Amen.