PSALM 1
Blessed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on that law he meditates day and night. And he is like a tree planted near running waters, which brings forth its fruit in due season, and whose leaves do not wither, and whatsoever he does, prospers.
Not so the wicked, not so; but they are like chaff scattered by the wind. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the just. For the Lord tends the way of the just, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
PSALM 2
Why do the nations rage and the people devise vain things? The kings of the earth rise up and the princes conspire against the Lord and against his Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder and let us cast away their chains from us.
He who dwells in heaven laughs at them, the Lord derides them. Then he speaks to them in his anger and troubles them in his rage. "But I have appointed my king upon Sion, my holy mountain."
I will make known the decree of the Lord: the Lord has said to me: "Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thy inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
And now, O ye kings, understand; receive instruction, ye who rule the earth. Serve ye the Lord in fear and rejoice unto him; with trembling offer homage to him, lest he be angry and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled suddenly. Blessed are all who flee to him for safety.
PSALM 3
The psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son.
O Lord, how many are they who afflict me, many are they who rise up against me. There are many who say of me: "There is no salvation for him in God." But thou, O Lord, art my shield, my glory, thou who liftest up my head.
I have cried to the Lord with my voice, and he has heard me from his holy mountain. I lay down and I slept: I arose because the Lord upholds me. I will not fear thousands of the people, who, surrounding me, are marshalled against me.
Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For thou hast struck the cheek of all those who oppose me, thou hast broken the teeth of sinners. Salvation is of the Lord: May thy blessing be upon thy people!
PSALM 4
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
When I call, hear me, O God of my justice, who hast lifted me up in distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
O men, how long are you dull of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek after lying? Know ye: the Lord wonderfully favors his holy one: the Lord will hear me when I shall call him. Tremble and sin no more, ponder within your hearts, upon your beds, and be silent. Offer up just sacrifices, and hope in the Lord.
Many say: "Who will show good things to us?" Raise the light of thy countenance above us, O Lord! Thou hast put more joy in my heart than that of those who are rich in grain and wine. As soon as I lie down, I fall asleep in peace, since thou alone, O Lord, hast settled me in security.
PSALM 5
Of the choir-master. On Flutes. A psalm of David.
Give ear, O Lord, to my words, heed thou my sigh, attend to the cry of my prayer, my King and my God! To thee, O Lord, do I pray; in the morning hear my voice; in the morning I set before thee my prayers and I wait.
For thou art not a God whom iniquity pleases, the wicked man does not dwell with thee, nor do the ungodly stand before thee. Thou hatest all who do wickedly, thou destroyest all who speak a lie; the bloody and deceitful man the Lord detests.
But I, because of thy boundless mercy, will enter thy house, I will prostrate myself before thy holy temple in thy fear, O Lord. Lead me in thy justice because of my enemies; make smooth thy way before me.
For in their mouth there is no sincerity; their heart devises treacherous schemes; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongues. Punish them, O God, let them fail in their designs; on account of their many crimes drive them out, for they rebel against thee.
But let all rejoice who fly to thee for refuge, let them exult forever. Do thou protect them and let them rejoice in thee, who love thy name. For thou, O Lord, wilt bless him who is just; with thy goodwill, as with a shield, thou wilt surround him.
PSALM 6
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. An octave lower. A psalm of David.
O Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor upbraid me in thy wrath. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled, and my soul is troubled exceedingly; but thou, O Lord, how long...?
Return, O Lord, rescue my soul, save me for thy mercy's sake, because there is none in death who remembers thee: who is there that praises thee in the abode of the dead?
I have wearied myself with my groaning, night after night I moisten my bed with my weeping. I water my couch with my tears. My eye is dimmed with sorrow, it grows old because of all my enemies.
Depart from me all ye who do evil, because the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping; the Lord has heard my petition, the Lord has accepted my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and be put to utter confusion; let them depart and be quickly ashamed.
PSALM 7
The lamentation of David which he sang to the Lord because of Chus, the Benjamite.
O Lord my God, to thee do I flee; save me and deliver me from all who persecute me; lest like a lion anyone should seize my soul, rend me in pieces, and there be none to rescue me.
If I have done this thing, O Lord my God, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have done evil to my friend, I who have saved those who fought against me unjustly: let the enemy pursue my soul and take it, let him trample my life on the earth, and let him bring down my honor to the dust.
Arise, O Lord, in thy anger, stand up against the fury of those who oppress me, and rise up for me in the judgment which thou hast commanded. And let the assembly of nations surround thee, and do thou sit above them on high. The Lord is the judge of peoples: defend my cause, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to the innocence which is in me. Let the wickedness of the ungodly cease and confirm the just one, O just God, who searchest the hearts and reins.
God is my shield, who saves the upright of heart. God is a just judge, and a God who menaces every day. Unless they be converted, he will sharpen his sword, he will bend his bow and take aim, and he will prepare missiles of death for them, he will make his arrows burn.
Behold he has conceived iniquity and is heavy with evil and brings forth deceit. He dug a trench and hollowed it out, but he fell into the pit which he made. His wickedness will revert upon his own head, and his violence will return on his crown. But I will praise the Lord for his justice, and I will sing to the name of the Lord Most High.
PSALM 8
Of the choir-master. To the melody of the song, "The Winepresses." A psalm of David.
O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name in all the earth, thou who hast exalted thy majesty above the heavens. Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast brought forth praise against thy adversaries, to silence the enemy and the foe. When I see thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established: what is man, that thou art mindful of him or the son of man, that thou art concerned about him?
And thou hast made him a little less than the Angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor; thou hast given him power over the works of thy hands, thou hast placed all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea: whatever moves on the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!
PSALM 9
Of the choir-master. To the melody of the song, "mut labben." A psalm of David.
I will give praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, I will relate all thy wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing to thy name, O most High, because my enemies have retreated, they have stumbled and have perished before thy face.
For thou hast undertaken my judgment and my cause, thou hast sat on thy throne as a just judge. Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast blotted out their name forever. The enemies have failed, cast down into everlasting ruin, and thou hast destroyed cities: their memory has perished.
But the Lord sits forever, he has made firm his throne for judgment. And he himself will judge the world with justice, he will judge the people with equity. And the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a fitting refuge in times of trouble. And they will trust in thee who have known thy name, for thou dost not forsake them who seek thee, O Lord.
Sing ye to the Lord who dwells in Sion, declare his works among the peoples, for the avenger of bloodshed has remembered them, he has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
Have mercy on me, O Lord: see the grief which I suffer from my enemies, thou who liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion and rejoice because of thy help.
The nations have fallen into the pit which they dug, their foot has been caught in the snare which they hid. The Lord has manifested himself, he has given judgment; the sinner has been caught by the works of his own hands.
Let sinners retire into the abode of the dead, all the nations that have forgotten God. Neither shall the poor man be perpetually forgotten, nor shall the hope of the unfortunate perish forever. Arise, O Lord: let not man prevail; let the nations be judged in thy sight. Strike them with terror, O Lord; let the nations know that they are but men.
PSALM 10
Why, O Lord, dost thou stand afar off, why hide thyself in times of trouble, while the wicked man is proud, the needy man is distressed, he is caught in the plots which the wicked has devised?
For the sinner glories in his covetousness, and the despoiler blasphemes, he scorns the Lord. For the wicked man in his pride of spirit, says: "He will not punish; there is no God:" such is all his thought. His ways succeed all the time; thy judgments are far from his mind; he despises all his enemies. He says in his heart: "I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall not be unhappy."
His mouth is filled with cursing and fraud and deceit; under his tongue are labor and sorrow. He waits in ambush near the villages, in hidden places he murders the innocent; his eyes spy out the poor man. He lies in ambush in dark places like a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the helpless man: he seizes and drags the helpless one into his net. He stoops, he crouches on the ground and the poor fall before his violence. He says in his heart: "God has forgotten, he has turned away his face, he never sees."
Arise, O Lord God, lift up thy hand! Forget not the poor! Why does the wicked man spurn God, and say in his heart: "He will not punish"? But thou dost see: thou considerest labor and pain that thou mayest take them in thy hands. To thee the poor man entrusts himself; thou art a helper to the orphan! Break thou the arm of the sinner and of the wicked: thou shalt punish his wickedness, and it will not remain.
The Lord is the king forever and ever, the nations have perished from his land. Thou, O Lord, hast heard the desire of the afflicted, thou hast reassured their heart, thou hast lent an ear, to uphold the right of the orphan and the oppressed, and that earthly man may terrify no more.
PSALM 11
Of the choir-master. Of David.
I flee unto the Lord; how then do you say to my soul: "Fly away to the mountain like a bird! For behold, the wicked bend the bow, they fit their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark the upright of heart. When the foundations are torn down, what can the just man do?"
The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord---his throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, his eyelids examine the children of men. The Lord tries the just and the wicked; his soul hates the one who loves iniquity. He will rain burning coals and brimstone on sinners; the raging wind shall be their portion. For the Lord is just, he loves justice; the upright men shall see his face.
PSALM 12
Of the choir-master. For bass voices. A psalm of David.
Save, O Lord! For the upright men are no more, fidelity has passed away from among the children of men. Everyone lies to his neighbor, they speak with deceitful lips and an insincere heart. May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, the boastful tongue, those who say: "We are strong through our tongues; our lips are for us; who is Lord over us?"
"Because of the affliction of the humble and the groaning of the poor, now will I arise," says the Lord: "I will bring salvation to him who longs for it."
The words of the Lord are sincere, refined as silver, separated from the earth, purified seven times. Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us; thou wilt keep us from this generation forever. While the wicked proudly go about, the vilest of men exalt themselves.
PSALM 13
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
How long, O Lord, wilt thou entirely forget me? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I reflect on the sorrows in my soul, and grief in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me? Look, hear me, O Lord, my God!
Enlighten my eyes that I may not sleep in death, lest my enemy say: "I have subdued him"; lest my enemies rejoice that I have fallen, because I have trusted in thy mercy. Let my heart rejoice in thy help; let me sing to the Lord who has given me good things.
PSALM 14
Of the choir-master. Of David.
The fool says in his heart: "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have done things that must be abhorred; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there be one who understands and seeks God. All have gone astray and have surrendered to evil: there is none who does good, no, not even one.
Will they not reconsider, who do evil, who devour my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon the Lord: then they will tremble for fear, for God is with the just generation. You desire to overthrow the counsel of the oppressed; but the Lord is his refuge.
O that the salvation of Israel would come from Sion! When the Lord shall change the lot of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.
PSALM 15
A psalm of David.
O Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, who shall live on thy holy mountain? He who walks without sin and works justice and thinks uprightly in his heart, and does not slander with his tongue; who does no evil to his neighbor nor casts reproach upon his comrade; who holds the sinner in contempt and honors those who fear the Lord; who, although he has taken an oath with loss to himself, does not retract it, nor does he put his money out to usury, nor takes bribes against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever.
PSALM 16
Miktam. Of David.
Preserve me, O God, for I flee unto thee. I say to the Lord: "Thou art my Lord; without thee, I have no good." How wonderful he has made all my love for the saints who are in his land! They multiply their sorrows who follow strange gods. I will not pour a libation with the blood of their offerings, nor will I declare their names with my lips. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou who holdest my lot. The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places; and my inheritance pleases me exceedingly.
I bless the Lord who has given me understanding, because even in the night, my heart warns me. I keep the Lord always within my sight; for he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. For this reason my heart is glad and my soul rejoices; moreover, my body also will rest secure, for thou wilt not leave my soul in the abode of the dead, nor permit thy holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life, the fullness of joys in thy presence, and delights at thy right hand forever.
PSALM 17
A prayer of David.
Hear, O Lord, a just cause, attend to my cry, give ear to my prayer from lips without guile. Let my judgment come forth from thy presence; thy eyes behold the things that are right. If thou searchest my heart, if thou visitest me in the night, if thou triest me by fire, thou wilt not find iniquity in me. My mouth has not transgressed in the manner of men; I have kept the ways of the law according to the words of thy lips. My step has held firmly to thy paths, my feet have not stumbled.
I call to thee, for thou, O God, wilt hear me; incline thy ear unto me and hear my word. Show forth thy wonderful mercy, thou who savest from their enemies those who flee to thy right hand. Guard me as the apple of thy eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings from those sinners who use violence towards me.
My enemies surround me with fury, they shut up their unfeeling heart, they speak haughtily with their mouth. Now their steps envelop me, they keep watch in order to strike me to the ground. They are like a lion gaping for his prey, and a lion's whelp lurking in his den.
Arise, O Lord, hasten to meet him, strike him down; free me from the sinner by thy sword, by thy hand, from men, O Lord: from men whose portion is in this life, whose belly thou fillest with thy plenty; whose sons are glutted, and who leave what remains to their children. But I shall see thy face in justice; awakening, I shall be satisfied with thy sight.
PSALM 18
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord when the Lord had delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said, therefore:
I love thee, O Lord, my strength, O Lord, my rock, my stronghold, my deliverer, my God, my rocky cliff, to which I flee for safety, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my fortification! I will call upon the Lord, worthy of all praise, and I will be saved from my enemies.
The floods of death surrounded me, and the torrents of iniquity terrified me; the bonds of the abode of the dead ensnared me, the snares of death entrapped me: in my affliction I called upon the Lord and I cried to my God; and from his temple he heard my voice and my cry reached his ears.
And the earth was shaken and it trembled, the foundations of the mountains trembled and were shaken, for he was burning with rage. Smoke arose out of his nostrils and a consuming fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it. And he bowed the heavens and came down, and a black cloud was under his feet. And he was borne upon a cherub, and he flew, and he was carried on the wings of the wind. He put on darkness for a veil, dark waters and dense clouds, as a covering. Because of the brightness in his face, live coals were kindled. And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High sent forth his voice, and he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, many thunderbolts, and he overthrew them. And the beds of the seas appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his anger. From on high he stretched forth his hand, he laid hold of me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my most formidable enemy and from my detractors who were stronger than I. They were falling upon me in the day of my affliction, but the Lord became a fortification to me, and he led me out into an open space, he saved me because he loves me.
The Lord has requited me according to my justice, according to the cleanness of my hands he repaid me, because I have kept the ways of the Lord nor have I departed from my God by sinning, for I have had all his laws before my eyes, and I have not put his precepts away from me, but I have been blameless before him, and I have kept myself clear of guilt. And the Lord has rewarded me according to my justice, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes. Towards a holy man thou showest thyself holy, towards the upright thou dost act uprightly, towards the pure thou art pure, and towards the crafty thou showest thyself cunning. For thou savest a humble people, but thou strikest down proud eyes. For thou makest my lamp to shine, O Lord; my God, thou enlightenest my darkness. For through thee I assail hostile troops, and through my God I leap over the wall. The way of God is uncorrupted, the word of the Lord is proved by fire; he is a shield to all those who flee to him for safety.
For who is God but the Lord? Or what rock is there but our God? God who has girt me with strength and made my way secure, who has made my feet swift as the feet of deer, and has set me upon high places, who has trained my hands for the battle, and my arms for bending the brazen bow.
And thou hast given me thy saving shield, and thy right hand has sustained me, and thy care has made me great. Thou hast made the way wide for my footsteps, nor have my feet staggered. I pursued my enemies and I overtook them, nor did I turn back until I had slain them. I have destroyed them, nor were they able to rise, they have fallen under my feet.
And thou hast girt me with strength for the battle, and thou hast bowed under me those resisting me, and thou hast put my enemies to flight and hast destroyed them who hated me. They cried out -- neither was there anyone to save them; unto the Lord -- nor has he heard them. And I have scattered them as dust before the wind, like the dirt of the streets I have trampled them down.
Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people, thou hast appointed me leader of the nations. A people, whom I had not known, has served me, at the first word heard, it has obeyed me; foreigners have flattered me, foreigners have grown faint of heart, trembling they have gone forth from their strongholds. Long live the Lord, and blessed be my Rock, and may God, my Savior be extolled with praises, God who has given me vengeance and has made the people subject to me; thou who hast delivered me from my enemies and hast set me over them who resisted me, thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will praise thee among the nations, O Lord, and sing a song to thy name: thou who hast given many victories to thy king and hast shown mercy to thy anointed, to David and to his seed forever.
PSALM 19
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. Day to day pours forth this word, night to night sends out this knowledge. There is no speech and no utterance whose sound may not be heard: into all the earth their sound goes forth, and unto the ends of the world their tidings.
There he has placed his tabernacle for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his chamber, it rejoices like a giant hurrying on his way. From the end of heaven is its starting point, and its circuit extends unto the end of heaven, and nothing escapes its flaming heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the command of the Lord is firm, instructing the ignorant; the precepts of the Lord are right, delighting the heart; the commands of the Lord are clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, and all just, more desirable than gold, than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the juice of the honeycomb.
Though thy servant is mindful of them, and most solicitous in keeping them, yet who will determine the failures? Cleanse me of those hidden from me. From pride also keep thy servant, lest it gain control over me. Then shall I be sinless and clean from heinous crime. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before thee, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
PSALM 20
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation, may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee. May he send thee help from the Sanctuary and out of Sion uphold thee. May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices and may thy burnt offering be pleasing to him. May he give thee thy heart's desire and fulfill all thy plans. May we rejoice in thy victory, and in the name of our God raise banners; may the Lord fulfill all thy petitions!
Now I know that the Lord has granted a victory to his anointed one, that he has heard him from his holy heaven with the strength of his victorious right hand. Those are strong in chariots, these in horses, but we, in the name of the Lord, our God. They have given way and have fallen down, but we stand secure and abide. O Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we call upon thee.
PSALM 21
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
O Lord, the king finds joy at thy power, and how greatly he rejoices at thy help! Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and thou has not rejected the request of his lips. For thou hast come to him with choice blessings, thou hast set on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked life of thee: thou hast given him length of days forever and ever. With thy help, his glory is great, thou hast laid upon him majesty and splendor. For thou hast made him blessed forever, thou hast made him joyful with gladness in thy presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and by the favor of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Let thy hand overtake all thy enemies; let thy right hand find them who hate thee. Place them as in a burning furnace, when thy face appears. May the Lord consume them in his wrath, and fire devour them. Wipe out their race from the earth, and their seed, from the children of men. If they have intended evil against thee, if they have plotted, they shall not prevail; for thou shalt put them to flight, thou shalt aim thy bow at their faces. Rise up, O Lord, in thy power! We will sing and praise thy might.
PSALM 22
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Thou art far from my pleas and the words of my cry. O my God, I cry by day, and thou hearest not, and by night and thou heedest me not. But thou dwellest in thy Sanctuary, the praise of Israel. In thee have our fathers hoped, they have hoped in thee and thou hast delivered them; they cried to thee and they were saved, they trusted in thee and were not confounded. But I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people. All who see me, laugh me to scorn, they draw apart their lips, and wag their heads: "He trusts in the Lord: let him free him, let him deliver him if he loves him." Yet, thou hast brought me forth from the womb; thou didst watch over me when I was at my mother's breasts. To thee I was entrusted even from birth, from my mother's womb thou art my God. Stand not far from me, for I am troubled; be thou near at hand: for I have no helper.
There are many young oxen around me, the bulls of Basan hem me in. They open their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed: my heart has become as wax, it melts in my bowels. My throat is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws, and thou hast brought me down to the dust of death. For many dogs surround me, a band of evildoers hems me in. They have dug my hands and feet, I can number all my bones. Yet they watch me, and seeing me, they rejoice; they divide my garments amongst them and cast lots for my vesture. But thou, O Lord, stand not far from me: thou my aid, make haste to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword and my life from the hand of the dog; save me from the lion's mouth, and wretched that I am, from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will declare thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the assembly I will praise thee. "Ye who fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him: all ye, the seed of Israel, fear him. For he has not slighted nor shrunk from the suffering of the helpless man; neither has he hidden his face from him and, when he cried to him, he heard him." My praise in the great assembly comes from thee, I will pay my vows in the sight of them who fear him. The poor shall eat and shall be filled, they who seek the Lord shall praise him: "May your hearts live forever." All the ends of the earth shall remember and shall be converted to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall bow down in his sight.
For the kingdom is the Lord's and he has dominion over the nations. All who sleep in the earth shall adore him alone, all who go down in dust shall bow down before him. And for him my soul shall live, my seed shall serve him. They shall tell of the Lord to the generation to come, and they shall declare his justice to the people that shall be born: "These things, the Lord has done."
PSALM 23
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd: I want for nothing; in green pastures he makes me lie down. He leads me to waters where I may rest; he gives refreshment to my soul. He takes me along paths that are straight for his name's sake. Though I should walk in a dark valley, I will fear no evils, because thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff: these comfort me.
Thou dost prepare for me a table in the sight of my adversaries; thou dost anoint my head with oil; my chalice overflows. Kindness and grace shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.
PSALM 24
A psalm of David.
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they who dwell therein. For he has established it upon the waters, and set it firmly upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who shall stand in his holy place? The innocent of hands and the pure of heart, who has not turned his mind to vanity, nor has sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and a reward from God his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek him, of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Lift up, O gates, your heads, and lift yourselves up, ye ancient portals, that the King of glory may enter! "Who is this King of glory?" "The Lord mighty in battle." Lift up, O gates, your heads, and lift yourselves up, ye ancient portals, that the King of glory may enter! "Who is this King of glory?" "The Lord of hosts: he is the King of glory."
PSALM 25
Of David.
To thee I lift up my soul, O Lord, my God. In thee I place my trust: let me not be confounded! lest my enemies rejoice over me. All who hope in thee shall not be confounded; they shall be confounded, who rashly break faith with thee. Show me, O Lord, thy ways and teach me thy paths. Direct me in thy truth and teach me, because thou art God my Savior: and in thee I hope always. Remember, O Lord, thy kindness, and thy mercies, which are of old. Recall not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; according to thy mercy remember me, on account of thy goodness, O Lord.
The Lord is good and upright: therefore he instructs sinners about the way. The humble he directs in justice, he teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are grace and fidelity to those who observe his covenant and precepts. For thy name's sake, O Lord, forgive my sin: for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? He teaches him what way to choose. He shall dwell in the midst of good things, and his seed shall possess the land. The Lord is intimate with those who fear him, and makes them to know his covenant. My eyes shall be attentive to the Lord, because he shall free my feet from the snare.
Look thou upon me and have pity on me, for I am alone and in distress. Alleviate the troubles of my heart, and free me from my anxieties. Behold my distress and my suffering, and take away all my sins. Regard my enemies: for they are many, and they hate me with a violent hatred. Guard my soul and rescue me, lest I be confounded for having taken refuge in thee. Let innocence and uprightness protect me, for I hope in thee, O Lord. Deliver Israel, O God, from all her tribulations.
PSALM 26
Of David.
Do justice to me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence, and having trusted in the Lord, I have not wavered. Search me, O Lord and try me; explore my reins and my heart.
For thy goodness is before my eyes and I walk in thy truth. I sit not with wicked men, nor do I consort with the deceivers. I hate the company of evildoers and I do not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and I walk around thy altar, O Lord, that I may declare thy praise and tell of all thy wondrous works. O Lord, I love the abode of thy house and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory.
Take not my soul away with sinners and my life with bloody men, in whose hands is crime, and whose right hand is full of bribes. But I walk in my innocence: redeem me and have mercy on me. My foot stands in a level way, I will bless the Lord in the assemblies.
PSALM 27
Of David.
The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the fortress of my life: of whom shall I be in dread? When wicked men rise up against me to eat my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they slip and fall. If a camp be pitched against me, my heart shall not fear; if a war should arise against me, I will be confident.
One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to enjoy the sweetness of the Lord, to gaze upon his temple. For he will hide me in his tent in the evil day, he will conceal me in the privacy of his tabernacle, on a rock he will lift me up. And now my head is held high over my enemies who stand round about me. And I will immolate in his tabernacle victims of exultation, I will sing songs and psalms to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, my voice with which I cry, have pity on me and listen to me. My heart speaks to thee; my face seeks thee; thy face O Lord, do I seek. Hide not thy face from me, reject not thy servant in anger. Thou art my help; do not cast me off, and do not forsake me, O God, my Savior. If my father and my mother should forsake me, the Lord would still receive me.
Teach me, O Lord, thy way, and lead me by a level path because of my adversaries. Do not deliver me up to the desire of my enemies, because lying witnesses have risen up against me, and men who breathe violence. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be brave, and let thy heart be strengthened, and wait for the Lord.
PSALM 28
Of David.
Unto thee I cry, O Lord; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if thou hear me not, I become like them who go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my leading, when I cry to thee, when I raise my hands to thy holy temple. Drag me not away with sinners and with those who commit crimes, who speak of peace with their neighbors, but have evil in their minds. Reward them according to their works and according to the malice of their crimes. Give to them according to the works of their hands, render to them their due. Because they heed not the acts of the Lord and the work of his hands, let him destroy them and not raise them up again.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord, my strength and my shield! In him has my heart confided and I have been helped; therefore my heart rejoices and I praise him with my song.
The Lord is strength to his people, and a stronghold of salvation to his anointed. Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance, and be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
PSALM 29
A psalm of David.
Give to the Lord, O sons of God, give to the Lord glory and power! Give to the Lord the glory of his name, adore the Lord in holy attire.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters! The God of majesty has thundered: The Lord is upon many waters. Mighty is the voice of the Lord! Majestic is the voice of the Lord! The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to spring like a calf, and Sarion, like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord calls forth flames of fire, the voice of the Lord shakes the desert, the Lord shakes the desert of Cades. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests: and in his temple all say: "Glory!"
The Lord sat above the flood, and the Lord shall sit king forever. The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace.
PSALM 30
A psalm of David. A song for the feast of the dedication of the temple.
I will proclaim thee, O Lord, for thou hast delivered me and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. O Lord, my God, I have cried to thee and thou hast healed me. Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from the abode of the dead; thou hast saved me from those who go down into the pit. Sing to the Lord, O ye his Saints, and give thanks to his holy name, for his anger endures for a moment, but his kindness for a lifetime. In the evening weeping comes, but gladness in the morning.
But I have said in my own confidence: "I shall never be moved." O Lord, in thy favor thou hast given me honor and power; when thou didst hide thy face, I became troubled.
I cry to thee, O Lord, and I implore the mercy of my God. "What profit is there in my blood, from my descent into the pit? Shall dust praise thee or declare thy faithfulness?" Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me, O Lord be my helper.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into a choral dance; thou hast cut my sackcloth, and thou hast girded me with joy: so that my soul may sing to thee and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give praise to thee forever.
PSALM 31
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
To thee, O Lord, I flee for safety; let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice! Bow down thy ear to me, make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a rock of refuge, a fortified citadel that thou mayest save me. For thou art my rock and my stronghold, and for thy name's sake, thou wilt lead me and direct me. Thou wilt lead me out of the net which they have hidden for me, for thou art my refuge. Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou wilt deliver me, O Lord, thou faithful God. Thou hast hated those who worship vain idols; but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast regarded my misery, thou hast helped my soul in distress, neither hast thou given me over into the hands of the enemy, but thou hast set my feet in a spacious place.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away with grief, my soul, and my body. For my life is wasted with suffering, and my years with groaning. My strength has failed in affliction, and my bones have grown weak. I have become a reproach to all my enemies, a mockery to my neighbors, and an object of terror to my acquaintances; they who see me in public, flee from me. I am lost to memory, like one that is dead. I am become as a broken vessel. For I have heard the hissing of many - terror is everywhere! Assembling together against me, they have planned to take away my life. But I put my trust in thee, O Lord, I say: Thou art my God! My lot is in thy hand: deliver me out of the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant, save me in thy mercy. O Lord, let me not be confounded, for I have called upon thee; let the wicked be confounded, let them be silenced, brought down to the abode of the dead. Let deceitful lips be made dumb, which in pride and contempt speak insultingly against the just one.
How great is thy goodness, O Lord, which thou reservest for those who fear thee, which thou showest to those who flee to thee for safety, in the sight of men. Thou shieldest them by the protection of thy countenance from the conspiracy of men. Thou hidest them in a tent from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city. But I said in my anxiety: "I am cast out from thy sight:" but thou hast heard the voice of my supplication when I cried to thee. O love the Lord, all ye his saints! The Lord looks after the faithful, but those who act proudly he repays abundantly. Take courage and let your heart be strengthened, all ye who hope in the Lord.
PSALM 32
A Maskil of David.
Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes no fault, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
While I held my peace, my bones dried up as I sighed continually. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, my strength was being consumed as by the summer heats. My sin I confessed to thee, and my guilt I did not hide; I said: "My iniquity I confess to the Lord," and thou forgavest the guilt of my sin. Therefore every devout man will pray to thee in the time of need. When many waters shall rush in, they shall not come near to him. Thou art my refuge, thou wilt preserve me from distress, thou wilt encompass me with the joy of my salvation.
I will instruct thee, and I will teach thee the way in which thou shouldst walk; I will counsel thee, keeping my eyes fixed upon thee. Be not without understanding like the horse and the mule, whose spirit is controlled by bridle and bit, otherwise they come not near to thee.
Many are the sorrows of the ungodly; but mercy encompasses him who hopes in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye just; and be jubilant, all ye upright of heart.
PSALM 33
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise becomes the upright. Give praise to the Lord on the lyre, sing to him on the ten-stringed instrument. Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work trustworthy. He loves justice and right: the earth is full of the grace of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their hosts by the breath of his mouth. He gathers together the waters of the sea as in a skin: he places the waves in vessels.
Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him. For he spoke and they were made; he commanded and they came into existence. The Lord brings to nought the counsel of the nations; he makes void the devices of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of his heart, unto all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he has chosen for his inheritance.
The Lord looks from the heavens: he sees all the children of men. From the place of his habitation, he looks upon all who dwell on the earth: he who has made the hearts of every one of them, who attends to all their works.
The king does not conquer with a great army: the warrior does not save himself by great strength. Vain is the horse for victory, and he is not saved by his great strength. Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them who fear him: on them who hope for his grace, that he may deliver their souls from death, and feed them in hunger.
Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our helper and our shield. For in him our heart rejoices, we trust in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, inasmuch as we hope in thee.
PSALM 34
Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech and, being dismissed by him, went his way.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be glorified: let the humble hear and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.
I sought the Lord and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be cheered, and that your faces be not red with shame. Behold, the miserable man has cried, and the Lord has heard, and saved him from all his straits. The angel of the Lord encamps round about them who fear him, and he delivers them. O taste, and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who flees to him for safety. Fear the Lord, O ye his saints, for there is no want to those who fear him. The powerful have become poor and have suffered hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not lack any good.
Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who loves life, who desires the day in order to enjoy good things? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from deceitful words. Turn away from evil and do good, seek after peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their cries. The countenance of the Lord is turned against those who do evil things, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The just cried and the Lord heard them; and he delivered them from all their troubles. The Lord is near unto the contrite of heart: he saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the just man; but the Lord delivers him from all of them. He guards all his bones: not even one of them shall be broken. Malice brings the wicked man to his death, and they who hate the just shall be punished. The Lord delivers the souls of his servants, nor will he be punished whoever flees to him for refuge.
PSALM 35
Of David.
Contend against them, O Lord, who contend against me, overthrow them who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me. Brandish the spear and restrain those who pursue me, say to my soul: "I am thy salvation." Let them be confounded and ashamed who seek after my life, let them fall back and be stricken with shame who devise evil against me. May they be like chaff before the wind, when the angel of the Lord shall drive them away. Let their way become dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord shall pursue them.
For without cause they have spread their net for me, without cause they have dug a pit for my life. Let destruction come to them without warning, and let the net which they have spread, catch themselves: may they themselves fall into the pit which they dug. But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, it shall rejoice because of his help. My whole being shall say: "Lord, who is like to thee, thou who snatchest the helpless man from the very powerful one, the helpless and the poor man from the despoiler?" Violent witnesses rose up: they questioned me concerning those things of which I knew not. They repaid me evil for good, to the desolation of my soul.
But I, when they were sick, put on haircloth, I humbled my soul with fasting, and poured out prayers within me. As for a friend, or a brother, I walked in sorrow, I was bent with grief, as one who mourns a mother. But when I slipped, they rejoiced and came together, they came together against me, afflicting me, I know not why. They slandered me, nor did they cease, they provoked me, they scoffed at me, gnashing their teeth against me.
O Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Snatch thou my soul from their roarings, my life from the lions. I will give thanks to thee in the great assembly, I will praise thee amidst the great multitude. Let not my unjust enemies rejoice over me; nor let them wink to me with their eyes who hate me without cause. For they speak not of peace, and they plot against the peaceful of the land. And they open their mouth wide against me, they say: "Ha, Ha! We have seen with our eyes!" Thou hast seen, O Lord! Be not silent, O Lord, be not far from me! Awake and be watchful for my defense, my God and my Lord, for my cause! Judge me according to thy justice, O Lord; my God, let them not rejoice over me! Let them not say in their hearts: "Ah! Just what we wanted!" Let them not say: "We have swallowed him up." Let them be confounded and be ashamed all together, who rejoice at my woes; let them be clothed with confusion and shame, who rise up against me. Let them rejoice and be glad who favor my cause, and say always: "The Lord be praised who favors the salvation of his servant." And my tongue shall declare thy justice, and thy praise forever.
PSALM 36
Of the choir-master. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
Iniquity speaks to the wicked in his heart; the fear of God is not before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his mind that his fault is not discovered nor abhorred. The works of his mouth are iniquity and guile, he has ceased to know and to act rightly. He devises iniquity on his bed, he is set in an evil way, he turns not away from evil.
O Lord, thy mercy reaches heaven, thy faithfulness unto the clouds. Thy justice is as the mountains of God, thy judgments as the deep sea: thou preservest men and beasts, O Lord. How precious is thy grace, O God: the children of men flee for safety under the shadow of thy wings; they are filled with the treasure of thy house, and thou makest them to drink of the torrent of thy delights. For with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light we see light.
Save thy grace for those who worship thee, and thy justice for the upright of heart. Let not the foot of the proud man tread upon me nor the hand of the sinner move me. Behold the workers of iniquity have fallen: they are overthrown, nor can they rise.
PSALM 37
Of David.
Be not angry because of evildoers, nor envious of those who work iniquity, for like grass they will quickly fall and like green herbs will they wither. Trust in the Lord and do good, that thou mayest dwell in the land and enjoy security. Delight in the Lord and he will give thee what thy heart desires. Commit thy way to the Lord and trust in him, and he will act. And he will make thy justice to rise like the light, thy cause like the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and trust in him. Be not angry with him who prospers in his way, and with the man who devises evil things. Cease from anger and put away thy wrath; be not angered, lest thou do evil. For evildoers shall be destroyed; but they who trust in the Lord shall possess the land. And a little while, and the wicked shall be no more; and if thou look for his place, it shall no longer be. But the meek shall possess the land, and shall be delighted in abundance of peace. The wicked man plots against the just man and gnashes his teeth against him. The Lord laughs at him, because he sees that his day is near. The wicked draw out the sword and bend their bow to strike down the helpless and the poor, and slay those who walk in the right path. Their sword shall pierce their own hearts and their bows shall be broken. Better is the little which the just man has, than the great wealth of the wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord sustains the just. The Lord has care for the life of upright men, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be confounded in the time of adversity, and in the days of famine they shall be filled. Truly the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall wither away as the beauty of the meadows, they shall vanish like smoke. The wicked man borrows and does not repay, but the just man shows mercy and gives.
For those whom he has blessed, shall possess the land, and those whom he has cursed shall perish. The steps of a man are strengthened by the Lord, and he approves his way. Although he shall fall, he is not cast down, because the Lord sustains his hand. I was a boy and now I am old, and I have not seen the just man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He shows mercy and lends at all times; and his seed shall be blessed. Turn from evil and do good that thou mayest endure forever. For the Lord loves justice and does not abandon his saints; the wicked shall be destroyed, and the seed of the wicked shall be blotted out. The just shall possess the land and shall dwell in it forever. The mouth of the just speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks out the right. The law of his God is in his heart and his steps waver not. The wicked man observes the just man, and strives to kill him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor will he condemn him when he shall be judged. Trust in the Lord, and keep his way; and he will lead thee forward so that thou shalt possess the land; joyful, thou shalt see the destruction of the wicked. I have been a wicked man in his pride and spreading himself out like a flourishing cedar. And I passed by, and lo, he was not; and I sought him and he was not found. Observe the upright man and consider the just man: for posterity is for the peaceful man. But the sinners shall all be destroyed, the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the just is from the Lord; he is their refuge in time of trouble. And the Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they flee to him for refuge.
PSALM 38
A psalm of David. For a remembrance.
O Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor upbraid me in thy wrath. For thy arrows are stuck fast in me, and thy hand has come down upon me. There is no health in my flesh because of thy indignation, there is no soundness in my bones on account of my sin. For my iniquities have risen up over my head, like a heavy burden they weigh me down exceedingly.
My sores grow fetid, they fester because of my folly. I am bent down, am stooped exceedingly, I walk about sorrowful all the day long. For my loins are wholly inflamed, and there is no health in my flesh. I have grown languid, I am crushed exceedingly. I roar because of the groaning of my heart. O Lord, all my yearning is before thee, and my sighing is not hidden from thee. My heart throbs quickly, my strength has left me, and the very light of my eyes fails me. My friends and my associates stand far off from my disease, and my near of kin keep at a distance. They who lie in wait for my life lay snares, and they who seek evil against me threaten with disaster, and devise treacheries at all times.
But I, like one who is deaf, hear not, and I am like a dumb man opening not his mouth. And I am become like a man who hears not, and who has no answer in his mouth. For in thee, O Lord, I place my trust: thou wilt hear, O Lord, my God. For I say: "Let them not rejoice over me; while my foot is slipping, let them not glory against me."
For I am on the point of falling, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I confess my iniquity, and because of my sin I am troubled. But they are strong, who oppose me without cause, and they are many, who hate me unjustly; and they who repay evil for good, persecute me, because I follow that which is good. Abandon me not, O Lord, my God, stay not far from me! Hasten to my aid, O Lord, my salvation!
PSALM 39
Of the choir-master, Idithun. A psalm of David.
I said: I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth, while the wicked man is before me. I kept silence, destitute of good things, but my sorrow has broken out again. My heart grew hot within me; when I contemplated, a fire flamed out; I spoke with my tongue.
Make known to me, O Lord, my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Behold thou hast made my days but a short span, and my life is as nothing before thee: every man is nothing but a breath. Man passes like a mere shadow, his confusion is all in vain; he stores up and knows not who shall take possession of these things.
And now what do I wait for, O Lord? My trust is in thee. Deliver thou me from all my iniquities, and hand me not over to the reproach of the foolish.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth: for thou hast done it. Remove thy scourge from me: I am consumed by the blow of thy hand. Thou, by rebuke, chastenest man for wickedness; thou destroyest like a moth, his precious things: every man is but a breath. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry, be not heedless of my tears. For I am a guest with thee, a sojourner, as were all my fathers. Turn thy eyes from me, that I may recover, before I go and am no more.
PSALM 40
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
I hoped, I hoped in the Lord, and he stooped down to me, and he heard my cry. And he drew me out of the pit of destruction, from the mire of the swamp, and he set my feet upon a rock, he made firm my steps. And he put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall see, and they shall be filled with awe, and they shall hope in the Lord.
Blessed is the man, who has put his trust in the Lord, and does not follow those who worship idols and who go aside after false gods. Many are the wonders thou hast done, O Lord, my God, and in thy designs toward us there is none like to thee. If I would tell and speak of them, they are beyond counting.
Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, but thou hast opened my ears. A holocaust and a victim for sin thou didst not require: then said I: "Behold I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me: To do thy will, O my God, is my delight, and thy law is in my inmost heart." I have proclaimed thy justice in a great assembly; behold I have not put a check upon my lips; O Lord, thou knowest. Thy justice I have not hidden in my heart; thy fidelity and thy help I have declared. I have not concealed thy grace and thy fidelity from a great assembly.
Do not thou, O Lord, withhold thy favors from me; may thy favor and thy fidelity ever preserve me. For evils without number have encompassed me, my sins have laid hold of me, so that I cannot see. They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my courage has failed me.
May it please thee, O Lord, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let all be confounded and put to shame, who seek my life to take it away. Let them be turned back and be abashed, who take delight in my miseries. Let them be astonished by reason of their confusion, who say to me: Ha, Ha! Let all who seek thee, rejoice in thee and be glad, and may they ever repeat, who desire thy help: "The Lord be magnified." I, however, am wretched and poor; but the Lord is solicitous for me. My helper and my deliverer art thou; my God, do not tarry.
PSALM 41
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
Blessed is he who thinks of the needy and the poor: the Lord will save him in the evil day. The Lord will watch over him, and preserve his life, and make him happy on earth, and he will not deliver him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord will help him on his bed of pain: in his sickness he will take away his infirmity entirely.
I say: O Lord, have pity upon me; heal me, because I have sinned against thee. My enemies speak evil concerning me: "When shall he die and his name perish?" And he speaks vain things, who comes to visit me; his heart collects falsehoods, going out he speaks them abroad. All who hate me whisper together against me; they devise evil things against me: "An evil pestilence has fallen upon him," and "He who has taken to his bed, shall rise from it no more." Even my friend, in whom I trusted, who partook of my bread, has raised his heel against me.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. By this shall I know that thou dost favor me, that my enemy shall not exult over me. But thou wilt preserve me unharmed, and thou wilt keep me in thy sight forever. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity. So be it, so be it.
PSALM 42
Of the choir-master. A Maskil of the sons of Core.
As the hind longs for streams of waters, so my soul longs for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God: when shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have become my bread day and night, while they say to me daily: "Where is thy God?" This I recall and I pour out my soul within me: how I used to walk in the midst of the throng, how I would go before them to the house of God, amid acclamations of exultation and praise, in a festive assembly. Why art thou depressed, O my soul, and art disturbed within me? Hope in God, because I shall again give praise to him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.
My soul is depressed within me: therefore I recall thee from the land of the Jordan and Hermon, from the mountain of Misar. Torrent calls unto torrent in the noise of thy cataracts: all thy billows and waves have passed over me. May the Lord bestow his grace throughout the day, and in the night I will sing to him, I will praise the God of my life. I say to God: My Rock, why dost thou forget me? Why do I go about sad, oppressed by the enemy? My bones are crushed, while my adversaries reproach me, while they say to me daily: "Where is thy God?" Why art thou depressed, O my soul, and art disturbed within me? Hope in God, because I shall again give praise to him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.
PSALM 43
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against a nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. For thou art my strength, O God: why hast thou cast me off? Why do I go sorrowful, whilst the enemy afflicts me? Send forth thy light and thy faithfulness: let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill and into thy tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, to the God of my joy and exultation, and I will give praise to thee upon the harp, O God, my God! Why art thou sad, O my soul, and troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will again praise him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.
PSALM 44
Of the choir-master. A Maskil of the sons of Core.
We have heard, O God, with our ears, our fathers have related to us the work thou hast wrought in their days, in the days of old. Thou didst plant them with thy hand after the nations were driven out; thou didst give them broad lands when the nations were destroyed. For not by their own sword did they occupy the land, nor did their own arm save them, but thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hast loved them. Thou art my king, my God, who didst give victories to Jacob. Through thee we have repelled our adversaries, and in thy name we have trampled under foot those who rose up against us. For I have not trusted in my bow, nor has my sword saved me. But thou hast saved us from our adversaries and thou hast confounded those who hate us. At all times, we gloried in God, and praised thy name unceasingly.
But now thou hast cast us off and put us to shame, and thou dost not go out with our armies, O God. Thou hast made us yield to our adversaries, and they who hate us have plundered for themselves. Thou hast given us up as sheep to be slaughtered, and hast dispersed us among the nations. Thou hast sold thy people for no price, nor hast thou profited much from their sale. Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoff and a derision to those who are around us. Thou hast made us a byword among the nations, people wag their heads concerning us. My ignominy is perpetually before me and confusion covers my face, because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, because of the foe and the enemy.
All this has befallen us, although we have not forgotten thee, nor have we broken thy covenant, nor has our heart turned back, nor has our step strayed from thy path, when thou hast destroyed us in the place of our affliction and hast covered us with darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God, and spread forth our hands to a strange god: would not God have searched out those things? for he knows the secrets of the heart. But for thy sake we are slaughtered at all times, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake! Why dost thou sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Reject us not forever. Why dost thou hide thy face? Why dost thou forget our misery and our oppression? For our soul is prostrate in the dust, our belly lies on the ground. Arise to our aid, and deliver us for thy mercy's sake.
PSALM 45
Of the choir-master. To the medody of "The Lilies." A Maskil of the sons of Core. A love song.
My heart pours forth a good word: I speak my poem to the king; my tongue is the pen of the swift writer.
Thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured out upon thy lips: therefore God has blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty one, thy glory and thy adornment! Go forth to triumph for faith and justice, and may thy right hand teach thee valorous deeds. Thy arrows are sharp, nations submit to thee, the enemies of the king lost heart. Thy throne, O God, is forevermore; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou dost love justice and hate iniquity: therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee, with oil of gladness above thy fellows. Thy garments are perfumed with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from houses of ivory the music of stringed instruments gladdens thee. The daughters of kings come forth to meet thee, adorned with gold of Ophir, the queen stands at thy right hand.
Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear, forget thy people and thy father's house. And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty: he is thy Lord; do thou bow before him. And the people of Tyre come with gifts; the leaders of the people court thy favor. The daughter of the king enters all adorned; of cloth of gold is her raiment. Clothed with a garment of many colors she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, are brought in to thee. With gladness and rejoicing they are conducted in, they enter into the palace of the king.
In place of thy fathers there shall be thy sons; thou shalt set them as princes over all the earth. I shall be mindful of thy name unto all generations and generations; therefore the nations shall glorify thee forever.
PSALM 46
Of the choir-master. Of the sons of Core. To the melody of "The Virgins." A song.
God is our refuge and our strength; he has proved himself greatly a helper in distress. Therefore we do not fear, while the land is overturned, and the mountains sink into the midst of the sea. Let its waters roar and foam, let the mountains quake with its violence: The Lord of hosts is with us; our secure fortress is the God of Jacob.
Streams from the river give joy to the city of God, the most holy tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst thereof, it shall not be moved; God will help it at the break of dawn. Nations were in an uproar, kingdoms were shaken; he thundered with his voice, the earth melted away: The Lord of hosts is with us; our secure fortress is the God of Jacob.
Come and behold the works of the Lord, the astonishing things he wrought upon the earth. He makes wars cease even unto the end of the earth, he destroys the bows and breaks the spears, and burns the shields with fire. Be still, and acknowledge that I am God, supreme among the nations, supreme on earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; our secure fortress is the God of Jacob.
PSALM 47
Of the choir-master. A psalm of the sons of Core.
Clap your hands, all ye peoples, shout unto God with the voice of joy, for the Lord most high is terrible, a great king over all the earth. He subdues the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob, whom he loves. God has ascended amid rejoicing, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our king, sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth, sing a hymn. God reigns over the nations, God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham. For the illustrious of the earth are of God: he is greatly exalted.
PSALM 48
A song. A psalm of the sons of Core.
Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, a beautiful hill, is the joy of the whole earth; Mount Sion, on the north side, is the city of the great King. God proved himself to be a safe defense in her strongholds.
For behold the kings assembled, they invaded together. They had barely seen, they were amazed, they were troubled, they have dispersed. Trembling took hold of them in that very place, a pain as of a woman in labor, as when the east wind breaks the ships of Tharsis in pieces.
As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God strengthens it forever. We have called to mind, O God, thy mercy within thy temple. As thy name, O God, so thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Thy right hand is full of justice: let Mount Sion rejoice. Let the cities of Juda be glad because of thy judgments.
Pass through Sion, and walk around her, count her towers. Consider her fortifications, hasten to her fortresses, that you may relate to a future generation: so great is God, our God forever and always: he will head us.
PSALM 49
Of the choir-master. A psalm of the sons of Core.
Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all you inhabitants of the world, humble by birth as well as noble men, rich and poor alike. My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart, understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb, I will unravel my riddle to the sound of a lyre.
Why should I fear in evil days, when the malice of those who plot against me encompasses me, those who trust in their wealth and glory in the abundance of their riches? For neither can anyone free himself, nor render to God the price of his redemption: the ransom of his soul is too great nor will it ever be enough, so that he might live forever and not see death. He shall see that wise men die, that the senseless and the fool likewise perish, and leave their wealth to strangers. Their sepulchres are their houses forever, their dwelling places to all generations, although they have called lands by their own names. For man shall not abide in wealth: he is like unto the beasts that perish.
This is the way of those who foolishly trust, and this is the end of those who are happy with their lot. Like sheep they are placed in the abode of the dead; death shepherds them, and the just rule over them. Their forms shall quickly be consumed, and the abode of the dead shall be their dwelling place. But God will deliver my soul from the abode of the dead, for he will take me away from it. Be not thou afraid, if anyone be made rich, if the wealth of his house is increased: for neither shall he take any of it with him when he dies, nor shall his riches descend with him. Although he boasted of himself in his lifetime: "They shall praise thee because thou didst well for thyself," he shall go to the assembly of his fathers who shall not see light forever. Man living in wealth and not in understanding is like unto beasts that perish.
PSALM 50
A psalm of Asaph.
The Lord God has spoken and he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof. Out of Sion, filled with beauty, God shines forth: our God comes and is not silent. A consuming fire precedes him, and a tempest rages around him. He calls the heavens from above and the earth, that he is about to judge his people: "Gather ye around me, my saints who ratified my covenant with sacrifice." And the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself is the judge.
"Hear, O my people, I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, thy God. I do not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, for thy burnt offerings are always before me. I will not take a calf out of thy house nor he-goats of thy flocks: for all the beasts of the woods are mine, the thousands of beasts in my mountains. I know all the birds of the air, and what moves in the field is known to me. If I should be hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine and the fullness thereof. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or shall I drink the blood of goats? Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows to the Most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will free thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
But God says to the sinner: "Why dost thou declare my precepts, and have my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hast hated discipline: and hast cast my words behind thee. When thou didst see a thief, thou didst run with him, and with adulterers thou wast a partaker. Thou didst open thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue framed deceits. Sitting, thou didst speak against thy brother, thou didst slander thy mother's son. These things hast thou done, and shall I be silent? Didst thou think me to be like thyself? I will remove thee and spread these things before thy eyes.
"Understand these things, you who are unmindful of God, lest I snatch you away and there be none to deliver you. He who offers the sacrifice of praise honors me, and he who walks honestly, to him will I show the salvation of God."
PSALM 51
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David, when Nathan, the prophet, came to him, after he sinned with Bethsabee.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy mercy; according to the multitude of thy kindnesses blot out my iniquity. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt, and cleanse me of my sin.
For I confess my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee alone have I sinned and, what is evil in thy sight, I have done, that thou mayest be seen to be just in thy sentence, right in thy judgment. Behold, I was born in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou dost delight in sincerity of heart, and thou dost teach me wisdom in my inmost heart.
Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, let the bones which thou hast crushed rejoice. Turn thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create a pure heart in me, O God, and a resolute spirit renew within me. Cast me not from thy face, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a noble spirit.
I will teach the wicked thy ways, and sinners shall be converted to thee. Deliver me from the penalty of blood, O God, God my Savior: let my tongue rejoice exceedingly because of thy justice. O Lord, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise. For thou dost not delight in sacrifice; and a holocaust, were I to give it, thou wouldst not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Deal favorably, O Lord, according to thy goodness, with Sion, that thou mayest rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then wilt thou accept the prescribed sacrifices, oblations and holocausts, then shall they offer calves upon thy altar.
PSALM 52
Of the choir-master. A Maskil. Of David. After Doeg, the Edomite, came to Saul and told him, saying: David has entered into Abimelech's house.
Why dost thou glory in malice, thou who art very powerful in infamy? All the time, thou dost meditate ruin, thy tongue is like a sharp razor, thou worker of deceit. Thou lovest evil more than good, falsehood more than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all pernicious speeches, O deceitful tongue!
Therefore, will God destroy thee, he will remove thee forever, he will draw thee out from thy tent and he will uproot thee from the land of the living.
The just shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him: "Behold the man who made not God his fortification, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and gathered strength by his crimes." But I, like a blooming olive tree in the house of God; put my trust in the mercy of God forever. I will praise thee forever, because thou hast done it, and I will declare thy name, for it is good in the sight of thy saints.
PSALM 53
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Mahalet." A Maskil of David.
The fool says in his heart: "There is no God." They are corrupted, they have done abominable things, and there is none who does good. God looks from heaven upon the children of men, to see whether there is anyone who knows and seeks God. All have wandered away together, all have been perverted; there is none who does good, there is not even one.
Will they not recover their senses, they who do evil, who devour my people as they eat bread, who call not upon God? They have trembled for fear, where there was no fear, because God has scattered the bones of those who besieged thee; they have been confounded, because God has rejected them.
O that the salvation of Israel would come forth from Sion! When God shall change his people's lot, Jacob shall be joyful, Israel shall be glad.
PSALM 54
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came to Saul, saying: "Behold, David is hidden among us."
O God, save me by thy name, and defend my cause with thy strength. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. For proud men have risen against me, and the violent have sought my life; they have not set God before their eyes.
Behold, God aids me, the Lord supports my life. Turn the evil upon my adversaries, and in thy fidelity destroy them. Gladly will I offer sacrifice to thee. I will glorify thy name, O Lord, because it is good. For he has snatched me out of every tribulation, and my eye has seen my enemies confounded.
PSALM 55
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
Give ear to my prayer, O God, and draw not away from my supplication, attend to me and hear me. I am driven about in my anguish and I am troubled, because of the voice of the enemy and the cry of the sinner. For they inflict evils on me and attack me in anger. My heart is troubled within me and the fear of death falls upon me. Fear and trembling are come upon me, horror covers me. And I say: O if I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would go far away and remain in the wilderness. I would quickly seek a refuse for myself against the whirlwind and the tempest.
Scatter, O Lord, divide their tongues, for I see violence and discord in the city: day and night they go around upon its walls, and iniquity and oppression are in its midst. Plots are in its midst, and injury and deceit do not depart from its streets. If an enemy had reviled me, certainly, I would have borne it. If he who hates me had risen up against me, I would have hidden myself from him. But it was thou, my comrade, my friend, my confidant, with whom I had a sweet companionship, we have walked in the house of God with the festive gathering.
Let death rush upon them, and let them go down alive into the abode of the dead, for there is wickedness in their dwellings, in their midst. But I will cry unto God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will lament and groan, and he will hear my voice. He will deliver me in peace from those who attack me: for many are against me. God, who reigns from eternity, will hear and will humble them, for neither are they changed nor do they fear God: everyone stretches forth his hand against his comrade, he violates his pact,. Smoother than butter is his face, but his heart is warlike. Smoother than oil are his words, but they are drawn swords. Cast thy care upon the Lord and he will sustain thee: he will never allow the just man to waver. And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I trust in thee, O Lord.
PSALM 56
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The dove of the distant Terebimth." A Miktam. Of David. When the Philistines held him captive in Gath.
Have mercy on me, O God, for man has trodden me under foot, always fighting, he oppresses me. My enemies tread me down perpetually, for there are many who wage war against me. O Most High, on the day when fear assails me, I will trust in thee. In God, whose promise I praise, in God I trust, I will not fear: what will flesh do to me?
All day long they disparage me, all their thoughts are against me unto evil. They assemble together, they lie in ambush, they observe my footsteps, seeking my life. Repay them for their wickedness, O God, cast down the nations in thy anger. Thou hast noted the ways of my exile; my tears are stored in thy water-bag: are they not recorded in thy book? Then shall my enemies fall back, whenever I call upon thee; this I know full well, that God is for me. In God, whose promise I praise, in God I trust, I will not fear: what will man do to me?
I am held by vows which I have made to thee, O God, I will offer to thee sacrifices of praise, because thou hast delivered my life from death, my feet from falling, that I might walk before God in the light of the living.
PSALM 57
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Destroy not." A Miktam of David. When he fled from Saul into a cave.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for my soul takes refuge in thee, and in the shadow of thy wings I seek refuge, till the calamity passes. I cry to God, the Most High, to God who does good to me. May he send from heaven and deliver me, may he bring disgrace upon those who persecute me; may God send his grace and faithfulness. I lie down in the midst of lions, who hungrily devour the children of men. Their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God; above the heavens, may thy glory be above all the earth.
They prepared a snare for my steps: they bowed down my soul; they have dug a pit before me: may they fall into it. My heart is firm, O God, my heart is firm; I will sing and make melody. Awake, O my soul; awake, psaltery and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great even unto heaven, and thy faithfulness even unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; may thy glory be above all the earth!
PSALM 58
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Destroy not." A Miktam of David.
Do you truly speak justice, O powerful ones? Do you judge rightly, O children of men? Rather in your hearts you work iniquity, your hands dispense injustice in the land. From the mother's womb, the wicked have departed from the way, from birth, they who speak lies have gone astray. Their poison is like the poison of the snake, the poison of the deaf asp which stops up its ears, lest it hear the voice of the charmers, nor of the wizard who cleverly chants his charms. O God, crush their teeth in their mouth; break into pieces, O Lord, the molars of lions. May they dissolve like the waters which run down; if they direct their arrows, may they be as if blunted. May they pass like the snail which melts away, like the aborted foetus of a woman which sees not the sun. Before you earthenware jars feel the thorn-bush, may the rage of the whirlwind snatch it away while it is yet green. The just man shall rejoice when he sees revenge, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked man. And men shall say: Certainly, there is a reward for the just man, indeed, there is a God who judges on the earth.
PSALM 59
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Destroy not." A Miktam of David. When Saul sent men to watch the house in order to kill him.
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, and defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from those who work iniquity and save me from bloody men. For, behold, they plot against my life, powerful men conspire against me. There is neither crime nor sin in me, O Lord: through no fault of mine they rush forward and attack me. Bestir thyself, meet me and see; for thou, O Lord of hosts, art the God of Israel. Rise up, punish all the nations, show no mercy to any of the traitors. They return in the evening, they howl like dogs and rush through the city. Behold, they boast with their mouths; insults are on their lips: "For who hears?" But thou, O Lord, dost laugh at them, thou dost have scorn for all the nations. O my strength, to thee will I turn, for thou, O God, art my fortress, O my God, my mercy!
May God come to help me, may he grant that I gloat over my enemies. O God slay them, lest they harm my people, throw them into disorder by thy strength and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. The sin of their mouth is the speech of their lips, and let them be caught in their own pride and in the curses and lies which they utter. Destroy them in thy anger, destroy them so that they be no more, so that it may be known that God rules over Jacob and unto the ends of the earth. They return in the evening, they howl like dogs and rush through the city; they roam about seeking food; if they are not filled they snarl in anger. But I will sing thy strength and will rejoice in thy mercy in the morning, because thou hast become my fortress and refuge in the day of trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing, for thou, O God art my fortress, my God, my mercy.
PSALM 60
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The Lily of the Law." A Miktam of David. To teach. When he went forth against Aram Naharaim and against Aram Soba, and when Joab, running back, defeated Edom in the valley of salt: 12,000 (men).
O God, thou hast cast me off, thou hast pierced our battle lines, thou hast been angry: restore us. Thou hast shaken the earth, thou hast torn it asunder; heal its breaches: for it trembles. Thou hast placed hard things upon thy people, thou hast made us drink strong wine. Thou hast given a banner to those who fear thee, that they might flee from the bow; that thy beloved might be delivered, help with thy right hand, and hear us.
God has spoken in his sanctuary: "I will rejoice and I will divide Sichem and I will measure out the valley of Succoth. Mine is the land of Galaad and mine is the land of Manasses, and Ephraim is my helmet, Juda, my sceptre. Moab is the bowl wherein I wash, on Edom I will place my shoe, I will triumph over Philistæa."
Who will lead me into the strong city? Who will lead me even unto Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off, wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our armies? Give us help against the enemy, for vain is the succor of men. Through God we shall act bravely, and he himself will crush our enemies.
PSALM 61
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. Of David.
Hear, O God, my cry, be attentive to my prayer. To thee I cry, from the ends of the earth, when my heart grows faint. Thou wilt place me high on a rock, and wilt give me rest, for thou art my fortress, a strong tower against the enemy. Would that I might dwell forever in thy tabernacle, and seek refuge under the covering of thy wings!
For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast given me the inheritance of those who fear thy name. Add days to the days of the king, let his years be equal to many generations; let him reign before God forever; send grace and faithfulness to preserve him. So will I always sing to thy name, and every day I will pay my vows.
PSALM 62
Of the choir-master. To the melody of Iduthum. A psalm of David.
Only in God does my soul rest, from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation: my fortress: in nowise shall I be moved. How long will you rush upon a man, all of you, overthrowing him, like a leaning wall, like a falling rampart? Truly, they plot to cast me down from my high place, they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth and curse within their heart.
Trust in God alone, O my soul, because what I hope for comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress: I shall not be moved. With God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength: my refuge is in God. O people, trust in him at all times; pour out your hearts before him: God is our refuge!
The children of men are only a breath, the sons of men are deceitful: they rise high in the balance, altogether lighter than a breath. Trust not to oppression, nor glory vainly in robbery; if wealth increases, set not your heart upon it. One thing God did speak; these two things have I heard: "Power belongs to God, and to thee, O Lord, mercy; for thou wilt render to every man according to his work."
PSALM 63
A psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Juda.
O God, thou art my God: thee do I ardently seek; for thee does my soul thirst, thee does my flesh desire, as an arid and parched land, without water. Thus in the sanctuary do I look up to thee, that I may behold thy power and thy glory. For thy favor is better than life, my lips shall declare thy praises.
Thus will I bless thee throughout my life, in thy name I will raise aloft my hands. As with marrow and fatness my soul shall be filled, and with rejoicing lips my mouth shall praise thee, when upon my bed I will be mindful of thee, in the night watches I will think upon thee. For thou hast become my helper, and in the shadow of thy wings I exultingly rejoice: my soul cleaves to thee, thy right hand supports me.
But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth. They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portion of foxes. The king, however, shall rejoice in God, everyone who swears by him shall glory, because the mouth of those who speak evil shall be stopped.
PSALM 64
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
O God, hear my voice, while I bewail; guard my soul from the fear of the enemy. Protect me from the council of the wicked, from the uproar of the workers of iniquity, who whet their tongues like a sword, who direct their poisoned words like arrows, that they might slay the innocent man from their hiding places, and fearing nothing might strike him unawares. They are strongly set upon an evil design, they conspire to lay their snares secretly, they say: "Who will see us?" They devise nefarious deeds, they hide the planned schemes, and the thought and heart of each one is deep.
But God strikes them with arrows, without warning they are afflicted with wounds, and their own tongue makes ready their ruin: all they who see them, wag their heads. All men fear and declare the work of God, and ponder his deeds. The just man rejoices in the Lord and seeks refuge in him, and all who are of right heart rejoice.
PSALM 65
Of the choir-master. A psalm, a song of David.
A hymn is due to thee, O God, in Sion and to thee, who hearest prayers, let a vow be paid. All flesh comes to thee because of iniquities. Our sins weigh heavily upon us; thou dost take them away. Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and adopt: he dwells in thy courts. May we be filled with the good things of thy house, with the holiness of thy temple.
By stupendous signs thou dost hear us in justice, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas afar off, thou who dost give firmness to the mountains by thy strength, who art girded with power, thou who dost quiet the roaring of the sea, the roaring of its waves and the turbulence of nations: and they who inhabit the ends of the earth, fear, because of thy wonders; the uttermost parts of the East and of the West thou dost fill with joy.
Thou hast visited the earth and hast watered it, greatly hast thou enriched it. The river of God abounds with water, thou hast prepared grain for them; for thus hast thou prepared it: its furrows thou hast watered, its clods thou hast made smooth, with showers thou hast softened it, thou hast blessed its sprouting seed. Thou hast crowned the year with thy kindness, and thy paths drip with fatness. The pasture lands of the desert drip, and the hills gird themselves with great joy. The fields are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are covered with grain: they cry aloud and sing.
PSALM 66
Of the choir-master. A song. A psalm.
Shout with joy to God, all ye lands, sing the glory of his name, render high praise unto him. Say unto God: How wonderful are thy works! Because of the greatness of thy strength, thy enemies flatter thee. Let all the earth adore thee and sing to thee, let it sing thy name.
Come and see the works of God: he did wondrous deeds among the children of men! He turned the sea into dry land; they have crossed the river on foot: therefore, let us rejoice in him! By his power he rules forever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious extol themselves. Bless our God, O nations and declare the fame of his praise, who has given life to our soul, nor does he suffer our foot to stumble. For thou, O God, hast proved us; thou hast tried us by fire just as silver is tried; thou hast led us into a snare; thou hast laid a heavy burden on our loins; thou hast set men over our heads; we have passed through fire and water: but thou hast given us relief.
I will go into thy house with burnt offerings, I will fulfill my vows to thee, which my lips made known and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. I will offer thee burnt offerings of fat sheep with the fat of rams: I will offer up bulls with he-goats. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you how many great things he has done for my soul! I have cried to him with my mouth, and I praised him with my tongue. If I intended iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me. But God has heard: he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer nor withdrawn his mercy from me.
PSALM 67
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
May God have mercy on us and bless us; may he show his shining countenance to us, that they may know his way upon earth, his salvation among all nations. May the people praise thee, O God, may all the people praise thee. May the nations be glad and rejoice, for thou judgest the people with justice, and thou rulest the nations upon earth. May the people praise thee, O God, may all the people praise thee. The earth has yielded its fruit: God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
PSALM 68
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David. A song.
God arises, his enemies are scattered and they who hate him flee from before his face. As smoke is scattered, so they are scattered, as wax melts away before the fire, so sinners perish before God. But the just rejoice, they exult in the sight of God, they delight with gladness.
Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name; make ready a path for him who is borne through the desert, the Lord is his name, and rejoice before him. Father of orphans and protector of widows, God is in his holy dwelling. God prepares a home for derelicts, he leads forth captives unto prosperity: only the rebellious live in the parched land.
O God, when thou didst go forth before thy people, when thou didst move through the desert, the earth was moved and the heavens dropped dew before God, Sinai trembled before God, the God of Israel. Thou has sent down, O God, a plentiful rain upon thy inheritance, and upon being weary, thou hast renewed it. Thy flock hast dwelled therein, in thy bounty thou hast prepared it for the poor, O God.
The Lord gives the word; the joyful crowd of messengers is great: "The kings of the armies are fleeing, fleeing; and the inhabitants of the house divide the spoils. While thou didst rest amongst the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove were shining with silver, and its feathers, with the brightness of gold. While the Almighty was scattering the kings there, snow fell in Salmon!"
High mountains are the mountains of Basan, rugged mountains are the mountains of Basan. Why look up enviously, O rugged mountains, at the mountain on which God is pleased to dwell, yea, on this the Lord will dwell forever? There are a myriad chariots of God, thousands upon thousands: the Lord comes from Sinai into the sanctuary. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led the captives, thou hast received man as a gift, even those who are not willing to dwell with the Lord God.
Blessed be the Lord, day after day: God, our salvation, bears our burdens! Our God is the God who saves, and the Lord God gives deliverance from death. Indeed, God crushes the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his own sins. The Lord said: "I will bring back from Basan, I will bring back from the bottom of the sea, that thou mayest dip thy foot in blood, that the tongues of thy dogs might have their share of the enemies."
They see thy going, O God, the going of my God, of my king, into the sanctuary: the singers precede, the harpists follow after, in their midst young girls play on timbrels. "Bless God, the Lord, in festive gatherings, ye children of Israel." There is Benjamin, the youngest born, preceding them, the princes of Juda, with their followers, the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephtali.
Show thy power, O God, thy power, O God, who dost work for us! Because of thy temple which is in Jerusalem, let kings offer presents unto thee! Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, let them cast themselves down with pieces of silver: scatter thou the nations that delight in wars. Let the great ones come from Egypt, let Ethiopia stretch out her arms to God.
Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth, sing to the Lord, who is borne through the heavens, the heavens of old! Behold he gives out his voice, his powerful voice: "Acknowledge the power of God!" His majesty is over Israel and his power is in the clouds. God is to be feared from his sanctuary, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
PSALM 69
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The Lilies." A psalm of David.
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I am stuck fast in the mire of the deep, and there is nowhere to set my foot. I am come into deep waters, and the waves overwhelm me. I have grown weary with crying, my throat has become hoarse; my eyes have failed while I await my God. More numerous than the hairs of my head are they who hate me without cause, stronger than my bones are they who unjustly oppose me: shall I return that which I took not away?
O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my offenses are not hidden from thee. Let not those who trust in thee be confounded because of me, O Lord, Lord of Hosts. Let not those who seek thee be ashamed because of me, O God of Israel. Moreover, for thy sake I have borne reproach, confusion has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's children. For the zeal of thy house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of them who reproach thee are fallen upon me. I have afflicted my soul with fasting and it was made a reproach to me. I have put on sackcloth as a garment, and I became a mockery to them. They who sit in the gate tell stories against me and they who drink wine, revile me.
But my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in the time of mercy, O God; hear me, according to thy great goodness, according to thy faithful help. Draw me out of the mire, lest I sink, deliver me from those who hate me, and from the depths of the waters. Let not the floods drown me, nor the deep swallow me up, let not the pit shut its mouth over me. Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind; look upon me according to the abundance of thy mercy, and hide not thy face from thy servant; hear me speedily, for I am troubled. Come near to my soul, redeem it; deliver me because of my enemies. Thou knowest my reproach and my confusion, and my shame; in thy sight are all they who afflict me. Reproach has broken my heart and I have become disheartened and I have waited for someone to take pity, but there was no one, and for comforters, but I found none. And they gave me gall for food, and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table become a trap for them and a net for their friends. Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thy indignation upon them, and let the heat of thy wrath take hold of them. Let their dwelling be devastated, and let there be none to dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom thou hast smitten, and they have added to the sorrow of him whom thou hast wounded. Add sin unto their sin, and let them not be declared just before thee. let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and let them not be enrolled among the just.
But I am miserable and sorrowful; let thy help, O God, guard me. I will praise the name of God with a song, and I will magnify him with thanksgiving. And it will be pleasing to God more than a bull, more than a young bullock with horns and hoofs. See, O humble ones, and let us rejoice, and let your hearts live again, ye who seek God. For the Lord hears the poor and despises not his prisoners. Let the heavens and the earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein. For God will save Sion, and will build the cities of Juda; and they shall dwell there and possess it. And the seed of his servants shall inherit it; and they who love his name, shall dwell therein.
PSALM 70
Of the choir-master. Of David. For a remembrance.
Deign, O God, to set me free; O Lord make haste to help me. Let them be confounded and ashamed who seek my life. May they who delight in my misfortunes, fall back and be covered with shame. May they fall back covered with confusion, who say to me: Ha, Ha! Let all who seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as desire thy help say always: "The Lord be magnified." But I am miserable and poor, O God, help me! Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, tarry not.
PSALM 71
To thee, O Lord, I flee for refuge: let me never be put to confusion; according to thy justice, rescue me and deliver me; incline thy ear unto me and save me. Be thou unto me a rock of refuge, a fortified citadel, that thou mayest save me: for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hands of the wicked man, from the fist of the wicked and the oppressor: for thou, O my God, art my trust, O Lord, my hope since my youth. Thou hast upheld me from birth; from my mother's womb, thou wast my protector; I have hoped in thee always. I have appeared as a wonder unto many; for thou hast been my strong helper. All the day long, my mouth was full of thy praise and thy glory.
Cast me not off in the time of my old age; when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me. My enemies speak against me, and watching me, they consult together, saying: "God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him." O God, be not thou far from me; my God, make haste to help me. Let those who seek my life be confounded and come to nothing; let them who seek evil for me be covered with confusion and shame. But I will hope continually, and every day I will add to all thy praise. My mouth shall announce thy justice, thy helps all the day long: for I know not the number thereof. I will tell of the power of God, O Lord, I will declare thy justice, thine alone.
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth and till now I proclaim thy wonders. And in old age also and gray hair, O God, forsake me not, until I shall show forth thy arm to this generation, thy power to all the generations to come, and thy justice, O God, which touches the heavens, by which thou hast done such great things: O God, who is like unto thee? Thou hast laid many and grievous trials upon me: thou will bring me to life again and lift me up again from the depths of the earth. Increase my dignity, and comfort me again. I also will praise thy faithfulness with the psaltery, O God, unto thee will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to thee, and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall speak of thy justice all the day long, because they who seek my misfortune, are confounded and put to shame.
PSALM 72
Of Solomon.
Give to the king thy judgment, O God, and to the king's son, thy justice. May he rule thy people with justice, and thy poor with equity. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills justice. He shall guard the lowly of the people, he shall save the children of the poor and he shall destroy the oppressor.
And he shall live for a long time, like the sun, and like the moon throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon grass and as showers that water the earth. In his days, justice shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon shall fail.
And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. His enemies shall bow down before him, and his foes shall lick the dust. The kings of Tharsis and of the islands shall offer presents, the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts: and all the kings of the earth shall adore him, all nations shall serve him.
For he shall deliver the poor man, when he cries, and the unfortunate man who has not a helper. He shall show mercy to the poor and needy, and he shall save the life of the poor: he shall deliver them from injury and violence, and their blood shall be precious in his sight.
Therefore he shall live and they shall give to him the gold of Arabia, and for him they shall always pray: they shall bless him perpetually. There shall be an abundance of grain in the land; its fruit shall rustle on the mountain tops like Lebanon, and they of the cities shall flourish like the grass of the earth. His name shall be blessed forever; so long as the sun shall shine, his name shall endure. And in him all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed, all the nations shall declare him blessed. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen! Amen!
PSALM 73
A psalm of Asaph.
How good is God to the upright, the Lord, to them who are pure of heart! But my feet almost wavered, my steps almost slipped, because I envied the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.
For they have no torments, their bodies are healthy and fat. They have no part in the hard toil of mortals, neither are they scourged with other men. Therefore, pride encircles them like a chain, and violence covers them like a garment. Their iniquity comes forth from a coarse heart, the figments of their minds break forth. They mock and speak maliciously, they threaten oppression from on high. They set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has passed through the earth. Therefore, my people return to them, and they swallow up great draughts of water. And they say: "How does God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?" Behold, of such are sinners and, always untroubled, they increase their power.
Have I, then, cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence? For I suffer scourgings all the time, and chastisement daily. If I should think: I will speak like them, I would abandon the generation of thy children. Therefore, I studied that I might know this; but it seemed hard for me, until I entered the sanctuary of God, and considered their end.
Indeed, thou dost set them along a slippery way, thou dost cast them down to ruin. How they have fallen in a moment, they have ceased to be, they are utterly consumed by a great terror! Like a dream, when one awakens, O Lord, so, when thou risest up, thou wilt despise their image. When my mind was excited, and my heart was stricken, I was foolish nor did I understand: I was as a beast of burden before thee.
But I will be always with thee: thou hast taken my right hand; thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, and then thou wilt accept me in glory. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? And if I am with thee, earth does not delight me. My flesh and my heart faint away, the Rock of my heart and my portion, God forever. For behold, they who go far from thee, shall perish, thou destroyest all who are disloyal to thee. But it is good for me to be near to God, to put my trust in the Lord God. I will declare all thy deeds in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
PSALM 74
A Maskil of Asaph.
Why, O God, hast thou cast us off forever? Why does thy wrath burn against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregation which thou hast founded in the days of old, the tribe which thou didst redeem for thy possession, Mount Sion, wherein thou hast established thy seat. Direct thy steps unto the perpetual ruins: the enemy has laid waste everything in the sanctuary. Thy enemies have roared in the place of thy assembly, they have set up their emblems as trophies. They are like those who swing the axe in a thicket, and now with a hatchet and hammer they also shatter its gates. They have set fire to thy sanctuary, they have profaned the tabernacle of thy name on earth. They said in their hearts: "Let us destroy them all at once; burn ye all the sanctuaries of God in the land." We no longer see our signs, there is no prophet; neither is there one among us who knows how long. How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever? Why dost thou withdraw thy hand and keep thy right hand in thy bosom?
But God is my king of old, who works salvation in the midst of the earth. By thy power, thou hast divided the sea, thou hast destroyed the heads of the dragons in the water. Thou hast broken the heads of the Leviathan, thou hast given him as food to the monsters of the sea. Thou hast brought forth the fountains and torrents: thou hast dried up overflowing rivers. Thine is the day and thine is the night; thou hast made the moon and the sun. Thou hast fixed all the ends of the earth; thou hast formed the summer and winter. Remember these things: the enemy has reproached thee, O Lord, and a foolish people has cursed thy name. Deliver not to the vulture the life of thy turtle-dove: forget not the life of thy poor forever. Have regard for thy covenant, for the lurking-places of the land and of the field are full of violence. Let not the humble one return in confusion: the poor and the needy shall praise thy name. Arise, O God, take up thy cause; remember the reproach with which the foolish man charges thee daily. Forget not the voices of thy enemies: the tumult of those who rise up against thee ascends continually.
PSALM 75
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Destroy not." A psalm of Asaph. A song.
We praise thee, O Lord, we praise, we declare thy name, we relate thy wondrous works.
"When I shall fix a time, I will judge according to justice. Although the earth be moved with all who dwell within it: I have strengthened its pillars. I say to the insolent: 'Be not insolent,' and to the wicked: 'Lift not up the horn.' Lift not up thy horn against the Most High, speak not impudent things against God. For neither from the East nor from the West nor from the desert nor from the mountains: but God is the judge: he humbles one and lifts up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a chalice, foaming with wine, full of mixtures: and he pours from it; they shall drink even to the dregs, all the wicked of the earth shall drink."
But I will rejoice forever, I will sing to the God of Jacob. And I will break all the horns of the wicked; the horns of the just shall be lifted up.
PSALM 76
Of the choir-master. On stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
In Juda God is known, in Israel his name is great. In Salem is his tabernacle, and his abode is in Sion. There has he broken the power of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the weapons.
Thou hast come, powerful and shining with light, from the everlasting mountains. The stout-hearted have been despoiled, they sleep their sleep, and the hands of all the strong have failed. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, chariots and horses have halted.
Thou art terrible and who will resist thee, because of the vehemence of thy wrath? Thou hast caused judgment to be heard from heaven: the earth trembled and was still, when God arose in judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.
For the fury of Edom shall glorify thee, and the survivors of Emath shall dedicate a feast to thee. Make vows and fulfill them to the Lord, thy God, let all who are round about him bring a present to the Terrible One, to him who restrains the spirit of princes, who is terrible to the kings of the earth.
PSALM 77
Of the choir-master. To the melody of Idithun. A psalm of Asaph.
My voice ascends to God and I cry, my voice ascends to God that he may hear me; in the day of my distress, I seek the Lord. My hand is outstretched throughout the night without wearying; my soul refuses comfort. When I remember God, I sigh; when I think back, my spirit fails. Thou keepest my eyes vigilant; I am troubled nor can I speak. I consider the days of old, and I call to mind the days of yore: during the night I meditate within my heart, I think back, and my spirit searches diligently: "Will God forsake us forever, and will he nevermore be favorably inclined? Will his kindness fail forever, will his promise be in vain unto all generations? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Or being angered, has he shut up his mercy?" And I say: "This is my sorrow, that the right hand of the Most High is changed." I remember the works of the Lord, surely I am mindful of thy wonders of old. And I meditate on all thy works, and I carefully weigh thy deeds.
O God, thy way is holy: what god is as great as our God? Thou art the God who dost wonders, thou hast made thy power known among the peoples. With thy arm thou hast redeemed thy people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee: and they trembled, and the waves were troubled. The clouds shed water, the clouds sent out a sound, and thy arrows flew around. Thy thunder sounded in the hurricane, lightnings lit up the world: the earth shook and trembled. Thy way was made through the sea, and thy path through many waters, nor did thy footprints appear. Thou hast led thy people like a flock of sheep, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALM 78
A Maskil of Asaph.
Give ear, O my people, to my doctrine; incline thy ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth to utter parables, I will reveal the secrets of long ago. What we have heard and known, and those things which our fathers have told us, we will not hide from their children, we will tell to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his might and the wonders he has done. For he set up a precept in Jacob and established a law in Israel, so that, those things which he commanded to our fathers, they should make known to their children, so that the generation to come might know them, so that the children who will be born might rise up and make them known to their children, so that they may put their hope in God and forget not the works of God, but will keep his commandments; lest they become like their fathers, a rebellious and stubborn generation: a generation that had not an upright heart, nor a spirit faithful to God.
The sons of Ephraim who fought with the bow turned their backs in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law, and they forgot his works and the wonders which he had shown them. He wrought wonders in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt and in the field of Tanis. He divided the sea and led them across and made the waters stand like a rampart. And he led them with a cloud by day and with the light of fire throughout the night. He divided the rocks in the desert, and gave them to drink plentifully as from flowing waters. And he brought forth streams out of the rock, and made waters run down like rivers.
But they continued to sin against him and to offend the Most High in the desert. And they tempted God in their hearts, asking food because of their craving. And they spoke against God; they said: "Can God provide a table in the wilderness? Behold, he struck the rock and waters gushed out and torrents streamed forth: can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?" Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was enraged, and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath boiled up against Israel, because they believed not in God, nor trusted in his help. But he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them heavenly bread. Man ate the bread of the strong: he sent them provisions to the full. He summoned the east wind from heaven and by his power brought up the south wind. And he rained upon them flesh, like dust, and feathered fowls, like the sand of the sea. And they fell into their camp, round about their tents. So they did eat and were filled exceedingly, and he satisfied their desire. They had not yet ceased from their desire, and their food was in their mouth, when the wrath of God broke out against them, and he made a slaughter of their chief men, and cast down the youth of Israel.
Nevertheless, they sinned even more, nor did they believe in his wonders. And he consumed their days swiftly, and their years by a sudden ending. As he was slaying them, they sought him, and having turned, they sought after God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and that the Most High God was their redeemer. They deceived him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongue. And their heart was not right with him, nor were they faithful in his covenant. But he, feeling pity, forgave their sin, nor did he destroy them, and very often he contained his anger, nor did he pour forth all his wrath. And he remembered that they are flesh, a breath that goes and returns not.
How often did they provoke him in the desert, and afflicted him in solitude? And again they tempted God and grieved the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the power of their enemies, when he wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis, and transformed their rivers and their brooks into blood, lest they might drink of them. He sent flies upon them which devoured them, and frogs which attacked them; he gave their crops to the caterpillar and the fruit of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their sycamores with frost. He gave their cattle up to the hail, and their herds to the thunderbolts. He sent against them the heat of his wrath, indignation, and fury, and trouble: a multitude of agents of misfortune. He opened a way for his anger: he saved them not from death, and he delivered their beasts to the plague. And he killed all the firstborn in Egypt, the first offspring of those who were in the tents of Cham. And he brought forth his people like a sheepfold, and led them like a flock into the desert. And he guided them safely nor did they fear, and he covered their enemies with the sea. And he led them to his holy land, to the mountains which his right hand had purchased; and he cast out the nations before them, and by lot assigned their inheritance, and he made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
But they tempted and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep his commandments. And they turned away and were as dishonest as their fathers, they wandered from the way like a crooked bow. They provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. God heard and was enraged, and he violently spurned Israel. And he left the tabernacle of Silo, the tabernacle where he dwelt amongst men. And he delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hands of his enemy. And he delivered his people to the sword, and was inflamed against his inheritance. Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not betrothed. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not mourn.
And the Lord was awakened as one out of sleep, as a warrior overcome by wine. And he smote his enemies from behind: he inflicted everlasting shame on them. And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim. But he chose the tribe of Juda, Mount Sion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like heaven, like the earth, which he founded forever. And he chose David, his servant, and took him away from the sheepfolds: he called him who was tending the sucklings, to feed Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. And he shepherded them with an upright heart, and led them with skillful hands.
PSALM 79
A psalm of Asaph.
O God, the nations have come into thy inheritance, they have defiled thy holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to ruins. They have given the bodies of thy servants as food for the fowls of the air, the flesh of thy saints to the beasts of the earth. They have shed their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them. We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those who are round about us.
How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry forever? Will thy zeal burn like a fire? Pour out thy wrath upon the nations who know thee not, and upon the kingdoms that do not call upon thy name. For they have devoured Jacob, and have laid waste his dwelling. Impute not to us the sins of our fathers; let thy mercy speedily come upon us: for we are very miserable.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us and forgive us our sins for thy name's sake. Why should the nations say: "Where is their God?" Let the revenge of thy servants' blood, which has been shed, be known among the nations in our sight.
Let the groaning of the captives reach you; by the power of thy arm, set free those who are condemned to death. And render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom, the reproach wherewith they have afflicted thee, O Lord. But we, thy people and the sheep of thy pasture, will glorify thee forever; we will declare thy praise from generation unto generation.
PSALM 80
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The Lily of the Law." A psalm of Asaph.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest Joseph like a flock. Thou who sittest upon the Cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasses. Stir up thy might, and come to save us. O God, bring us back again, show forth thy shining face, that we may be saved.
O God of Hosts, how long wilt thou be angry when thy people pray? Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears and hast given them tears to drink in great measure. Thou hast made us the cause of contention amongst our neighbors, and our enemies deride us. O God of Hosts, bring us back again, show forth thy shining face, that we may be saved.
Thou hast brought forth a vine out of Egypt, thou hast cast out the nations and planted it. Thou hast prepared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, the cedars of God, with its branches. It stretched forth its branches unto the sea, and its boughs unto the river.
Why hast thou broken down its hedges, so that all who pass by the way do pluck it, and the wild boar lays it waste and the beasts of the field devour it? O God of Hosts, return, look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine. And protect what thy right hand has planted, and the young shoot which thou hast made strong for thyself.
Let them who consumed it with fire and cut it down, perish at the threat of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, and upon the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself. Then we will never depart from thee; thou wilt preserve us in life, and we will declare thy name. O Lord, God of Hosts, restore us, show forth thy shining face, that we may be saved.
PSALM 81
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The Winepresses." A psalm of Asaph.
Rejoice to God our helper, shout with joy to the God of Jacob. Play on the psaltery and strike the timbrel, the sweet sounding harp with the lyre. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a law in Israel, a decree of the God of Jacob. He ordained this law in Joseph, when he went forth against the land of Egypt.
I heard a tongue which I understood not: "I have freed his shoulder from the burden; his hands have released the basket. Thou hast cried in affliction, and I rescued thee; from the thundering cloud I answered thee, I proved thee at the waters of Meriba. Hear, O my people, and I will admonish thee: O Israel, would that thou didst hearken to me! There shall be no strange god among thee, neither shalt thou adore a strange god: I am the Lord, thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.
"But my people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not. Therefore I delivered them up to the hardness of their heart: let them walk according to their own counsels. Would that my people heard me, and Israel walked in my ways: I would overcome their foes at once and I would turn my hand against their enemies; they who hate the Lord would flatter him, and their lot would remain forever. But I would feed him from the marrow of the wheat and I would fill him with honey from the rock."
PSALM 82
A psalm of Asaph.
God rises in the divine council, he judges in the midst of the gods. "How long will ye judge unjustly, and favor the cause of the wicked? Defend the needy and the fatherless, do justice to the humble and the poor. Deliver the oppressed and the needy: rescue him from the hands of the wicked."
They neither know nor do they understand, they walk in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I have said: "You are gods, and all of you, the sons of the Most High. Yet, like men you shall die, and you shall fall like anyone of the princes." Arise, O God, judge thou the earth, for thou rightfully possessest all nations.
PSALM 83
A canticle. A psalm of Asaph.
O Lord, be not silent; be not still, O God, nor take thy rest! For lo, thy enemies are in an uproar, and they who hate thee have lifted up their heads. They plot against thy people, and conspire against those whom thou dost protect. "Come," they say, "let us destroy them so that they may not be a people, and the name of Israel be no more remembered." Truly they consult with one heart, and they form a league against thee: the tents of Edom and the Ismaelite, Moab and the Agarenes, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalec, the Philistine with the inhabitants of Tyre; even the Assyrians have joined with them, they have offered their arms to the sons of Lot.
Do to them as thou didst to Madian, as to Sisara, as to Jabin at the torrent of Cison, who were annihilated at Endor, who became a dung-pit for the earth. Make their princes like Oreb and Zeb, all their leaders like Zebee and Salmana, who said: "Let us take possession of the lands of God for ourselves." O my God, make them like leaves whirling about in the whirlwind, like straw before the wind. As fire which burns the wood, and as a flame which sets the mountains on fire, so do thou pursue them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and troubled forever, and let them be confounded and perish. And let them know that thou, whose name is Lord, art alone the Most High above all the earth.
PSALM 84
Of the choir-master. To the melody of "The Winepresses." A psalm of the sons of Core.
How lovely is thy dwelling, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs for, fainting, it eagerly covets the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice unto the living God. Even the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow, a nest for herself, where she may lay her young: thy altars, O Lord of Hosts, my king and my God!
Blessed are they who dwell in thy house, O Lord, they praise thee continually. Blessed is the man whose help is from thee, when he desires holy pilgrimages: passing through an arid valley, they will make it a source of water, and the first rain will clothe it with blessings. They will go from strength to strength; they will see the God of gods in Sion.
O Lord of Hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Behold, O God, our shield, and look on the face of thy anointed. Truly, one day in thy courts is better than a thousand others; I would rather stand upon the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of sinners. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield: the Lord grants grace and glory, he refuses not good things to them who walk in innocence. O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in thee.
PSALM 85
Of the choir-master. A psalm of the sons of Core.
Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, to thy land; the lot of Jacob thou hast changed into good. Thou hast remitted the guilt of thy people; thou hast pardoned all their sins.
Thou hast held back all thy wrath, thou hast desisted from the fury of thy anger.
Restore us, O God, our Savior, and lay aside thy indignation against us. Wilt thou be angry with us forever, or continue thy wrath unto all generations? Wilt thou not give life to us again, and will not thy people rejoice in thee? Show us, O Lord, thy mercy, and grant us thy salvation.
I will hear what the Lord God says: truly he speaks of peace to his people and to his holy ones and to those whose heart is converted to him. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and fidelity shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss. Fidelity shall sprout from the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. The Lord also will give prosperity, and our land shall yield its fruit. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation in the way of his steps.
PSALM 86
A prayer of David.
Incline thy ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am needy and poor. Preserve my soul, for I am devoted to thee; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God: have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to thee continually. Give joy to the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, O Lord, art good and kind, full of mercy for all who call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplication. I call upon thee in the day of my trouble, because thou wilt hear me.
There is none among the gods equal to thee, O Lord, there is no work like unto thy work: all the nations, which thou hast made, shall come and adore thee, O Lord, and they shall declare thy name. For thou art great and dost wonderful things: thou alone art God.
Teach me, O Lord, thy way, so that I may walk in thy truth; direct my heart that it may fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart and I will declare thy name forever, for great has been thy mercy towards me, and thou hast snatched my soul out of the depths of the abode of the dead. O God, the proud are risen up against me, and a crowd of very powerful men plot against my life, and place thee not before their eyes. But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and kind, slow to anger, full of mercy and faithful. Look upon me and have mercy on me; give thy strength to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid. Give me a sign of thy favor, so that they who hate me, may see and be confounded, because thou, O Lord, hast helped me and hast comforted me.
PSALM 87
A psalm of the sons of Core. A canticle.
The Lord loves his foundation on the holy mountains: the gates of Sion more than all the tabernacles of Jacob. Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God! Rahab and Babylon I will number among those who worship me: behold Philistia and Tyre and the people of Ethiopia: these have been born therein. And of Sion it shall be said: "Every man without exception has been born in her, and the Most High himself has strengthened her." The Lord will write in the book of the nations: "These have been born therein." And as they dance, they shall sing: "All my fountainheads are in thee."
PSALM 88
A canticle. A psalm of the sons of Core. Of the choir-master. To the melody of "Mahalat." For singing. A Maskil. Of Heman, the Ezrahite.
O Lord, my God, I cry in the day, I weep in the night before thee. Let my prayer come before thee, incline thy ear to my cry of sorrow. For my soul is full of evils and my life draws near to death. I am counted with them who go down into the pit. I am become like unto an invalid. My bed is among the dead, like that of the slain who lie in the sepulchre, of whom thou art no longer mindful, and who are cut off from thy care. Thou hast laid me in a deep pit, in darkness, in a deep chasm. Thy indignation weighs heavily upon me, and thou dost afflict me with all thy floods. Thou hast estranged my acquaintances from me; thou has made me abominable to them, I am imprisoned and cannot escape.
My eyes waste away with sorrow, I cry to thee, O Lord, every day; I stretch out my hands to thee. Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Shall the departed arise and praise thee? Shall thy bounty be spoken of in the sepulchre, thy faithfulness among the dead? Shall thy wonders be manifested in darkness, and thy grace in the land of forgetfulness?
But I cry to thee, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes to thee. Why, O Lord, dost thou cast off my soul, why dost thou hide thy face from me? I am afflicted and near death since my boyhood, I have borne thy terrors and I have become weak. Thy wrath has passed over me, and thy terrors have overcome me. They surround me continually like water; they press round about me all at once. Thou hast estranged from me friend and companion: darkness is my comrade.
PSALM 89
A Maskil. Of Ethon, the Ezrahite.
The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever; with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness through all generations. For thou hast said: "Mercy is founded forever"; thou hast established thy faithfulness in heaven. "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish thy seed forever, and I will set up thy throne for all generations."
The heavens proclaim thy wonders, O Lord, and thy faithfulness in the assembly of the saints. For who in the clouds will be compared to the Lord, who will be like unto the Lord among the sons of God? God is terrible in the assembly of the saints, great and dreadful above all who are around him. O Lord, God of hosts, who is equal to thee? Thou art powerful, O Lord, and thy faithfulness is around thee.
Thou rulest the pride of the sea, thou restrainest the swelling of its waves. Thou hast trampled Rahab under foot as one that is pierced, with thy powerful arm thou hast scattered thy enemies. The heavens are thine, the earth is thine: the world and everything in it, thou hast founded; the north and the south, thou hast created; Thabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name. Thy arm is mighty, thy hand is firm, thy right hand is uplifted. Justice and right are the foundation of thy throne; mercy and faithfulness go before thee.
Blessed is the people who have known how to rejoice; they walk, O Lord, by the light of thy countenance, they rejoice always in thy name, and by thy justice they are lifted up. For thou art the glory of their strength, and by thy favor, our horn is exalted. For our shield is the Lord's, and our King is of the Holy One of Israel.
Long ago, thou didst speak in a vision to thy saints and thou didst say: "I have placed a crown upon a mighty one; I have lifted up one chosen from my people. I have found David, my servant, with my holy oil I have anointed him, so that my hand may be always with him, and my arm may strengthen him.
"The enemy shall not deceive him, nor the wicked oppress him. But I will crush his adversaries before him, and I will slay those who hate him. My faithfulness and my grace shall be with him; and in my name shall his horn be lifted up. And I will extend his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers.
"He shall call unto me: 'Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.' And I will appoint him as my firstborn, the highest among the kings of the earth. I will keep my favor for him forever, and for him my covenant shall remain unbroken. And I will make his seed to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
"If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my precepts, if they violate my statutes, and keep not my commandments: I will punish their crimes with a rod, and their sin with stripes; but I will not take away my grace from him, nor will I belie my trust.
"I will not violate my covenant nor will I alter the utterance of my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness: I will certainly not lie to David, his seed shall endure forever and his throne shall be before me as the sun, as the moon which endures forever, a faithful testimony in heaven."
But thou hast repelled and cast down, thou hast been gravely angered with thy anointed one. Thou hast spurned the covenant of thy servant, thou hast profaned his crown in the dust. Thou hast destroyed all his walls, thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. All who pass by the way have robbed him, he has become a laughing-stock to his neighbors. Thou hast exalted the right hand of his enemies, thou hast filled all his enemies with joy. Thou hast blunted the edge of his sword, nor hast thou sustained him in battle. Thou hast made his glory to cease, and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground. Thou hast shortened the days of his youth, thou hast covered him with shame.
How long, O Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy anger burn like fire? Remember how short my life is, how weak thou hast created all men. Who is the man who lives and shall not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the hand of death? Where are thy favors of old, O Lord, which thou didst swear to David in thy faithfulness? Be mindful, O Lord, of the reproach of thy servants: I carry in my bosom all the enmities of the nations. Wherewith thy enemies taunt, O Lord, by which they taunt the steps of thy anointed one. Blessed be the Lord forevermore! So be it! So be it!
PSALM 90
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
O Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation. Before the mountains were brought forth and the earth and the world were born, from eternity to eternity thou art, O God. Thou commandest mortal men to return to dust and sayest: "Return, O children of men." For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday which has passed, and as a watch in the night. Thou snatchest them away: they become like a morning dream, like sprouting grass: in the morning it flourishes and is green, at night it is cut down and withers.
Truly, we are consumed by thy wrath, and are troubled by thy indignation. Thou hast set our iniquities before thy sight, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days have passed away in thy wrath; we have ended our years like a sigh. The sum of our years is seventy and, if we are strong, eighty; and most of them are labor and vanity: for they pass swiftly and we fly away. Who has pondered the power of thy wrath, and thy indignation with the fear that is due thee?
Teach us to number our days so that we may arrive at a wisdom of heart. Return, O Lord, how long? and be favorably inclined to thy servants. Fill us speedily with thy mercy, that we may exult and be glad all our days. Make us glad for the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, for the years wherein we have seen evils. Show thy work to thy servants, thy glory to their children. May the bounty of the Lord our God be upon us, and help the work of our hands for us, and help the work of our hands.
PSALM 91
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, say to the Lord: "My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snares of the hunters, from the deadly plague. He will protect you with his wings, and you shall take refuge beneath his wings: his faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the flying arrow in the day; the plague that wanders about in the night, nor the calamity that destroys at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, it shall not come near you. But with your eyes you shall observe and see the reward of sinners. For the Lord is your refuge, you have appointed the Most High as your defense. No evil shall approach you, and no plague shall come near your dwelling, for he has given his Angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands shall they bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, you shall trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
Because he clung to me, I will free him; I will protect him because he has known my name. He shall call upon me and I will hear him; I will be with him in tribulation, I will deliver him and honor him. I will fill him with length of days, and I will show him my salvation.
PSALM 92
A psalm. A canticle for the Sabbath day.
It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to thy name, O Most High: to proclaim thy mercy in the morning and thy faithfulness at night, with the ten-stringed psaltery and the lyre, with a canticle for the harp. For thou delightest me, O Lord, by thy deeds, I rejoice in the works of thy hands.
How great are thy works, O Lord, how deep thy thoughts! The senseless man knows not, nor does the fool understand these things. Although the wicked flourish like grass, and all evildoers appear glorious, they are destined for everlasting destruction: but thou, O Lord art the Most High forever.
For behold thy enemies, O Lord, for behold thy enemies shall perish: and all evildoers shall be scattered. Thou hast exalted my horn like the horn of the wild ox; thou hast anointed me with the purest of oil. My eye has looked down upon my enemies and my ears have heard glad things concerning those wicked men who rise up against me.
The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like the cedar of Lebanon. They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they shall bear fruit, they shall be succulent and vigorous, that they may declare how upright is the Lord, my Rock, that there is no wickedness in him.
PSALM 93
The Lord is reigning, he is arrayed in majesty, the Lord is arrayed in power, he has girded himself, and he has established the universe, which shall not be moved. Firm is thy throne from of old, from eternity thou art. The rivers, O Lord, raise aloft, the rivers raise aloft their voice, the rivers raise aloft their clamorous din. More powerful than the voice of many waters, more powerful than the tumult of the sea: powerful is the Lord on high. Thy testimonies are exceedingly worthy of belief; holiness, O Lord, becomes thy house, unto length of days.
PSALM 94
O avenging God, O Lord, O avenging God, shine forth. Arise, thou who judgest the earth; render to the proud what they deserve. How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked glory? How long shall they babble, speak insolently, boast, they who do evil?
They tread upon thy people, O Lord, and afflict thy heritage; they slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless. And they say: The Lord sees not, nor does the God of Jacob regard it.
Understand, ye fools among the people, and ye senseless, when will ye become wise? He who planted the ear, shall he not hear? Or he who formed the eye, shall he not see? He who instructs the nations, shall he not punish? he who teaches men knowledge? For the Lord knows the thoughts of men: indeed they are vain.
Blessed is the man whom thou teachest, O Lord, and instructest by thy law, to give him rest from the evil days till a pit be dug for the wicked. For neither will the Lord cast off his people, nor will he forsake his inheritance; but judgment shall be just again, and all the upright of heart shall follow justice.
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord helped me, my soul would soon dwell in a place of silence. When I think: "My foot stumbles," thy grace, O Lord, sustains me. When anxieties are multiplied in my heart, thy consolations delight my soul.
Will the wicked tribunal associate with thee, which creates trouble under the guise of law? Let them attack the soul of the just man, and let them condemn innocent blood: the Lord will certainly be my protection, and my God, the rock of my refuge. And he will requite them for their iniquity, by their own malice will he destroy them, the Lord, our God will destroy them.
PSALM 95
Come, let us glorify the Lord with exultation, let us lift up our voice to the Rock of our salvation: let us enter into his presence with praises, with songs let us glorify him. For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods: in his hand are the depths of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are his. His is the sea: for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
Come, let us adore and bow down, let us bend the knees before the Lord who made us. For he is our God; but we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you may hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as in Meriba, as on the day at Massa in the desert, where your fathers tempted me, tried me, though they had seen my works. For forty years that generation wearied me, and I said: They are a people erring in their heart, and they care not for my ways. Therefore I swore in my wrath: they shall not enter into my rest."
PSALM 96
Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all lands. Sing to the Lord, bless his name, from day to day proclaim his salvation. Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, more to be feared than all false gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the heavens. Majesty and beauty go before him; power and brightness are on his holy throne.
Render to the Lord, families of nations, render to the Lord glory and power; render to the Lord the glory of his name. Offer sacrifice and enter his courts; adore the Lord in sacred array. Tremble before him, all the earth; say among the nations: The Lord reigns. He has established the world, that it may not be moved: he governs the nations with uprightness.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult; let the sea cry aloud and the things which fill it; let the fields that it contains be glad. Then shall all the trees of the forest be joyful before the Lord, because he comes, because he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice, and the nations with his faithfulness.
PSALM 97
The Lord is King: let the earth exult, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and darkness surround him, justice and right are the support of his throne. Fire goes before him, and burns his enemies round about. Flashes of his lightning illumine the world; the earth beholds and trembles. Mountains melt as wax in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the ruler of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice; and all nations see his glory.
All who worship graven things and who glory in idols are put to confusion; all gods prostrate themselves before him. Sion hears and rejoices, and the cities of Juda exult because of thy judgments, O Lord. For thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth, supremely exalted among all gods. The Lord loves those who hate evil, he guards the souls of his holy ones, from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. Light rises for the just man, and gladness for the upright of heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye just, and glorify his holy name.
PSALM 98
A psalm.
Sing to the Lord a new song, because he has done wonderful things. His right hand and his holy arm have wrought victory for himself. The Lord has made known his salvation; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his goodness and his fidelity in favor of the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Glorify the Lord with exultation, all lands, be glad and rejoice and make melody. Make melody to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of the harp, with trumpets and the sound of the horn: exult in the sight of the king, the Lord.
Let the sea cry out and the things that fill it, the world and those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains exult together before the Lord, because he comes, because he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the nations with uprightness.
PSALM 99
The Lord reigns: the people tremble; he sits above the Cherubim: the earth is moved. The Lord is great in Sion and high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and dreadful name: it is holy. And the mighty one who loves justice reigns: thou hast made firm what is right, thou dost work justice and right in Jacob. Extol ye the Lord our God, and fall down before his footstool: it is holy. Moses and Aaron are among his priests, and Samuel is among those who called upon his name: they called upon the Lord and he heard them. He spoke unto them in the pillar of the cloud: they heard his commandments, and the precept which he gave them. O Lord, our God, thou didst hear them; O God thou wast merciful to them, but thou didst take vengeance for their wrong-doing. Extol the Lord, our God, and fall down before his holy mountain: for holy is the Lord our God.
PSALM 100
A psalm. For an act of thanksgiving.
Glorify the Lord with exultation, all the lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with exultation. Know that the Lord is God: he made us and we are his, his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his portals with praise, his courts with a hymn; glorify him, bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is forever, and unto all generations his faithfulness.
PSALM 101
A psalm of David.
I will sing of mercy and justice; to thee I will sing, O Lord. I will proceed in the unspotted way: when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk in the innocence of my heart within my house. I will set no unjust thing before my eyes; I hate the worker of iniquities: he shall not cleave to me. The perverse heart shall be far from me; I will ignore that which is evil. He who slanders his neighbor secretly: him will I destroy. The man with proud looks and scornful heart: him will I not endure. My eyes rest upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in the unspotted way, he will minister to me. He who commits fraud shall not dwell in my house. He who speaks lies shall not remain before my eyes. Daily will I destroy all the sinners of the land, exterminating all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
PSALM 102
A prayer of an afflicted man who, being wearied, pours out his anguish before the Lord.
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress. Incline thy ear to me: when I call upon thee, do thou hear me speedily. For my days are vanishing like smoke, and my bones burn like fire. Consumed, like grass, my heart is dried up, I forget to eat my bread. Because of the vehemence of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. I am like the pelican of the desert, I am become like an owl in the midst of ruins. I lie awake and moan, like a bird all alone on the housetop. My enemies revile me continually, they who rage against me, curse with my name. For I eat ashes as bread, and my drink I mingle with weeping, on account of thy indignation and wrath, because thou hast raised me up and cast me down. My days are like lengthened shadows, and I am dried up like grass.
But thou, O Lord, dost remain forever, and thy name unto all generations. Do thou arise and be merciful to Sion, because it is time to take pity on her, because the hour is come. For thy servants love her stones, and grieve with her over her ruins. And the nations will reverence thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory, when the Lord shall have restored Sion, when he shall have appeared in his glory, when he shall have turned to the prayer of the needy, and not have rejected their prayer. Let these things be written for a generation to come, and let a people that shall be created, praise the Lord. For the Lord has looked down from his holy place on high, from heaven he has looked upon the earth, to hear the groans of the imprisoned, to deliver those condemned to death, that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem, when nations shall be assembled together and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
He has consumed my strength on the way, he has cut short my days. I say: O my God, take me not away when my course is only half-run; thy years endure throughout all generations. In the beginning thou didst establish the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. These things shall perish, but thou wilt remain, and all things like a garment shall grow old. Thou changest them like a garment and they are changed: but thou art the same, and thy years have no end. The children of thy servants shall dwell secure, and their seed shall continue before thee.
PSALM 103
Of David.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all thy faults, who heals all thy diseases, who redeems thy life from destruction, who covers thee with favor and kindness, who fills thy life with good things: thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord does deeds of justice and restores the law for all the oppressed. He has made his ways known to Moses, his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He does not strive always, nor does his anger burn forever. He contends not with us according to our sins, nor does he repay us according to our faults.
For as much as heaven is high above the earth, so his mercy prevails towards them who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our offences from us. Just as the father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord compassion on those who fear him. For he knows the stuff of which we are made: he remembers that we are dust. Man's days are like grass; like the flower of the field, so he flourishes: the wind has scarcely passed over him, and he is no more; nor does his place know him any longer. But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity unto eternity towards those who fear him, and his justice unto their children's children, unto those who keep his covenant, and are mindful of his precepts, to observe them.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, ye that are mighty in strength, that carry out his commands, to fulfill his words. Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his who do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all the places of his dominion: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.
PSALM 104
Bless the Lord, O my soul! Lord, my God, thou art exceedingly great! Thou hast put on majesty and beauty, clothed with light as with a mantle. Thou hast stretched out the heavens like a curtain, thou hast built thy chambers above the waters. Thou makest the clouds thy chariot, thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. Thou makest the winds thy messengers, and thy ministers a blazing fire.
Thou hast established the earth upon its foundations: it shall not be moved forever. Thou hast covered it with the ocean as with a garment, the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke, they fled, at thy thundering, they were afraid. The mountains ascended, the valleys descended unto the place which thou hast established for them. Thou hast set a boundary, over which they may not cross, lest they cover the earth again.
Thou commandest the springs to flow into the rivers which run among the hills, they give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst; the birds of the air dwell near them, they sing among the branches. Thou waterest the hills from thy chambers, the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works. Thou bringest forth grain for cattle and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth, and wine to cheer the heart of man; that he may make his face cheerful with oil, and that bread may strengthen the heart of man. The trees of the Lord have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which he has planted. There the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir trees are her home. The high hills are a refuge for wild goats, the rocks, for rabbits.
Thou hast made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun has known its setting. When thou makest darkness, and night falls, all the beasts of the forest rove about in it. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God. When the sun rises, they disappear from view, and lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.
How manifold are thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy creatures. Behold, the great and wide stretching ocean: therein are creeping things without number, both small and great. There the ships pass through, and the Leviathan, which thou hast formed, to play therein.
All look to thee, to give them food in due season. What thou givest to them, they gather up; when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things. If thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; if thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. If thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created, and thou renewest the face f the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever: may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God, as long as I have my being. May my speech be agreeable to him: I will rejoice in the Lord. May sinners be taken away from the earth, and may the wicked be no more; bless thou the Lord, O my soul! Alleluia.
PSALM 105
Praise you the Lord, cry out his name, make known his deeds among the nations. Sing to him, sing praises to him, relate all his wondrous works. Let us glory in his holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Reflect upon the Lord and his power, seek his face evermore. Remember the wondrous works he has done, his prodigies, and the judgments of his mouth, O ye seed of Abraham, his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen! He, the Lord, is our God; his judgments have force in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever, the promise which he made to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, and the oath which he gave to Isaac, which he confirmed as a lasting decree for Jacob, an eternal covenant for Israel, saying: To thee will I give the land of Chanaan as the lot of thy inheritance.
When they were but few in number, insignificant and strangers in that land, and they were going from one nation to another, and from this kingdom to that people, he permitted no one to oppress them, and he reproved kings for their sake: "Touch ye not my anointed ones and bring no evil to my prophets."
And he called for a famine upon the land; and he took away all the supply of bread. He had sent a man before them; Joseph had been sold into slavery. They had bound his feet in fetters, his neck was encircled with iron, until his prophecy was fulfilled, until the word of the Lord confirmed him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the peoples, and set him at liberty. He made him lord over his house, and ruler over all his possession, to instruct his princes at his pleasure and to teach wisdom to his ancients.
Then Israel went into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Cham. And he multiplied his people exceedingly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
He changed their heart to hate his people and to deal craftily against his servants: then he sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Cham.
He sent darkness and made it very dark, but they resisted his words. He turned their waters into blood, and destroyed the fishes thereof. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies, gnats in all their borders. He gave them hail for rain, flaming fire throughout their land. And he shattered their vines and fig trees, and broke down the trees within their domains. He spoke, and locusts came, and caterpillars without number; and they devoured every herb in their land, and devoured the fruits of their soil. And he slew all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. And he brought them forth with silver and gold, and none among their tribes was feeble. The Egyptians rejoiced at their departure, for the fear of them had overtaken them.
He spread a cloud to cover them, and fire, to give them light by night. They asked, and he brought quail, and filled them with bread from heaven. He rent the rock, and water gushed out, it flowed in the desert like a river. For he was mindful of his holy word, which he had given to Abraham, his servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen ones with exultation. And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the riches of the people, that they might observe his commandments and keep his laws. Alleluia.
PSALM 106
Alleluia.
Praise ye the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Who shall declare the mighty deeds of the Lord, who shall recount all his praises? Blessed are they who keep his commandments, who do what is just at all times! Be mindful of me, O Lord, in thy kindness unto thy people; visit me with thy aid, that I may delight in the happiness of thy chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of thy people, that I may glory with thy inheritance.
We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt understood not thy wonders, they remembered not the multitude of thy graces, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. But he saved them for his own name's sake that he might manifest his power. And he rebuked the Red Sea and it was dried up, and he led them through the waters as through a dry land. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters overwhelmed their enemies: indeed, there was not one of them left. And they believed his words, and sang his praises.
They soon forgot his works: they trusted not his counsel, and they gratified their concupiscence in the desert, and tempted God in the wilderness. And he granted their request, but sent a plague upon them.
And they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiron. And a fire was kindled in their company: the flame burned the wicked.
They made a calf in Horeb, and adored this idol fashioned from gold. And they exchanged his glory for the likeness of a bull, eating grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who performed prodigies in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Cham, and stupendous things done by the Red Sea. And he thought to destroy them, had not Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
And they spurned the desirable land; they believed not his word. And they murmured in their tents, and obeyed not the Lord. And he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would overthrow them in the desert, and disperse their seed among the nations, and scatter them through the lands.
And they dedicated themselves to Beelphegor, and they ate the sacrifices of dead gods. And they provoked him with their crimes, and a plague fell upon them. But Phinees rose up and executed judgment, and the plague ceased. And it was imputed unto him for merit unto all generations forever.
And they provoked him at the Waters of Meriba, and it went badly with Moses because of them, for they provoked his spirit, and he spoke inconsiderately with his lips.
They did not destroy the nations as the Lord had commanded them. And they mingled with the nations and learned their works; and they worshipped their idols which became a snare to them. And sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils. And they poured out innocent blood: the blood of their own sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan. And the land was polluted with blood, and they were defiled by their own works, and fornicated in their crimes.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his own inheritance. And he delivered them into the hands of the nations, and they who hated them ruled over them. And their enemies troubled them, and they were oppressed under their hand. Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him by their counsels and they were cast down because of their iniquities. But he considered their affliction, when he heard their prayer. And he was mindful of his covenant in their regard, and he repented on account of his great mercy. And he recommended mercy for them among all those who had led them as captives. Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may praise thy holy name, and may glory in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel forever and ever: and let all the people say: Amen! Alleluia!
PSALM 107
Praise ye the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Thus let them say who have been redeemed by the Lord, whom he has redeemed from the enemy's hand, and whom he has gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
They wandered in the desert, in the wilderness, they found not the way to a habitable city. They were hungry and thirsty, their life was growing faint within them. And they cried to the Lord in their anguish; he delivered them out of their distresses And he led them by the right way, that they might come to a habitable city. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, and for his wondrous works to the children of men, for he has satisfied the longing soul, and he has filled the hungry soul with good things.
They sat in the darkness and obscurity, bound in misery and iron. For they had rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High. And he humbled their heart with sorrows, they were weakened, and there was none to help them. And they cried to the Lord in their anguish; he delivered them out of their distresses. And he brought them out of darkness and obscurity, and tore their chains asunder. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, and for his wondrous works to the children of men, for he has broken gates of brass and shattered iron bars.
They were sick on account of their iniquity and were afflicted on account of their crimes; their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. And they cried to the Lord in their anguish; he delivered them out of their distresses. He sent his word to heal them, and to save them from destruction. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, and for his wondrous works to the children of men. Let them offer sacrifices of praise and proclaim his works with jubilation.
They who had gone out to sea in ships, to carry on trade on the high seas, these have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. He spoke, and he stirred up a stormy wind, which whipped up the waves on the deep. They mounted high up to the heavens, and descended to the depths; their soul was wasting away with evils. They reeled and staggered as drunken men; and all their skill was swallowed up. And they cried to the Lord in their anguish; and he delivered them out of their distresses. He stilled the storm into a gentle breeze, and the waves of the sea became quiet. And they rejoiced because they were still, and he brought them unto the haven where they longed to be. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, and for his wondrous works to the children of men. And let them praise him in the assembly of the people, and extol him where the elders sit in council.
He has turned rivers into a desert, and wells into dry ground, a fruitful land into salt marshes, because of the wickedness of those who dwell therein. He has turned the desert into a lake of water, and arid land into water springs. And he has placed the hungry there, and they built a city to dwell in. And they sowed fields and planted vineyards, and they reaped harvests of fruits. And he blessed them and they were multiplied exceedingly, and he allotted to them much cattle. And they became few and were worn down by the oppression of the wicked and by sorrow; but he who pours forth contempt upon the princes and causes them to lose their way in the pathless desert, has raised up the poor man from misery, and has raised families as numerous as the flocks. The just see and rejoice, and all malice shuts its mouth. Who is wise, who heeds these things and weighs carefully the mercies of the Lord?
PSALM 108
A song. A psalm of David.
My heart is confident, O God, my heart is confident; I will sing and give praise. Awake, O my soul; awake psaltery and harp: I will awake at dawn. I will praise thee among the peoples, O Lord, and I will sing unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great even unto heaven, and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Manifest thyself, O God, high above the heavens; let thy glory be over all the earth. That thy beloved may be delivered, help us with thy right hand and hear us.
God has spoken in his sanctuary: "I will rejoice and will divide Sichem, and measure out the valley of Succoth; the land of Galaad is mine, the land of Manasses is mine, and Ephraim is my helmet, Juda is my sceptre, Moab is my wash-basin; over Edom I will place my shoe, I will shout in triumph over Philistia."
Who will lead me into the fortified city? Who will lead me into Edom? Is it not thou, O God, who hast cast us off, and wilt not thou, O God, march out with our armies? Grant us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain. Through God we shall fight bravely, and he will trample our enemies under foot.
PSALM 109
O God, my praise, be not thou silent, for they have opened a wicked and deceitful mouth against me. They have spoken against me with a lying tongue, and they have surrounded me with words of hatred, and have attacked me without cause. In return for my love, they accused me: but indeed, I gave myself to prayer. And they repaid me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Set up a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right side. When he is tried, let him go forth a doomed man, and may his prayer be to no avail. May his days be few, and may another take up his duties. May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. May his children wander helpless and beg, may they be cast out of their ruined homes. May the usurer take possession of all his substance, and may strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. May no one show mercy to him, nor may they have pity for his orphans. May his posterity be given over to destruction; may their name be blotted out in the next generation. May the sin of his father be remembered by the Lord, and let not his mother's sin be blotted out: may they be before the Lord continually, and may he root out their memory from the earth. For he did not think to show mercy, but he persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken-hearted, to put him to death. He loved cursing: may it come upon him; and he loved not blessing: may it be far from him. And may he be clothed with cursing as with a garment: and may it go into his entrails like water, and like oil into his bones. May it be unto him like the garment which covers him, and like a cincture wherewith he is girded continually.
So may the Lord requite those who accuse me and who speak evil against my soul. But do thou, O Lord God, deal with me for thy name's sake; for thy mercy abounds, do thou deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me. I vanish like the shadow that declines, and I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh is wasting away undernourished, and I am become a reproach to them; upon seeing me, they shake their head. Help me, O Lord, my God; save me according to thy mercy. And let them know that this is thy hand, and that thou, O Lord, hast done these things. Let them curse, but do thou bless; let those who rise up against me be confounded, but let thy servant rejoice. Let these, my accusers, be covered with shame, and let them be wrapped with the mantle of their own confusion. I will give thanks to the Lord with my mouth, and in the midst of the multitude I will praise him: because he has stood at the right hand of the poor, to save him from the judges.
PSALM 110
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool." The Lord will extend the sceptre of thy power from Sion: "Rule in the midst of thy enemies! With thee is sovereignty in the splendor of holiness on the day of thy birth: before the morning star, like the dew, I have begotten thee."
The Lord has sworn and he will not repent: "Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech."
The Lord is at thy right hand: he will destroy kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge nations, he will pile corpses high; he will crush heads all over the earth. From the torrent he will drink on the way, therefore he will lift up his head.
PSALM 111
Alleluia.
I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the just and in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, which must be studied by all who love them. His work is majesty and splendor; and his justice endures forever.
He has made his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is merciful and kind. He has given food to those who fear him; he will be mindful of his covenant forever. He has manifested the power of his works to his people, to give them the possession of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are lasting, established forever and ever, made with firmness and justice. He has sent redemption to his people, he has established his covenant forever; holy and venerable is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: all who worship him, act wisely; his praise endures forever.
PSALM 112
Alleluia.
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth; the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house, and his bounty shall endure forever. To the righteous, he arises as a light in darkness; merciful, and kind, and just. Fortunate is the man who shows mercy and lends, who orders his affairs with justice. He shall never waver; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is resolute, he shall not fear, until he sees his enemies defeated. He distributes, he gives to the poor, his bounty shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted with glory. The sinner shall see and become indignant, he shall gnash his teeth and waste away; the desire of sinners shall perish.
PSALM 113
Alleluia.
Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting may the name of the Lord be praised.
Exalted above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high, and looks down upon heaven and upon earth?
He lifts up the needy from the dust, and raises up the poor from the dunghill, that he may set him with princes, with the princes of his people. He makes her who was barren, to dwell in a home, a joyful mother of children.
PSALM 114
Alleluia.
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue, Juda became his sanctuary, Israel, his kingdom. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backwards. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you flee? And you, O Jordan, that you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams, O hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned a rock into a pool of water, a stony hill into fountains of water.
PSALM 115
Alleluia.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory, because of thy mercy and thy faithfulness. Why should the nations say: "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; he has done all that he desired.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have a mouth, and speak not; they have yes, and see not. They have ears, and hear not; noses, and smell not. They have hands, and feel not; feet, and walk not; neither do they utter a sound with their throat. They who make them shall be like unto them, as are all who trust in them.
The house of Israel trusts in the Lord: he is their helper and their shield. The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord: he is their helper and their shield. They who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their helper and their shield. The Lord is mindful of us and will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. The Lord will multiply you, you and your children. Blessed be you by the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Heaven is the heaven of the Lord, but the earth he has given to the sons of men. The dead praise not the Lord, nor any of them who go down into the abode of the dead. But we, we bless the Lord, now and forever.
PSALM 116
Alleluia.
I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear unto me, in the day that I called upon him. Bonds of death encompassed me, and snares of the abode of the dead came upon me, I fell into anguish and sorrows. And I called upon the name of the Lord: "O Lord, save my life!"
The Lord is kind and just, and our God is merciful. The Lord watches over the simple: I was in distress and he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest, because the Lord has dealt well with you. For he snatched my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I was confident, even when I said: "I am greatly afflicted"; I said in my fear: "Every man is deceitful!" What shall I render to the Lord for all the things he has given to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, I am thy servant, I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. To thee will I offer the sacrifice of praise, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in thy midst, O Jerusalem.
PSALM 117
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, all ye nations, proclaim his glory, all ye peoples, for his mercy is confirmed upon us, and the faithfulness of the Lord abides forever.
PSALM 118
Alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Israel say: "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say: "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the Lord say: "His mercy endures forever."
In my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord heard me and set me free. The Lord is with me: I do not fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is with me, my helper, and I shall see my enemies confounded. It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me: in the name of the Lord I destroyed them. On all sides they surrounded me: in the name of the Lord, I destroyed them. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed up like fire among thorns: in the name of the Lord, I destroyed them. Being struck, I was pushed so that I might fall; but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my courage; and he has become my savior.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the just: the right hand of the Lord has done mightily, the right hand of the Lord has lifted me up, the right hand of the Lord has done mightily. I shall not die, but live; and I shall declare the works of the Lord. He has chastised, the Lord has chastised me, but he has not doomed me to death.
Open to me the gates of justice: entering, I will give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, the just shall enter through it. I will give thanks to thee, because thou hast heard me, and hast become my savior. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice therein. O Lord, save; O Lord, give good fortune!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you out of the house of the Lord. The Lord is God and he has shone upon us. Appoint a solemn procession with leafy branches, even to the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I give thanks to thee; my God, I extol thee with praises. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.
PSALM 119
Blessed are they whose way of life is spotless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who observe his precepts, who seek him with their whole heart, who do no wrong, but walk in his ways. Thou hast given thy precepts to be diligently observed. Would that my way of life were set to observe thy laws! Then I shall not be confounded, when I shall have respect for all thy commandments. I will praise thee with sincerity of heart, when I have learned the decrees of thy justice. I will keep thy laws: do not utterly forsake me.
How shall a young man keep his life pure? By observing thy words. With my whole heart do I seek thee; let me not stray from thy commandments. I hide thy word in my heart, that I may not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord; teach me thy laws. With my lips I recount all the decrees of thy mouth. I rejoice in the way of thy precepts, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on thy commandments, and I will give thought to thy ways. I will delight in thy laws: I will not forget thy words.
Deal well with thy servant, that I may live and keep thy words. Open my eyes, that I may give thought to the wonders of thy law. I am a stranger on the earth, hide not thy commandments from me. My soul grows faint with longing for thy decrees at all times. Thou hast chastened the proud; accursed are they who turn aside from thy commandments. Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I observe thy decrees. Although princes sit together and talk against me, thy servant meditates on thy laws. For thy precepts are my delight, thy laws are my counselors.
My soul lies prostrate in the dust: restore life to me according to thy word. I have declared my ways and thou hast heard me: teach me thy laws. Instruct me in the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works. My soul shed tears because of sorrow: lift me up according to thy word. Protect me from the way of error, and grant thy law to me. I have chosen the way of truth, I have set thy decrees before me. I adhere to thy precepts: O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou dost enlarge my heart.
Show me, O Lord, the way of thy laws, and I will follow it exactly. Give me understanding, that I may observe thy law, and keep it with my whole heart. Lead me unto the paths of thy commandments, for therein do I delight. Incline my heart to thy precepts, and not to avarice. Turn away my eyes lest they behold vanity; through thy way give me life. Fulfill thy promise to thy servant, which was given to those who fear thee. Take away my reproach which I fear, for thy decrees are pleasant. Behold, I long for thy precepts: according to thy justice, give me life.
And let thy mercies come upon me, O Lord, thy help according to thy promise. And I shall answer those who reproach me, for I trust in thy words. Take not away the word of truth from my mouth, for I trust in thy decrees. And I shall always keep thy law, forever and ever. And I will walk along a wide path, for I seek thy commandments. And I will speak of thy decrees in the presence of kings, and I will not be ashamed. And I will delight in thy commandments, which I love. And I will lift up my hands to thy commandments and I will meditate on thy laws.
Be mindful of thy word to thy servant, by which thou hast given me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that thy word bestows life upon me. The proud insult me exceedingly; but I swerve not from thy law. I remember thy judgments of old, O Lord, and it is my comfort. Indignation takes hold of me because of sinners who forsake thy law. Thy laws have become my songs in the place of my pilgrimage. In the night, I remember thy name, O Lord, and I will keep thy law. This happened to me, because I observed thy precepts.
I have said, O Lord, that my portion is to keep thy words. I make supplication before thee with my whole heart, have mercy on me according to thy promise. I have carefully examined my ways, and turned my steps unto thy precepts. I hastened and did not hesitate to keep thy commandments. The ropes of sinners have encircled me: I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I arise to praise thee because of thy just decrees. I am the friend of all who fear thee and keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy; teach me thy laws.
Thou hast done well to thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word. Teach me judgment and knowledge, for I trust in thy commandments. Before I was afflicted, I erred, but now I keep thy word. Thou art good and dost good; teach me thy laws. The proud invent lies against me, but I observe thy precepts with my whole heart. Their hearts are as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy laws. Better for me is the law of thy mouth, than thousands of gold and silver.
Thy hands have made me and formed me; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments. They who fear thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have trusted in thy word. I know, O Lord, that thy decrees are just, and thou hast afflicted me justly. Let thy mercy be at hand to comfort me, according to the promise which thou hast given to thy servant. Let thy mercies come unto me that I may live, for thy law is my delight. Let the proud be put to shame, for they afflict me unjustly: I will meditate on thy precepts. Let those who fear thee turn to me, and those who heed thy precepts. Let my heart be perfect in thy laws, that I may not be confounded.
My soul grows faint with longing for thy help; in thy word I trust. My eyes fail with longing for thy word: when wilt thou comfort me? Although I am become like a wineskin in smoke, I am not unmindful of thy laws. How many are the days of thy servant? When wilt thou execute judgment on those who persecute me? The proud have dug pits for me, they who act not according to thy law. All thy commandments are faithful; they persecute me unjustly: help me. They have almost made an end of me upon earth: but I have not forsaken thy percepts. According to thy mercy, keep me alive, and I will keep the decrees of thy mouth.
Thy word, O Lord, endures forever, firm as heaven. Thy faithfulness endures unto all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it abides. According to thy decrees, they remain at all times, for all things serve thee. Unless thy law had been my delight, I would already have perished in my affliction. I will never forget thy precepts, for by them thou hast given me life. I am thine: save me, for I have sought thy precepts. The sinners lie in wait for me, to destroy me; but I give heed to thy decrees. I have seen that there is an end to all perfection: thy commandment is exceeding broad.
O how I have loved thy law, O Lord! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandment has made me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I am more prudent than all my teachers, for my meditation is on thy precepts. I understand more than old men because I observe thy precepts. I restrain my feet from every evil path, that I may keep thy words. I decline not from thy decrees, for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words to my palate! They are sweeter than honey to my mouth. By thy precepts, I am made to understand, therefore I hate every way of iniquity.
Thy word is a lantern for my feet, and a light to my path. I swear and I am determined to keep thy just decrees. I am afflicted exceedingly, O Lord: keep me in life according to thy word. Accept, O Lord, the offerings of my mouth, and teach me thy decrees. My life is continually in danger, but I do not forget thy law. Sinners have laid a snare for me, but I have not swerved from thy precepts. Thy precepts are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to fulfill thy laws: perpetually, exactly.
I hate half-hearted men, and I love thy law. Thou art my protector and my shield: I trust in thy word. Depart from me, evildoers, and I will observe the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to thy promise, and I will live; disappoint me not in my hope. Help me and I shall be saved, and I will always heed thy laws. Thou dost despise all those who depart from thy laws, for their thoughts are deceitful. Thou dost count as dross all the sinners of the earth, therefore I love thy precepts. My flesh shudders for fear of thee, and I fear thy decrees.
I have done rightly and justly: abandon me not to those who oppress me. Pledge thyself for thy servant unto good, lest the proud oppress me. My eyes fail with longing for thy help, and for thy just word. Deal with thy servant according to thy goodness, and teach me thy laws. I am thy servant, teach me, that I may know thy precepts. It is time for the Lord to act: they have violated thy law. Therefore, I love thy commandments more than gold and fine gold. Therefore, I have chosen for myself all thy precepts; I hate every deceitful way.
Wonderful are thy precepts, therefore, my soul observes them. The declaration of thy words gives light, it teaches the simple. I open my mouth and sigh, for I long for thy commandments. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as is thy wont towards those who love thy name. Direct my steps according to thy word; let not any wickedness rule over me. Deliver me from the oppression of men, and I will keep thy precepts. Show forth thy shining face to thy servant, and teach me thy laws. Streams of water have flowed from my eyes, because they have not kept thy law.
Thou art just, O Lord, and thy judgment is right. Thou hast imposed thy precepts with justice and with great firmness. My zeal consumes me, because my enemies forget thy words. Thy word is tested to the utmost, and thy servant loves it. I am little and despised: I forget not thy precepts. Thy justice is eternal justice, and thy law is firm. Anguish and trouble have beset me, thy commandments are my delight. The justice of thy precepts is eternal, give me understanding and I shall live.
I cry with my whole heart: hear me, O Lord; I observe thy laws. I cry to thee; save me, and I will keep thy precepts. I come at dawn and implore thy help; I trust in thy word. My eyes anticipate the night-watches, that I may meditate on thy word. In thy mercy, hear my voice, O Lord, and according to thy decree, give me life. They who persecute me unjustly draw near; they are far from thy law. Thou art near, O Lord, and all thy commandments are steadfast. Long ago have I known from thy precepts that thou hast founded them forever.
Look upon my affliction and deliver me, for I have not forgotten thy law. Defend thou my cause and redeem me; according to thy word, grant me life. Salvation is far from sinners, because they heed not thy laws. Many, O Lord, are thy mercies; according to thy decrees, grant me life. Many are they who persecute me and trouble me: I turn not aside from thy precepts. I beheld the transgressors and it wearied me, because they kept not thy word. Behold, O Lord, I love thy precepts; according to thy mercy, keep me alive. The sum of thy words is truth, and everlasting is every decree of thy justice.
Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart reverences thy words. I rejoice at thy words, as one who finds rich spoils. I hate and abhor wickedness; I love thy law. Seven times a day I give praise to thee because of thy just judgments. Much peace have they who love thy law, nor is it a stumbling block for them. I wait for thy help, O Lord, and I keep thy commandments. My soul observes thy precepts, and loves them exceedingly. I guard thy precepts and commands, because all my ways are in thy sight.
Let my cry come unto thee, O Lord: teach me according to thy word. Let my prayer come unto thee, deliver me according to thy word. Let my lips pour forth a hymn, when thou shalt teach me thy laws. Let my tongue sing thy word, because all thy commandments are just. Let thy hand be near to help me, because I have chosen thy precepts. I long for thy salvation, O Lord, and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live and praise thee, and let thy decrees help me. I go astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I have not forgotten thy commandments.
PSALM 120
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
I cried to the Lord, when I was in distress and he heard me. O Lord, deliver my soul from the unjust lip, and from the deceitful tongue.
What will he give thee or what more will he add to thee, O deceitful tongue? The sharp arrows of the powerful one and intense fire of the broom plants.
Woe is me, that I dwell in Mosoch, that I live in the tents of Cedar! Too long has my soul dwelt with those who hate peace. As often as I speak of peace, they clamor for war.
PSALM 121
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains: whence shall help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let thy foot slip, he will not slumber, who watches over thee. Behold, he will not slumber nor will he sleep, who watches over Israel.
The Lord watches over thee, the Lord is thy protection at thy right hand. The sun shall not strike thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall keep thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall watch over thy going out and thy coming in, both now and forever.
PSALM 122
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims. Of David.
I rejoiced, because they said to me: "We will go into the house of the Lord." Our feet are now standing at thy gates, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem which is built as a city, all its parts harmoniously united.
Thither ascend the tribes, the tribes of the Lord, according to the law of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. There are set up the judgment seats, the seats of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they who love thee rest secure! Peace be within thy ramparts, security in thy palaces! For the sake of my brethren and my friends I will say: Peace be within thee! For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I will invoke blessings upon thee.
PSALM 123
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who dwellest in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of slaves on their masters' hands, as the eyes of the slave girl on the hands of her mistress: so our eyes are raised to the Lord our God, till he have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, because we are sated with contempt; our soul is sated with the mockery of the rich, the contempt of the proud.
PSALM 124
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims. Of David.
Unless the Lord had been with us, let Israel now say, unless the Lord had been with us: when men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive. When their fury burned against us, then the waters would have submerged us; the torrent would have passed over us; then the turbulent waters would have passed over us.
Blessed is the Lord who did not deliver us a prey to their teeth. Our soul was freed as a bird from the snare of the trappers: the snare was broken, and we were delivered. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
PSALM 125
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Sion, which is not moved, which remains forever. Mountains surround Jerusalem: so does the Lord encompass his people, both now and forever.
For the sceptre of the ungodly shall not remain over the lot of the just. Let not the just stretch out their hands to evil.
Do good, O Lord, to the good and to the upright of heart. But those who turn aside into devious ways, may the Lord drive away with the evildoers: peace be to Israel!
PSALM 126
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
When the Lord brought back the captives of Sion, we were as those who dream. Our mouth was then filled with laughter, and our tongue with exultation. Then did they say among the nations: "Great things has the Lord done for them." Great things has the Lord done for us: we have become glad indeed!
Do thou change, O Lord, our lot, as torrents do the land of the south. They who sow in tears, shall reap in joy. Going they go and weep, carrying the seed to be sown: returning they shall return with exultation, carrying their sheaves.
PSALM 127
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims. Of Solomon.
Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guard the city, the guard watches in vain. It is vain for you to rise before the light, to sit up late into the night, you who eat the bread of hard toil: for he is bountiful to his loved ones in sleep.
Behold, children are the gift of the Lord, a reward is the fruit of the womb. As arrows in the hand of the warrior, so are the children of youth. Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them: they shall not be confounded, when they contend with enemies at the gate.
PSALM 128
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! For you shall eat the labor of your hands, you shall be blessed and it shall be well with you. Your wife, as a fruitful vine within your house, your children as olive-shoots round about your table. Behold, thus is that man blessed, who fears the Lord!
May the Lord bless you from Sion, that you may see prosperity in Jerusalem all the days of your life; that you may see your children's children: peace be upon Israel!
PSALM 129
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
They have fought much against me from my youth, let Israel now say: They have fought much against me from my youth, but they have not conquered me. Upon my back have the plowers plowed, they made their furrows long. But the just Lord cuts the ropes of the ungodly.
May they be confounded and fall back, all those who hate Sion. May they be as grass on the housetops, which dries up ere it is plucked; he who reaps, does not fill his hand with it, nor he who gathers sheaves, his bosom. Neither do they who pass by, say: "The blessing of the Lord be upon you!" "We bless you in the name of the Lord."
PSALM 130
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord, O Lord, hear my voice! Let they ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If thou didst keep count of offenses, O Lord, O Lord, who would endure it? But with thee is forgiveness of sins, that men may serve thee with reverence.
In the Lord do I hope, my soul hopes in his word; my soul waits expectantly for the Lord, more than night watchmen for the coming of dawn.
More than night watchmen for the coming of dawn does Israel await the Lord, because with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plentiful redemption: and he shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
PSALM 131
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims. Of David.
O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty, I do not pursue great things nor things that are far above me. Indeed, I have calmed and set my soul at rest, like a child in the lap of its mother: thus is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord, both now and forever.
PSALM 132
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
To please David, O Lord, remember all his patient care: how he swore to the Lord, the vow he made to the Strong One of Jacob: "I will not enter my home nor go upon my bed, I will not grant sleep to my eyes, nor rest to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob."
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrata; we found it in the fields of Iaar. Let us go into his dwelling, let us fall down at his footstool. Arise, O Lord, in the place of thy dwelling, thou and the ark of thy majesty. Let thy priests be clothed with justice, and let thy saints shout with joy. For the sake of David, thy servant, spurn not the face of thy anointed.
The Lord swore to David a firm promise from which he will not depart: "Upon thy throne, I will place the offspring of thy race. If thy sons will keep my covenant, and the precepts which I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon thy throne forever." For the Lord has chosen Sion, he has desired it for his dwelling:
"This is my resting-place forever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Blessing will I bless her stores, I will fill her poor with bread. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy. There will I raise up David's horn, I will prepare a lamp for my anointed. I will cover his enemies with confusion, but upon him shall shine my crown."
PSALM 133
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims. Of David.
Behold, how good and how pleasing it is for brothers to dwell in unity: like a precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, which ran down to the hem of his robe; as the dew of Hermon, which descends upon Mount Sion: for there the Lord bestows the blessing, and life forevermore.
PSALM 134
A canticle of the Temple pilgrims.
Behold, bless the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord; who stand in the house of the Lord during the hours of the night. Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary and bless ye the Lord. May the Lord who made heaven and earth, bless thee from Sion.
PSALM 135
Alleluia.
Praise the name of the Lord; praise it, O ye servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing ye to his name, for it is sweet. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own possession.
Indeed, I know this: the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord wills, he does in heaven and on earth, in the sea and in all the depths of the waters. He brings up clouds from the ends of the earth, he makes the rain with its flashes of lightning, he brings forth the wind from its storehouses.
He slew the firstborn of Egypt, men as well as beasts. He wrought signs and portents in thee, O Egypt, upon Pharao and upon all his servants. He struck many nations and slew mighty kings: Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, and Og, king of Basan, and all the kings of Chanaan. And he gave their land for a possession, for a possession to Israel, his people. Thy name, O Lord, endures forever, thy memory, O Lord, unto all generations. For the Lord cares for his people, and has mercy on his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands: they have a mouth, but speak not; they have eyes, but see not; they have ears, but hear not; and there is no breath in their mouths. Like unto them become those who make them, and everyone who trusts in them.
Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; bless the Lord, O house of Aaron. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwells in Jerusalem.
PSALM 136
Alleluia.
Praise ye the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Praise ye the God of gods, for his mercy endures forever. Praise ye the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures forever.
Who alone has done great wonders, for his mercy endures forever. Who has made the heavens with wisdom, for his mercy endures forever. Who stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endures forever. Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures forever: the sun to rule the day, for his mercy endures forever, the moon and the stars, to rule the night, for his mercy endures forever.
Who struck the Egyptians in their firstborn, for his mercy endures forever. And brought out Israel from their midst, for this mercy endures forever, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, for his mercy endures forever. Who divided the Red Sea into parts, for his mercy endures forever. And led Israel across through the midst of it, for his mercy endures forever. And cast Pharao and his army in the Red Sea, for his mercy endures forever. Who led his people through the desert, for his mercy endures forever. Who smote the great kings, for his mercy endures forever. And he slew the mighty kings, for his mercy endures forever: Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, for his mercy endures forever, and Og, king of Basan, for his mercy endures forever. And he gave their land as a possession, for his mercy endures forever, as a possession to Israel, he servant, for his mercy endures forever.
Who remembered us in our lowliness, for his mercy endures forever. And he delivered us from our enemies, for his mercy endures forever. Who gives food to all flesh, for his mercy endures forever. Praise ye the God of heaven, for his mercy endures forever.
PSALM 137
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remembered Sion. On the willows of that land we hung up our harps. For there, they who captured us requested songs of us, and they who tormented us, mirth: "Sing to us from the canticles of Sion!"
How shall we sing a canticle of the Lord in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten! Let my tongue cleave to my palate, if I remember thee not, if I place not Jerusalem above all my joy.
Bear in mind, O Lord, the day of Jerusalem against the children of Edom, who said: "Throw down, throw down the very foundations thereof!" O daughter of Babylon, thou destroyer, blessed is he who shall repay thee the evils thou hast brought upon us! Blessed is he who shall seize and dash thy little ones against the rock!
PSALM 138
Of David.
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, because thou hast heard the words of my mouth; in the sight of the Angels I will sing psalms to thee. I will prostrate myself before thy holy temple, and I will praise thy name, because of thy goodness and fidelity, because thou hast magnified above all things thy name and thy promise. When I cried to thee, thou didst hear me, thou didst increase strength in my soul.
All kings of the earth, O Lord, shall praise thee, when they hear the words of thy mouth; and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord: "Truly, the glory of the Lord is great." Truly, the Lord is exalted, and he regards the humble, but the proud he beholds from afar.
If I walk in the midst of tribulation, thou dost preserve me in life, against the wrath of my enemies thou dost stretch forth thy hand, thy right hand saves me. The Lord will accomplish for me what is begun. O Lord, thy goodness is everlasting; forsake not the work of thy hands.
PSALM 139
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
O Lord, thou searchest and knowest me, thou knowest me when I sit down and when I rise. Thou discernest my thoughts from afar; when I walk and when I lie down, thou seest, and thou dost heed all my ways. When a word is not yet on my tongue: behold, thou knowest all. Thou dost encircle me from behind and before, and thou layest thy hand upon me. This knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is sublime: beyond my reach.
Where can I go from thy spirit? And where can I flee from thy face? If I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I lie down with the dead, thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea: even there will thy hand guide me, and thy right hand hold me. If I say: "At least darkness shall cover me, and night like light shall surround me:" darkness itself shall not be dark to thee, and night shall shine as the day: to thee darkness is as light.
For thou didst fashion my reins, thou didst form me in my mother's womb. I praise thee, that I was made so wonderfully, that thy works are wonderful. And thou knowest my soul perfectly, my substance was not hidden from thee, when I was being formed secretly, when I was being shaped in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my acts, and all were written in thy book; days were fixed, before there was even one of them. But for me, how difficult are thy counsels, O God, how great is the sum of them! If I should number them, they would be more numerous than the sands; if I should come to the end, I would still be with thee.
Oh, that thou wouldst slay the wicked man, O God, and that men of blood would depart from me! For they craftily rebel against thee, treacherously thy foes rise up against thee. Do I not hate those who hate thee, O Lord, do I not loathe those who assail thee? I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my feelings, and see whether I follow an evil way, and lead me in the way of old.
PSALM 140
Of the choir-master. A psalm of David.
Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, guard me from the violent man: from those who think evil in their hearts, who stir up strife every day, who sharpen their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips.
Save me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked man, guard me from the violent man: who plan to overturn my steps, the proud hid a snare for me, and they stretch out ropes like a net, they lay traps for me by the wayside. I say to the Lord: Thou art my God; hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication. O Lord, O God, my powerful help! Thou shieldest my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked man, fulfill not his plans. They who surround me lift up their heads: let the malice of their lips overwhelm them. May he rain burning coals upon them; may he cast them into the pit, to rise no more.
A man of evil tongue shall not endure in the land; evils shall suddenly fall upon the violent man. I know that the Lord will avenge the needy and do justice to the poor. Surely, the just shall praise thy name, the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
PSALM 141
A psalm of David.
O Lord, I cry to thee: hasten to help me; give ear to my voice when I cry to thee. Let my prayer be directed to thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, a guard at the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil, to do wicked deeds; nor with men who do evil, let me never eat their choice foods. Let the just man strike me: this is kindness; let him reprove me: it is oil for the head, which my head shall not refuse, but I will always pray under their chastisements. Their princes were cast down beside the rock, and they heard how mild were my words. As when one plows and divides the earth, their bones were scattered at the entrance to the abode of the dead.
For to thee, O Lord God, my eyes are turned; to thee I flee for refuge: destroy not my soul. Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers. May the wicked fall together into their own net, while I safely escape.
PSALM 142
A Maskil. Of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.
With a loud voice, I cry to the Lord, with a loud voice, I beseech the Lord. I pour out my trouble before him, and I lay my anguish before him. When my spirit is troubled within me, thou knowest my path.
In the path wherein I walk, they have hidden a snare for me. I look to the right and see and there is no one to take care of me. There is no place to which I may flee, no one who cares for my soul.
I cry to thee, O Lord; I say: Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Give heed to my cry, for I have become very wretched. Deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger than I. Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to thy name. The just will surround me, when thou dealest kindly with me.
PSALM 143
A psalm of David.
O Lord, hear my prayer, receive my petition for the sake of thy fidelity, hear me for thy justice's sake. Summon not thy servant for judgment, for no one alive is just before thee.
For an enemy seeks my soul: he has cast down my life upon the earth, he has placed me in darkness like those long since dead. And my spirit has grown weak within me; my heart within me has grown hard. I remember the days of old, I reflect on all thy works, the things thy hands have made, I consider. I stretch out my hands to thee; my soul, like a parched land, thirsts for thee.
Hear me, O Lord, speedily: for my spirit is faint. Hide not thy face from me, lest I become like to those who go down into the pit. Grant that I may quickly receive thy favor, because I place my trust in thee. Make known to me the way I should walk, because to thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord: in thee I hope.
Teach me to do thy will, because thou art my God. Thy spirit is good: may it lead me to a land that is smooth. For thy name's sake, O Lord, preserve me alive; according to thy clemency do thou lead out my soul from distress. And in thy mercy do thou destroy my enemies, and bring to nought all who trouble my soul: for I am thy servant.
PSALM 144
Of David.
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who teaches my hands to fight, my fingers to war, my mercy and my stronghold, my fortress and my deliverer, my shield and my refuge, who subdues the peoples for me.
O Lord, what is man, that thou takest care of him, the son of man that thou thinkest of him? Man is like to a breath of air, his days like to a shadow that passes away. O Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend, touch the mountains and they shall smoke; send forth lightning and disperse them, shoot thy arrows and trouble them; put forth thy hand from on high, rescue me and deliver me from many waters, from the hand of strangers, whose mouth speaks a lie and whose right hand swears falsehood.
To thee, O God, I will sing a new canticle, on the ten-stringed psaltery, I will sing praises to thee, who givest victory to kings, who hast delivered David, thy servant. From the evil sword, rescue me, and deliver me from the hands of strangers, whose mouth speaks a lie, and whose right hand swears falsehood.
May our sons be like plants, growing up in their youth; may our daughters be like corner columns, carved like the columns of a temple. May our storehouses be full, overflowing with every kind of fruit; may our flocks, bearing a thousandfold, be increased to myriads in our fields; may out beasts of burden be laden. May there be no breach in the walls, or exile, or wailing in our streets. Blessed is the people who have the like; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
PSALM 145
The praises of David.
I will extol thee, my God, my king; and I will bless thy name forever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, nor can his greatness be plumbed. Generation to generation proclaims thy works, and they declare thy power. They recount the magnificent glory of thy majesty, and make public thy wondrous works. And they speak of the might of thy terrible deeds, and recount thy greatness.
They proclaim the praise of thy great goodness, and they rejoice in thy justice. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and full of kindness. The Lord is good to all, all merciful towards all his works.
Let all thy works, O Lord, praise thee, and let thy saints bless thee. Let them tell of the glory of thy kingdom, and let them speak of thy might, to make thy might known to the children of men and the glory of thy magnificent kingdom. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works. The Lord sustains all who are falling, and sets up all who are cast down. The eyes of all hope in thee, and thou givest them food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and fillest every living creature with goodness.
The Lord is just in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who sincerely call upon him. He will do the will of those who fear him, and he will hear their cry and save them. The Lord keeps all who love him, and he will destroy all the wicked.
Let my mouth speak the praise of the Lord, and let all men bless his holy name forever.
PSALM 146
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, O my soul; I will praise the Lord throughout my life; I will sing to my God as long as I shall be.
Put not your trust in princes, in man, through whom there is no salvation. When his spirit has departed, he shall return to his earth; then shall all his schemes perish.
Blessed is the man, whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord, his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things which are in them, who remains faithful forever, renders justice to the oppressed, gives bread to the hungry. The Lord frees captives, the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are bent down, the Lord loves the just. The Lord watches over strangers, the orphan and the widow he supports, but the way of sinners he confounds. The Lord shall reign forever, thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation.
PSALM 147
Alleluia.
Praise ye the Lord, for he is good, sing praises to our God, for he is lovable: praise becomes him. The Lord builds up Jerusalem, he gathers together the dispersed of Israel; he himself heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He fixes the number of the stars, and calls each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in strength, his wisdom is without measure. The Lord lifts up the lowly; he casts the wicked down to the ground.
Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, sing to our God upon the harp, who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth; who brings forth the grass on the mountains, and the herb for the service of men; who gives food to cattle, and to the young ravens that cry to him. The strength of the horse does not delight him, nor do the thighs of man please him. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, who have confidence in his goodness.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, praise thy God, O Sion, because he has made strong the bars of thy gates, he has blessed thy children in thee. He has established thy borders in peace, with the marrow of wheat he fills thee. He sends forth his command to the earth, his word runs with speed. He gives snow like wool, the frost he scatters like ashes. He casts down his ice like morsels of bread; in the presence of his cold the waters congeal. He sends forth his word and melts them; he commands his wind to blow and the waters flow. He has declared his word to Jacob, his decrees and precepts to Israel. He has not done in like manner to any other nation: his precepts he has not made known to them.
PSALM 148
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights. Praise him, all his Angels, praise him, all his hosts. Praise him, O sun and moon, praise him, all shining stars. Praise him, O heavens of heavens, and the waters which are above the heavens: let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever: he gave a law, which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters and all the depths of the sea. Let fire and hail, snow and mist, let the storm-wind, which fulfills his word, let mountains and all hills, let fruit trees and all cedars, let wild beasts and all cattle, let reptiles and feathered birds, let kings of the earth and all nations, let princes and all judges of the earth, let young men and virgins too, let old men together with children: let them praise the name of the Lord, because his name alone is exalted; his majesty transcends the earth and heaven, he has given a high horn to his people. Praise for all his faithful, for the children of Israel, for a people that is near him. Alleluia.
PSALM 149
Alleluia.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle; let his praise resound in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in her maker, let the children of Sion be joyful in their king. Let them praise his name in the dance, let them sing to him with timbrel and harp, for the Lord loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. Let the saints rejoice in glory, let them be glad in their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and two-edged swords in their hands: to execute vengeance upon the nations, chastisements on the peoples; to bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with iron manacles; to execute upon them the appointed judgment: this is the glory of all his saints. Alleluia.
PSALM 150
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord in his holy place, praise him in his majestic firmament. Praise him because of his wonderful works, praise him because of his sublime majesty. Praise him with sound of trumpet, praise him with harp and lyre. Praise him with drum and dancing, praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise him with sonorous cymbals, praise him with crashing cymbals: let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
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