DAY 1 : MORNING PRAYER
1
Beatus vir qui non abiit
1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, *
nor stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, *
and on his law will he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, *
that will bring forth his fruit in due season.
4 His leaf also shall not wither; *
and look, whatever he does, it shall prosper.
5 As for the ungodly, it is not so with them; *
but they are like the chaff, which the wind scatters away from the face of the earth.
6 Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment, *
neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
7 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
2
Quare fremuerunt gentes?
1 Why do the nations so furiously rage together? *
And why do the peoples devise a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together, *
against the Lord and against his Anointed:
3 "Let us break their bonds asunder *
and cast away their cords from us."
4 He who dwells in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; *
the Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath *
and terrify them in his great anger:
6 "I myself have set my King *
upon my holy hill of Zion."
7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord; *
he said to me, "You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall bruise them with a rod of iron *
and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
10 Be wise now, O you kings; *
be warned, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord in fear, *
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. *
Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.
3
Domine, quid multiplicati?
1 Lord, how they are increased who trouble me; *
many are those who rise against me.
2 Many there are who say of my soul, *
"There is no help for him in his God."
3 But you, O Lord, are my defender; *
you are my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I called upon the Lord with my voice, *
and he heard me from his holy hill.
5 I lay down and slept, and rose up again, *
for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people *
who have set themselves against me round about.
7 Rise up, O Lord, and help me, O my God; *
for you smite all my enemies on the cheek-bone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; *
may your blessing be upon your people.
4
Cum invocarem
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness; *
you set me free when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O you children of men, how long will you blaspheme my honor, *
and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after falsehood?
3 Know this also, that the Lord has chosen for himself the one that is godly; *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not; *
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
5 Offer the sacrifice of righteousness *
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many that say, "Who will show us any good?"
DAY 1 : EVENING PRAYER
6
Domine, ne in furore
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, *
neither chasten me in your displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; *
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are racked.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled; *
but, Lord, how long will you punish me?
4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul; *
O save me for your mercy's sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you, *
and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6 I am weary with my groaning; *
every night I flood my bed and drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eyes have become dim because of trouble, *
and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Away from me, all you who work wickedness, *
for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my petition; *
the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be confounded and greatly vexed; *
they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly.
7
Domine, Deus meus
1 O Lord my God, in you have I put my trust; *
save me from all those who persecute me, and deliver me,
2 Lest they devour me like a lion and tear me in pieces *
while there is none to help.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing, *
if there be any wickedness in my hands,
3 If I have repaid evil to him who has dealt with me as a friend, *
or plundered him who without any cause is my enemy,
5 Then let my enemy pursue me and overtake me, *
let him trample my life into the ground, and lay my honor in the dust.
6 Stand up, O Lord, in your wrath, and lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; *
rise up for me in the judgment that you have commanded.
7 Then shall the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; *
lift yourself up again, O Lord, O judge of all the nations.
8 Give sentence for me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, *
and according to the innocence that is in me.
9 O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end, *
but establish the just.
10 For the righteous God *
tries the very hearts and minds.
11 God is my shield and my defense; *
he preserves those who are true of heart.
12 God is a righteous judge, strong and patient; *
and God is provoked every day.
13 If a man will not repent, God will whet his sword; *
he will bend his bow, and make it ready.
14 He has prepared for him the instruments of death; *
he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
15 Behold, the ungodly is in labor with mischief; *
he has conceived wickedness and brought forth lies.
16 He has made a pit and dug it out, *
but will himself fall into the trap that he made for others.
17 For his malice shall come upon his own head, *
and his wickedness shall fall on his own scalp.
18 I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousness, *
and I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
8
Domine, Dominus noster
1 O Lord our Governor, how excellent is your Name in all the world; *
you have set your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have ordained strength, because of your enemies, *
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, even the works of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars, which you have ordained,
4 What is man, that you are mindful of him, *
the son of man, that you visit him?
5 You made him little lower than the angels, *
to crown him with glory and honor.
6 You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands,*
and you have put all things in subjection under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, *
even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Governor, *
how excellent is your Name in all the world!
DAY 2 : MORNING PRAYER
9
Confitebor tibi
1 I will give thanks unto you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
I will speak of all your marvelous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; *
indeed, my songs will I sing of your Name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies are driven back, *
they shall fall and perish at your presence;
4 For you have maintained my right and my cause; *
you sit on your throne judging right.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the ungodly; *
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 As for the enemy, their destruction has come; they are in perpetual ruin; *
like the cities which you have destroyed, their memory has perished with them.
7 But the Lord sits enthroned for ever; *
he has prepared his seat for judgment.
8 For he shall judge the world in righteousness, *
and minister true judgment to the peoples.
9 The Lord will be a defense for the oppressed, *
even a refuge in the time of trouble;
10 And those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
for you, Lord, have never failed those who seek you.
11 O praise the Lord who dwells in Zion; *
tell the peoples what things he has done.
12 For when he takes vengeance for blood, he remembers them, *
and forgets not the cry of the poor.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider the trouble I suffer from those who hate me, *
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of all your praises within the gates of the daughter of Zion; *
I will rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; *
in the same net which they hid secretly is their foot caught.
16 The Lord is known to execute judgment; *
the ungodly are trapped in the works of their own hands.
17 The wicked shall return to the grave, *
even all the peoples that forget God.
18 For the poor shall not always be forgotten; *
the patient hope of the meek shall not perish for ever.
19 Rise up, O Lord, and let them not have the upper hand; *
let the nations be judged in your sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord, *
that the nations may know themselves to be merely human.
10
Ut quid, Domine?
1 Why do you stand so far off, O Lord, *
and hide your face in the time of need and trouble?
2 The ungodly in his pride persecutes the poor; *
let him be taken in the crafty schemes that he has imagined.
3 For the ungodly has boasted of his own heart's desire; *
the covetous holds the Lord in contempt and blasphemes his Name.
4 The ungodly is so proud that he cares not for God; *
neither is God in any of his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; *
your judgments are far above, out of his sight, and therefore he defies all his enemies.
6 For he has said in his heart, "I shall never be cast down; *
no harm shall happen to me."
7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud; *
under his tongue are ungodliness and vanity.
8 He sits lurking in the thievish corners of the streets, and in his hiding places he murders the innocent; *
his eyes are set against the poor.
9 For he lies waiting secretly, even as a lion lurks in his den, *
that he may ravish the poor.
10 He ravishes the poor *
when he gets him into his net.
11 The innocent is crushed and humbled before him, *
and the weak cannot stand against his might.
12 He has said in his heart, "God has forgotten; *
he hides away his face, and he will never see it."
13 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up your hand; *
forget not the poor.
14 Why should the wicked blaspheme God, *
while he says in his heart, "You, O God, do not care"?
15 Surely you have seen it, for you behold ungodliness and wrong,*
that you may take the matter into your hand.
16 The poor commits himself unto you, *
for you are the helper of the fatherless.
17 Break the power of the ungodly and malicious; *
search out his ungodliness until you have brought it all to light.
18 The Lord is King for ever and ever, *
and the nations have perished out of the land.
19 O Lord, you have heard the desire of the poor; *
you prepare their heart, and your ear hearkens to it,
29 To help the fatherless and poor with justice, *
that the one who is of the earth may terrify no more.
11
In Domino confido
1 In the Lord I put my trust; *
how then can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird unto the hill;
2 For behold, the ungodly bend their bow, and make ready their arrow upon the string, *
that they may secretly shoot at those who are true of heart.
3 For the foundations will be cast down, *
and what can the righteous do?"
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; *
the Lord's throne is in heaven.
5 His eyes consider the poor, *
and his eyelids try the children of men.
6 The Lord tests the righteous, *
but the ungodly, and those who delight in wickedness, his soul abhors.
7 Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest; *
this shall be their portion to drink.
8 For the righteous Lord loves righteousness; *
the upright shall behold his face.
DAY 2 : EVENING PRAYER
12
Salvum me fac
1 Help me, O Lord, for there is no godly one left; *
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of men.
2 They speak falsely, every one with his neighbor; *
they flatter with their lips and deceive with a double heart.
3 The Lord shall root out all deceitful lips *
and the tongues that speak proud things,
4 Which have said, "With our tongue will we prevail; *
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
5 "Now because of the trouble of the needy *
and because of the deep sighing of the poor,
6 I will rise up," says the Lord, *
"and will give help to every one who longs for it."
7 The words of the Lord are pure words, even as silver that is tried in the furnace, *
and as gold that is purified seven times in the fire.
8 Preserve us, O Lord, and save us *
from this perverse and evil generation.
9 The ungodly walk on every side *
when wickedness is exalted among the children of men.
13
Usquequo, Domine?
1 How long will you utterly forget me, O Lord? *
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I seek counsel in my soul and be so vexed in my heart? *
How long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; *
give light to my eyes, that I sleep not in death,
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; *
for if I am cast down, those who trouble me will rejoice.
5 But my trust is in your mercy, *
and my heart is joyful in your salvation.
6 I will sing of the Lord, because he has dealt so lovingly with me; *
indeed, I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
14
Dixit insipiens
1 The fool has said in his heart, *
"There is no God."
2 They are corrupt and have become abominable in their doings; *
there is none that does good, no, not one.
3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, *
to see if there were any who would understand and seek after God.
4 But they have all gone astray; they have altogether become abominable; *
there is none that does good, no, not one.
5 Have they no knowledge, all those workers of evil, *
who eat up my people as bread, and call not upon the Lord?
6 There were they brought into great fear, even where no fear was; *
for God is in the generation of the righteous.
7 Though you have made a mockery of the counsel of the poor, *
yet they put their trust in the Lord.
8 Who shall give salvation unto Israel out of Zion? *
When the Lord restores his captive people, then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
DAY 3 : MORNING PRAYER
15
Domine, quis habitabit?
1 Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle? *
Or who shall rest upon your holy hill?
2 Whoever leads an uncorrupt life, *
and does that which is right, and speaks the truth from his heart.
3 He has not spoken deceitfully with his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbor, *
and has not slandered his neighbor.
4 In his eyes the wicked is rejected, *
and he makes much of those who fear the Lord.
5 He swears to his neighbor and disappoints him not, *
though it were to his own hindrance.
6 He has not given his money for usury, *
nor taken a bribe against the innocent.
7 Whoever does these things *
shall never be overthrown.
16
Conserva me, Domine
1 Preserve me, O God, *
for in you have I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said unto the Lord, *
"You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
3 All my delight is upon the saints who are on the earth, *
and upon those who excel in virtue.
4 But those who run after another god *
shall have great trouble.
5 Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, *
neither make mention of their names with my lips.
6 The Lord himself is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; *
you shall maintain my lot.
7 The boundaries have fallen for me in pleasant places; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
8 I will thank the Lord for giving me counsel; *
my heart also chastens me in the night season.
9 I have set the Lord always before me; *
he is at my right hand; therefore I shall not fall.
10 Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices. *
My flesh also shall rest in hope.
11 For you shall not leave my soul in the grave, *
neither shall you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
12 You shall show me the path of life; in your presence is the fullness of joy, *
and at your right hand there is pleasure for evermore.
17
Exaudi, Domine
1 Hear what is right, O Lord; consider my complaint; *
hearken to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.
2 Let justice for me come forth from your presence, *
and let your eyes look upon that which is right.
3 You have tested and visited my heart in the night season. *
If you try me you shall find no wickedness in me; my mouth shall not offend.
4 As for the works of others, *
because of the words of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5 Hold my steps firmly in your paths, *
that my footsteps may not slip.
6 I have called upon you, O God, for you will hear me; *
incline your ear to me and hearken to my words.
7 Show your marvelous loving-kindness, you that are the Savior of those who put their trust in you *
from the ones who resist your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; *
hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 From the ungodly who assault me, *
even from my enemies who encompass me to take away my soul.
10 They have closed their heart to pity, *
and their mouth speaks proud things.
11 They lie waiting in my way on every side, *
watching how they may cast me down to the ground,
12 Like a lion that is greedy for its prey, *
and like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them and cast them down; *
deliver my soul from the ungodly by your sword and by your hand,
14 From those, O Lord, from those whose portion in life is of the world, *
whose bellies you fill with your hidden treasure.
15 They have children at their desire, *
and leave the rest of their abundance for their little ones.
16 But as for me, I will behold your presence in righteousness; *
and when I awake and see your likeness, I shall be satisfied.
DAY 3 : EVENING PRAYER
18
Diligam te, Domine
1 I will love you, O Lord my strength; *
the Lord is my rock, my stronghold, and my deliverer,
2 My Savior, my God, and my might in whom I will trust, *
my buckler, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; *
so shall I be safe from my enemies.
4 The waves of death encompassed me; *
the floods that would swallow me up made me afraid.
5 The cords of the grave surrounded me; *
the snares of death overtook me.
6 In my trouble I called upon the Lord *
and cried unto my God for help.
7 From his holy temple he heard my voice. *
My complaint came before him; it entered into his ears.
8 The earth trembled and quaked; *
the very foundations of the hills shook and were removed, because he was angry.
9 There went out smoke from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; *
coals of fire issued from his presence.
10 He parted the heavens also and came down, *
and it was dark under his feet.
11 He rode upon the cherubim and flew; *
he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his secret place; *
dark waters and thick clouds were his covering round about him.
13 At the brightness of his presence his clouds broke forth: *
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Most High gave forth his voice: *
hailstones and coals of fire.
15 He sent out his arrows and scattered them; *
he cast forth lightning and destroyed them.
16 The springs of water were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered, *
at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of your displeasure.
17 He reached down from on high to grasp me, *
and he took me out of many waters.
18 He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from those who hated me, *
for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my trouble, *
but the Lord upheld me.
20 He brought me forth into a place of liberty; *
he delivered me, because I had found favor in his eyes.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing; *
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me,
22 Because I had kept the ways of the Lord *
and had not forsaken my God, as the wicked do.
23 For I had an eye unto all his laws *
and did not cast out his commandments from me.
24 I was also uncorrupt before him *
and kept myself from my own wickedness.
25 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, *
and according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, *
and with the upright you show yourself upright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
28 For you shall save the people who are in adversity, *
but shall bring down the high looks of the proud.
29 You also shall light my lamp; *
the Lord my God shall turn my darkness into light.
30 For with you I shall crush a host of men, *
and with the help of my God I can leap over a wall.
31 The way of God is an undefiled way; the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire; *
he is the defender of all those who put their trust in him.
32 For who is God, but the Lord, *
or who is a rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me with strength for war *
and makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer *
and sets me up on high.
35 He teaches my hands to fight, *
and my arms shall bend even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; *
your right hand also shall hold me up, and your loving correction shall make me great.
37 You have made a broad path for my feet, *
and my footsteps shall not slip.
38 I will follow my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn again until I have destroyed them.
39 I will smite them, and they shall not be able to stand. *
They shall fall under my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you shall throw down my enemies under me.
41 You have made my enemies turn their backs upon me, *
and I shall destroy those who hate me.
42 They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them; *
even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
43 I will beat them as small as dust before the wind; *
I will tread them down as mire in the streets.
44 You shall deliver me from the strivings of the peoples, *
and you shall make me the head of the nations.
45 A people whom I have not known *
shall be in subjection under me.
46 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; *
and foreigners shall cringe before me.
47 Foreigners shall lose heart, *
and, being afraid, shall come out of their strongholds.
48 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, *
and praised be the God of my salvation,
49 Even the God who sees that I am avenged *
and subdues the peoples under me.
50 It is he who delivers me from my cruel enemies, and lifts me up above my adversaries; *
you shall rid me of the wicked.
51 For this cause will I give thanks unto you, O Lord, among the nations, *
and sing praises unto your Name.
52 Great prosperity he gives unto his King, *
and shows loving-kindness to David his Anointed, and unto his seed for evermore.
DAY 4 : MORNING PRAYER
19
Cæli enarrant
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One day speaks to another, *
and one night gives knowledge to another.
3 There is neither speech nor language, *
and their voices are not heard;
5 But their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their words to the ends of the world.
5 In them he has set a tent for the sun, *
which comes forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run his course.
6 It goes forth from the uttermost part of the heavens, and runs about to the end of it again, *
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; *
the testimony of the Lord is sure, and gives wisdom to the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; *
the commandment of the Lord is pure, and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; *
sweeter also than honey, than the drippings from the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant taught, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends? *
O cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me; *
so shall I be undefiled, and innocent of great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, *
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
20
Exaudiat te Dominus
1 May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, *
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from the sanctuary, *
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings, *
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your heart's desire, *
and accomplish all your plans.
5 We will rejoice in your salvation, and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God; *
may the Lord grant all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the Lord helps his Anointed, and will answer him from his holy heaven, *
even with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses, *
but we put our trust in the Name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen, *
but we will arise and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the King, *
and hear us when we call upon you.
21
Domine, in virtute tua
1 The King shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord; *
exceedingly glad shall he be of your salvation.
2 You have given him his heart's desire, *
and have not denied him the request of his lips.
3 For you shall meet him with the blessings of goodness, *
and shall set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: *
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 His honor is great because of your salvation; *
glory and majesty shall you lay upon him.
6 For you shall give him everlasting felicity *
and make him glad with the joy of your countenance.
7 For the King puts his trust in the Lord, *
and because of the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved.
8 All your enemies shall feel your hand; *
your right hand shall find those who hate you.
9 You shall make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath; *
the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them.
10 Their offspring you shall root out of the earth, *
and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against you, *
and imagined wicked schemes, which they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore you shall put them to flight, *
and the strings of your bow you shall aim at their faces.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength; *
so we will sing and praise your power.
DAY 4 : EVENING PRAYER
22
Deus, Deus meus
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, *
and are so far from my cry, and from the words of my complaint?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear; *
in the night season also, but I find no rest.
3 But you remain holy, *
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers hoped in you; *
they trusted in you, and you delivered them.
5 They called upon you, and were delivered; *
they put their trust in you, and were not confounded.
6 But as for me, I am a worm, and no man, *
scorned by all, and the outcast of the people.
7 All those who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
8 "He trusted in God, that he would deliver him; *
let him deliver him, if he will have him."
9 But you are he that took me out of my mother's womb; *
you were my hope, when I was yet upon my mother's breasts.
10 I have been cast upon you ever since I was born; *
you are my God, even from my mother's womb.
11 O go not far from me, for trouble is near at hand, *
and there is none to help me.
12 Many oxen have come around me; *
fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
13 They gape at me with their mouths, *
like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; *
my heart also in the midst of my body is like melting wax.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my gums, *
and you bring me into the dust of death.
16 For many dogs have come about me, *
and the council of the wicked lays siege against me.
17 They pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones; *
they stand staring and looking upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, *
and casts lots for my clothing.
19 But be not far from me, O Lord. *
You are my succor; hasten to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, *
my life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth, *
and my soul in misery from among the horns of wild oxen.
22 I will declare your Name to my brethren; *
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
23 O praise the Lord, you that fear him; *
magnify him, all you seed of Jacob, and fear him, all you seed of Israel.
24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor; *
he has not hidden his face from him, but when he called unto him, he heard him.
25 My praise is of you in the great congregation; *
my vows will I perform in the sight of those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; *
those who seek after the Lord shall praise him; may your hearts live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember, and be turned unto the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord's, *
and he is the Governor among the peoples.
29 All those who sleep in the earth, how shall they worship him? *
All those who go down into the dust, how shall they kneel before him?
30 But my life shall be preserved in his sight, and my children shall worship him; *
they shall tell of the Lord to the generations to come;
31 And to a people yet unborn shall they declare his righteousness, *
that he has brought it to pass.
23
Dominus regit me
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
therefore I can lack nothing.
2 He shall feed me in green pastures *
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
3 He shall refresh my soul *
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, *
for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.
5 You shall prepare a table before me, in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
DAY 5 : MORNING PRAYER
24
Domini est terra
1 The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, *
the compass of the world and those who dwell therein.
2 For he has founded it upon the seas *
and established it upon the rivers of the deep.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? *
Or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, *
and who has not set his mind upon vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbor.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord *
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek him, *
even of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.
8 "Who is the King of glory?" *
"It is the Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord, mighty in battle."
 *
"The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory."
25
Ad te, Domine, levavi
1 Unto you, O Lord, will I lift up my soul; my God, I have put my trust in you; *
O let me not be ashamed, neither let my enemies triumph over me.
2 For all those who hope in you shall not be ashamed, *
but those who deal untruly shall be put to confusion.
3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.
4 Lead me forth in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation; in you has been my hope all the day long.
5 Call to remembrance, O Lord, your tender mercies, *
and your loving-kindnesses, which have been from of old.
6 O remember not the sins and offenses of my youth, *
but according to your mercy think on me, O Lord, in your goodness.
6 Gracious and righteous is the Lord; *
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
7 Those who are meek shall he guide in judgment, *
and those who are gentle shall he teach his way.
9 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth *
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
10 For your Name's sake, O Lord, *
forgive my sin, for it is great.
11 Who is the one who fears the Lord? *
He shall teach him in the way that he shall choose.
12 He shall dwell at ease, *
and his seed shall inherit the land.
13 The Lord reveals his secret counsel to those who fear him, *
and he will show them his covenant.
14 My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, *
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15 Turn to me, and have mercy on me, *
for I am desolate and in misery.
16 The sorrows of my heart are enlarged; *
O bring me out of my troubles.
17 Look upon my adversity and misery *
and forgive me all my sin.
18 Consider my enemies, how many they are, *
and how they bear a tyrannous hate against me.
19 O keep my soul and deliver me; *
Let me not be ashamed, for I have put my trust in you.
20 Let integrity and righteous dealing preserve me, *
for my hope has been in you.
21 Deliver Israel, O God, *
out of all his troubles.
26
Judica me, Domine
1 Be my judge, O Lord, for I have walked innocently; *
my trust has been in the Lord; therefore I shall not fall.
2 Test me, O Lord, and prove me; *
examine my heart and my mind.
3 For your loving-kindness is ever before my eyes, *
and I will walk in your truth.
4 I have not dwelt with evildoers, *
neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the company of the wicked, *
and will not sit among the ungodly.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *
and so will I go to your altar,
7 That I may lift up the voice of thanksgiving *
and tell of all your wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house *
and the place where your honor dwells.
9 O take not away my soul with the sinners, *
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 Whose hands are full of wickedness, *
and their right hand full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk innocently; *
O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot stands firm; *
I will praise the Lord in the congregations.
DAY 5 : EVENING PRAYER
27
Dominus illuminatio
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? *
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host were encamped against me, yet my heart would not be afraid, *
and though war rose up against me, yet would I put my trust in him.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord; one thing I seek: *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
5 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord, *
and to seek him in his temple.
6 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle; *
indeed, in the secret place of his dwelling he shall hide me, and set me high upon a rock of stone.
7 And now he shall lift up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
8 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness; *
I will sing and speak praises unto the Lord.
9 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto you; *
have mercy upon me and hear me.
10 You speak to my heart and say, "Seek my face." *
Your face, O Lord, will I seek.
11 O hide not your face from me, *
nor cast your servant away in displeasure.
12 You have been my helper; *
leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
13 When my father and my mother forsake me, *
the Lord takes me in.
14 Teach me your way, O Lord, *
and lead me in the right way, because of my enemies.
15 Deliver me not over to the will of my adversaries, *
for there are false witnesses who have risen up against me, and those who speak wrong.
16 I would utterly have fainted, *
had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
17 O wait for the Lord; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart. *
O put your trust in the Lord.
28
Ad te, Domine
1 Unto you will I cry, O Lord my rock; do not be deaf to my prayer; *
lest, if you do not answer, I become like those who go down into the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my humble petitions when I cry unto you, *
when I hold up my hands toward the sanctuary of your holy temple.
3 O cast me not away, neither destroy me with the ungodly and evildoers, *
who speak as friends to their neighbors, but imagine evil in their hearts.
4 Reward them according to their deeds *
and according to the wickedness of their own inventions.
5 Recompense them according to the work of their hands; *
pay them what they have deserved.
6 For they regard not in their mind the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands; *
therefore he shall break them down and not build them up.
7 Praised be the Lord, *
for he has heard the voice of my humble petitions.
8 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in him, and I am helped; *
therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song will I praise him.
9 The Lord is my strength, *
and he is the sure defense of his Anointed.
10 O save your people, and give your blessing to your inheritance; *
feed them, and lift them up for ever.
29
Afferte Domino
1 Ascribe unto the Lord, O you mighty, *
ascribe unto the Lord worship and strength.
2 Give the Lord the honor due unto his Name; *
worship the Lord with holy worship.
3 It is the Lord that commands the waters; *
it is the glorious God that makes the thunder.
4 It is the Lord that rules the sea; the voice of the Lord is mighty in its working; *
the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
indeed, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also to skip like a calf, *
Lebanon also, and Sirion, like a young ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
indeed, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the deer to bring forth young, and strips the forests bare; *
in his temple all cry, "Glory."
9 The Lord sits above the floodwaters, *
and the Lord remains King for ever.
10 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
DAY 6 : MORNING PRAYER
30
Exaltabo te, Domine
1 I will magnify you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up, *
and have not let my foes triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto you, *
and you have made me whole.
3 You, Lord, have brought my soul out of the Grave; *
you have saved my life from among those who go down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises unto the Lord, O you saints of his, *
and give thanks unto him for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, his pleasure for a lifetime; *
heaviness may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
6 In my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved; *
you, Lord, of your goodness, have made my hill so strong."
7 You turned your face from me, *
and I was distressed.
8 Then I cried unto you, O Lord, *
and came to my Lord most humbly.
9 What profit is there in my bloodshed, *
if I go down into the Pit?
10 Shall the dust give thanks unto you? *
Or shall it declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. *
O Lord, be my helper.
12 You have turned my lamentation into dancing; *
you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.
13 Therefore shall my heart sing of your praise without ceasing. *
O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you for ever.
31
In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to confusion; deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Bow down your ear to me, *
make haste to deliver me,
3 And be my strong rock and house of defense, *
that you may save me.
4 For you are my strong rock and my castle; *
be also my guide, and lead me for your Name's sake.
5 Draw me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, *
for you are my strength.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
7 I have hated those who hold to worthless vanities, *
and my trust has been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy, *
for you have considered my trouble, and have known my soul in adversities.
9 You have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy, *
but have set my feet where they may walk at liberty.
10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with heaviness, and also my soul and my body.
11 For my life has grown old with heaviness, *
and my years with mourning.
12 My strength fails me because of my iniquity, *
and my bones are consumed.
13 I have become a reproof among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors; *
my acquaintances are afraid of me, and those who see me in the street shrink from me.
14 I am utterly forgotten, as a dead man, out of mind; *
I have become like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the whispering of the multitude, and fear is on every side, *
while they conspire together against me and take their counsel to take away my life.
16 But my hope has been in you, O Lord; *
I have said, "You are my God."
17 My time is in your hand; *
deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
18 Show your servant the light of your countenance, *
and save me for your mercy's sake.
19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon you; *
let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to silence, *
which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully speak against the righteous.
21 Oh, how plentiful is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, *
and which you have prepared for those who put their trust in you, even before the children of men!
22 You hide them in the secret place of your presence from those who conspire against them; *
you keep them in your refuge from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord, *
for he has shown me marvellously great kindness in a strong city.
24 But when I was afraid, I said in my haste, *
"I am cast out of the sight of your eyes."
25 Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my prayer *
when I cried unto you.
26 O love the Lord, all you his saints, *
for the Lord preserves those who are faithful, and plenteously repays the proud.
27 Be strong, and he shall establish your heart, *
all you that put your trust in the Lord.
DAY 6 : EVENING PRAYER
32
Beati quorum
1 Blessed is the one whose unrighteousness is forgiven, *
and whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the one to whom the Lord imputes no sin, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 For while I held my tongue, my bones wasted away; *
I ceased not from groaning all the day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night, *
and I was dried up and withered, as in the drought of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin unto you, *
and I did not hide my iniquity.
6 I said, "I will confess my sins unto the Lord"; *
and so you forgave the wickedness of my sin.
7 For this reason shall all the godly make their prayers unto you at a time when you may be found; *
when the great floodwaters rise, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place; you shall preserve me from trouble; *
you shall encompass me with songs of deliverance.
9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, *
and I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like the horse and mule, which have no understanding, *
whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, or else they will not come near you."
11 Great troubles remain for the ungodly; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, O you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
and be joyful, all who are true of heart.
33
Exultate, justi
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous; *
it is fitting for the just to be thankful.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp; *
sing praises unto him with the ten-stringed lute.
3 Sing unto him a new song; *
make skillful melody and cry aloud with joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is true, *
and all his works are faithful.
5 He loves righteousness and true judgment; *
the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, *
and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together, as in a heap, *
and lays up the deep, as in a treasure house.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; *
stand in awe of him, all you that dwell in the world.
9 For he spoke, and it was done; *
he commanded and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught; *
he makes the devices of the peoples to be of no effect, and casts out the counsels of princes.
11 The counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever, *
and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, *
and blessed are the people he has chosen for himself to be his inheritance.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven and beholds all the children of men; *
from the habitation of his dwelling he considers all those who dwell on the earth.
14 He fashions all the hearts of them *
and understands all their works.
15 There is no king who can be saved by a mighty host; *
neither is any mighty man delivered by great strength.
16 A horse is considered a vain hope to save a man; *
neither shall it deliver anyone by its great strength.
17 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, *
and upon those who put their trust in his mercy,
18 To deliver their soul from death, *
and to feed them in the time of famine.
19 Our soul has patiently waited for the Lord, *
for he is our help and our shield.
20 Our heart shall rejoice in him, *
because we have hoped in his holy Name.
21 Let your merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.
34
Benedicam Dominum
1 I will always give thanks unto the Lord; *
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; *
the humble shall hear this and be glad.
3 O praise the Lord with me, *
and let us magnify his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; *
he delivered me out of all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were made glad, *
and their faces were not ashamed.
6 Look, the poor man cries, and the Lord hears him, *
and saves him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord camps round about those who fear him, *
and delivers them in time of need.
8 O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; *
blessed is the one who trusts in him.
9 O fear the Lord, you that are his saints; *
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions lack and suffer hunger, *
but those who seek the Lord shall lack nothing that is good.
11 Come, children, and listen to me; *
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who among you desires to live, *
and longs to see good days?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, *
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good; *
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, *
and his ears are open to their prayers.
16 The countenance of the Lord is against those who do evil, *
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them *
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted *
and will save those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Great are the troubles of the righteous, *
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones, *
so that not one of them is broken.
21 But evil shall slay the ungodly, *
and those who hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22 The Lord delivers the souls of his servants, *
and all those who put their trust in him shall not be destitute.
DAY 7 : MORNING PRAYER
35
Judica, Domine
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me, *
and fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up the shield and buckler, *
and stand up to help me.
3 Bring forth the spear and bar the way against those who pursue me; *
say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame who seek after my life; *
let them be turned back and brought to confusion who imagine evil against me.
5 Let them be as the chaff before the wind, *
and let the angel of the Lord scatter them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, *
and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For they have secretly laid their net to destroy me without a cause; *
indeed, without a cause have they made a pit to take away my life.
8 Let sudden destruction come upon them unawares, and the net, which they have laid secretly, catch themselves, *
that they may fall into their own trouble.
9 Then shall my soul be joyful in the Lord; *
I shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, "Lord, who is like you? You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them; *
indeed, the poor and those who are in misery from those who rob them."
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; *
they charge me with matters I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good, *
to the great sorrow of my soul.
13 Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting; *
I prayed with my whole heart, as if it had been my friend or my brother.
14 I behaved myself as one who mourns for his mother; *
I was bowed down with heaviness of heart.
15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; *
indeed, those who struck me came together against me, and I had no rest; they tore at me, and would not cease.
16 When I stumbled they mocked me exceedingly, *
and gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long will you look on this? *
O deliver me from the calamities they bring upon me, and my life from the lions.
18 So will I give you thanks in the great congregation; *
I will praise you among many people.
19 O let not those who are my enemies triumph over me deceitfully; *
neither let them wink with their eyes, those who hate me without a cause.
20 For their talking is not for peace, *
but they imagine deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open their mouths at me, and say, *
"Aha! Aha! We saw it with our own eyes!"
22 This you have seen, O Lord. *
Hold not your tongue then; be not far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and stand up to judge my case; *
avenge my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to your righteousness, *
and let them not triumph over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha! We have what we want!" *
Neither let them say, "We have devoured him."
26 Let them be put to confusion and shame who rejoice at my trouble; *
let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who boast against me.
27 Let them be glad and rejoice who favor my righteous cause; *
indeed, let them say always, "Great is the Lord, who takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."
28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of your righteousness *
and of your praise all the day long.
36
Dixit injustus
1 My heart shows me the wickedness of the ungodly; *
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own sight, *
until his abominable sin is found out.
3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit; *
he has left off behaving wisely and doing good.
4 He imagines mischief upon his bed, and has set himself in no good way; *
neither does he abhor anything that is evil.
5 Your mercy, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains; your judgments are like the great deep; *
you, Lord, shall save both man and beast.
7 How excellent is your mercy, O God! *
The children of men shall take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of your house, *
and you shall give them drink from your pleasures as out of a river.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light shall we see light.
10 O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.
11 O let not the foot of the proud come against me, *
and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12 There have they fallen, all those who work wickedness; *
they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
DAY 7 : EVENING PRAYER
37
Noli æmulari
1 Fret not yourself because of the ungodly, *
neither be envious of those who are evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be dried up like the grass, *
and be withered even as the green herb.
3 Put your trust in the Lord, and do good; *
dwell in the land, and surely you shall be fed.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, *
and he shall give you your heart's desire.
5 Commit your way unto the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; *
do not grieve yourself over the one whose way prospers, over the one who carries out evil counsels.
8 Refrain from wrath, and let go of anger; *
fret not yourself, lest you be moved to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be rooted out, *
but those who wait patiently for the Lord, they shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone; *
you shall look for their place, and they shall not be there.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the land *
and shall be refreshed with an abundance of peace.
12 The ungodly plot against the just *
and gnash at them with their teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at them in scorn, *
for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow *
to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay those who walk aright.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart, *
and their bow shall be broken.
16 The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, *
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the godly, *
and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in perilous times, *
and in the days of famine they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as in a fiery furnace; *
even as smoke shall they vanish away.
21 The ungodly borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are merciful and generous.
22 Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed by him shall be rooted out.
23 The Lord orders a man's steps; *
he makes his footsteps sure and preserves him on his path.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast down, *
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now I am old, *
yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful in lending, *
and his seed shall be blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do that which is good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.
28 For the Lord loves that which is right; *
he forsakes not those who are godly, and they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished; *
as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the land *
and dwell therein for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and his tongue talks of judgment.
32 The law of his God is in his heart, *
and his footsteps shall not falter.
33 The ungodly lie in wait for the righteous *
and seek occasion to slay him.
34 The Lord will not leave him in their hand, *
nor allow him to be condemned when he is judged.
35 Hope in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you so that you shall possess the land; *
when the ungodly perish, you shall see it.
36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, *
and flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
37 I went by, and behold, they were gone; *
I sought them, but their place could nowhere be found.
38 Mark the blameless, and take heed of the upright, *
for there is a future for the peaceable.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together, *
and the end of the ungodly is that they shall be rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, *
who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41 And the Lord shall stand by them and save them; *
he shall deliver them from the ungodly and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.
DAY 8 : MORNING PRAYER
38
Domine, ne in furore
1 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your anger, *
neither chasten me in your weighty displeasure.
2 For your arrows stick fast in me, *
and your hand presses me hard.
3 There is no health in my flesh, because of your displeasure; *
neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head *
and are like a heavy burden, too much for me to bear.
5 My wounds stink and fester, *
by reason of my foolishness.
6 I am brought into such great trouble and misery *
that I go about mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with burning, *
and there is no wholeness in my body.
8 I am feeble and sorely smitten; *
I have roared because of the tumult of my heart.
9 Lord, you know all my desire, *
and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart is panting, my strength has failed me, *
and the sight of my eyes is gone from me.
11 My friends and my neighbors turn away from my trouble, *
and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek after my life lay snares for me, *
and those who go about to do me evil talk of wickedness and imagine deceit all the day long.
13 As for me, I am like the deaf who do not hear, *
and as one who is mute, who does not open his mouth.
14 I have become like a man who hears not, *
and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
you shall answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I have said, "Let not my enemies triumph over me," *
for when my foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly over me.
17 Truly, I am about to fall, *
and my pain is ever with me.
18 For I will confess my wickedness, *
and be sorry for my sin.
19 But my enemies live, and are mighty, *
and those who hate me wrongfully are many in number.
20 Those also who repay evil for good are against me, *
because I follow that which is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord my God; *
O be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, *
O Lord God of my salvation.
39
Dixi, Custodiam
1 I said, "I will take heed to my ways, *
that I may not offend with my tongue.
2 I will keep my mouth as with a bridle *
while the ungodly are in my sight."
3 I held my tongue and spoke nothing; *
I kept silence, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.
4 My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus pondering the fire kindled, *
and at the last I spoke with my tongue:
5 "Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days, *
that I may learn how short my life is.
6 Behold, you have made my days as a span in length, *
and my age is even as nothing before you; and truly, everyone living is but a breath.
7 For everyone walks about as a shadow, and disquiets himself in vain; *
he heaps up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them.
8 And now, Lord, what is my hope? *
Truly, my hope is in you.
9 Deliver me from all my offenses, *
and make me not a taunt of the foolish.
10 I became mute and opened not my mouth, *
for it was you that brought it to pass.
11 Take your affliction from me; *
I am consumed by the blows of your heavy hand.
12 When you, with rebukes, chasten someone for sin, you consume what is dear to him, like a moth eating a garment; *
everyone therefore is but vanity.
13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with your ears consider my cry; *
hold not your peace at my tears.
14 For I am a stranger with you, *
and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
15 O turn your gaze from me, that I may again be glad, *
before I go away to be seen no more."
40
Expectans expectavi
1 I waited patiently for the Lord, *
and he inclined to me, and heard my call.
2 He brought me out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon the rock, and secured my footing.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth, *
a song of thanksgiving unto our God.
4 Many shall see and fear, *
and shall put their trust in the Lord.
5 Blessed is the man who has set his hope in the Lord, *
and has not turned to the proud, or to those who go about lying.
6 O Lord my God, great are the wondrous works which you have done, and also your thoughts toward us; *
there is none who can be compared with you.
7 If I should declare them and speak of them, *
they would be more than I am able to express.
8 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, *
but my ears you have opened.
9 Burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not required, *
and so I said, "Behold, I come;
10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I delight to do your will, O my God; *
indeed, your law is within my heart."
11 I have declared your righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, and that you know.
12 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart; *
my talk has been of your truth and of your salvation.
13 I have not concealed your loving mercy and truth *
from the great congregation.
14 Withdraw not your mercy from me, O Lord; *
let your loving-kindness and your truth always preserve me.
15 For innumerable troubles have encompassed me; my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up; *
indeed, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart has utterly failed me.
16 O Lord, let it be your pleasure to deliver me; *
make haste, O Lord, to help me.
17 Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek after my soul to destroy it; *
let them be driven backward and rebuked who wish me evil.
18 Let them be desolate and rewarded with shame *
who say to me, "Aha, Aha."

20 As for me, I am poor and needy, *
but the Lord cares for me.
21 You are my helper and deliverer; *
do not tarry, O my God.
DAY 8 : EVENING PRAYER
41
Beatus qui intelligit
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor and needy; *
the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord preserves him and keeps him alive, that he may be blessed upon earth, *
and delivers him not over to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord comforts him when he lies sick upon his bed, *
and restores him from his bed of sickness.
4 I said, "Lord, be merciful to me; *
heal my soul, for I have sinned against you."
5 My enemies speak evil of me: *
"When shall he die, and his name perish?"
6 And if anyone comes to see me, he speaks empty words; *
his heart conceives falsehood within him, and when he goes forth, he tells it.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; *
even against me are they devising evil:
8 "A deadly thing has taken hold of him, *
and now that he lies down, he will rise up no more."
9 Indeed, even my own familiar friend, whom I trusted, who also ate of my bread, *
has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But be merciful to me, O Lord; *
raise me up again, and I shall repay them.
11 By this I know you favor me, *
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 And when I am in health, you uphold me, *
and shall set me before your face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, *
world without end. Amen.
42
Quemadmodum
1 As the deer desires the water brooks, *
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; *
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, *
while all day long they say to me, "Where now is your God?"
4 When I think upon these things, I pour out my heart, *
when I remember how I went with the multitude, and brought them into the house of God,
5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving *
among those who keep holy day.
6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, *
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7 O put your trust in God, *
for I will yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8 My soul is heavy within me; *
therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, and from Mizar among the hills of Hermon.
9 One deep calls to another in the noise of your waterfalls; *
all your waves and storms have gone over me.
10 The Lord will grant his loving-kindness in the daytime; *
and in the night season will I sing of him, and make my prayer to the God of my life.
11 I will say to God my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? *
Why am I full of heaviness, while the enemy oppresses me?"
12 My bones are broken asunder, *
while my enemies mock me to my face,
13 While all day long they say to me, *
"Where now is your God?"

 For he knows the very secrets of the heart.
22 For your sake we are killed all the day long, *
and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain.
23 Rise up, O Lord! Why are you sleeping? *
Awake, and cast us not away for ever.
24 Why do you hide your face *
and forget our misery and trouble?
25 For our soul is brought low, even to the dust; *
our belly cleaves to the ground.
26 Arise, O Lord, and help us, *
and deliver us for your mercy's sake.
45
Eructavit cor meum
1 My heart overflows with a noble song; *
I will sing my words to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the children of men; *
full of grace are your lips, because God has blessed you for ever.
3 Gird your sword upon your thigh, most mighty one, *
according to your honor and majesty.
4 In your majesty be victorious; ride out for the sake of truth, to bear witness to righteousness, *
and your right hand shall show you marvelous things.
5 Your arrows are very sharp in the heart of the King's enemies, *
and the peoples shall be subdued under you.
6 Your throne, O God, endures for ever; *
the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter.
7 You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; *
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
8 All your garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; *
out of the ivory palaces, stringed instruments have made you glad.
9 Kings' daughters are among your honorable women; *
at your right hand stands the queen in a vesture of gold, wrought with many colors.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider; incline your ear; *
forget your own people, and your father's house.
11 So shall the King have pleasure in your beauty; *
since he is your Lord, honor him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall bring you gifts; *
the rich also among the peoples shall seek your favor.
13 The King's daughter is all glorious within the palace; *
her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought to the king in embroidered raiment; *
the virgins who are her companions shall bring her to you.
15 With joy and gladness shall they bring her, *
and shall enter into the King's palace.
16 Instead of your fathers, you shall have sons, *
whom you shall make princes in all the land.
17 I will make your Name to be remembered from one generation to another; *
therefore the peoples shall praise you, world without end.
46
Deus noster refugium
1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters rage and swell, *
and though the mountains shake at its tempest.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; therefore she shall not be moved. *
God shall help her at the break of day.
6 The nations are in an uproar, and the kingdoms are moved, *
but God has lifted his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 O come and behold the works of the Lord, *
what devastations he has brought upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease in all the world; *
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the chariots in the fire.
10 "Be still then and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
DAY 9 : EVENING PRAYER
47
Omnes gentes, plaudite
1 O clap your hands together, all you peoples; *
O cry aloud unto God with shouts of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared; *
he is the great King over all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the peoples under us, *
and the nations under our feet.
4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, *
the pride of Jacob whom he loved.
5 God has gone up with a shout of triumph, *
the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.
6 O sing praises, sing praises unto our God; *
O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
7 For God is the King of all the earth; *
think upon his mighty acts and praise him with a song.
8 God reigns over the nations; *
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples are gathered with the people of the God of Abraham; *
for the mighty upon earth have become the servants of the Lord, and he is very highly exalted.
48
Magnus Dominus
1 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised *
in the city of our God, even upon his holy hill.
2 The hill of Zion is beautiful and lofty; *
it is the joy of the whole earth.
3 Upon the north side lies the city of the great King; *
God is well known in her palaces as a sure refuge.
4 For behold, the kings of the earth *
have gathered and advanced together.
5 They marvelled to see such things; *
they were astonished and fled in terror.
6 Trembling came upon them, and anguish, *
as upon a woman in travail.
7 You caused the east wind to blow *
and broke apart the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; *
God upholds her for ever.
9 We wait for your loving-kindness, O God, *
in the midst of your temple.
10 O God, according to your Name, so is your praise to the world's end; *
your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, and the cities of Judah be glad, *
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her; *
count the number of her towers.
13 Mark well her bulwarks, consider her strongholds, *
that you may tell those who come after.
14 This God is our God for ever and ever; *
he shall be our guide, even unto death.
49
Audite hæc, omnes
1 Hear this, all you peoples; *
ponder it with your ears, all who dwell in the world,
2 High and low, rich and poor, *
everyone with his neighbor.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, *
and my heart shall muse on understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable, *
and declare my dark sayings with the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of wickedness, *
and when the wicked at my heels encompass me round about?
6 There are some who put their trust in their goods, *
and boast in the multitude of their riches.
7 But no one can deliver his brother, *
nor pay unto God a price for him;
8 For it is so costly to redeem their souls, *
that we should never have enough to pay it,
9 So that they should live for ever, *
and should not see the grave.
10 For we see that wise men die, as well as the ignorant and foolish; *
they perish alike and leave their riches for others.
11 And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever, and that their dwelling places shall endure from one generation to another, *
and they call lands after their own names.
12 Man is like an ox that has no understanding; *
he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of their foolishness, *
yet their posterity praise their sayings.
14 Like sheep they are appointed to die, and death shall be their shepherd; *
they shall go down straight into the sepulcher.
15 Their beauty shall consume away in the grave, *
which shall be their dwelling place for ever.
16 But God shall save me from the power of death, *
for he shall deliver my soul.
17 Be not envious if one is made rich, *
or if the glory of his house is increased,
18 For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dies, *
neither shall his glory follow him.
19 For while he lived, he counted himself happy, *
and so long as he did well for himself, people spoke well of him.
20 He shall follow the generation of his fathers *
and shall never see the light.
21 Those who are honored but have no understanding *
are like the beasts that perish.
DAY 10 : MORNING PRAYER
50
Deus deorum
1 The Lord, even the most mighty God, has spoken *
and called the world, from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in her beauty, *
has God shone forth in glory.
3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence; *
there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens above, *
and to the earth beneath, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather my faithful together unto me, *
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness, *
for God himself is Judge.
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; *
I myself will testify against you, O Israel, for I am God, even your God.
8 I will not rebuke you because of your sacrifices, or for your burnt offerings, *
because they are always before me.
9 I will take no bull calf out of your house, *
nor he-goat out of your folds.
10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *
and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the air, *
and the wild beasts of the field are in my sight.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *
for the whole world is mine, and all that is therein.
13 Do you think that I will eat the flesh of bulls *
and drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, *
and pay your vows unto the Most High,
15 And call upon me in the time of trouble; *
so will I hear you, and you shall praise me."

9 As for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; *
my trust is in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever.
10 I will always give thanks unto you for what you have done, *
and I will declare your Name among the faithful, for it is good.
DAY 10 : EVENING PRAYER
53
Dixit insipiens
1 The fool has said in his heart, *
"There is no God."
2 They are corrupt and have become abominable in their wickedness; *
there is none that does good.
3 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men *
to see if there were any who would understand and seek after God.
4 But they have all gone astray; they have altogether become abominable; *
there is none that does good, no, not one.
5 Have they no knowledge, all the workers of evil *
who eat up my people as they would eat bread, and call not upon God?
6 They were afraid where no fear was, *
for God has broken the bones of those who besieged you;
7 You have put them to shame, *
because God has rejected them.
8 Oh, that salvation were given unto Israel out of Zion!  *
O destroy them in your faithfulness.
6 A freewill offering will I give you, *
and praise your Name, O Lord, because it is good.
7 For he has delivered me out of all my trouble, *
and my eye has seen the ruin of my enemies.
55
Exaudi, Deus
1 Hear my prayer, O God, *
and hide not yourself from my petition.
2 Give heed to me, and hear me, *
for I am troubled in my prayer and am tormented,
3 Because of the cry of the enemy, and oppression by the ungodly; *
for they are of a mind to do me great harm, so maliciously are they set against me.
4 My heart is disquieted within me, *
and the fear of death has fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, *
and a horrible dread has overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove, *
for then would I fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, then I would get away to a far off place *
and make my dwelling in the wilderness.
8 I would make haste to escape, *
because of the stormy wind and tempest."
9 Confuse their speech, O Lord, and divide them, *
for I have seen unrighteousness and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about within her walls; *
trouble and sorrow are in the midst of her.
11 Great wickedness is there; *
deceit and guile do not leave her streets.
12 For it is not an enemy who has done me this dishonor, *
for then I could have borne it;
13 Neither was it my adversary who exalted himself against me, *
for then I would have hidden myself from him.
14 But it was you, my companion, *
my comrade and my own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel together *
and walked in the house of God as friends.
16 Let death come hastily upon them, and let them go down alive into the grave, *
for there is wickedness in their hearts.
17 As for me, I will call upon God, *
and the Lord shall save me.
18 In the evening, and morning, and at noonday will I pray and lament, *
and he shall hear my voice.
19 It is he who shall deliver my soul in peace from the battle that is against me, *
for there are many who fight me.
20 God, who endures for ever, shall hear me and bring them down; *
for they never change, nor do they fear God.
21 My familiar friend has laid his hands upon those who were at peace with him, *
and he has broken his covenant.
22 The words of his mouth were softer than butter, yet war was in his heart; *
his words were smoother than oil, and yet they were drawn swords.
23 O cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish you, *
and shall not allow the righteous to fall for ever.
24 But as for the bloodthirsty and deceitful, *
you, O God, shall bring them into the pit of destruction.
25 They shall not live out half their days; *
but my trust shall be in you, O Lord.
DAY 11 : MORNING PRAYER
56
Miserere mei, Deus
1 Be merciful to me, O God, for my adversaries are treading me down; *
they are daily fighting and troubling me.
2 My enemies go about hounding me daily, *
for there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Nevertheless, though I am sometimes afraid, *
yet I put my trust in you.
4 In God whose word I praise, in God I trust and fear not, *
for what can flesh do to me?
5 They daily distort my words; *
all that they imagine is to do me evil.
6 They all gather together and lie in wait, *
and mark my steps, while they seek after my life.
7 Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *
O God, in your displeasure cast them down.
9 You record my lamentation; put my tears into your bottle. *
Are not these things noted in your book?
8 Whenever I call upon you, then shall my enemies be put to flight; *
this I know, for God is on my side.
10 In God, whose word I praise, *
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 In God have I put my trust; *
I will not be afraid, for what can mortals do to me?
12 Unto you, O God, will I pay my vows; *
unto you will I give thanks.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
57
Miserere mei, Deus
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusts in you, *
and under the shadow of your wings shall be my refuge, until this tribulation has passed.
2 I will call unto the Most High God, *
even unto the God who shall fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He shall send from heaven and save me; he shall confound those who trample on me. *
God shall send forth his mercy and truth.
4 My soul is among lions that devour the people; *
their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Exalt yourself, O God, above the heavens; *
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 They have laid a net for my feet, and brought down my soul; *
they dug a pit before me, but have fallen into the midst of it themselves.
7 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my soul; awake, lute and harp; *
I myself will awaken the dawn.
9 I will give thanks unto you, O Lord, among the peoples, *
and I will sing praises unto you among the nations.
10 For the greatness of your mercy reaches unto the heavens, *
and your truth unto the clouds.
11 Exalt yourself, O God, above the heavens; *
let your glory be over all the earth.
58
Si vere utique
1 Do you indeed decree righteousness, O you rulers, *
and do you judge uprightly, O children of men?
2 No, you devise evil in your heart, *
and on the earth your hands deal out violence.
3 The ungodly err even from their mother's womb; *
as soon as they are born, they go astray and speak lies.
4 They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent, *
even like the deaf adder that stops its ears,
5 Which refuses to hear the voice of the charmer, *
no matter how skillful his charming.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths; *
smite the jawbones of the ungodly.
7 Let them fall away like water that runs off; *
let them wither like the grass that is trodden underfoot.
8 Let them melt away like a snail, *
and be like a stillborn child that does not see the sun.
9 Before they bear fruit, let them be cut off like a briar; *
let them be like thorns and weeds that are swept away.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when they see the vengeance; *
they shall wash their feet in the blood of the ungodly.
11 So that people shall say, "Truly, there is a reward for the righteous; *
surely, there is a God who judges the earth."
DAY 11 : EVENING PRAYER
59
Eripe me de inimicis
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; *
defend me from those who rise up against me.
2 O deliver me from the evildoers, *
and save me from the bloodthirsty.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; *
the mighty are gathered against me, without any offense or fault of mine, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves without cause. *
Arise therefore to help me, and behold.
5 Rise up, O Lord God of hosts, O God of Israel, to visit all the nations, *
and be not merciful to those who offend with malicious wickedness.
6 They go to and fro in the evening; *
they howl like dogs, and run about through the city.
7 Behold, they boast with their mouths, and taunts are on their lips, *
for they say, "Who will hear us?"
8 But you, O Lord, shall hold them in derision, *
and you shall laugh all the nations to scorn.
9 My strength I will ascribe unto you, *
for you are the God of my refuge.
10 God shows me his plenteous goodness, *
and God shall let me look in triumph upon my enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget it, *
but scatter them abroad by your might, and put them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips, they shall be taken in their pride, *
because their talk is cursing and lies.
13 Consume them in your wrath; consume them, that they may perish, *
and know that it is God who rules in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world.
14 In the evening they will return, *
howl like dogs, and run about through the city.
15 They will run here and there for meat *
and growl if they are not satisfied.
16 As for me, I will sing of your power, and will praise your mercy early in the morning, *
for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto you, O my strength, will I sing, *
for you, O God, are my refuge, and my merciful God.
60
Deus, repulisti nos
1 O God, you have cast us out and scattered us abroad; *
you have been so displeased; O turn unto us again.
2 You have made the land to quake and divided it; *
heal the breaches in it, for it shakes.
3 You have made your people to drink a cup of bitterness; *
you have filled us with wine that makes us stagger.
4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you, *
that they may triumph because of the truth.
5 That your beloved may be delivered, *
help me with your right hand and hear me.
6 God has spoken in his holiness: *
"I will rejoice and divide Shechem, and parcel out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; *
Ephraim also is the helmet for my head; Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my wash pot; on Edom I will cast my shoe; *
over Philistia will I shout in triumph."
9 Who will lead me into the strong city? *
Who will bring me into Edom?
10 Have you not cast us out, O God? *
Will you not, O God, go out with our armies?
11 O be our help in trouble, *
for vain is the help of man.
12 Through God we will do great acts, *
for it is he who shall tread down our enemies.
61
Exaudi, Deus
1 Hear my cry, O God; *
give ear unto my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I will call upon you *
when my heart is in heaviness.
3 O set me upon the rock that is higher than I, *
for you have been my refuge and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tabernacle for ever, *
and my refuge shall be under the covering of your wings.
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows, *
and have given a heritage to those who fear your Name.
6 You shall grant the king a long life, *
that his years may endure throughout all generations.
7 His throne shall abide before God for ever; *
O prepare your loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.
8 So will I always sing praise unto your Name, *
that I may daily perform my vows.
DAY 12 : MORNING PRAYER
62
Nonne Deo?
1 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
from him comes my salvation.
2 He truly is my strength and my salvation; *
he is my defense, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will you assail a man to crush him, all of you together, *
as if you were a tottering wall or a broken fence?
4 Their plan is only to bring down the one whom God has exalted; *
their delight is in lies; they bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart.
5 Nevertheless, for God alone my soul in silence waits, *
for my hope is in him.
6 He truly is my strength and my salvation; *
he is my defense, so that I shall not fall.
7 In God is my help and my glory; *
he is the rock of my might, and in him is my trust.
8 O put your trust in him always, you people; *
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.
9 As for the children of men, they are but a breath; *
the children of men are deceitful; upon the scales, they are altogether lighter than a breath.
10 O trust not in oppression; put not vain hopes in robbery; *
if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 One thing has God spoken; indeed, two things have I heard him say: *
that power belongs to our God;
12 And that you, O Lord, are merciful, *
for you reward everyone according to his work.
63
Deus, Deus meus
1 O God, you are my God; *
early will I seek you.
2 My soul thirsts for you, my flesh also longs after you, *
in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
3 Thus I have looked upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and glory.
4 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall praise you.
5 As long as I live I will magnify you, *
and lift up my hands in your Name.
6 My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, *
when my mouth praises you with joyful lips.
7 When I remember you on my bed, *
I meditate on you in the watches of the night.
8 Because you have been my helper, *
therefore under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
9 My soul clings to you; *
your right hand has upheld me.
10 Those who seek to destroy my life *
shall go down into the earth.
11 Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *
that they may be a portion for jackals.
12 But the King shall rejoice in God; all those who swear by him shall be commended, *
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
64
Exaudi, Deus
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; *
preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the gathering together of the wicked, *
and from the tumult of evildoers,
3 Who have whet their tongue like a sword, *
and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words,
4 That they may secretly shoot at the one who is blameless; *
suddenly do they shoot him, and fear not.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose, *
and discuss among themselves how they may lay snares, and say that no one shall see them.
6 They imagine wickedness, and practice a cunning plot; *
for the human heart and mind are very deep.
7 But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow, *
and they shall be wounded.
8 Indeed, their own tongues shall make them fall, *
so that all who see them shall laugh them to scorn.
9 And all shall fear and tell what God has done, *
for they shall perceive that it is his work.
10 The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him, *
and all who are true of heart shall be glad.
DAY 12 : EVENING PRAYER
65
Te decet hymnus
1 You, O God, are to be praised in Zion, *
and unto you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 You who hear our prayer, *
unto you shall all flesh come.
3 My misdeeds prevail against me; *
O be merciful and blot out our sins.
4 Blessed is the man whom you choose and receive unto yourself; *
he shall dwell in your courts, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of your house, even of your holy temple.
5 You shall show us wonderful things in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, *
for you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the isles that are far away.
6 You in your strength set firm the mountains, *
and are girded about with power.
7 You still the raging of the seas, *
the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be in fear of your wonders; *
you make the morning and evening to shout with joy.
9 You visit the earth and bless it; *
you make it very plenteous.
10 The river of God is full of water; *
you prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth.
11 You water its furrows; you send rain into the little valleys; *
you make it soft with the drops of rain and bless the increase of it.
12 You crown the year with your goodness, *
and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 The fields of the wilderness are rich in pasture, *
and the little hills rejoice on every side.
14 The folds shall be full of sheep; *
the valleys also shall stand so thick with grain that they shall laugh and sing.
66
Jubilate Deo
1 Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing praises to the honor of his Name; make his praise to be glorious.
2 Say to God, "How wonderful are your works; *
through the greatness of your power shall your enemies cower before you.
3 For all the world shall worship you, *
sing to you, and praise your Name."

DAY 13 : MORNING PRAYER
68
Exsurgat Deus
1 Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
let those who hate him also flee before him.
2 As the smoke vanishes, so shall you drive them away; *
and as wax melts before the fire, so let the ungodly perish before the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
let them also be merry and joyful.
4 O sing unto God, and sing praises unto his Name; magnify him who rides upon the heavens. *
The Lord is his Name; rejoice before him.
5 He is a father of the fatherless and defends the cause of the widows, *
God in his holy habitation.
6 He is the God who gives the solitary a home, and brings the prisoners out of captivity, *
but lets the rebellious dwell in a desert land.
7 O God, when you went forth before the people, *
when you went through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook, and the heavens poured forth rain at the presence of God, *
even as Sinai also was moved at the presence of God, who is the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, sent a gracious rain upon your inheritance *
and refreshed the land when it was weary.
10 Your congregation found a dwelling there, *
for you, O God, of your goodness have provided for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word; *
great was the company of those who proclaimed the tidings.
12 Kings with their armies fled, they fled, *
and the women at home divided the spoil.
13 Though you have lain among the sheepfolds, *
yet shall you be like the wings of a dove that are covered with silver, and whose feathers shine like gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings, *
it was as if it snowed in Zalmon.
15 As the hill of Bashan, so is God's hill, *
even a high hill, as the hill of Bashan.
16 Why look with envy, you high hills? This is God's hill, on which it pleases him to dwell; *
surely, the Lord will abide on it for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels, *
and the Lord has come from Sinai into the holy place.
18 You have gone up on high; you have led captivity captive, and received gifts from men, *
even from your enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
19 Praised be the Lord daily, *
even the God who helps us and pours his benefits upon us.
20 He is our God, the God from whom salvation comes; *
God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.
21 God shall wound the head of his enemies, *
and the hairy scalp of those who persist in their wickedness.
22 The Lord has said, "I will bring back my people again, as I did from Bashan; *
my own will I bring back again, as I did before from the depths of the sea,
23 That your foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies, *
and that the tongues of your dogs may be red with blood."
24 Your solemn procession is seen, O God, *
how you go into the sanctuary, my God and King.
25 The singers go before, the musicians follow after; *
in the midst are the maidens playing the timbrels.
26 Give thanks unto God in the congregations, *
unto the Lord, the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin their ruler, and the princes of Judah their counsel, *
the princes of Zebulon, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 O God, send forth your strength; *
establish, O God, what you have wrought in us.
29 For your temple's sake at Jerusalem, *
kings shall bring presents unto you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, *
a herd of bulls with their calves;
31 Rebuke the peoples who trample on those whom you have tried as silver, *
and scatter the peoples who delight in war.
32 Then shall they bring tribute out of Egypt; *
Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God.
33 Sing unto God, O you kingdoms of the earth; *
O sing praises unto the Lord,
34 Unto God who sits in the heavens over all from the beginning; *
he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
35 Ascribe power to God over Israel; *
his worship and strength are in the clouds.
36 O God, you are wonderful in your holy places; *
the God of Israel will give strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.
DAY 13 : EVENING PRAYER
69
Salvum me fac
1 Save me, O God, *
for the waters have come up even to my neck.
2 I sink down in the deep mire, where there is no ground; *
I have come into deep waters, so that the floods run over me.
3 I am weary of crying; my throat is dry; *
my sight fails me from waiting so long for my God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; *
those who are my enemies, and would destroy me wrongfully, are mighty.
5 They bid me restore things I never took. *
O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who trust in you, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; *
let not those who seek you be confounded through me, O God of Israel.
7 Surely for your sake have I suffered reproach; *
shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, *
unknown to my mother's children,
9 Because zeal for your house has consumed me, *
and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me.
10 I wept, and humbled myself with fasting, *
but that was turned to my reproach.
11 I put on sackcloth also, *
and I became a byword among them.
12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me, *
and the drunkards make songs about me.
13 But, Lord, I make my prayer to you *
in an acceptable time.
14 Hear me, O God, in the multitude of your mercy, *
even in the truth of your salvation.
15 Take me out of the mire, lest I sink; *
O let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
16 Let not the floodwaters drown me, neither let the deep swallow me up, *
and let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.
17 Hear me, O Lord, for your loving-kindness is good; *
turn to me according to the multitude of your mercies;
18 And hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; *
O hasten and hear me.
19 Draw near to me and save me; *
O deliver me because of my enemies.
20 You have known my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; *
my adversaries are all in your sight.
21 Reproach has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness; *
I looked for some to have pity on me, but there was no one, neither have I found any to comfort me.
22 They gave me gall to eat, *
and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.
23 Let their table become a snare for them, *
and let their prosperity become a trap for them.
24 Let their eyes be blinded, that they may not see, *
and make their loins tremble continually.
25 Pour out your indignation upon them, *
and let your wrathful displeasure overtake them.
26 Let their habitation be desolate, *
and let no one dwell in their tents.
27 For they persecute him whom you have stricken, *
and they talk of the pain of those you have wounded.
28 Lay to their charge guilt upon guilt, *
and let them not receive your vindication.
29 Let them be wiped out of the book of the living, *
and not be written among the righteous.
30 As for me, when I am poor and in pain, *
your help, O God, shall lift me up.
31 I will praise the Name of God with a song, *
and magnify it with thanksgiving.
32 This also shall please the Lord *
more than an ox or a bullock that has horns and hooves.
33 The humble shall consider this and be glad; *
seek after God and your hearts shall live.
34 For the Lord hears the poor *
and does not despise his prisoners.
35 Let heaven and earth praise him, *
the sea, and all that moves therein.
36 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, *
that they may dwell there and have it in possession.
37 The posterity of his servants shall inherit it, *
and those who love his Name shall dwell therein.
70
Deus, in adjutorium
1 Hasten, O God, to deliver me; *
make haste to help me, O Lord.
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek after my life; *
let them be turned back and put to confusion who wish me evil.
3 Let them be soon brought to shame *
who cry over me, "Aha! Aha!"
4 But let all those who seek you be joyful and glad in you; *
and let all who delight in your salvation say always, "The Lord be praised."
5 As for me, I am poor and in misery; *
hasten to me, O God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O Lord, do not tarry.
DAY 14 : MORNING PRAYER
71
In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; *
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock and my refuge, where I may always return; *
you have promised to help me, for you are my stronghold and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly, *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and the cruel.
5 For you, O Lord God, are the one I long for; *
you are my hope, even from my youth.
6 Through you have I been upheld ever since I was born; *
you took me out of my mother's womb; my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 O let my mouth be filled with your praise, *
that I may sing of your glory all the day long.
9 Cast me not away in the time of old age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails me.
10 For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together. *
They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and take him, for there is none to deliver him."
11 Go not far from me, O God; *
my God, make haste to help me.
12 Let those who are my adversaries be confounded and perish; *
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with shame and dishonor.
13 As for me, I will always patiently abide, *
and will praise you more and more.
14 My mouth shall speak daily of your righteousness and salvation, *
for I know not the end of them.
15 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, *
and will make mention of your righteousness, yours alone.
16 You, O God, have taught me from my youth; *
even to this day I am telling of your wondrous works.
17 Forsake me not, O God, in my old age, when I am gray-headed, *
until I have proclaimed your strength to this generation, and your power to all those who are yet to come.
18 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; *
you have done great things.  And yet you have turned and refreshed me; *
indeed, you have brought me again from the depths of the earth.
20 You have brought me to great honor *
and comforted me on every side;
21 Therefore will I praise you and your faithfulness, O God, playing on a stringed instrument; *
to you will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
22 My lips will rejoice when I sing to you, *
and so will my soul, which you have delivered.
23 My tongue also shall speak of your righteousness all the day long, *
for they are confounded and brought to shame who seek to do me evil.
72
Deus, judicium
1 Give the King your judgments, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's son.
2 Then shall he judge your people with righteousness *
and defend the poor with justice.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace, *
and the little hills righteousness to the people.
4 He shall vindicate the poor among the people, *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrongdoer.
5 They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, *
even as showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish, *
even an abundance of peace, so long as the moon endures.
8 His dominion shall be also from one sea to the other, *
and from the river unto the world's end.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him; *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall give presents; *
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him; *
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he cries, *
the needy also, and the one that has no helper.
13 He shall be favorable to the lowly and needy, *
and shall preserve the lives of the poor.
14 He shall deliver them from falsehood and wrong, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 Long may he live! And unto him shall be given the gold of Arabia; *
prayer shall ever be made unto him, and daily shall he be blessed.
16 There shall be an abundance of grain on the earth, thick upon the hilltops; *
its fruit shall flourish like Lebanon, its grain like the grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever; his Name shall remain as long as the sun.  Amen, Amen.
DAY 1 4 : E V E N I N G P R A Y E R
73
Quam bonus Isræl!
1 Truly, God is loving to Israel, *
even to those who have a clean heart.
2 Nevertheless, my feet had almost stumbled; *
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the proud *
when I saw the ungodly in such prosperity.
4 For they are in no fear of death, *
but their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They come to no misfortune like other folk, *
neither are they afflicted like others.
6 Therefore they wear pride as a necklace, *
and they wrap themselves with violence as with a garment.
7 Their eyes swell with greed, *
and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.
8 Their talk is malice and mockery; *
they have proud looks, and tyrannous words are on their lips.
9 For they set their mouth against the heavens, *
and their evil speech spreads through the world.
10 Therefore the people turn to them, *
and find no fault in them.
11 They say, "How should God perceive it? *
Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Behold, these are the ungodly; *
they prosper in their ways, and they have riches in possession.
13 I said, "Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart *
and washed my hands in innocence."
14 All the day long have I been afflicted, *
and chastened every morning.
15 Indeed, had I spoken as they do, *
then would I have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 When I sought to understand this, *
it was too hard for me,
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; *
then I understood their end.
18 Surely, you set them in slippery places, *
and cast them down, and destroy them.
19 Oh, how suddenly are they consumed; *
they perish and come to a fearful end.
20 Indeed, like a dream when one awakens, *
so shall you make their image vanish out of the city.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, *
and I was wounded within;
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant, *
as if I were a beast before you.
23 Nevertheless, I am always with you, *
for you hold me by my right hand.
24 You shall guide me with your counsel, *
and after that receive me with glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? *
And there is no one on earth whom I desire in comparison with you.
26 Though my flesh and my heart fail me, *
God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For behold, those who forsake you shall perish; *
you destroy all those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But it is good for me to hold fast to God, to put my trust in the Lord God, *
and to speak of all your works in the gates of the city of Zion.
74
Ut quid, Deus?
1 O God, why have you utterly cast us off? *
Why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?
2 O think upon your congregation *
whom you have purchased and redeemed of old.
3 Think upon the tribe of your inheritance, *
and Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
4 Draw near and behold how all is made desolate *
and how the enemy has destroyed all that is in your sanctuary.
5 Your adversaries roar in the midst of your holy place *
and set up their banners as tokens of victory.
6 Like hewers of timber in a thicket of trees, *
so have they broken down all the carved work with axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to your holy place *
and have defiled the dwelling place of your Name, even to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, "Let us make havoc of them altogether." *
Thus have they burnt up all the houses of God in the land.
9 We do not see any signs; there is not one prophet anymore; *
there is no one who knows how long these things shall continue.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary do this dishonor? *
How long shall the enemy blaspheme your Name, for ever?
11 Why do you withdraw your hand? *
Why do you not take your right hand out of your bosom to consume the enemy?
12 For God is my King of old; *
he is the one bringing help upon the earth.
13 You divided the sea through your power; *
you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You smote the heads of Leviathan in pieces *
and gave him to be food for the people in the wilderness.
15 You brought fountains and waters out of the hard rocks, *
and you dried up mighty waters.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours; *
you have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; *
you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffed, *
and how the foolish people have blasphemed your Name.
19 Deliver not the soul of your turtledove to the wild beasts, *
and forget not for ever the lives of your poor.
20 Look upon your covenant, *
for the dark places of the earth are full of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed go away ashamed, *
but let the poor and needy give praise to your Name.
22 Arise, O God, maintain your own cause; *
remember how the foolish one blasphemes you daily.
23 Forget not the voice of your enemies, *
nor the tumult of those who hate you, which increases ever more and more.
DAY 15 : MORNING PRAYER
75
Confitebimur tibi
1 Unto you, O God, do we give thanks; *
indeed, unto you do we give thanks.
2 Those who call upon your Name *
declare your wondrous works.
3 "Surely at the time which I appoint, *
I, the Lord, will judge according to what is right.
4 The earth shakes with fear, and all that dwell therein; *
but I, even I, have made firm its pillars.
5 I say to the proud, 'You should not boast!' *
And to the ungodly, 'Do not lift up your horn!
6 Do not lift up your horn on high, *
nor speak with a stiff neck.'"
7 For help comes neither from the east nor from the west, *
nor yet from the wilderness or the mountains.
8 For it is God who is the Judge; *
he puts down one and lifts up another.
9 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is foaming; *
it is fully mixed, and he pours it out.
10 As for the dregs of it, *
all the ungodly of the earth shall drink them and drain them out.
11 But I will magnify the God of Jacob *
and praise him for ever and ever.
12 All the horns of the ungodly will I break, *
but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
76
Notus in Judæa
1 In Judah God is known; *
his Name is great in Israel.
2 At Salem is his tabernacle, *
and his dwelling is in Zion.
3 There he broke the arrows of the bow, *
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of battle.
4 You are of more honor and might *
than the everlasting hills.
5 The strong of heart have been despoiled; they have slept their sleep; *
and all those whose hands were mighty have lost their strength.
6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, *
both the chariot and horse lie stunned upon the ground.
7 You, even you, are to be feared, *
and who may stand in your sight when you are angry?
8 You caused your judgment to be heard from heaven; *
the earth trembled and was silent,
9 When God arose to judgment *
and to help all the meek upon earth.
10 The wrath of man shall be turned to your praise, *
and the remnant of fierceness you shall restrain.
11 Make a vow unto the Lord your God and keep it, all you who are round about him; *
bring gifts unto him who is worthy to be feared.
12 He restrains the spirit of princes, *
and is feared among the kings of the earth.
77
Voce mea ad Dominum
1 I will cry unto God with my voice; *
even unto God will I cry with my voice, and he shall hearken unto me.
2 In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord; *
my hands were stretched out in the night without rest; my soul refused comfort.
3 When I think upon God, I groan; *
when I ponder, my spirit grows faint.
4 You hold my eyelids open; *
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old; *
I call to remembrance the years that are past.
6 In the night I commune with my own heart; *
I meditate and search my spirit.
7 Will the Lord cast me off for ever, *
and will he no more show his favor?
8 Is his mercy gone for ever, *
and has his promise come utterly to an end for evermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious, *
and will he withhold his loving-kindness in displeasure?
10 And I said, "Has his right hand become weak? *
Has the hand of the Most High lost its strength?"
11 I will remember the works of the Lord, *
and call to mind your wonders of old time.
12 I will think also of all your works, *
and my talk shall be of your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders, *
and have declared your power among the peoples.
15 You have mightily delivered your people, *
even the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and were afraid; *
the depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water, the skies thundered, *
and your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The voice of your thunder was heard in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; *
the earth was moved and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.
20 You led your people like sheep *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
DAY 15 : EVENING PRAYER
78
Attendite, popule
1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known, *
and such as our forefathers have told us,
4 That we should not hide them from the children of the generations to come, *
but show the honor of the Lord, his mighty and wonderful works that he has done.
5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Israel a law, *
which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,
6 That their posterity might know it, *
and the children which were yet unborn;
7 With the intent that when they came up *
they might show it to their children,
8 That they might put their trust in God, *
and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
9 And not be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn generation, *
a generation that did not set their heart aright, and whose spirit did not cleave steadfastly to God,
10 Like the children of Ephraim, archers carrying bows, *
who turned back in the day of battle.
11 They did not keep the covenant of God, *
and would not walk in his law,
12 But forgot what he had done, *
and the wonderful works that he had shown them.
13 Marvelous things he did in the sight of our forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, even in the field of Zoan.
14 He divided the sea and let them go through; *
he made the waters to stand in a heap.
15 In the daytime he led them with a cloud, *
and all the night through with a light of fire.
16 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink in abundance, as out of the great deep.
17 He brought waters out of the stony rock, *
so that it gushed out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him, *
and provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
19 They tested God in their hearts *
and demanded food for their craving.
20 They spoke against God, saying, *
"Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
21 Indeed, he smote the stony rock, so that water gushed out, and the streams overflowed; *
but can he give bread also, or provide meat for his people?"
22 When the Lord heard this, he was full of wrath; *
so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and there flared up fierce anger against Israel,
23 Because they did not believe in God, *
and did not put their trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the clouds above *
and opened the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna upon them to eat *
and gave them food from heaven.
26 So mortals ate the bread of angels; *
for he sent them food enough.
27 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, *
and through his power he brought in the south wind.
28 He rained meat upon them as thick as dust *
and feathered fowl like the sand of the sea.
29 He let it fall among their tents, *
even round about their habitations.
30 So they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they desired; *
they did not deny themselves their cravings,
31 But while the food was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the mightiest of them, *
and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 But for all this they sinned yet more, *
and did not believe his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he brought their days to an end in vanity *
and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, they sought him, *
and returned, and inquired after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, *
and the Most High God was their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless, they flattered him with their mouth *
and spoke deceitfully to him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not fixed on him, *
neither did they continue steadfast in his covenant.
38 But he was so merciful that he forgave their iniquities *
and did not destroy them.
39 Indeed, many times he turned his wrath away *
and would not permit his displeasure to arise.
40 For he considered that they were but flesh, *
that they were even as the wind that passes away and comes not again.
41 Many times they provoked him in the wilderness *
and grieved him in the desert.
42 They turned back, and tested God, *
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
43 They remembered not his power, *
nor the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy,
44 How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt *
and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
45 He turned their waters into blood, *
so that they might not drink of the rivers.
46 He sent flies among them, which devoured them up, *
and frogs to destroy them.
47 He gave their fruit to the grasshopper *
and their labor to the locust.
48 He destroyed their vines with hailstones *
and their sycamore trees with the frost.
49 He smote their cattle also with hailstones *
and their flocks with hot thunderbolts.
50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble, *
sending these destroying angels among them.
51 He made a way for his indignation, and did not spare their soul from death, *
but gave their life over to the pestilence,
52 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, *
the firstfruits of their strength in the dwellings of Ham.
53 But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep *
and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.
54 He brought them out safely, and they were not afraid; *
he overwhelmed their enemies with the sea,
55 And brought them within the borders of his holy land, *
to his mountain which he obtained with his right hand.
56 He cast out the nations before them, *
and caused their land to be divided among them for an inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
57 But they tested and displeased the Most High God, *
and did not keep his testimonies,
58 But turned their backs and fell away like their forefathers, *
twisting aside like a broken bow.
59 For they grieved him with their hill altars *
and provoked him to displeasure with their images.
60 When God heard this, he was full of wrath *
and utterly rejected Israel,
61 So that he forsook the tabernacle in Shiloh, *
even the tent that he had pitched among them.
62 He delivered the ark into captivity, *
and his glory into the enemy's hand.
63 He gave his people over to the sword *
and was angry with his inheritance.
64 Fire consumed their young men, *
and their maidens had no marriage songs.
65 Their priests were slain with the sword, *
and their widows made no lamentation.
66 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, *
and like a warrior recovered from wine.
67 He drove his enemies backward *
and put them to a perpetual shame.
68 He rejected the tabernacle of Joseph *
and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
69 But chose the tribe of Judah, *
even the hill of Zion which he loved.
70 And there he built his sanctuary, like the heights of heaven, *
like the earth which he had established for ever.
71 He chose David his servant, *
and took him away from the sheepfolds;
72 As he was following the ewes that were great with young, God took him, *
that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
73 So he fed them with a faithful and true heart, *
and guided them with skillful hands.
DAY 16 : MORNING PRAYER
79
Deus, venerunt
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; *
they have defiled your holy temple, and made Jerusalem a heap of stones.
2 The dead bodies of your servants have they given to be meat for the birds of the air, *
and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the land.
3 Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem, *
and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our enemies, *
an object of scorn and derision to those who are round about us.
5 O Lord, how long will you be angry? *
Shall your jealousy burn like fire for ever?
6 Pour out your indignation upon the nations that have not known you, *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your Name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob *
and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not our past sins, but have mercy on us speedily, *
for we have come to great misery.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your Name; *
O deliver us and forgive our sins for your Name's sake.
10 Why do the nations say, *
"Where now is their God?"
11 O let the vengeance of your servants' blood that is shed *
be known in our sight among the nations.
12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you; *
according to the greatness of your power, preserve those who are condemned to die.
13 As for the blasphemy by which our neighbors have blasphemed you, *
repay them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosoms.
14 So we, who are your people and the sheep of your pasture, shall give you thanks for ever, *
and will always be showing forth your praise from generation to generation.
80
Qui regis Isræl
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, you that lead Joseph like a sheep;*
show yourself also, you that sit upon the cherubim.
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us again, O God; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angry with your people that pray?
5 You feed them with the bread of tears *
and give them plenteous tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us again, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *
you have cast out the nations and planted it.
9 You made room for it, *
and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, *
and the boughs thereof were like the mighty cedar trees.
11 It stretched out its branches to the sea *
and its boughs to the river.
12 Why have you broken down its hedge, *
so that all those who go by pluck off its grapes?
13 The wild boar out of the wood roots it up, *
and the wild beasts of the field devour it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts, look down from heaven; *
behold, and visit this vine,
15 And the place of the vineyard that your right hand has planted, *
and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.
16 As for those who burn it with fire and cut it down, *
let them perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
17 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand *
and upon the son of man, whom you made so strong for yourself.
18 And so we will not turn back from you; *
O let us live, and we shall call upon your Name.
19 Restore us again, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.
81
Exultate Deo
1 O sing merrily unto God our strength; *
make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the psalm, bring hither the timbrel, *
the merry harp with the lute.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, *
even in the time appointed, and on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was made a statute for Israel *
and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he laid upon Joseph for a testimony, *
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
6 "I eased his shoulder from the burden, *
and his hands were delivered from bearing the load.
7 You called upon me in troubles, and I delivered you, *
and I answered you in the thundercloud and tested you at the waters of strife.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you; *
O Israel, if you will hearken unto me,
9 There shall be no strange god among you, *
neither shall you worship any other god.
10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; *
open your mouth wide, and I shall fill it.
11 But my people would not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
and let them follow their own imaginations.
13 Oh, that my people would have hearkened unto me, *
that Israel had walked in my ways.
14 I would soon have put down their enemies *
and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord would humble themselves before him, *
and their time of punishment would endure for ever.
16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat-flour, *
and with honey out of the stony rock would I satisfy him."
DAY 16 : EVENING PRAYER
82
Deus stetit
1 God stands in the council of princes; *
he is a Judge among gods.
2 "How long will you give wrong judgment *
and accept the ungodly?
3 Defend the poor and fatherless; *
see that those who are in need and necessity have what is right.
4 Deliver the outcast and poor; *
save them from the hand of the ungodly."
5 They will not learn nor understand, but walk about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I have said, "You are gods, *
and you are all the children of the Most High;
7 But you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like one of the princes."
8 Arise, O God, and judge the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your inheritance.
83
Deus, quis similis?
1 Hold not your tongue, O God; keep not silent, *
but rouse yourself, O God.
2 For behold, your enemies murmur, *
and those who hate you have lifted up their head.
3 They have conspired secretly against your people *
and taken counsel against your cherished ones.
4 They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out, that they may be no more a people, *
and that the name of Israel may be remembered no more."
5 For they have brought their heads together with one consent *
and are aligned against you:
6 The tents of the Edomites and the Ishmaelites, *
the Moabites and Hagarenes,
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, *
the Philistines with those who dwell at Tyre.
8 Assyria also has joined with them, *
and has helped the children of Lot.
9 But do to them as you did to the Midianites, *
to Sisera and to Jabin at the brook of Kishon,
10 Who perished at Endor *
and became as dung on the earth.
11 Make their princes like Oreb and Zeëb; *
indeed, make all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, "Let us take for ourselves *
the pastures of God as our possession."
13 O my God, make them like whirling dust *
and like stubble before the wind,
14 Like the fire that burns up the woods *
and like the flame that consumes the mountains.
15 Pursue them even with your tempest, *
and make them afraid with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, O Lord, *
that they may seek your Name.
17 Let them be disgraced and dismayed ever more and more; *
let them be put to shame and perish.
18 And they shall know that you, whose Name is the Lord, *
are alone the Most High over all the earth.
84
Quam dilecta!
1 How lovely are your dwellings, *
O Lord God of hosts!
2 My soul has a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord; *
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
3 Indeed, the sparrow has found her a house, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, *
even your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are they who dwell in your house; *
they will be always praising you.
5 Blessed is the one whose strength is in you, *
in whose heart are your ways,
6 Who going through the valley of misery uses it for a well; *
indeed, the early rains fill the pools with water.
7 They will go from strength to strength, *
and the God of gods shall be seen by them in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
hearken, O God of Jacob.
9 Behold, O God, our defender, *
and look upon the face of your Anointed.
10 For one day in your courts *
is better than a thousand;
11 I would rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God *
than dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
12 For the Lord God is a light and defense; *
the Lord will give grace and honor, and no good thing shall he withhold from those who live a godly life.
13 O Lord God of hosts, *
blessed is the one who puts his trust in you.
85
Benedixisti, Domine
1 Lord, you have been gracious to your land; *
you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the offence of your people *
and covered all their sins.
3 You have taken away all your displeasure *
and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.
4 Restore us then, O God our Savior, *
and let your anger cease from us.
5 Will you be displeased at us for ever, *
and will you stretch out your wrath from one generation to another?
6 Will you not turn again and quicken us, *
that your people may rejoice in you?