Fourth Kathisma
A Psalm of David, 24.
Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. O my God, in Thee have I trusted; let me never be put to shame, nor let mine enemies laugh me to scorn. Yea, let none that wait on Thee be put to shame; let them be ashamed which are lawless without a cause. Make Thy ways, O Lord, known unto me and teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art God my Saviour; for on Thee have I waited all the day long. Remember Thy compassions; O Lord, and Thy mercies, for they are from everlasting. The sins of my youth and mine ignorances remember not; according to Thy mercy remember Thou me, for the sake of Thy goodness, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will He set a law for them that sin in the way. He will guide the meek in judgement, He will teach the meek His ways. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto them that seek after His covenant and His testimonies. For the sake of Thy name, O Lord, be gracious unto my sin; for it is great. Who is the man that feareth the Lord? He will set him a law in the way which He hath chosen. His soul shall dwell among good things, and his seed shall inherit the earth. The Lord is the strength of them that fear Him, and His covenant shall be manifested unto them. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He it is that will draw my feet out of the snare. Look upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am one only-begotten and poor. The afflictions of my heart are multiplied; bring me out from my necessities. Behold my lowliness and my toil, and forgive all my sins. Look upon my enemies, for they are multiplied, and with an unjust hatred they have hated me. Keep my soul and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I have hoped in Thee. The innocent and the upright have cleaved unto me, for I waited on Thee, O Lord. Redeem
David's, 25.
Judge me, O Lord, for in mine innocence have I walked; and hoping in the Lord I shall not grow weak. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; prove with fire my reins and my heart. For Thy mercy is before mine eyes, and I have been well-pleasing in Thy truth. I have not set with the council of vanity, nor shall I go in with them that transgress the law. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and with the ungodly will I not sit. I will wash my hands in innocency and I will compass Thine altar, O Lord, that I may hear the voice of Thy praise and tell of all Thy wondrous works. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, nor my life with men of blood, in whose hands are iniquities; their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, in mine innocence have I walked; redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot hath stood in uprightness; in the congregations will I bless Thee, O Lord.
David's. Before He was Anointed, 26.
The Lord is my light and my saviour; whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid? When the wicked draw nigh against me to eat my flesh, they that afflict me and are mine enemies, they themselves became weak and they fell. Though a host should array itself against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise up against me, in this have I hoped. One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the delight of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy temple. For He hid me in His tabernacle in the day of my troubles, He sheltered me in the secret place of His tabernacle, upon a rock hath He exalted me. And now, behold, He exalted my head above mine enemies. I went round about and I sacrificed in His tabernacle a sacrifice of praise and jubilation; I will sing and I will chant unto the Lord. Hearken, O Lord, unto my voice, wherewith I cried; have mercy on me, and hearken unto me. My heart said unto Thee: I will seek the Lord. My face hath sought after Thee; Thy face, O Lord, will I seek. Turn not Thy face from me and turn not away in wrath from Thy servant. Be Thou my helper; cast me not utterly away, and forsake me not, O God my Saviour. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord hath taken me to Himself. Set me a law, O Lord, in Thy way, and lead me in the right path because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the souls of them that afflict me, for unjust witnesses are risen up against me, and injustice hath lied to itself. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be thou manful, and let thy heart be strengthened, and wait on the Lord.
Glory.
David's, 27.
Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me, lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hearken, O Lord, unto my supplication when I pray unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward Thy holy temple. Draw me not in with sinners, and with the workers of unrighteousness destroy me not, who speak peace with their neighbours, but evils are in their hearts. Give unto them, O Lord, according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours; according to the work of their hands, give unto them. Render their reward unto them. For they have not understood the works of the Lord, and the works of His hands. Thou shalt destroy them, and shalt not build them up. Blessed is the Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my helper and my defender; my heart hath hoped in Him, and I am helped and my flesh hath flourished again, and out of my desire will I confess Him. The Lord is the strength of His people, and the champion of salvation for His anointed one. Save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; shepherd them and bear them up unto eternity.
A Psalm of David. A Processional of the Tabernacle, 28.
Bring unto the Lord, ye sons of God, bring unto the Lord the sons of rams; bring unto the Lord glory and honour. Bring unto the Lord the glory due unto His name, worship the Lord in His holy court. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory hath thundered, the Lord is upon the many waters. The voice of the Lord in might, the voice of the Lord in majesty, The voice of the Lord Who breaketh the cedars, yea, the Lord will break the cedars of Lebanon. And He will break them small like the calf of
For the End: A Canticle Psalm at the Dedication of the House of David, 29.
I will exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me. O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul out of hades; Thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit. Chant unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For wrath is in His anger, but in His will there is life; at evening shall weeping find lodging, but in the morning rejoicing. And I said in my prosperity: I shall remain unshaken for ever. O Lord, by Thy will hast Thou granted power to my beauty, but Thou hast turned away Thy face, and I am become troubled. Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto my God will I make supplication. What profit is there in my blood when I go down into corruption? Shall dust confess Thee, or declare Thy truth? The Lord hath heard me and hath had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper. Thou hast turned my mourning into joy for me, Thou didst rend my sackcloth and didst gird me with gladness, That my glory may chant unto Thee, and that I may not be pierced with sorrow; O Lord my God, I will confess Thee for ever.
Glory.
For the End: A Psalm of David. In Time of Sudden Fear, 30.
In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me not be put to shame in the age to come; in Thy righteousness deliver me, and rescue me. Bow down Thine ear unto me, make haste to rescue me, be Thou unto me a God to defend me and a house of refuge to save me. For my strength and my refuge art Thou, and for Thy name's sake wilt Thou guide me and nourish me. Thou wilt bring me out of this snare which they have hid for me, for Thou art my defender, O Lord. Into Thy hands I will commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Thou hast hated them that cling to empty vanities; but I have hoped in the Lord. I will rejoice and be glad in Thy mercy, for Thou hast regarded my lowliness; Thou hast saved my soul out of necessities, And hast not shut me up in the hands of enemies; Thou hast set my feet in a spacious place. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted; mine eye is troubled with anger, as also my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with groanings; my strength hath grown weak in poverty, and my bones are troubled. I am become a reproach among all mine enemies, and greatly for my neighbours also, and a fear to mine acquaintances. They that saw me without fled from me. I am forgotten by the heart like a dead man. I am become like a broken vessel. For I have heard the reproach of many that dwell round about; when they assembled together against me, they devised to take away my life. But as for me, I have hoped in Thee, O Lord; I said: Thou art my God; in Thy hands are my lots. Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, save me in Thy mercy. O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I have called upon Thee; let the ungodly be put to shame and let them be brought down into hades. Speechless be the deceitful lips which speak iniquity against the righteous man with arrogance and contempt. How great is the multitude of Thy goodness, O Lord, which Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that hope in Thee before the sons of men. Thou shalt hide them in the secrecy of Thy presence from the disturbance of men; Thou shalt shelter them in the tabernacle from contradiction of tongues. Blessed is the Lord, for He hath made His mercy wondrous in a fortified city. But as for me, I said in mine ecstasy: I am cast away from the presence of Thine eyes. Therefore hast Thou heard the voice of my supplication when I cried unto Thee. O love ye the Lord, all ye His saints, for the Lord requireth truth; and unto them that act with exceeding pride, He rendereth them their due. Be ye manful, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.
David's. Concerning Instruction, 31.
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not sin, and in whose mouth there is no guile. Because I kept silence, my bones are waxed old through my crying all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me, I was reduced to misery whilst the thorn stuck fast in me. Mine iniquity have I acknowledged, and my sin have I not hid. I said: I will confess mine iniquities before the Lord against myself. And Thou forgavest the ungodliness of my heart. For this shall every one that is holy pray unto Thee in a seasonable time; moreover, in a flood of many waters shall they not come nigh unto him. Thou art my refuge from the affliction which surroundeth me; O my Rejoicing, deliver me from them which have encircled me. (Diapsalm) I will instruct thee and teach thee in this way which thou shalt go; I will fix Mine eyes upon thee. Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding; whose jaws thou must hold with bit and bridle, lest they come nigh unto thee. Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy shall encircle him that hopeth in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous; and glory, all ye that are upright of heart.
Glory.
Fifth Kathisma
David's. Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 32.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established, and all the might of them by the Spirit of His mouth, Who gathereth together as into a wineskin the waters of the sea, Who layeth up the abysses in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be shaken before Him. For he spake, and they came into being; He commanded, and they were created. The Lord scattereth the plans of the heathens, He setteth aside the devices of the peoples, and He bringeth to nought the plans of princes. But the counsel of the Lord abideth unto eternity, the thoughts of His heart unto generation and generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He hath chosen for His inheritance. The Lord looked down from heaven, He beheld all the sons of men. From His habitation which He prepared, He looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth, He that alone fashioned the heart of them, Who understandeth all their works. A king is not saved by great might, nor shall a giant be saved by the magnitude of his own strength. Futile is the horse for salvation, nor by the magnitude of his might shall he be saved. Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy. To deliver their souls from death, and to nourish them in famine. Our soul shall wait for the Lord, for he is our helper and our defender. For our heart shall be glad in Him, and in His holy name have we hoped. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee.
David's. When He Changed His Countenance before Abimelech, and Was Dismissed, and Went Away, 33.
I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised; let the meek hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my tribulations. Come unto Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his tribulations. The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, and will deliver them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that hopeth in Him. O fear the Lord, all ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him. Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing. Come ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there that desireth life, who loveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are opened unto their supplication. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, utterly to destroy the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their tribulations. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and He will save the humble of spirit. Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord shall deliver them out of them all. The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken. The death of sinners is evil, and they that hate the righteous shall do wrong. The Lord will redeem the souls of His servants, and none of them will do wrong that hope in Him.
Glory.
David's, 34.
Judge them, O Lord, that do me injustice; war against them that war against me. Take hold of weapon and shield, and arise unto my help. Draw out a sword, and shut the way against them that persecute me; say to my soul: I am thy salvation. Let them that seek my soul be shamed and confounded. Let them be turned back, and be utterly put to shame, they that devise evils against me. Let them become as dust before the face of the wind, an angel of the Lord also afflicting them. Let their way become darkness and a sliding, an angel of the Lord also pursuing them. For without cause have they secretly prepared for my destruction in their snare, without reason have they cast reproach on my soul. Let a snare come upon him, which he knoweth not; and let the trap, which he hath hidden, catch him, and into that same snare let him fall. But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, it shall delight in His salvation. All my bones shall say: Lord, O Lord, who is like unto Thee? Delivering the beggar from the hand of them that are stronger than he, yea, poor man and pauper from them that despoil him. Unjust witnesses rose up against me; things I knew not they asked me. They repaid me with evil things for good, and barrenness for my soul. But as for me, when they troubled me, I put on sackcloth. And I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my bosom. As though it had been a neighbour, as though it had been our brother, so sought I to please; as one mourning and sad of countenance, so humbled I myself. Yet against me they rejoiced and gathered together; scourges were gathered together upon me, and I knew it not. They were rent asunder, yet not pricked at heart; they tempted me, they mocked me with mockery, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. O Lord, when wilt Thou look upon me? Deliver my soul from their evil doing, even this only-begotten one of mine from the lions. I will confess Thee in the great congregation; among a mighty people will I praise Thee. Let not them rejoice against me that unjustly are mine enemies, they that hate me without a cause, and wink with their eyes. For peaceably indeed they spake unto me, but in their wrath were they devising deceits. And they opened wide their mouth against me; they said: Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it. Thou hast seen it, O Lord; keep not silence. O Lord, depart not from me. Arise, O Lord, and be attentive unto my judgement, my God, and my Lord, unto my cause. Judge me, O Lord, according to Thy righteousness; O Lord my God, let them not rejoice against me. Let them not say in their hearts: Well done, well done, our soul. Let them not say: We have swallowed him up. Let them be shamed and confounded together who rejoice at my woes. Let them be clothed with shame and confusion who speak boastful words against me. Let them rejoice and be glad who desire the righteousness of my cause, and let them that desire the peace of Thy servant say continually: The Lord be magnified. And my tongue shall treat of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day long.
For the End: Of David, the Child of the Lord, 35.
The transgressor, that he may sin, saith to himself, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he hath wrought craftiness before Him, lest he should find his iniquity and hate it. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, he hath not willed to understand how to do good. Iniquity hath he devised upon his bed, he hath set himself in every way that is not good, and evil hath he not abhorred. O Lord, Thy mercy is in heaven, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is as the mountains of God, Thy judgements are a great abyss. Men and beasts wilt thou save, O Lord. How Thou hast multiplied Thy mercy, O God! Let the sons of men hope in the shelter of Thy wings. They shall be drunken with the fatness of Thy house, and of the torrent of Thy delight shalt Thou make them to drink. For in thee is the fountain of life, in Thy light shall we see light. O continue Thy mercy unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness unto the upright of heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, nor let the hand of a sinner move me. Yonder be fallen all they that work iniquity; they are cast out, and shall not be able to stand.
Glory.
David's, 36.
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, nor envy them that work iniquity. For like grass quickly shall they be withered, and like green herbs quickly shall they fall away. Hope in the Lord, and do good, and dwell on the earth, and like a shepherd shalt thou be fed with its riches. Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the askings of thy heart. Disclose unto the Lord thy way, and trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noonday. Submit thyself unto the Lord and supplicate Him; fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, nor because of a man that doeth iniquity. Cease from wrath and forsake anger; fret not thyself so as to do evil. For evil-doers shall utterly perish, but they that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. And yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be, and thou shalt seek for his place, and shalt not find it. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in an abundance of peace. The sinner will diligently keep watch over the righteous man and will gnash with his teeth upon him. But the Lord shall laugh at him, because He foreseeth that his day will come. The sinners have drawn a sword; they have bent their bow, to cast down poor man and pauper, to slay the upright in heart. Let their sword enter into their own hearts and let their bows be broken. Better is the little which the just man hath than the great riches of sinners. For the arms of the sinners shall be broken, but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the ways of the blameless and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be put to shame in an evil time, and in days of famine they shall be filled. But the sinners shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord, in the moment when they are glorified and exalted, vanish away, and like smoke have vanished away. The sinner borroweth and will not repay, but the just man showeth mercy and giveth. For they that bless him shall inherit the earth, but they that curse him shall utterly perish. By the Lord are the steps of a man rightly directed, and His way shall he greatly desire. When he falleth he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth his hand. I have been young, and now indeed I am old, and I have not seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. All the day long the righteous showeth mercy, and lendeth, and his seed shall be unto blessing. Decline from evil and do good, and dwell unto ages of ages. For the Lord loveth judgement, and He will not forsake His holy ones; they shall be kept for ever. But the wicked shall be banished, and the seed of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed. The righteous shall inherit the earth and shall dwell therein unto ages of ages. The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak of judgement. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be tripped. The sinner watcheth the righteous one, and seeketh to slay him. But the Lord will not abandon him to his hands, nor in any way condemn him when He judgeth him. Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the earth; when sinners are utterly destroyed, thou shalt see it. I have seen the ungodly man highly exalted and lifting himself up like the cedars of Lebanon. But I passed by, and lo, he was not; and I sought him, and place was not to be found. Keep innocence, and behold uprightness, for there is a remnant for the peaceable man. But the transgressors shall be utterly destroyed together, and the remnants of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and He is their defender in a time of affliction. And the Lord shall help them and shall deliver them, and He will rescue them from sinners and will save them because they hoped in Him.
Glory.
Sixth Kathisma
A Psalm of David. In Remembrance. Concerning the Sabbath, 37.
O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath. For Thine arrows are fastened in me, and Thou hast laid Thy hand heavily upon me. There is no healing in my flesh in the face of Thy wrath; and there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sins. For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head; as a heavy burden have they pressed heavily upon me. My bruises are become noisome and corrupt in the face of my folly. I have been wretched and utterly bowed down until the end; all the day long I went with downcast face. For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh. I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I have roared from the groaning of my heart. O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed me; and the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me. My friends and my neighbours drew nigh over against me and stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar off. And they that sought after my soul used violence; and they that sought evils for me spake vain things, and craftiness all the day long did they meditate. But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not, and was as a speechless man that openeth not his mouth. And I became as a man that heareth not, and that hath in his mouth no reproofs. For in Thee have I hoped, O Lord; Thou wilt hearken unto me, O Lord my God. For I said: Let never mine enemies rejoice over me; yea, when my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words against me. For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin. But mine enemies live and are made stronger than I, and they that hated me unjustly are multiplied. They that render me evil for good slandered me, because I pursued goodness. Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me. Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation.
For the End: An Ode of David for Idithum, 38.
I said: I will take heed to my ways lest I sin with my tongue. I set a guard for my mouth, when the sinner stood up against me. I was dumb and was humbled, and held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred anew. My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire was kindled. I spake with my tongue: O Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, what it is, that I may know what I lack. Behold, Thou hast made my days as the spans of a hand, and my being is as nothing before Thee. Nay, all things are vanity, every man living. Surely man walketh about like a phantom, nay, in vain doth he disquiet himself. He layeth up treasure, and knoweth not for whom he shall gather it. And now, what is my patient endurance? Is it not the Lord? Yea, my hope is from Thee. From all mine iniquities deliver me; Thou hast made me a reproach to the foolish. I was dumb and opened not my mouth, for Thou hast made me. Take away from me Thy scourges; for from the strength of Thy hand I have fainted. With reprovings for iniquity hast Thou chastened man, and hast made his life to melt away like a spider's web; nay, in vain doth every man disquiet himself. Hearken unto my prayer, O Lord, and unto my supplication; give ear unto my tears. Be not silent, for I am a sojourner with Thee, and a stranger, as were all my fathers. Spare me, that I may be refreshed before I go hence, and be no more.
For the End: A Psalm of David, 39.
With patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me, and He hearkened unto my supplication. And He brought me up out of the pit of misery, and from the mire of clay. And He set my feet upon a rock, and He ordered my steps aright. And He hath put into my mouth a new song, a hymn unto our God. Many shall see, and shall fear, and shall hope in the Lord. Blessed is the man, whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who hath not looked upon vanities and false frenzies. Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonders which Thou hast wrought, and Thy thoughts there is none that shall be likened unto Thee. I declared and spake: They are multiplied beyond number. Sacrifice and offering hast Thou not desired, but a body hast Thou perfected for me. Whole-burnt offerings and oblations for sin hast Thou not demanded. Then I said: Behold, I am come (in the heading of the book it is written concerning me) to do Thy will, O my God, and Thy law is in the midst of my bowels. I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great congregation; lo, my lips I shall not restrain; Lord, Thou knowest it. Thy righteousness have I not hid in my heart; Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. I have not concealed Thy mercy, nor Thy truth, from the great assemblage. But Thou, O Lord, remove not Thy compassions far from me; let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually help me. For evils without number have encompassed me; mine iniquities took hold of me, and I became unable to see. They are multiplied more than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, be attentive unto helping me. Let them be shamed and confounded together which seek after my soul, to destroy it. Let them be turned back and confounded that desire evils for me. Let them quickly receive shame for their reward, who say to me: Well done, well done. Let them rejoice and be glad in Thee all they that seek after Thee, O Lord; and let them that love Thy salvation continually say: The Lord be magnified. But as for me, a poor man am I and a pauper; the Lord will care for me. My helper and my defender art Thou, O my God; make no tarrying.
Glory.
For the End: A Psalm of David, 40.
Blessed is the man that hath understanding for the poor man and the pauper; in an evil day the Lord will deliver him. May the Lord keep him, and make him to live, and make him blessed upon the earth, and never surrender him into the hands of his enemies. May the Lord help him on his bed of pain, the whole of his confinement in his sickness hast Thou turned to the better. I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. Mine enemies have spoken evil things against me: When shall he die, and when shall his name perish? And though he came in to see me, his heart spake vanity; he gathered iniquity unto himself; he went forth, and spake in a like manner. All mine enemies whispered against me, against me they devised evils for me. An unjust word they set against me: Can it be that he that sleepeth shall rise up again? Yea, even the man of my peace in whom I hoped, who ate of my bread, hath magnified the lifting of heels against me. But Thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, and I will requite them. By this I know that Thou hast delighted in me, because mine enemy shall not rejoice over me. And because of mine innocence Thou hast helped me, and hast established me before Thee for ever. Blessed is the Lord God of
For the End: For the Instruction to the Sons of Kore, a Psalm of David, Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 41.
As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsted for God, the mighty, the living; when shall I come, and appear before the face of God? My tears have been my bread by day and by night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God? These things have I remembered, and I poured out my soul within me, for I shall go to the place of the wondrous tabernacle, even to the house of God, with a voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving, yea, of the sound of them that keep festival. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why dost thou disquiet me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God. Within me my soul hath been troubled; therefore will I remember Thee from the
For the End: A Psalm of David. Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 42.
Judge me, O God, and give judgement in my cause, against a nation that is not holy; from a man unjust and crafty deliver me. For Thou, O God, art my strength. Wherefore hast Thou cast me off? And wherefore go I with downcast face whilst mine enemy afflicteth me? O send out Thy light and Thy truth; they have guided me along the way, and have brought me unto Thy holy mountain, and unto Thy tabernacles. And I shall go in unto the altar of God, unto God Who giveth gladness to my youth; I will give praise unto Thee, O God, my God, with the harp. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why dost thou disquiet me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God.
Glory.
For the End: For Instruction to the Sons of Kore, 43.
O God, with our ears have we heard, for our fathers have told us the work which Thou hadst wrought in their days, in the days of old. Thy hand utterly destroyed the heathen, and in their stead Thou didst plant them; Thou didst bring evils upon those peoples, and didst cast them out. For not by their own sword did they inherit the land, nor did their own arm save them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou wast well-pleased in them. Thou Thyself art my King, and my God, Thou that commandest the salvation of Jacob. Through Thee shall the horn of our strength push down our enemies, and through Thy name shall we bring to nought them that rise up against us. For not in my bow will I hope, and my sword shall not save me. For Thou hast saved us from them that afflict us, and them that hate us hast Thou put to shame. In God we will boast all the day long, and in Thy name will we give praise in the age to come. But now Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame, and wilt not go forth, O God, with our hosts. Thou hast made us to turn back before our enemies, and they that hate us took spoils for themselves. Thou hast given us up as sheep to be eaten, and among the nations hast Thou scattered us. Thou hast sold Thy people without a price, and there was no gain in the selling of us. Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. Thou hast made us a byword among the nations, a shaking of head among the peoples. All the day long my disgrace is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and revileth, because of the face of the enemy and pursuer. All this hath come upon us, and we have not forgotten Thee, nor have we dealt unrighteously in Thy covenant. Though our heart hath not turned back, yet Thou hast turned aside our paths from Thy ways. For Thou hast humbled us in a place of affliction, and the shadow of death hath covered us. If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have stretched out our hands to a strange god, Shall not God search out these things? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart. For Thy sake we are slain all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Rise up, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, and cast us not off at the end. Wherefore turnest Thou Thy face away? Dost Thou forget our poverty and our affliction? For our soul hath been humbled down to the dust, our belly hath cleaved to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for Thy name's sake.
For the End: Concerning Those Verses That Are to be Alternated, for Instruction to the Sons of Kore. An Ode Concerning the Beloved One, 44.
My heart hath poured forth a good word; I speak of my works to the king; my tongue is the pen of a swiftly writing scribe. Comely art Thou in beauty more than the sons of men; grace hath been poured forth on Thy lips, wherefore God hath blessed Thee for ever. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy comeliness and Thy beauty. And bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be king, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall guide Thee wondrously. Thine arrows are sharp, O Mighty One, (under Thee shall peoples fall) sharp in the heart of the enemies of the king. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Wherefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows. Myrrh and stacte and cassia exhale from Thy garments, from the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad, they the daughters of kings in Thine honour. At Thy right hand stood the queen, arrayed in a vesture of inwoven gold, adorned in varied colours. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; and forget thine own people and thy father's house. And the King shall greatly desire thy beauty, for He Himself is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him. And Him shall the daughters of
For the End: A Psalm of David. Concerning Hidden Things, for the Sons of Kore, 45.
Our God is refuge and strength, a helper in afflictions which mightily befall us. Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken, nor when the mountains be removed into the heart of the seas. Their waters roared and were troubled, the mountains were troubled by His might. The rushings of the river make glad the city of
Glory.
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