Saturday

Nineteenth Kathisma

Alleluia, 134.

Praise ye the name of the Lord; O ye servants, praise the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good; chant unto His name, for it is good. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, Israel for His own possession. For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. All that the Lord hath willed He hath done, in heaven and on the earth, in the seas and in all the abysses. Bringing clouds up from the uttermost parts of the earth, lightnings for the rain hath He made. He bringeth winds out of His treasuries; He smote the firstborn of Egypt, from man unto beast. He sent forth signs and marvels in the midst of thee, O Egypt, on Pharaoh and on all his servants. He smote many nations and slew mighty kings. Seon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of the land of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. And He gave their land for an inheritance, an inheritance for Israel His people. O Lord, Thy name endureth for ever, and Thy memorial unto generation and generation. For the Lord will judge His people, and because of His servants shall He be comforted. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men. They have a mouth but shall not speak, eyes have they and shall not see. Ears have they and shall not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouth. Let those that make them become like unto them, and all they that put their trust in them. O house of Israel, bless ye the Lord. O house of Aaron, bless ye the Lord. O house of Levi, bless ye the Lord. Ye that fear the Lord, bless ye the Lord. Blessed is the Lord out of Sion, Who dwelleth in Jerusalem.

Alleluia, 135.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the Lord of lords; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him Who alone hath wrought great wonders; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that made the heavens with understanding; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that established the earth upon the waters; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him Who alone hath made great lights; for His mercy endureth for ever. The sun for dominion of the day; for His mercy endureth for ever. The moon and the stars for dominion of the night; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that smote Egypt with their firstborn; for His mercy endureth for ever. And led forth Israel out of the midst of them; for His mercy endureth for ever. With a strong hand and a lofty arm; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that divided the Red Sea into parts; for His mercy endureth for ever. And led Israel through the midst thereof; for His mercy endureth for ever. And overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that led His people through the wilderness; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that smote great kings; for His mercy endureth for ever. And slew mighty kings; for His mercy endureth for ever. Seon, king of the Amorites; for His mercy endureth for ever. And Og, king of the land of Basan; for His mercy endureth for ever. And gave their land for an inheritance; for His mercy endureth for ever. An inheritance for Israel His servant; for His mercy endureth for ever. For in our humiliation the Lord remembered us; for His mercy endureth for ever. And redeemed us from our enemies; for His mercy endureth for ever. He that giveth food to all flesh; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven; for His mercy endureth for ever.

For David. By Jeremias, in the Captivity, 136.

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and we wept when we remembered Sion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof did we hang our instruments. For there, they that had taken us captive asked us for words of song. And they that had led us away asked us for a hymn, saying: Sing us one of the songs of Sion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Let my tongue cleave to my throat, if I remember thee not, If I set not Jerusalem above all other, as at the head of my joy. Remember, O Lord, the sons of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem, Who said: Lay waste, lay waste to her, even to the foundations thereof. O daughter of Babylon, thou wretched one, blessed shall he be who shall reward thee wherewith thou hast rewarded us. Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash thine young warriors against the rock.

Glory.

David's. Of Aggeus and Zacharias, 137.

I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; and before angels will I chant unto Thee, for Thou hast heard all the words of my mouth. I will worship towards Thy holy temple and confess Thy name, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; for Thou hast magnified Thy holy name above all that is. In whatsoever day I call upon Thee, quickly hearken unto me; Thou shalt abundantly endow my soul with Thy strength. Let all the kings of the earth, O Lord, confess Thee, for they have heard all the words of Thy mouth. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For the Lord is exalted, yet on lowly things He looketh; and things haughty He knoweth from afar. Though I should walk in the midst of affliction, Thou shalt quicken me; against the wrath of mine enemies hast Thou stretched forth Thy hands, and Thy right hand hath saved me. The Lord shall give recompense in my behalf. O Lord, Thy mercy endureth for ever; disdain not the work of Thy hands.

For the End. David's. A Psalm of Zacharias in the Dispersion, 138.

O Lord, Thou hast proved me and Thou knowest me; Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising. Thou hast discerned my thoughts from afar; my path and my lot hast Thou traced out, And hast foreseen all my ways, for there is no guile in my tongue. Behold, Lord, Thou knowest all things, the last and the first; Thou hast fashioned me and hast laid Thy hand upon me. Thy knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is mighty, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? And from Thy presence whither shall I flee? If I go up into heaven, Thou art there; if I go down into hades, Thou art present there. If I take up my wings toward the dawn, and make mine abode in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there shall Thy hand guide me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. And I said: Surely darkness shall tread me down, and the night shall be turned into light in my delight. For darkness will not be darkness with Thee, and night shall be bright as the day; as is the darkness thereof, even so shall the light thereof be. For Thou hast possessed my reins; O Lord, Thou hast holpen me from my mother's womb. I will confess Thee, for awesomely art Thou wondrous, marvelous are Thy works, and my soul knoweth it right well. My bone is not hid from Thee, which Thou madest in secret; nor my substance in the nethermost parts of the earth. My being while it was still unformed Thine eyes did see, and in Thy book shall all men be written; day by day they are formed, when as yet there be none of them. But to me, exceedingly honourable are Thy friends, O Lord; their principalities are made exceeding strong. I will count them, and they shall be multiplied more than the sand; I awoke and I am still with Thee. Surely Thou wilt slay the sinners, O God. Ye men of blood, depart from me. For Thou wilt say concerning their thoughts that in vain shall they take Thy cities. As for them that hate Thee, O Lord, have I not hated them? And because of Thine enemies have I not pined away? With perfect hatred have I hated them; they are reckoned enemies with me. Prove me, O God, and know my heart; examine me and know my paths. And see if the way of iniquity be in me, and guide me in the way everlasting.

For the End. A Psalm of David, 139.

Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; from the unjust man deliver me. Who have devised injustice in their heart; all the day long have they arrayed themselves for wars. They have whetted their tongue like that of a serpent; the venom of asps is under their lips. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner; rescue me from unjust men who have devised to undermine my steps. The proud have hid a snare for me, and with cords have they spread a snare for my feet; stumbling-blocks near the paths have they set for me. I said unto the Lord: Thou art my God; give ear, O Lord, unto the voice of my supplication. Lord, O Lord, Thou strength of my salvation, Thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle. Because of my desire, O Lord, give me not up unto the sinner. They have taken counsel against me; forsake me not, lest they should be exalted. As for the head of those that encircle me, the mischief of their lips shall cover them. Coals shall fall upon them; in fire shalt Thou cast them down, and they shall not stand in afflictions. A babbling man shall not prosper on the earth; evils shall hunt an unjust man to his destruction. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor and the justice of the paupers. Surely the righteous shall confess Thy name, and the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.

Glory.

A Psalm of David, 140.

Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee. Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth, and a door of enclosure round about my lips. Incline not my heart unto words of evil, to make excuse with excuses in sins, With men that work iniquity; and I will not join with their chosen. The righteous man will chasten me with mercy and reprove me; as for the oil of the sinner, let it not anoint my head. For yet more is my prayer in the presence of their pleasures; swallowed up near by the rock have their judges been. They shall hear my words, for they be sweetened; as a clod of earth is broken upon the earth, so have their bones been scattered nigh unto hades. For unto Thee, O Lord, O Lord, are mine eyes, in Thee have I hoped; take not my soul away. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity. The sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone until I pass by.

Instruction by David. When He Was in the Cave Praying, 141.

With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto the Lord have I made supplication. I will pour out before Him my supplication, mine affliction before Him will I declare. When my spirit was fainting within me, then Thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I have walked they hid for me a snare. I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, and there was none that did know me. Flight hath failed me, and there is none that watcheth out for my soul. I have cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said: Thou art my hope, my portion art Thou in the land of the living. Attend unto my supplication, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from them that persecute me, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison that I may confess Thy name. The righteous shall wait patiently for me until Thou shalt reward me.

David's. When His Son Abessalom Pursued Him, 142.

O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy righteousness. And enter not into judgement with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbled my life down to the earth. He hath sat me in darkness as those that have been long dead, and my spirit within me is become despondent; within me my heart is troubled. I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thy works, I pondered on the creations of Thy hands. I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee like a waterless land. Quickly hear me, O Lord; my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for in Thee have I put my hope. Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul. Rescue me from mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness; for Thy name's sake, O Lord, shalt Thou quicken me. In Thy righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul out of affliction, and in Thy mercy shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies. And Thou shalt cut off all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.

Glory.

Twentieth Kathisma

David's. Concerning Goliath, 143.

Blessed is the Lord my God, Who teacheth my hands for battle and my fingers for war. My mercy and my refuge, my helper and my deliverer, My defender is He; and in Him have I hoped, Who subjected my people under me. O Lord, what is man, that Thou art made known unto him? Or the son of man, that Thou takest account of him? Man is like unto vanity, his days like a shadow pass away. O Lord, bow down the heavens and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Flash forth lightning, and Thou shalt scatter them; send forth Thine arrows, and Thou shalt trouble them. Send forth Thy hand from on high; rescue and deliver me from many waters, from the hand of the sons of aliens, Whose mouth hath spoken vanity; and their right hand is the right hand of unrighteousness. O God, a new song shall I sing unto Thee; with the psaltery of ten strings shall I chant unto Thee, Who givest salvation unto kings, Who redeemest David Thy servant from the evil sword. Deliver me and rescue me from the hand of the sons of aliens whose mouth hath spoken vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of unrighteousness, Whose sons are like new plants, strongly planted in their youth, Their daughters prettified, and lavishly adorned like unto a temple. Their garners are full, bursting forth with all manner of store. Their sheep are abundant in young, multiplying in their gateways; their oxen are fat. There is no breach of wall, nor any passage, nor any outcry in their streets. They have called the people blessed which fareth thus; but blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

David's. A Psalm of Praise, 144.

I will exalt Thee, O my God, my king, and I will bless Thy name for ever, yea, for ever and ever. Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever, yea, for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, and of His greatness there is no end. Generation and generation shall praise Thy works, and Thy power shall they declare. Of the majesty of the glory of Thy holiness shall they speak, and they shall tell of Thy wonders. And the power of Thine awesome deeds shall they relate, and they shall tell of Thy majesty. The memory of the multitude of Thy goodness shall they pour forth, and in Thy righteousness shall they rejoice. Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His compassions are over all His works. Let all Thy works, O Lord, give praise to Thee, and let Thy righteous ones bless Thee. Of the glory of Thy kingdom shall they speak, and shall tell of Thy dominion, To make Thy dominion known to the sons of men, and the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is the kingdom of all the ages, and Thy sovereignty is in every generation and generation. Faithful is the Lord in all His words, and holy in all His works. The Lord upholdeth all that are falling, and setteth up all that are broken down. The eyes of all look to Thee with hope, and Thou gavest them their food in due season. Thou openest Thy hand and fillest every living thing with Thy favour. Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, and holy in all His works. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call on Him in truth. The will of them that fear Him shall He do, and their supplication shall He hear, and He shall save them. The Lord preserveth all that love Him, but all the sinners shall He utterly destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name, for ever, yea, for ever and ever.

Glory.

Alleluia. Of Aggeus and Zacharias, 145.

Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life, I will chant unto my God for as long as I have my being. Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return unto his earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. Blessed is he of whom the God of Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who hath made heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is therein, Who keepeth truth unto eternity, Who executeth judgement for the wronged, Who giveth food unto the hungry. The Lord looseth the fettered; the Lord maketh wise the blind; the Lord setteth aright the fallen; the Lord loveth the righteous; the Lord preserveth the proselytes. He shall adopt for His own the orphan and widow, and the way of sinners shall He destroy. The Lord shall be king unto eternity; thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation.

Alleluia. Of Aggeus and Zacharias, 146.

Praise ye the Lord, for a psalm is a good thing; let praise be sweet unto our God. The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem, He shall gather together the dispersed of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth their fractures together. He numbereth the multitude of the stars and calleth them all by name. Great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His understanding there is no measure. The Lord lifteth up the meek, but humbleth sinners to the earth. Begin your song to the Lord with thanksgiving, chant unto God with the harp, To Him that covereth heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow on the mountains, and green herb for the service of man, Who giveth to the beasts their food, and to the younglings of the ravens which call upon Him. He shall not delight in the strength of a horse, nor in the legs of man is He well pleased. The Lord is well pleased in them that fear Him, and in them that hope in His mercy.

Alleluia. Of Aggeus and Zacharias, 147.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion. For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons within thee. He bringeth peace upon thy borders, and with the fatness of the wheat He filleth thee. He sendeth His saying unto the earth; right swiftly runneth His word. He giveth His snow like wool; the mist He sprinkleth like ashes. He hurleth His ice like morsels. Who shall stand before His cold? He shall send forth His word and melt them; His wind shall blow and the waters shall flow. He declareth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and judgements to Israel. He hath not dealt so with every nation, nor hath He shown His judgements unto them.

Glory.

Allelui. Of Aggeus and Zacharias, 148.

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all ye His angels; praise Him, all ye His hosts. Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars and light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and thou water that art above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord; for He spake, and they came to be; He commanded, and they were created. He established them for ever, yea, for ever and ever; He hath set an ordinance, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye abysses, Fire, hail, snow, ice, blast of tempest, which perform His word, The mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars, The beasts and all the cattle, creeping things and winged birds, Kings of the earth, and all peoples, princes and all the judges of the earth, Young men and virgins, elders with the younger; let them praise the name of the Lord, for exalted is the name of Him alone. His praise is above the earth and heaven, and He shall exalt the horn of His people. This is the hymn for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, and for the people that draw nigh unto Him.

Alleluia, 149.

Sing unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the church of the saints. Let Israel be glad in Him that made him, let the sons of Sion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name in the dance; with the timbrel and the psaltery let them chant unto Him. For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people, and He shall exalt the meek with salvation. The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds. The high praise of God shall be in their throat, and two-edged swords shall be in their hands, To do vengeance among the heathen, punishments among the peoples, To bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron, To do among them the judgement that is written. This glory shall be to all His saints.

Alleluia, 150.

Praise ye God in His saints, praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him according to the multitude of His greatness. Praise Him with the sound of trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and flute. Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation. Let every breath praise the Lord.

Glory, Both Now, Alelluia

This Psalm Is One Written By David’s Own Hand, Though It Is Not Numbered With The 150 Psalms. Composed When He Fought In Single Combat With Goliath.

I was the smallest among my brethren, and the youngest in the house of my father; I did shepherd the sheep of my father. My hands made an instrument, and my fingers fashioned a psaltery. And who shall tell my Lord? The Lord Himself, He Himself shall hearken. He sent forth His angel and took me from the flocks of my father, and anointed me with the oil of His anointing. My brethren were big and good, yet the Lord took not pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the alien, and he cursed me by his idols. But I drew his own sword and beheaded him, and took away the reproach from the sons of Israel.

Glory, Both Now, Alelluia