Lord, how many adversaries I have!
how many there are who rise up against me!
how many there are who say of me,
“There is no help for him in his God.”
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me;
you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.

I call aloud upon the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy hill;
I lie down and go to sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I do not fear the multitudes of people
who set themselves against me all around.

Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God;
surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face,
you will break the teeth of the wicked.
Deliverance belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing be upon your people!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

The troubled tyrant hears with dread
that Christ, the King of kings, has come
to rule the house of Israel,
and take his place on David’s throne.

With frantic rage he clies aloud:
“My rival comes to drive me out.
Now go, my guard, take up your swords
and make those cradles flow with blood.”

What profit comes from such a sin?
What gain for Herod from this crime?
In safety Christ is borne away,
alone among so many slain.

To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
the Virgin Mother’s newborn Son,
with God the Father, ever blest
and loving Spirit, ever one. Amen.

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and they meditate on his law day and night.

They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither;
everything they do shall prosper.

It is not so with the wicked;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Why are the nations in an uproar?
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed?
“Let us break their yoke,” they say;
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”

He whose throne is in heaven is laughing;
the Lord has them in derision.
Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
and his rage fills them with terror.
“I myself have set my king,
upon my holy hill of Zion.”

Let me announce the decree of the Lord:
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.

Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall crush them with an iron rod
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”

And now, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Submit to the Lord with fear,
and with trembling bow before him;
lest he be angry and you perish;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are they all
who take refuge in him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

In the Lord have I taken refuge;
how then can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;

For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string,
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold the inhabited world;
his piercing eye weighs our worth.

The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked,
but those who delight in violence he abhors.
Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds;
and the just shall see his face.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,
who speaks the truth from his heart.

There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend;
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
In his sight the wicked is rejected,
but he honors those who fear the Lord.

He has sworn to do no wrong
and does not take back his word.
He does not give his money in hope of gain,
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be overthrown.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”

All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,
upon those who are noble among the people.
But those who run after other gods
shall have their troubles multiplied.
Their libations of blood I will not offer,
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;
it is you who uphold my lot.
My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me, night after night.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
my body also shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor let your holy one see the Pit.

You will show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world and all who dwell therein.
For it is he who founded it upon the seas
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?
and who can stand in his holy place?”
“Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.

“They shall receive a blessing from the Lord
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.

“Who is this King of glory?”
“The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.”

Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.

“Who is he, this King of glory?”
“The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous;
it is good for the just to sing praises.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
Sing for him a new song;
sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.

For the word of the Lord is right,
and all his works are sure.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin
and stores up the depths of the sea.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came to pass;
he commanded, and it stood fast.

The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught;
he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
But the Lord’s will stands fast for ever,
and the designs of his heart from age to age.

Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord!
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
The Lord looks down from heaven,
and beholds all the people in the world.

From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze
on all who dwell on the earth.
He fashions all the hearts of them
and understands all their works.

There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army;
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
The horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
for all its strength it cannot save.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him,
on those who wait upon his love,
to pluck their lives from death,
and to feed them in time of famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
Indeed, our heart rejoices in him,
for in his holy Name we put our trust.
Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
as we have put our trust in you.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the humble hear and rejoice.

Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;
let us exalt his Name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me out of all my terror.

Look upon him and be radiant,
and let not your faces be ashamed.
I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me
and saved me from all my troubles.

The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him,
and he will deliver them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are they who trust in him!

Fear the Lord, you that are his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack nothing good.

Come, children, and listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who among you loves life
and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?

Keep your tongue from evil-speaking
and your lips from lying words.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them
and delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.

Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
He will keep safe all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
The Lord ransoms the life of his servants,
and none will be punished who trust in him.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown;
God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken;
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come now and look upon the works of the Lord,
what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, then, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Hear my cry, O God,
and listen to my prayer.
I call upon you from the ends of the earth
with heaviness in my heart;
set me upon the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
I will dwell in your house for ever;
I will take refuge under the cover of your wings.
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your Name.

Add length of days to the king’s life;
let his years extend over many generations.
Let him sit enthroned before God for ever;
bid love and faithfulness watch over him.

So will I always sing the praise of your Name,
and day by day I will fulfill my vows.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Hear my voice, O God, when I complain;
protect my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the mob of evildoers.

They sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
that they may shoot down the blameless from ambush;
they shoot without warning and are not afraid.

They hold fast to their evil course;
they plan how they may hide their snares.
They say, “Who will see us?
who will find out our crimes?
we have thought out a perfect plot.”

The human mind and heart are a mystery;
but God will loose an arrow at them,
and suddenly they will be wounded.
He will make them trip over their tongues,
and all who see them will shake their heads.

Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds;
they will recognize his works.
The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him,
and all who are true of heart will glory.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

O God, the heathen have come into your inheritance;
they have profaned your holy temple;
they have made Jerusalem a heap of rubble.
They have given the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the air,
and the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the field.

They have shed their blood like water on every side of Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
How long will you be angry, O Lord?
will your fury blaze like fire for ever?

Pour out your wrath upon the heathen who have not known you
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your Name.
For they have devoured Jacob
and made his dwelling a ruin.

Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be swift to meet us;
for we have been brought very low.

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your Name;
deliver us and forgive us our sins, for your Name’s sake.

Why should the heathen say, “Where is their God?”
Let it be known among the heathen and in our sight
that you avenge the shedding of your servants’ blood.
Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you,
and by your great might spare those who are condemned to die.

May the revilings with which they reviled you, O Lord,
return seven-fold into their bosoms.
For we are your people and the sheep of your pasture;
we will give you thanks for ever
and show forth your praise from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of others they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.

They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them forever.

Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,
and he watches over his elect.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

God gave to holy people the reward of their labors;
he guided them along a marvelous way,
and became a shelter to them by day,
and a starry flame through the night.

He brought them over the Red Sea,
and led them through deep waters;
but he drowned their enemies,
and cast them up from the depth of the sea.

Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly;
they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name,
and praised with one accord your defending hand;
for wisdom opened the mouths of those who were mute,
and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.