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.

O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
the Father’s sole-begotten Son,
alone before all time began,
beyond all telling, born from him,

O Light, O Father’s splendor bright,
O everlasting hope for all,
bend low to hear your servants’ prayers,
poured out by them throughout the earth.

O Author of all saving grace,
recall that once you took our flesh
and from the Virgin pure and chaste
assumed by birth our human form.

This feast today now testifies,
within the cycle of the year,
that you as Savior of the world
alone came from the Father’s throne.

The sky above, the earth, the sea,
and all creation held therein
extol with joyous hymns of praise
the Author of your advent here.

We also, whom you came to save
and by your holy blood redeem,
all sing a new and joyful hymn
to celebrate your day of birth.

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

Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and in misery.
Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;
save your servant who puts his trust in you.

Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;
I call upon you all the day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,
and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,
for you will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,
nor anything like your works.

All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your Name.
For you are great;
you do wondrous things;
and you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth;
knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name.

I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and glorify your Name for evermore.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.

The arrogant rise up against me, O God,
and a band of violent men seeks my life;
they have not set you before their eyes.

But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
Turn to me and have mercy upon me;
give your strength to your servant;
and save the child of your handmaid.

Show me a sign of your favor,
so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;
because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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.

On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded;
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of our God.

I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me;
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.
Of Zion it shall be said, “Everyone was born in her.
and the Most High himself shall sustain her.”

The Lord will record as he enrolls the peoples,
“These also were born there.”
The singers and the dancers will say,
“All my fresh springs are 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.

Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
‘I will establish your line for ever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.’”

The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O Lord,
and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
who is like the Lord among the gods?
God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
great and terrible to all those round about him.

Who is like you, Lord God of hosts?
O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
You rule the raging of the sea
and still the surging of its waves.
You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound;
you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours;
you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
You have made the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.

You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne;
love and truth go before your face.

Happy are the people who know the festal shout!
they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
They rejoice daily in your Name;
they are jubilant in your righteousness.

For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our might is exalted.
Truly, the Lord is our ruler;
the Holy One of Israel is our King.

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.

You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people:
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.

“I have found David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
My hand will hold him fast
and my arm will make him strong.

“No enemy shall deceive him,
nor any wicked man bring him down.
I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.

“My faithfulness and love shall be with him,
and he shall be victorious through my Name.
I shall make his dominion extend
from the Great Sea to the River.

“He will say to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
I will make him my firstborn
and higher than the kings of the earth.

“I will keep my love for him for ever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
I will establish his line for ever
and his throne as the days of heaven.

“If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my judgments;
If they break my statutes
and do not keep my commandments;

“I will punish their transgressions with a rod
and their iniquities with the lash;
But I will not take my love from him,
nor let my faithfulness prove false.
I will not break my covenant,
nor change what has gone out of my lips.

“Once for all I have sworn by my holiness:
‘I will not lie to David.
His line shall endure for ever
and his throne as the sun before me;
It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon,
the abiding witness in the sky.’”

But you have cast off and rejected your anointed;
you have become enraged at him.
You have broken your covenant with your servant,
defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground.

You have breached all his walls
and laid his strongholds in ruins.
All who pass by despoil him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

You have exalted the right hand of his foes
and made all his enemies rejoice.
You have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not sustained him in battle.

You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
You have cut short the days of his youth
and have covered him with shame.

How long will you hide yourself, O Lord?
will you hide yourself for ever?
how long will your anger burn like fire?
Remember, Lord, how short life is,
how frail you have made all flesh.
Who can live and not see death?
who can save himself from the power of the grave?

Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old,
which you promised David in your faithfulness?
Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked,
how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
The taunts your enemies have hurled, O Lord,
which they hurled at the heels of your anointed.

Blessed be the Lord for evermore!
Amen, I say, Amen.

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 Lord is King; he has put on splendid apparel;
the Lord has put on his apparel
and girded himself with strength.

He has made the whole world so sure
that it cannot be moved;
Ever since the world began, your throne has been established;
you are from everlasting.

The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice;
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.

Your testimonies are very sure,
and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
for ever and 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.

O Lord God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, show yourself.
Rise up, O Judge of the world;
give the arrogant their just deserts.

How long shall the wicked, O Lord,
how long shall the wicked triumph?
They bluster in their insolence;
all evildoers are full of boasting.

They crush your people, O Lord,
and afflict your chosen nation.
They murder the widow and the stranger
and put the orphans to death.

Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,
the God of Jacob takes no notice.”
Consider well, you dullards among the people;
when will you fools understand?

He that planted the ear, does he not hear?
he that formed the eye, does he not see?
He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish?
he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge?
The Lord knows our human thoughts;
how like a puff of wind they are.

Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord!
whom you teach out of your law;
To give them rest in evil days,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not abandon his people,
nor will he forsake his own.
For judgment will again be just,
and all the true of heart will follow it.

Who rose up for me against the wicked?
who took my part against the evildoers?
If the Lord had not come to my help,
I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.

As often as I said, “My foot has slipped,”
your love, O Lord, upheld me.
When many cares fill my mind,
your consolations cheer my soul.

Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you,
one which frames evil into law?
They conspire against the life of the just
and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my trust.
He will turn their wickedness back upon them
and destroy them in their own malice;
the Lord our God will destroy 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.

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing to the Lord and bless his Name;
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the Lord honor and power;
Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name;
bring offerings and come into his courts.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King!
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes,
when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his truth.

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 Lord is King;
let the earth rejoice;
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

A fire goes before him
and burns up his enemies on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees it and is afraid.

The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods!
Bow down before him, all you gods.
Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O Lord.

For you are the Lord,
most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

The Lord loves those who hate evil;
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light has sprung up for the righteous,
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy Name.

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.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm
has he won for himself the victory.

The Lord has made known his victory;
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel,
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,
the lands and those who dwell therein.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.

In righteousness shall he judge the world
and the peoples with equity.

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 Lord is King;
let the people tremble;
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion;
he is high above all peoples.

Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome;
he is the Holy One.
“O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool;
he is the Holy One.

Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name,
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud;
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.

“O Lord our God, you answered them indeed;
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.”

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill;
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.

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.

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures 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.

I will sing of mercy and justice;
to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.

I will strive to follow a blameless course;
oh, when will you come to me?
I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the doers of evil deeds;
they shall not remain with me.

A crooked heart shall be far from me;
I will not know evil.
Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy;
those who have a haughty look and a proud heart I cannot abide.

My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me,
and only those who lead a blameless life shall be my servants.

Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house,
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.

I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land,
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the Lord.

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.