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 Lord, eternal King and Son,
for ever at the Father’s side:
in Adam you created man,
in your own image was he formed.

Since Satan had deceived the man
in hatred for the human race,
you took from Mary, Virgin blest,
his human body, flesh and form,

That by your marriage with our flesh
you might unite us all to God;
in Baptism, your future gift,
Redeemer, you would pardon sin.

On our account you bore the Cross
and willingly you chose to die;
you gave your blood in sacrifice,
the price of our salvation, Lord.

Now you are risen, glorified
with glory from the Father due;
devoted minds and hearts believe
that we through you shall rise again.

O Jesus, be for mind and heart
our everlasting paschal joy
and gather us, reborn by grace,
to share your triumphs evermore.

To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who shine in victory over death,
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.

O Lord our Governor,
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
Out of the mouths of infants and children
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries,
to quell the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What is man that you should be mindful of him?
the son of man that you should seek him out?

You have made him but little lower than the angels;
you adorn him with glory and honor;
You give him mastery over the works of your hands;
you put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen,
even the wild beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
O Lord our Governor,
how exalted is your Name in all the world!

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.

O Lord, I call to you;
my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry;
lest, if you do not hear me,
I become like those who go down to the Pit.

Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you,
when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.

Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers,
who speak peaceably with their neighbors,
while strife is in their hearts.

Repay them according to their deeds,
and according to the wickedness of their actions.
According to the work of their hands repay them,
and give them their just deserts.

They have no understanding of the Lord’s doings,
nor of the works of his hands;
therefore he will break them down and not build them up.
Blessed is the Lord!
for he has heard the voice of my prayer.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped.
Therefore my heart dances for joy,
and in my song will I praise him.

The Lord is the strength of his people,
a safe refuge for his anointed.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
shepherd them and carry them for ever.

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 exalt you, O Lord,
because you have lifted me up
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.

O Lord my God, I cried out to you,
and you restored me to health.
You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead;
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.

Sing to the Lord, you servants of his;
give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
his favor for a lifetime.
Weeping may spend the night,
but joy comes in the morning.

While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed.
You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
Then you hid your face,
and I was filled with fear.

I cried to you, O Lord;
I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit?
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

“Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
You have turned my wailing into dancing;
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;
O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

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.

Be joyful in God, all you lands;
sing the glory of his Name;
sing the glory of his praise.

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down before you,
sings to you, sings out your Name.”

Come now and see the works of God,
how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.
He turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water on foot,
and there we rejoiced in him.

In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations;
let no rebel rise up against him.

Bless our God, you peoples;
make the voice of his praise to be heard;
Who holds our souls in life,
and will not allow our feet to slip.

For you, O God, have proved us;
you have tried us just as silver is tried.
You brought us into the snare;
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water;
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

I will enter your house with burnt-offerings
and will pay you my vows,
which I promised with my lips
and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.

I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts
with the smoke of rams;
I will give you oxen and goats.

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what he has done for me.
I called out to him with my mouth,
and his praise was on my tongue.

If I had found evil in my heart,
the Lord would not have heard me;
But in truth God has heard me;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,
nor withheld his love from 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.

In Judah is God known;
his Name is great in Israel.
At Salem is his tabernacle,
and his dwelling is in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of battle.

How glorious you are!
more splendid than the everlasting mountains!
The strong of heart have been despoiled;
they sink into sleep;
none of the warriors can lift a hand.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both horse and rider lie stunned.

What terror you inspire!
who can stand before you when you are angry?

From heaven you pronounced judgment;
the earth was afraid and was still;
When God rose up to judgment
and to save all the oppressed of the earth.

Truly, wrathful Edom will give you thanks,
and the remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts.
Make a vow to the Lord your God and keep it;
let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared.
He breaks the spirit of princes,
and strikes terror in the kings of the earth.

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, my God, my Savior,
by day and night I cry to you.
Let my prayer enter into your presence;
incline your ear to my lamentation.
For I am full of trouble;
my life is at the brink of the grave.

I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I have become like one who has no strength;
Lost among the dead
like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.

You have laid me in the depths of the Pit,
in dark places, and in the abyss.
Your anger weighs upon me heavily,
and all your great waves overwhelm me.

You have put my friends far from me;
you have made me to be abhorred by them;
I am in prison and cannot get free.

My sight has failed me because of trouble;
Lord, I have called upon you daily;
I have stretched out my hands to you.

Do you work wonders for the dead?
will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?
Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave?
your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
Will your wonders be known in the dark?
or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?

But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why have you rejected me?
why have you hidden your face from me?

Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death;
I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind.
Your blazing anger has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me;

They surround me all day long like a flood;
they encompass me on every side.
My friend and my neighbor you have put away from me,
and darkness is my only companion.

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.

My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and make melody.
Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp;
I myself will waken the dawn.

I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
So that those who are dear to you may be delivered,
save with your right hand and answer me.

God spoke from his holy place and said,
“I will exult and parcel out Shechem;
I will divide the valley of Succoth.

“Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my scepter.
Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I throw down my sandal to claim it,
and over Philistia will I shout in triumph.”

Who will lead me into the strong city?
who will bring me into Edom?
Have you not cast us off, O God?
you no longer go out, O God, with our armies.

Grant us your help against the enemy,
for vain is the help of man.
With God we will do valiant deeds,
and he shall tread our enemies under foot.

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.

Who is this that comes from Edom,
from Bozrah in garments stained crimson?
Who is this so splendidly robed,
marching in his great might?

It is I, announcing vindication,
mighty to save.

Why are your robes red,
and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress?

I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their juice splattered on my garments,
and stained all my robes.

For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year for my redeeming work had come.
I looked, but there was no helper;
I stared, but there was no one to sustain me;
so my own arm brought me victory,
and my wrath sustained 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.

Come, let us return to the Lord;
for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up.

After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.

Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

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.

Therefore wait for me, says the Lord,
for the day when I arise as a witness.

For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all the heat of my anger;
for in the fire of my passion
all the earth shall be consumed.

At that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to a pure speech,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
my suppliants, my scattered ones,
shall bring my offering.

On that day you shall not be put to shame
because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.

For I will leave in the midst of you
a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord -
the remnant of Israel;
they shall do no wrong
and utter no lies,
nor shall a deceitful tongue
be found in their mouths.

Then they will pasture and lie down,
and no one shall make them afraid.

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.