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.

You, in your childhood, to the desert caverns
fled for your refuge from the cities’ turmoil,
where the world’s slander might not dim your luster,
lonely abiding.

Camel’s hair raiment clothed your saintly members;
leather the girdle which your loins encircled;
locusts and honey, with the fountain-water,
daily sustained you.

Oft in past ages, seers with hearts expectant,
sang the far-distant advent of the Day Star,
yous was the glory, as the world’s Redeemer,
first to proclaim him.

Far as the wide world reaches, born of women,
holier was there none than John the Baptist;
meetly in water laving him who cleanses
man from pollution.

Now as the angels celebrate your praises,
Godhead essential, Trinity co-equal;
Spare your redeemed ones, as they bow before you,
Pardon imploring. 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.

Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory;
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”

Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

Tremble, then, and do not sin;
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed sacrifices
and put your trust in the Lord.

Many are saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!”
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

You have put gladness in my heart,
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep;
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

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.

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my meditation.
Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God,
For I make my prayer to you.

In the morning you hear my voice;
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.

For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
and evil cannot dwell with you.
Braggarts cannot stand in your sight;
you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O Lord, you abhor.

But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house;
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness,
because of those who lie in wait for me;
make your way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouth;
there is destruction in their heart;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.

Declare them guilty, O God;
let them fall, because of their schemes.
Because of their many transgressions, cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

But all who take refuge in you will be glad;
they will sing out their joy for ever.
You will shelter them,
so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.

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.

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.

The king rejoices in your strength, O Lord;
how greatly he exults in your victory!
You have given him his heart’s desire;
you have not denied him the request of his lips.

For you meet him with blessings of prosperity,
and set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him:
length of days, for ever and ever.

His honor is great, because of your victory;
splendor and majesty have you bestowed upon him.
For you will give him everlasting felicity
and will make him glad with the joy of your presence.

For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High, he will not fall.

Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies;
your right hand will seize all those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery furnace
at the time of your appearing, O Lord;
You will swallow them up in your wrath,
and fire shall consume them.

You will destroy their offspring from the land
and their descendants from among the peoples of the earth.
Though they intend evil against you
and devise wicked schemes,
yet they shall not prevail.

For you will put them to flight
and aim your arrows at them.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your might;
we will sing and praise your power.

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.

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.

You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;
to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.

To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come,
because of their transgressions.
Our sins are stronger than we are
but you will blot them out.

Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there!
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house,
by the holiness of your temple.

Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
O Hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the seas that are far away.

You make fast the mountains by your power;
they are girded about with might.
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the clamor of the peoples.

Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs;
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.

You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
you make it very plenteous;
the river of God is full of water;
You prepare the grain,
for so you provide for the earth.

You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
You crown the year with your goodness,
and your paths overflow with plenty.

May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,
and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks,
and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
let them shout for joy and sing.

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.

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,
and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning
and of your faithfulness in the night season;
On the psaltery, and on the lyre,
and to the melody of the harp.

For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
Lord, how great are your works!
your thoughts are very deep.

The dullard does not know,
nor does the fool understand,
that though the wicked grow like weeds,
and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
They flourish only to be destroyed for ever;
but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.

For lo, your enemies, O Lord,
lo, your enemies shall perish,
and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

But my horn you have exalted like the horns of wild bulls;
I am anointed with fresh oil.
My eyes also gloat over my enemies,
and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
they shall be green and succulent;
That they may show how upright the Lord is,
my Rock, in whom there is no fault.

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.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its shoots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.

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.

Happy is the person who meditates on wisdom
and reasons intelligently,
who reflects in his heart upon her ways
and ponders her secrets,
pursuing her like a hunter,
and lying in wait upon her paths;

Who peers through her windows
and listens at her doors;
who camps near her house
and fastens his tent peg to her walls;

Who pitches his tent near her,
and so occupies an excellent lodging place;
who places his children under her shelter,
and lodges under her boughs;
who is sheltered by her from the heat,
and dwells in the midst of her glory.

Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like a young bride she will welcome him.

She will feed him with the bread of learning,
and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
He will lean on her and not fall,
and he will rely on her and not be put to shame.

She will exalt him above his neighbors,
and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing,
and will inherit an everlasting 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.

Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless,
and who does not go after gold.

Who is he, that we may praise him?
For he has done wonders among his people.
Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
Let it be for him a ground for boasting.

Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,
and to do evil and did not do it?
His prosperity will be established,
and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity.

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.