The Psalter or Psalms of David
The Seventh Day.
Morning Prayer.
Psalm 35. Judica, Domine.
PLEAD thou my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me, *
and fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler, * and stand up to help
me.
3 Bring forth the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue
me: * say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my
soul; * let them be turned back, and brought to confusion, that
imagine mischief for me.
5 Let them be as the dust before the wind, * and the angel of
the LORD scattering them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, * and let the angel of
the LORD pursue them.
7 For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without
a cause; * yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for
my soul.
8 Let a sudden destruction come upon him unawares, and his net
that he hath laid privily catch himself; * that he may fall into
his own mischief.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; * it shall rejoice
in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, who deliverest
the poor from him that is too strong for him; * yea, the poor,
and him that is in misery, from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesses did rise up: * they laid to my charge things
that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good, * to the great discomfort
of my soul.
13 Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and
humbled my soul with fasting; * and my prayer shall turn into
mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother;
* I went heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves
together; * yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares,
making mouths at me, and ceased not.
16 With the flatterers were busy mockers, * who gnashed upon
me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this? * O deliver my soul
from the calamities which they bring on me, and my darling from
the lions.
18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation; * I
will praise thee among much people.
19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly;
* neither let them wink with their eyes, that hate me without
a cause.
20 And why? their communing is not for peace; * but they imagine
deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 They gaped upon me with their mouths, and said, * Fie on thee!
fie on thee! we saw it with our eyes.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD; * hold not thy tongue then; go
not far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel; * avenge thou my
cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; *
and let them not triumph over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, There! there! so would we
have it; * neither let them say, We have devoured him.
26 Let them be put to confusion and shame together, that rejoice
at my trouble; * let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour,
that boast themselves against me.
27 Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing;
* yea, let them say alway, Blessed be the LORD, who hath pleasure
in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteousness,
* and of thy praise, all the day long.
Psalm 36. Dixit injustus.
MY heart showeth me the wickedness of the ungodly, * that there
is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own sight, * until his abominable
sin be found out.
3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit:
* he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good.
4 He imagineth mischief upon his bed, and hath set himself in
no good way; * neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.
5 Thy mercy, O LORD, reacheth unto the' heavens, * and thy faithfulness
unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains: * thy
judgments are like the great deep.
7 Thou, LORD, shalt save both man and beast: how excellent is
thy mercy, O God! * and the children of men shall put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house;
* and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures, as out of
the river.
9 For with thee is the well of life; * and in thy light shall
we see light.
10 O continue forth thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee,
* and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.
11 O let not the foot of pride come against me; * and let not
the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12 There are they fallen, all that work wickedness; * they are
cast down, and shall not be able to stand.
Evening Prayer.
Psalm 37. Noli aemulari.
FRET not thyself because of the ungodly; * neither be thou envious
against the evil doers.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, * and be withered
even as the green herb.
3 Put thou thy trust in the LORD, and be doing good; * dwell
in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thou in the LORD, * and he shall give thee thy heart's
desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD, and put thy trust in him, * and
he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light, * and
thy just dealing as the noon-day.
7 Hold thee still in the LORD, and abide patiently upon him:
* but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against
the man that doeth after evil counsels.
8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure: * fret not thyself,
else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out; * and they that patiently
abide the LORD, those shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone: *
thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth, * and shall
be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just, * and gnasheth
upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh him to-scorn; * for he hath seen that
his day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their
bow, * to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be
upright in their ways.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart, * and their
bow shall be broken.
16 A small thing that the righteous hath, * is better than great
riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, * and the LORD
upholdeth the righteous.
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the godly; * and their inheritance
shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time; * and in
the days of dearth they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish, and the enemies of
the LORD shall consume as the fat of lambs: * yea, even as the
smoke shall they consume away.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again; * but the righteous
is merciful and liberal.
22 Such as are blessed of God, shall possess the land; * and
they that are cursed of him, shall be rooted out.
23 The LORD ordereth a good man's going, * and maketh his way
acceptable to himself.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast away; * for the LORD
upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; * and yet saw I never the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth; * and his seed
is blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good; * and dwell
for evermore.
28 For the LORD loveth the thing that is right; * he forsaketh
not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished; * as for the seed of the
ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the land, * and dwell therein
for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, * and his
tongue will be talking of judgment.
32 The law of his God is in his heart, * and his goings shall
not slide.
33 The ungodly watcheth the righteous, * and seeketh occasion
to slay him.
34 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, * nor condemn him
when he is judged.
35 Hope thou in the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall promote
thee, that thou shalt possess the land: * when the ungodly shall
perish, thou shalt see it.
36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, * and flourishing
like a green bay-tree.
37 I went by, and lo, he was gone: * I sought him, but his place
could no where be found.
38 Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right;
* for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together; * and
the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the LORD; * who
is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41 And the LORD shall stand by them, and save them: * he shall
deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they
put their trust in him.
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