Kathisma 5

Kathisma 5

Read on Monday (Monday and Wednesday during Lent)

David's. Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 32.

^{(Psalm 33 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise befits the just.
Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery.
Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation.
For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness.
The Lord loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established, and all the might of them by the Spirit of His mouth, Who gathereth together as into a wineskin the waters of the sea, Who layeth up the abysses in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be shaken before Him.
For he spake, and they came into being; He commanded, and they were created.
The Lord scattereth the plans of the heathens, He setteth aside the devices of the peoples, and He bringeth to nought the plans of princes.
But the counsel of the Lord abideth unto eternity, the thoughts of His heart unto generation and generation.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He hath chosen for His inheritance.
The Lord looked down from heaven, He beheld all the sons of men.
From His habitation which He prepared, He looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth, He that alone fashioned the heart of them, Who understandeth all their works.
A king is not saved by great might, nor shall a giant be saved by the magnitude of his own strength.
Futile is the horse for salvation, nor by the magnitude of his might shall he be saved.
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy.
To deliver their souls from death, and to nourish them in famine.
Our soul shall wait for the Lord, for he is our helper and our defender.
For our heart shall be glad in Him, and in His holy name have we hoped.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have set our hope on Thee.

David's. When He Changed His Countenance before Abimelech, and Was Dismissed, and Went Away, 33.

^{(Psalm 34- Hebrew Numbering)}

I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
In the Lord shall my soul be praised; let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my tribulations.
Come unto Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his tribulations.
The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, and will deliver them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that hopeth in Him.
O fear the Lord, all ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.
Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing.
Come ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is there that desireth life, who loveth to see good days?
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are opened unto their supplication.
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, utterly to destroy the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their tribulations.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and He will save the humble of spirit.
Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord shall deliver them out of them all.
The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken.
The death of sinners is evil, and they that hate the righteous shall do wrong.
The Lord will redeem the souls of His servants, and none of them will do wrong that hope in Him.

David's, 34. 

^{(Psalm 35 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Judge them, O Lord, that do me injustice; war against them that war against me.
Take hold of weapon and shield, and arise unto my help.
Draw out a sword, and shut the way against them that persecute me; say to my soul: I am thy salvation.
Let them that seek my soul be shamed and confounded.
Let them be turned back, and be utterly put to shame, they that devise evils against me.
Let them become as dust before the face of the wind, an angel of the Lord also afflicting them.
Let their way become darkness and a sliding, an angel of the Lord also pursuing them.
For without cause have they secretly prepared for my destruction in their snare, without reason have they cast reproach on my soul.
Let a snare come upon him, which he knoweth not; and let the trap, which he hath hidden, catch him, and into that same snare let him fall.
But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, it shall delight in His salvation.
All my bones shall say: Lord, O Lord, who is like unto Thee?
Delivering the beggar from the hand of them that are stronger than he, yea, poor man and pauper from them that despoil him.
Unjust witnesses rose up against me; things I knew not they asked me.
They repaid me with evil things for good, and barrenness for my soul.
But as for me, when they troubled me, I put on sackcloth.
And I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my bosom.
As though it had been a neighbor, as though it had been our brother, so sought I to please; as one mourning and sad of countenance, so humbled I myself.
Yet against me they rejoiced and gathered together; scourges were gathered together upon me, and I knew it not.
They were rent asunder, yet not pricked at heart; they tempted me, they mocked me with mockery, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
O Lord, when wilt Thou look upon me?
Deliver my soul from their evil doing, even this only-begotten one of mine from the lions.
I will confess Thee in the great congregation; among a mighty people will I praise Thee.
Let not them rejoice against me that unjustly are mine enemies, they that hate me without a cause, and wink with their eyes.
For peaceably indeed they spake unto me, but in their wrath were they devising deceits.
And they opened wide their mouth against me; they said: Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it.
Thou hast seen it, O Lord; keep not silence. O Lord, depart not from me.
Arise, O Lord, and be attentive unto my judgement, my God, and my Lord, unto my cause. Judge me, O Lord, according to Thy righteousness; O Lord my God, let them not rejoice against me. Let them not say in their hearts: Well done, well done, our soul. Let them not say: We have swallowed him up.
Let them be shamed and confounded together who rejoice at my woes.
Let them be clothed with shame and confusion who speak boastful words against me.
Let them rejoice and be glad who desire the righteousness of my cause, and let them that desire the peace of Thy servant say continually: The Lord be magnified.
And my tongue shall treat of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day long.

For the End: Of David, the Child of the Lord, 35.

^{(Psalm 36 - Hebrew Numbering)}

The transgressor, that he may sin, saith to himself, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he hath wrought craftiness before Him, lest he should find his iniquity and hate it.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, he hath not willed to understand how to do good.
Iniquity hath he devised upon his bed, he hath set himself in every way that is not good, and evil hath he not abhorred.
O Lord, Thy mercy is in heaven, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
Thy righteousness is as the mountains of God, Thy judgements are a great abyss.
Men and beasts wilt thou save, O Lord.
How Thou hast multiplied Thy mercy, O God! Let the sons of men hope in the shelter of Thy wings.
They shall be drunken with the fatness of Thy house, and of the torrent of Thy delight shalt Thou make them to drink.
For in thee is the fountain of life, in Thy light shall we see light.
O continue Thy mercy unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness unto the upright of heart.
Let not the foot of pride come against me, nor let the hand of a sinner move me.
Yonder be fallen all they that work iniquity; they are cast out, and shall not be able to stand.

David's, 36.

^{(Psalm 37 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, nor envy them that work iniquity.
For like grass quickly shall they be withered, and like green herbs quickly shall they fall away.
Hope in the Lord, and do good, and dwell on the earth, and like a shepherd shalt thou be fed with its riches.
Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the askings of thy heart.
Disclose unto the Lord thy way, and trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noonday.
Submit thyself unto the Lord and supplicate Him; fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, nor because of a man that doeth iniquity.
Cease from wrath and forsake anger; fret not thyself so as to do evil.
For evil-doers shall utterly perish, but they that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
And yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be, and thou shalt seek for his place, and shalt not find it.
But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in an abundance of peace.
The sinner will diligently keep watch over the righteous man and will gnash with his teeth upon him.
But the Lord shall laugh at him, because He foreseeth that his day will come.
The sinners have drawn a sword; they have bent their bow, to cast down poor man and pauper, to slay the upright in heart.
Let their sword enter into their own hearts and let their bows be broken.
Better is the little which the just man hath than the great riches of sinners.
For the arms of the sinners shall be broken, but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
The Lord knoweth the ways of the blameless and their inheritance shall be for ever.
They shall not be put to shame in an evil time, and in days of famine they shall be filled.
But the sinners shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord, in the moment when they are glorified and exalted, vanish away, and like smoke have vanished away.
The sinner borroweth and will not repay, but the just man showeth mercy and giveth.
For they that bless him shall inherit the earth, but they that curse him shall utterly perish.
By the Lord are the steps of a man rightly directed, and His way shall he greatly desire.
When he falleth he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth his hand.
I have been young, and now indeed I am old, and I have not seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
All the day long the righteous showeth mercy, and lendeth, and his seed shall be unto blessing.
Decline from evil and do good, and dwell unto ages of ages.
For the Lord loveth judgement, and He will not forsake His holy ones; they shall be kept for ever.
But the wicked shall be banished, and the seed of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed.
The righteous shall inherit the earth and shall dwell therein unto ages of ages.
The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak of judgement.
The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be tripped.
The sinner watcheth the righteous one, and seeketh to slay him.
But the Lord will not abandon him to his hands, nor in any way condemn him when He judgeth him.
Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the earth; when sinners are utterly destroyed, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the ungodly man highly exalted and lifting himself up like the cedars of Lebanon.
But I passed by, and lo, he was not; and I sought him, and place was not to be found.
Keep innocence, and behold uprightness, for there is a remnant for the peaceable man.
But the transgressors shall be utterly destroyed together, and the remnants of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed.
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and He is their defender in a time of affliction.
And the Lord shall help them and shall deliver them, and He will rescue them from sinners and will save them because they hoped in Him.

Kathisma 8

Kathisma 8

Read on Tuesday (Monday and Thursday during Lent)

For the End: Concerning the People Distant from the Holies. By David, for a Pillar Inscription. When the Foreigners Took Him in Geth, 55.

^{(Psalm 56 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me down all the day long; making war, he hath afflicted me.
Mine enemies have trodden me down all the day long, for many are they that war against me from on high.
By day I shall not fear; but as for me, I will hope in Thee.
In God will I commend my words, in God I have set my hope; I will not fear what flesh shall do to me.
All the day long they detested my words, all their thoughts were against me for evil.
They will dwell near and will hide themselves; they will watch where I set my heel, even as they have waited for my soul.
On no account wilt Thou save them, in wrath wilt Thou bring down the peoples, O God.
My life have I declared unto Thee; Thou hast set my tears before Thee.
Even as in Thy promise, mine enemies shall be turned back.
In what day soever I shall call upon Thee, behold, I know that Thou art God.
In God will I praise His word, in the Lord will I praise His speech; in God have I put my hope, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
In me, O God, there be vows, which I will render in praise of Thee.
For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from sliding, that I may be well-pleasing before the Lord in the light of the living.

For the End: Destroy not. By David; for a Pillar Inscription. When He Fled from the Presence of Saul to the Cave, 56.

^{(Psalm 57 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for my soul trusted in Thee.
And in the shadow of Thy wings will I hope, until iniquity shall pass away.
I will cry unto God the Most High, unto God my benefactor.
He hath sent out of heaven and saved me, He hath given over to reproach them that were trampling me down.
God hath sent forth His mercy and His truth, and hath delivered my soul from the midst of lions' cubs; I lay me down to sleep as one troubled.
As for the sons of men, their teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all the earth.
They have prepared a snare for my feet, and bowed down my soul.
They have dug a pit before my face and have fallen into it themselves.
Ready is my heart, O God, ready is my heart; I will sing and chant in my glory. Awake, O my glory; awake, O psaltery and harp; I myself will awake at dawn.
I will confess Thee among the peoples, O Lord, I will chant unto Thee among the nations.
For magnified even unto the heavens is Thy mercy, and Thy truth even unto the clouds.
Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all the earth.

For the End: Destroy not. By David; For a Pillar Inscription, 57.

^{(Psalm 58 - Hebrew Numbering)}

If ye indeed speak of righteousness, judge rightly, ye sons of men.
For in your heart ye work iniquity in the earth; your hands weave unrighteousness.
Even from the womb, sinners are estranged; even from the belly, they are gone astray, they have spoken lies.
Their rage is like that of a serpent, like that of an asp that is deaf and stoppeth her ears, Which shall not hearken to the voice of the charmers, nor is spellbound by the spells of a wizard. God will shatter their teeth in their mouth, the great teeth of the lions the Lord hath broken.
They shall vanish like passing waters; He will bend His bow till they be weakened.
Like wax that is melted shall they be taken away; fire hath fallen upon them and they saw not the sun.
Before your thorns can know their brier, while they are yet alive, in His wrath shall He swallow them up.
The righteous man shall be glad, when he seeth the avengement, he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
And man shall say: If indeed there is fruit for the righteous man, there is indeed a God that judgeth them upon the earth.

For the End: Destroy not. By David; For a Pillar Inscription. When Saul Sent and Watched His House to Slay Him, 58.

^{(Psalm 59 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Rescue me from mine enemies, O God, and from them that rise up against me redeem me.
Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and from men of blood do Thou save me.
For lo, they have hunted after my soul, the mighty have set upon me.
Neither is it mine iniquity, O Lord, nor my sin; without iniquity I ran, and directed my steps; arise to meet me, and behold.
And Thou, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, be attentive to visit all the heathen; be not merciful to any that work iniquity.
They shall return at evening, and shall hunger like dogs, and shall go round about the city.
Behold, they shall utter sounds with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: For who, say they, hath heard?
And Thou, O Lord, shalt laugh them to scorn; Thou shalt bring to nought all the heathen.
O my Strength, I will keep watch for Thee, for Thou, O God, art my helper.
As for my God, His mercy shall go before me; my God shall make it manifest unto me among mine enemies.
Slay them not, lest at any time they forget Thy law; scatter them by Thy power, and bring them down, O Lord my defender.
The sin of their mouth is the speech of their lips; yea, let them be taken captive in their pride.
And from their curse and falsehood shall their final destruction be made known in the wrath of their utter destruction, and they shall be no more.
And they shall know that God is sovereign of Jacob and of the ends of the earth.
They shall return at evening, and shall hunger like dogs, and shall go round about the city.
They shall be scattered abroad that they may eat; if they be not satisfied, they shall murmur.
But as for me, I will sing of Thy power; and in the morning I will rejoice in Thy mercy.
For Thou art become my helper and my refuge in the day of my tribulation.
Thou art my helper, unto Thee will I chant; for Thou, O God, art my helper; O my God, Thou art my mercy.

For the End: Concerning Those Verses That Are to be Alternated; Furthermore, for the Pillar Inscription of David, for Instruction When He Had Burned Mesopotamia of Syria and Syrian Sobal, and Joab Had Returned and Had Smitten Edom. Even Twelve Thousand in the Valley of Salt, 59. 

^{(Psalm 60 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, Thou hast cast off and hast destroyed us; Thou hast been wroth and hast had pity upon us.
Thou madest the earth to quake and troubled it; heal the breaches thereof, for it hath been shaken.
Thou hast shown Thy people hard things, Thou hast made us to drink the wine of contrition.
Thou hast given a sign unto them that fear Thee, that they may flee from before the face of the bow.
That Thy beloved ones may be delivered, save Thou with Thy right hand and hearken unto me.
God hath spoken in His sanctuary: I will rejoice and I will divide Sikima, and the vale of tabernacles will I measure out.
Mine is Galaad, and Mine is Manasses, and Ephraim is the strength of My head.
Judah is My king, Moab is the cauldron of My hope. Upon Idumea will I stretch out My shoe; the foreign tribes have been subjected unto Me.
Who will bring me into a fortified city?
Or who will lead me into Idumea?
Wilt Thou not, O God, Who hast spurned us?
And wilt Thou not, O God, go forth with our forces?
Give us help from affliction, for vain is the salvation of man.
In God we shall work mighty deeds, and He will bring to nought them that afflict us.

For the End: Among the Hymns of David, 60.

^{(Psalm 61 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Hearken, O God, unto my supplication; attend unto my prayer.
From the ends of the earth unto Thee have I cried, when my heart was despondent; on a rock hast Thou lifted me on high.
Thou hast guided me, for Thou art become my hope, a tower of strength against the face of the enemy.
I will dwell in Thy tabernacle unto the ages, I shall be sheltered in the shelter of Thy wings.
For Thou, O God, hast heard my prayers; Thou hast given an inheritance to them that fear Thy name.
Days shalt Thou add to the days of the king, his years unto days for generation and generation.
He shall abide before the face of God in the age to come.
As for His mercy and truth, who shall seek them out?
So will I chant unto Thy name unto the ages, that I may pay my vows from day to day.

For the End: A Psalm of David Concerning Idithum, 61.

^{(Psalm 62 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Shall not my soul be subjected to God?
For from Him is my salvation.
For He is my God, my saviour and my helper, and I shall be shaken no more.
How long do ye assail a man?
Ye kill, all of you, as ye might assail a leaning wall and a tottering rampart.
But they made plans to cast aside mine honor, they ran in falsehood; with their mouth they bless, but with their heart they curse.
But be subject unto God, O my soul, for from Him is my patient endurance.
For He is my God, my saviour and my helper, and I shall not be moved from hence.
In God is my salvation and my glory; He is the God of my help, and my hope is in God.
Hope in Him, all ye congregation of the peoples; pour out your hearts before Him, for God is our helper.
For the sons of men are vain, the sons of men are a lie in the balance; out of vanity they gather themselves together that they might do injustice.
Set not your hopes on injustice, and lust not after plunder; if riches flow in, set not your hearts thereon.
Once hath God spoken; these two things have I heard, that dominion belongeth to God, and mercy is Thine, O Lord; for thou wilt render to every man according to his works.

A Psalm of David. When He Was in the Wilderness of Judea, 62.

^{(Psalm 63 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, my God, unto Thee I rise early at dawn.
My soul hath thirsted for Thee; how often hath my flesh longed after Thee in a land barren and untrodden and unwatered.
So in the sanctuary have I appeared before Thee to see Thy power and Thy glory, For Thy mercy is better than lives; my lips shall praise Thee.
So shall I bless Thee in my life, and in Thy name will I lift up my hands.
As with marrow and fatness let my soul be filled, and with lips rejoicing shall my mouth praise Thee.
If I remembered Thee on my bed, at the dawn I meditated on Thee.
For Thou art become my helper; in the shelter of Thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul hath cleaved after Thee, Thy right hand hath been quick to help me.
But as for these, in vain have they sought after my soul; they shall go into the nethermost parts of the earth, they shall be surrendered unto the edge of the sword; portions for foxes shall they be.
But the king shall be glad in God, everyone shall be praised that sweareth by Him; for the mouth of them is stopped that speak unjust things.

For the End: A Psalm of David, 63.

^{(Psalm 64 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Hearken, O God, unto my prayer, when I make supplication unto Thee; rescue my soul from fear of the enemy.
Shelter me from the concourse of them that do wickedness, from the multitude of them that work unrighteousness.
They have sharpened their tongues like a sword, they have bent their bow, a bitter thing, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless man.
Suddenly shall they shoot at him and shall not fear; they have strengthened themselves in a wicked word.
They have spoken of hiding snares; they said: Who shall see them?
They have searched after iniquity, in searching they are grown weary of searching. A man shall draw nigh, and the heart is deep; and God shall be exalted.
As an arrow of infants are their blows, and their tongues are made strengthless against them.
All that saw them were troubled, and every man was afraid. And they declared the works of God, and His deeds they understood.
The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him; and all the upright in heart shall be praised.

Kathisma 6

Kathisma 6

Read on Monday (Monday and Thursday during Lent)

A Psalm of David. In Remembrance. Concerning the Sabbath, 37.

^{(Psalm 38 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath.
For Thine arrows are fastened in me, and Thou hast laid Thy hand heavily upon me.
There is no healing in my flesh in the face of Thy wrath; and there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sins.
For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head; as a heavy burden have they pressed heavily upon me.
My bruises are become noisome and corrupt in the face of my folly.
I have been wretched and utterly bowed down until the end; all the day long I went with downcast face.
For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh.
I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I have roared from the groaning of my heart.
O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaning is not hid from Thee.
My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed me; and the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me.
My friends and my neighbors drew nigh over against me and stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar off.
And they that sought after my soul used violence; and they that sought evils for me spake vain things, and craftiness all the day long did they meditate.
But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not, and was as a speechless man that openeth not his mouth.
And I became as a man that heareth not, and that hath in his mouth no reproofs.
For in Thee have I hoped, O Lord; Thou wilt hearken unto me, O Lord my God.
For I said: Let never mine enemies rejoice over me; yea, when my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words against me.
For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is continually before me.
For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin.
But mine enemies live and are made stronger than I, and they that hated me unjustly are multiplied.
They that render me evil for good slandered me, because I pursued goodness.
Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me.
Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation.

For the End: An Ode of David for Idithum, 38.

^{(Psalm 39 - Hebrew Numbering)}

I said: I will take heed to my ways lest I sin with my tongue.
I set a guard for my mouth, when the sinner stood up against me.
I was dumb and was humbled, and held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred anew.
My heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire was kindled.
I spake with my tongue: O Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, what it is, that I may know what I lack.
Behold, Thou hast made my days as the spans of a hand, and my being is as nothing before Thee.
Nay, all things are vanity, every man living.
Surely man walketh about like a phantom, nay, in vain doth he disquiet himself.
He layeth up treasure, and knoweth not for whom he shall gather it.
And now, what is my patient endurance?
Is it not the Lord?
Yea, my hope is from Thee.
From all mine iniquities deliver me; Thou hast made me a reproach to the foolish.
I was dumb and opened not my mouth, for Thou hast made me.
Take away from me Thy scourges; for from the strength of Thy hand I have fainted.
With reprovings for iniquity hast Thou chastened man, and hast made his life to melt away like a spider's web; nay, in vain doth every man disquiet himself.
Hearken unto my prayer, O Lord, and unto my supplication; give ear unto my tears.
Be not silent, for I am a sojourner with Thee, and a stranger, as were all my fathers.
Spare me, that I may be refreshed before I go hence, and be no more.

For the End: A Psalm of David, 39.

^{(Psalm 40 - Hebrew Numbering)}

With patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me, and He hearkened unto my supplication.
And He brought me up out of the pit of misery, and from the mire of clay.
And He set my feet upon a rock, and He ordered my steps aright.
And He hath put into my mouth a new song, a hymn unto our God.
Many shall see, and shall fear, and shall hope in the Lord.
Blessed is the man, whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who hath not looked upon vanities and false frenzies.
Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonders which Thou hast wrought, and Thy thoughts there is none that shall be likened unto Thee.
I declared and spake: They are multiplied beyond number.
Sacrifice and offering hast Thou not desired, but a body hast Thou perfected for me.
Whole-burnt offerings and oblations for sin hast Thou not demanded.
Then I said: Behold, I am come (in the heading of the book it is written concerning me) to do Thy will, O my God, and Thy law is in the midst of my bowels.
I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great congregation; lo, my lips I shall not restrain; Lord, Thou knowest it.
Thy righteousness have I not hid in my heart; Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. I have not concealed Thy mercy, nor Thy truth, from the great assemblage.
But Thou, O Lord, remove not Thy compassions far from me; let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually help me.
For evils without number have encompassed me; mine iniquities took hold of me, and I became unable to see.
They are multiplied more than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, be attentive unto helping me.
Let them be shamed and confounded together which seek after my soul, to destroy it.
Let them be turned back and confounded that desire evils for me.
Let them quickly receive shame for their reward, who say to me: Well done, well done.
Let them rejoice and be glad in Thee all they that seek after Thee, O Lord; and let them that love Thy salvation continually say: The Lord be magnified. But as for me, a poor man am I and a pauper; the Lord will care for me.
My helper and my defender art Thou, O my God; make no tarrying.

For the End: A Psalm of David, 40.

^{(Psalm 41 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Blessed is the man that hath understanding for the poor man and the pauper; in an evil day the Lord will deliver him.
May the Lord keep him, and make him to live, and make him blessed upon the earth, and never surrender him into the hands of his enemies.
May the Lord help him on his bed of pain, the whole of his confinement in his sickness hast Thou turned to the better.
I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.
Mine enemies have spoken evil things against me: When shall he die, and when shall his name perish?
And though he came in to see me, his heart spake vanity; he gathered iniquity unto himself; he went forth, and spake in a like manner.
All mine enemies whispered against me, against me they devised evils for me.
An unjust word they set against me: Can it be that he that sleepeth shall rise up again?
Yea, even the man of my peace in whom I hoped, who ate of my bread, hath magnified the lifting of heels against me.
But Thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, and I will requite them.
By this I know that Thou hast delighted in me, because mine enemy shall not rejoice over me.
And because of mine innocence Thou hast helped me, and hast established me before Thee for ever.
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
So be it.
So be it.

For the End: For the Instruction to the Sons of Kore, a Psalm of David, Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 41.

^{(Psalm 42 - Hebrew Numbering)}

As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.
My soul thirsted for God, the mighty, the living; when shall I come, and appear before the face of God?
My tears have been my bread by day and by night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?
These things have I remembered, and I poured out my soul within me, for I shall go to the place of the wondrous tabernacle, even to the house of God, with a voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving, yea, of the sound of them that keep festival.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why dost thou disquiet me?
Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God.
Within me my soul hath been troubled; therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniem, from the little mountain.
Deep calleth unto deep, at the voice of Thy cataracts; all Thy billows and Thy waves have passed over me.
By day the Lord will command His mercy, and by night His ode shall be with me, my prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto God: Thou art my helper.
Why hast Thou forgotten me?
And wherefore go I with downcast face whilst mine enemy afflicteth me?
Whilst my bones were broken, mine enemies reproached me; whilst they said to me daily: Where is thy God?
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why dost thou disquiet me?
Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

For the End: A Psalm of David. Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 42.

^{(Psalm 43 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Judge me, O God, and give judgment in my cause, against a nation that is not holy; from a man unjust and crafty deliver me.
For Thou, O God, art my strength.
Wherefore hast Thou cast me off?
And wherefore go I with downcast face whilst mine enemy afflicteth me?
O send out Thy light and Thy truth; they have guided me along the way, and have brought me unto Thy holy mountain, and unto Thy tabernacles.
And I shall go in unto the altar of God, unto God Who giveth gladness to my youth; I will give praise unto Thee, O God, my God, with the harp.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why dost thou disquiet me?
Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

For the End: For Instruction to the Sons of Kore, 43.

^{(Psalm 44 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, with our ears have we heard, for our fathers have told us the work which Thou hadst wrought in their days, in the days of old.
Thy hand utterly destroyed the heathen, and in their stead Thou didst plant them; Thou didst bring evils upon those peoples, and didst cast them out.
For not by their own sword did they inherit the land, nor did their own arm save them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou wast well-pleased in them.
Thou Thyself art my King, and my God, Thou that commandest the salvation of Jacob.
Through Thee shall the horn of our strength push down our enemies, and through Thy name shall we bring to nought them that rise up against us.
For not in my bow will I hope, and my sword shall not save me.
For Thou hast saved us from them that afflict us, and them that hate us hast Thou put to shame.
In God we will boast all the day long, and in Thy name will we give praise in the age to come.
But now Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame, and wilt not go forth, O God, with our hosts.
Thou hast made us to turn back before our enemies, and they that hate us took spoils for themselves.
Thou hast given us up as sheep to be eaten, and among the nations hast Thou scattered us.
Thou hast sold Thy people without a price, and there was no gain in the selling of us.
Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
Thou hast made us a byword among the nations, a shaking of head among the peoples.
All the day long my disgrace is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and revileth, because of the face of the enemy and pursuer.
All this hath come upon us, and we have not forgotten Thee, nor have we dealt unrighteously in Thy covenant.
Though our heart hath not turned back, yet Thou hast turned aside our paths from Thy ways.
For Thou hast humbled us in a place of affliction, and the shadow of death hath covered us.
If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have stretched out our hands to a strange god, Shall not God search out these things?
For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.
For Thy sake we are slain all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rise up, why sleepest Thou, O Lord?
Arise, and cast us not off at the end.
Wherefore turnest Thou Thy face away?
Dost Thou forget our poverty and our affliction?
For our soul hath been humbled down to the dust, our belly hath cleaved to the earth.
Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for Thy name's sake.

For the End: Concerning Those Verses That Are to be Alternated, for Instruction to the Sons of Kore. An Ode Concerning the Beloved One, 44.

^{(Psalm 45 - Hebrew Numbering)}

My heart hath poured forth a good word; I speak of my works to the king; my tongue is the pen of a swiftly writing scribe.
Comely art Thou in beauty more than the sons of men; grace hath been poured forth on Thy lips, wherefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.
Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy comeliness and Thy beauty.
And bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be king, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall guide Thee wondrously.
Thine arrows are sharp, O Mighty One, (under Thee shall peoples fall) sharp in the heart of the enemies of the king.
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Wherefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows.
Myrrh and stacte and cassia exhale from Thy garments, from the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad, they the daughters of kings in Thine honour.
At Thy right hand stood the queen, arrayed in a vesture of inwoven gold, adorned in varied colors.
Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; and forget thine own people and thy father's house.
And the King shall greatly desire thy beauty, for He Himself is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him.
And Him shall the daughters of Tyre worship with gifts; the rich among the people shall entreat thy countenance.
All the glory of the daughter of the King is within, with gold-fringed garments is she arrayed, adorned in varied colors. The virgins that follow after her shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto Thee.
They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought into the temple of the King.
In the stead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee; thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.
I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.
Therefore shall peoples give praise unto thee for ever, and unto the ages of ages.

For the End: A Psalm of David. Concerning Hidden Things, for the Sons of Kore, 45.

^{(Psalm 46 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Our God is refuge and strength, a helper in afflictions which mightily befall us.
Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken, nor when the mountains be removed into the heart of the seas.
Their waters roared and were troubled, the mountains were troubled by His might.
The rushings of the river make glad the city of God; the Most High hath hallowed His tabernacle.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be shaken; God shall help her right early in the morning.
The nations were troubled, kingdoms tottered, the Most High gave forth His voice, the earth was shaken.
The Lord of hosts is with us, our helper is the God of Jacob.
Come and behold the works of God, what marvels He hath wrought on the earth, making wars to cease unto the ends of the earth.
He will crush the bow and will shatter the weapon, and shields will He utterly burn with fire.
Be still, 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, our helper is the God of Jacob.

Kathisma 9

Kathisma 9

Read on Tuesday (Monday and Thursday during Lent)

For the End: A Canticle Psalm of David, an Ode Sung by Jeremias and Ezekiel and the Captive People When They Were About to Depart, 64.

^{(Psalm 65 - Hebrew Numbering)}

To Thee is due praise, O God, in Sion; and unto Thee shall a vow be rendered in Jerusalem.
Hearken unto my prayer, for unto Thee shall all flesh come.
The words of lawless men have overpowered us, but to our ungodliness shalt Thou be merciful.
Blessed is he whom Thou hast chosen and hast taken to Thyself; he shall dwell in Thy courts.
We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house; holy is Thy temple, wonderful in righteousness.
Hearken unto us, O God our Saviour, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that be far off at sea, Who settest fast the mountains by Thy strength, Who art girded round about with power, Who troublest the hollow of the sea; as for the roar of its waves, who shall withstand them?
The heathen shall be troubled, and the dwellers of the farthest regions shall be afraid at Thy signs; Thou shalt make the outgoings of the morning and the evening to delight.
Thou hast visited the earth and abundantly watered her; Thou hast multiplied the means of enriching her.
The river of God is filled with waters; Thou hast prepared their food, for thus is the preparation thereof.
Do Thou make her furrows drunk with water, multiply her fruits; in her showers will she be glad when she sprouteth forth.
Thou shalt bless the crown of the year with Thy goodness, and Thy plains shall be filled with fatness.
Enriched shall be the mountains of the wilderness, and the hills shall be girded with rejoicing.
The rams of the flock have clothed themselves with fleece, and the valleys shall abound with wheat; they shall cry aloud, yea, they shall chant hymns unto Thee.

For the End: A Psalmic Ode of Resurrection, 65.

^{(Psalm 66 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Shout with jubilation unto the Lord all the earth; chant ye unto His name, give glory in praise of Him.
Say unto God: How awesome are Thy works!
In the multitude of Thy power shall Thine enemies be proved false unto Thee.
Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto Thee; let them chant unto Thy name, O Most High.
Come and see the works of the Lord, how awesome He is in His counsels, more than the sons of men.
He turneth the sea into dry land; in the river shall they pass through on foot.
There shall we rejoice in Him, in Him that is ruler in His sovereignty for ever.
His eyes look upon the nations; let not them that embitter Him be exalted in themselves.
O bless our God, ye nations, and make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who hath established my soul in life, and permitteth not my feet to be shaken.
For Thou hast proved us, O God, and by fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire.
Thou hast brought us into the snare, Thou hast laid afflictions upon our back, Thou madest men to mount upon our heads.
We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment.
I will go into Thy house with a whole-burnt offering; to Thee will I pay my vows which my lips pronounced and which my mouth had spoken in mine affliction.
Whole-burnt offerings full of marrow will I offer unto Thee, with incense and rams; oxen and goats will I offer unto Thee.
Come and hear, and I will declare unto you, all ye that fear God, what things He hath done for my soul.
Unto Him with my mouth have I cried, and I exalted Him with my tongue.
If in my heart I regarded unrighteousness, let the Lord not hear me.
Wherefore God hath hearkened unto me, He hath been attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Blessed is God Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy away from me.

For the End: Among the Hymns. A Canticle Psalm of David, 66.

^{(Psalm 67 - Hebrew Numbering)}

God be gracious unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us and have mercy on us, That we may know upon the earth Thy way, among all the nations Thy salvation.
Let the peoples give Thee praise, O God, let all the peoples praise Thee.
Let the nations be glad and rejoice, for Thou shalt judge peoples with uprightness; and nations shalt Thou guide upon the earth.
Let the peoples give Thee praise, O God, let all the peoples praise Thee; the earth hath yielded her fruit.
Let God, our God, bless us; let God bless us, and let all the ends of the earth fear Him.

For the End: A Canticle Psalm of David, 67.

^{(Psalm 68 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire, so let sinners perish at the presence of God.
And let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice in the presence of God, let them delight in gladness.
Sing unto God, chant unto His name; prepare ye the way for Him that rideth upon the setting of the sun.
Lord is His name; yea, rejoice before Him. Let them be troubled at His presence, Who is a father of orphans and a judge to the widows.
God is in His holy place, God settleth the solitary in a house, Mightily leading forth them that were shackled, and likewise them that embitter Him, them that dwell in tombs. O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst traverse the wilderness, The earth was shaken and the heavens dropped dew, at the presence of the God of Sinai, at the presence of the God of Israel.
A rain freely given shalt Thou ordain, O God, for Thine inheritance; yea, it became weak, but Thou shalt restore it.
Thy living creatures shall dwell therein; Thou hast prepared it in Thy goodness for the poor man, O God.
The Lord shall give speech with great power to them that bring good tidings.
He that is the King of the hosts of His beloved one shall divide the spoils for the beauty of the house.
Even if ye sleep among the lots, ye shall have the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions of sparkling gold.
When He that is in the heavens ordaineth kings over her, they shall be made snow-white in Selmon.
The mountain of God is a butter mountain, a curdled mountain, a butter mountain.
Why suppose ye that there be other curdled mountains?
This is the mountain wherein God is pleased to dwell, yea, for the Lord will dwell therein to the end.
The chariot host of God is ten thousandfold, yea, thousands of them that abound in number; the Lord is among them at Sinai, in His holy place.
Thou hast ascended on high, Thou leddest captivity captive, Thou didst receive gifts among men (yea, for they were disobedient) that Thou mightest dwell there. Blessed is the Lord God, blessed is the Lord day by day; the God of our salvation shall prosper us along the way.
Our God is the God of salvation, and the pathways leading forth from death are those of the Lord's Lord.
But God shall crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crown of them that continue in their trespasses.
The Lord said: I will return from Basan.
I will return in the deeps of the sea, That thy foot may be dipped in blood, yea, the tongue of thy dogs in that of thine enemies.
Thy processionals have been seen, O God, the processionals of my God, of my King Who is in His sanctuary.
Princes went before, and after them the chanters, in the midst of timbrel-playing maidens.
In congregations bless ye God, the Lord from the well-springs of Israel.
Yonder is Benjamin the younger in rapture, the princes of Judah their rulers, the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthalim.
Give Thou command, O God, unto Thy hosts; strengthen, O God, this which Thou hast wrought in us.
Because of Thy temple in Jerusalem, kings shall bring gifts unto Thee.
Rebuke the wild beasts of the reed, that congregation of bulls among the heifers of the peoples, lest they exclude them that have been proved like silver.
Scatter the nations that desire wars; ambassadors shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hand unto God.
Ye kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God; chant ye unto the Lord, unto Him that rideth the heaven of heaven towards the dayspring.
Lo, He will utter with His voice a voice of power.
Give ye glory unto God; His magnificence is over Israel and His power is in the clouds.
Wondrous is God in His saints; the God of Israel, He will give power and strength unto His people.
Blessed is God.

For the End: Concerning Those Verses That Are to be Alternated. A Psalm of David, 68.

^{(Psalm 69 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul.
I am stuck fast in the mire of the deep, and there is no sure standing.
I am come into the deeps of the sea, and a tempest hath overwhelmed me.
I am grown weary with crying, my throat is become hoarse; from my hoping in my God, mine eyes have failed me.
They that hate me without a cause are multiplied more than the hairs of my head.
Mine enemies are grown strong, they that persecute me unjustly; then did I restore that which I took not away.
O God, Thou knowest my foolishness, and my transgressions are not hid from Thee.
Let not them that wait on Thee be ashamed for my sake, O Lord, Thou Lord of hosts.
Nor let them that seek after Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for Thy sake I have borne reproach, shame hath covered my face.
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto the sons of my mother.
For the zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach Thee are fallen on me.
Yea, with fasting I covered my soul, and it was turned into a reproach for me.
And I made sackcloth my clothing, and I became a proverb to them.
And they prated against me, they that sit in the gates; and they made a song about me, they that drink wine.
But as for me, with my prayer I cry unto Thee, O Lord; it is time for Thy good pleasure.
O God, in the multitude of Thy mercy hearken unto me, in the truth of Thy salvation.
Save me from the mire, that I be not stuck therein; let me be delivered from them that hate me and from the deeps of the waters.
Let not the tempest of water overwhelm me, nor let the deep swallow me up, nor let the pit shut its mouth upon me.
Hearken unto me, O Lord, for Thy mercy is good; according to the multitude of Thy compassions, look upon me.
Turn not Thy countenance away from Thy servant, for I am afflicted; quickly hearken unto me.
Attend unto my soul and deliver it; because of mine enemies, rescue me.
For Thou knowest my reproach, my shame and my humiliation.
Before Thee are all that afflict me; my soul hath awaited reproach and misery.
And I waited for one that would grieve with me, but there was no one; and for them that would comfort me, but I found none.
And they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table before them be for a snare, for a recompense and for a stumbling-block.
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and their back do Thou continually bow down.
Pour out upon them Thy wrath, and let the fury of Thy wrath take hold upon them.
Let their habitation be made desolate, and in their tents let there be none to dwell.
For they persecuted him whom Thou hast smitten, and to the pain of my wounds have they added.
Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Thy righteousness.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and with the righteous let them not be written.
Poor and in sorrow am I; may Thy salvation, O God, be quick to help me.
I will praise the name of my God with an ode, I will magnify Him with praise.
And this shall please God more than a young calf that hath horns and hooves.
Let beggars behold it and be glad; seek after God, and your soul shall live.
For the Lord hath hearkened unto the poor and hath not despised them that are fettered for His sake.
Let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the sea and all the creeping things therein.
For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judea shall be builded; and they shall dwell therein and inherit it.
And the seed of Thy servants shall possess it, and they that love Thy name shall dwell therein.

For the End: David's. In Remembrance. That the Lord May Save Me, 69.

^{(Psalm 70 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, be attentive unto helping me; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be shamed and confounded that seek after my soul.
Let them be turned back and brought to shame that desire evils against me.
Let them be turned back straightway in shame that say unto me: Well done! Well done!
Let them be glad and rejoice in Thee all that seek after Thee, O God, and let them that love Thy salvation say continually: The Lord be magnified. But as for me, I am poor and needy; O God, come unto mine aid.
My helper and my deliverer art Thou, O Lord; make no long tarrying.

Kathisma 7

Kathisma 7

Read on Tuesday (Monday and Thursday during Lent)

For the End: A Psalm Concerning the Sons of Kore, 46.

^{(Psalm 47 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto God with a voice of rejoicing, For the Lord Most High is terrible, a great King over all the earth.
He hath subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He hath chosen us for His inheritance, the beauty of Jacob, which He loved.
God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord with the voice of the trumpet.
O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto our King, chant ye.
For God is king of all the earth, O chant ye with understanding.
God is king over the nations, God sitteth upon His holy throne.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together with the God of Abraham; for God's mighty ones of the earth are greatly exalted.

An Ode for the Sons of Kore, for the Second Day of the Week, 47.

^{(Psalm 48 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain, in the well-rooted joy of all the earth.
The mountains of Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
God is known in her towers, when He cometh to help her.
For lo, the kings of the earth were assembled; they came together.
When they saw her thus they marveled, they were troubled, they were shaken, trembling took hold of them; there were pangs as of a woman in travail.
With a vehement wind shalt Thou shatter the ships of Tharsis.
Even as we have heard, so too we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. God hath laid her foundations unto eternity.
We have thought, O God, of Thy mercy in the midst of Thy people.
According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise also unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion be glad, and let the daughters of Judea rejoice, because of Thy judgements, O Lord. Encircle Zion and encompass her; tell her story in her towers.
Set your hearts upon her strength, and consider her bulwarks, that ye may tell it to another generation.
For He is our God for ever, yea for ever and ever; He shall shepherd us unto the ages.

For the End: A Psalm for the Sons of Kore, 48.

^{(Psalm 49 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world, Both ye that are born of earth, and ye sons of men, rich and poor men together.
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
I will incline mine ear unto a parable, I will unfold my problem on the psaltery.
Wherefore should I fear in an evil day?
The iniquity at my heel shall compass me about.
There be some that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
A brother cannot redeem; shall a man redeem?
He shall not give to God a ransom for himself, nor the price of the redemption of his own soul, though he hath labored for ever, and shall live to the end.
For he shall not see corruption, when he shall see wise men dying.
The mindless man and the witless shall perish together, and they shall leave their riches to others.
And their graves shall be their houses unto eternity, their dwelling places unto generation and generation, though they have called their lands after their own names.
And man, being in honor, did not understand; he is compared to the mindless cattle, and is become like unto them.
This way of theirs is a stumbling-block for them, yet afterwards they will please with their mouth.
Like sheep they are laid in hades, death shall be their shepherd.
And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their help shall wax old in hades; they have been cast out from their glory.
Yet God shall redeem my soul out of the hand of hades, when he receiveth me.
Be not afraid when a man becometh rich, nor when the glory of his house is increased.
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away, nor shall his glory descend after him.
For his soul shall be blessed in his lifetime; he will acknowledge Thee while Thou doest good unto him.
He shall enter into the generation of his fathers; he shall not see light unto eternity.
And man, being in honor, did not understand; he is compared to the mindless cattle, and is become like unto them.

A Psalm of Asaph, 49.

^{(Psalm 50 - Hebrew Numbering)}

The God of gods, the Lord, hath spoken, and He hath called the earth from the rising of the sun and unto the setting thereof.
Out of Sion is the magnificence of His comeliness.
God shall come visibly, yea, our God, and shall not keep silence.
Fire shall blaze before Him, and round about Him shall there be a mighty tempest.
He shall summon heaven above and the earth that He may judge His people.
Gather together unto Him His holy ones who have established His covenant upon sacrifices.
And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God is judge. Hear, O my people, and I will speak unto thee, O Israel, and I will testify against thee; I am God, thy God.
Not for sacrifices will I reprove thee; nay, thy whole-burnt offerings are continually before Me.
I will not welcome bullocks out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy flocks.
For Mine are all the beasts of the field, cattle on the mountains, and oxen.
I know all the fowls of the air, and with Me is the beauty of the field.
If I hunger, not to thee will I tell it; for Mine is the world, and the fullness thereof.
Shall I eat of the flesh of bulls?
Or the blood of goats, shall I drink it?
Sacrifice unto God a sacrifice of praise, and pay unto the Most High thy vows.
And call upon Me in the day of thine affliction, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.
But unto the sinner God hath said: Why declarest thou My statutes and takest up My covenant in thy mouth?
Thou hast hated instruction, and hast cast out My words behind thee.
If thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him; and with the adulterer thou hast set thy portion.
Thy mouth hath abounded with evil, and thy tongue hath woven deceits.
Thou didst sit down and speak against thy brother, and against thine own mother's son didst thou lay a stumbling-block; these things thou didst, and I kept silence.
Thou didst think an iniquity, that I should be like unto thee; I will reprove thee, and bring thy sins before thy face.
Wherefore, understand these things, ye that forget God, lest He snatch you away and there be none to deliver you.
A sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me, and there is the way wherein I shall show unto him My salvation.

For the End: A Psalm of David. When Nathan the Prophet Came unto Him. When He Went in unto Bersabee, the Wife of Urias, 50.

^{(Psalm 51 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.
For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.
For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.
I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.
A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.
Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.
Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

For the End: Concerning the Instruction by David. When Doek the Idumean Came, and Declared to Saul, and Said unto Him: David is Come to the House of Abimelech, 51.

^{(Psalm 52 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Why dost thou boast in evil, O mighty man, and in iniquity all the day long?
Thy tongue hath devised unrighteousness, like a sharpened razor hast thou wrought deceit.
Thou hast loved evil more than goodness, unrighteousness more than to speak righteousness.
Thou hast loved all the words of engulfing ruin, and a deceitful tongue.
Wherefore, God will destroy thee at the end, He will pluck thee out and remove thee from thy dwelling place, and thy root out of the land of the living.
The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, and say: Lo, this is the man that made not God his helper, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his vanity.
But as for me, I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of the Lord; I have hoped in the mercy of God for ever, and unto the ages of ages.
I will give praise unto Thee for ever, for what Thou hast done, and I will wait on Thy name, for it is good before Thy saints.

For the End: Concerning Maeleth. Concerning Instruction by David, 52.

^{(Psalm 53 - Hebrew Numbering)}

The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God.
They are corrupt and are abominable in iniquities; there is none that doeth good.
God looked down from heaven upon the sons of man, to see if there be any that understand or seek after God.
They are all gone astray, they are altogether rendered useless; there is none that doeth good, no not one.
Shall not all they that work iniquity come to understanding, they that eat up my people as they eat bread?
They have not called upon the Lord.
There have they feared with fear where no fear is.
For God hath scattered the bones of man-pleasers; they have been put to shame, because God hath set them at nought.
Who shall give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?
When God hath turned back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

For the End: Among the Hymns of Instruction by David. When the Ziphites Came, and Said to Saul: Lo, is not David Hidden with Us? 53

^{(Psalm 54 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, in Thy name save me, and in Thy strength do Thou judge me.
O God, hearken unto my prayer, give ear unto the words of my mouth.
For strangers are risen up against me, and mighty men have sought after my soul and have not set God before themselves.
For behold, God helpeth me, and the Lord is the protector of my soul.
He will bring evils upon mine enemies.
Utterly destroy them by Thy truth.
Willingly shall I sacrifice unto Thee; I will confess Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.
For out of every affliction hast Thou delivered me, and mine eye hath looked down upon mine enemies.

For the End: Among the Hymns of Instruction by David, 54.

^{(Psalm 55 - Hebrew Numbering)}

Give ear, O God, unto my prayer, and disdain not my supplication; attend unto me, and hear me.
I was grieved in my meditation, and I was troubled at the voice of the enemy and at the oppression of the sinner; Because they have turned iniquity upon me, and with wrath were they angry against me.
My heart is troubled within me, and the terror of death is fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling are come upon me, and darkness hath covered me.
And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove?
And I will fly, and be at rest.
Lo, I have fled afar off and have dwelt in the wilderness.
I waited for God that saveth me from faintheartedness and from tempest.
Plunge them into the depths, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen iniquity and gainsaying in the city.
Day and night they go round about her upon her walls; iniquity and toil and unrighteousness are in the midst of her.
And usury and deceit have not departed from her streets.
For if mine enemy had reviled me, I might have endured it.
And if he that hateth me had spoken boastful words against me, I might have hid myself from him.
But thou it was, O man of like soul with me, my guide and my familiar friend, Thou who together with me didst sweeten my repasts; in the house of God I walked with thee in oneness of mind.
Let death come upon such ones, and let them go down alive into hades.
For wickedness is in their dwellings, and in the midst of them.
As for me, unto God have I cried, and the Lord hearkened unto me.
Evening, morning, and noonday will I tell of it and will declare it, and He will hear my voice.
He will redeem my soul in peace from them that draw nigh unto me, for they among many were with me.
God will hear, and He will humble them, He that is before the ages.
For to them there is no requital, because they have not feared God; He hath stretched forth His hand in retribution.
They have defiled His covenant; they were scattered by the wrath of His countenance, and their hearts have convened.
Their words were smoother than oil, and yet they are darts.
Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will nourish thee; He will never permit the righteous to be shaken.
But Thou, O God, shalt bring those men down into the pit of destruction.
Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but as for me, O Lord, I will hope in Thee.

Kathisma 10

Kathisma 10

Read on Wednesday (Tuesday and Thursday during Lent)

David's. A Psalm of the Sons of Jonadab and the First That Were Taken Away Captive. Without Superscription among the Hebrews, 70.

^{(Psalm 71 - Hebrew Numbering)}

In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me not be put to shame in the age to come; in Thy righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline Thine ear unto me and save me.
Be Thou unto me a God that is my defender and a place of strength that Thou mayest save me, for Thou art my foundation and refuge.
O my God, deliver me out of the hand of the sinner, out of the hand of the transgressor and the unrighteous man.
For Thou art my patience, O Lord; O Lord, Thou art my hope from my youth.
On Thee have I been made fast from the womb; from my mother?s womb Thou art my protector.
In Thee continually is my singing of praise; I am become as a wonder to many, and Thou art my strong helper.
Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may hymn Thy glory and Thy majesty all the day long.
Cast me not away in the time of mine old age; when my strength faileth, forsake me not.
For mine enemies have spoken against me, and they that watch my soul took counsel together, saying: God hath forsaken him; pursue him and take him for there is none to deliver him.
My God, be not far off from me; my God, be attentive unto helping me.
Let them be put to shame and brought to nought that falsely accuse my soul; let them be covered with shame and confusion, they that seek evils for me.
But as for me, I will ever hope in Thee, and I will add to all Thy praise.
My mouth shall declare Thy righteousness, all the day long Thy salvation; for I know not the reckoning thereof.
I will commence in the might of the Lord; O Lord, I will make mention of the righteousness which is Thine alone.
O my God, Thou hast taught me from my youth, and till now will I declare Thy wondrous works.
Yea, even unto old age and the dignity of years, my God, forsake me not, Until I declare Thy mighty arm to every generation that is to come, Yea, Thy sovereignty and Thy righteousness, O God, and declare even to the heights the great things which Thou hast done for me. O God, who is like unto Thee?
How great are the many and evil afflictions which Thou hast showed unto me; yet, having returned, Thou madest me to live, and out of the depths of the earth Thou broughtest me up.
Thou hast multiplied Thy magnificence over me; and having returned, Thou hast comforted me, and out of the depths of the earth Thou broughtest me up.
Thou hast multiplied Thy magnificence over me; and having returned, Thou hast comforted me, and out of the depths of the earth again Thou broughtest me up.
Therefore also will I confess Thee among the peoples, O Lord, with instruments of psalmody; with the harp I will chant of Thy truth unto Thee, O God, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips shall rejoice when I chant unto Thee, yea, even my soul which Thou hast redeemed.
Moreover my tongue will meditate on Thy righteousness all the day long, when they be put to shame and confounded which seek evils for me.

For the End: A Psalm of David, for Solomon, 71.

^{(Psalm 72 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, give Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king, That he may judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment.
Let the mountains receive peace for the people, and let the hills receive righteousness.
He shall judge the beggars among the people, and shall save the sons of the poor, and shall humble the false accuser.
And He shall continue as long as the sun, and before the moon from generation to generation.
He shall come down like rain upon a fleece, and like rain-drops that fall upon the earth.
In His days shall righteousness dawn forth an abundance of peace, until the moon be taken away.
And He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers even unto the ends of the inhabited earth.
Before Him shall the Ethiopians fall down, and His enemies shall lick the dust.
The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall bring gifts, kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring presents.
And all the kings of the earth shall worship Him, all the nations shall serve Him, For He hath delivered the beggar from the oppressor, and the poor man for whom there was no helper.
He shall spare the poor man and the pauper, and the souls of the poor shall He save.
From usury and from injustices shall He redeem their souls, and precious shall be His name before them.
And He shall live, and there shall be given unto Him of the gold of Arabia, and they shall make prayer concerning Him always; all the day long shall they bless Him.
He shall be a support in the earth on the summits of the mountains; exalted more than Lebanon shall be His fruit, and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.
His name shall be blessed unto the ages, before the sun doth His name continue.
And in Him shall be blessed all the tribes of the earth, all the nations shall call Him blessed.
Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who alone doeth wonders.
And blessed is the name of His glory for ever, and unto the ages of ages. And all the earth shall be filled with His glory.
So be it.
So be it.

A Psalm for Asaph; an Ode to the Assyrian, 72.

^{(Psalm 73 - Hebrew Numbering)}

How good is God to Israel, to them that are upright of heart!
But as for me, my feet were all but shaken; my steps well nigh had slipped.
For I was jealous of the transgressors, when I beheld the peace of sinners.
For they make no sign of refusal in the time of their death, and they have steadfastness in the time of their scourging.
They are not in such toils as other men, nor with other men shall they be scourged.
Wherefore, their pride hath utterly mastered them, they have wrapped themselves in their injustice and ungodliness.
Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness, they have passed through to their heart?s intent.
They have thought and spoken in wickedness, they have spoken unrighteousness in arrogance.
They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue roveth in the earth.
Therefore shall my people return hither, and full days shall be found in them.
And they said: How doth God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?
Behold, these are the sinners; they prosper in this age and have obtained riches.
And I said: Surely in vain have I kept justice in my heart and washed my hands among the innocent.
And I became a man scourged all the day long, and reproof was mine in every morning.
And I said: I shall speak thus: Lo, I should have broken covenant with the generation of Thy sons.
And I sought to understand, but this was toilsome in my sight, until I come into the sanctuary of God and understand their end.
Surely, for their crafty dealings Thou hast appointed evils for them; Thou hast cast them down in their exaltation.
How are they come unto desolation in a moment!
They have ceased to be; they have perished because of their iniquity.
As a dream of one who waketh, O Lord, in Thy city Thou shalt bring their image to nought.
For my heart was fired and my reins have been changed; and I was brought to nought and knew it not.
I became as a beast before Thee, and I am ever with Thee.
Thou hast held me by my right hand, and by Thy counsel Thou hast guided me, and with glory hast Thou taken me to Thyself.
For what have I in heaven?
And besides Thee, what have I desired upon earth?
My heart and my flesh have failed, O God of my heart; and God is my portion for ever.
For behold, they that remove themselves from Thee shall perish; Thou hast destroyed all that go a whoring from Thee.
But it is good for me to cleave unto God, to put my hope in the Lord, that I may declare all Thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion.

Asaph's. Concerning Instruction, 73.

^{(Psalm 74 - Hebrew Numbering)}

O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end?
Why hath Thine anger raged against the sheep of Thy pasture?
Remember Thy congregation which Thou hast purchased from the beginning.
Thou hast redeemed the rod of Thine inheritance, this Mount Zion wherein Thou hast dwelt.
Lift up Thy hands against their pride at the end, against the things which the enemy hath wickedly done in Thy holy place.
And they that hate Thee have boasted in the midst of Thy feast.
They set up their ensigns, yea, signs (though they knew it not) as it were for the departing on high.
As in a forest of trees, with axes they cut down the doors thereof together, with two-edged axe and mason?s hammer have they broken it down.
With fire have they burned down Thy sanctuary, they have profaned even unto the ground the habitation of Thy name.
They said in their heart, even the whole kindred of them together: Come, let us abolish all the feasts of God from the earth.
Our signs have we not seen; there is no more any prophet, and he will know us no more.
How long, O God, shall the enemy utter reproaches?
Shall the adversary provoke Thy name to the end?
Wherefore turnest away Thy hand, and Thy right hand out of the midst of Thy bosom for ever?
But God is our king before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
Thou didst establish the sea by Thy might, Thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the water.
Thou didst crush the head of the dragon, Thou gavest him as food to the Ethiopian peoples.
Thou hast cloven fountains and torrents, Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham.
Thine is the day and Thine is the night; Thou hast perfected the light and the sun.
Thou hast made all the borders of the earth; summer and spring hast Thou fashioned.
Be mindful of this Thy creation.
The enemy hath reproached the Lord, and a mindless people hath provoked Thy name.
O deliver not unto beasts the soul which doth confess Thee; of the souls of Thy paupers be not forgetful unto the end.
Look Thou upon Thy covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with the houses of iniquity.
Let not the humbled and shamed man be turned away; the beggar and the poor man shall praise Thy name.
Arise, O God, judge Thine own cause; remember the reproach made against Thee by the mindless man all the day long.
Forget not the voice of Thy suppliants; the pride of them that hate Thee ascendeth continually.

For the End: Destroy not. A Canticle Psalm for Asaph, 74.

^{(Psalm 75 - Hebrew Numbering)}

We will confess Thee, O God, we will confess Thee, and we will call upon Thy name.
I will tell of all Thy wonders.
When I am given the appointed time, I will judge uprightly.
The earth is melted and all that dwell therein; it is I that made steadfast the pillars thereof.
I said to the transgressors: Do not transgress; and to the sinners: Lift not up the horn. Lift not up your horn on high, and speak not unrighteousness against God.
For judgment cometh not from the byways, nor from the west, nor from the desert mountains; for God is judge.
This man He humbleth, and another He exalteth; for in the hand of the Lord there is a brimming cup of unmingled wine.
And He hath inclined it from side to side, but the dregs thereof were not fully emptied out; all the sinners of the earth shall drink of them.
But as for me, I will rejoice for ever; I will chant unto the God of Jacob.
And all the horns of the sinners will I break, but the horn of the righteous man shall be exalted.

For the End: Among the Hymns. A Psalm for Asaph, an Ode to the Assyrian, 75.

^{(Psalm 76- Hebrew Numbering)}

In Judea is God known, His name is great in Israel.
And His place hath been made in peace, and His dwelling in Sion.
There did He break the power of the bow, the weapon and the sword and the battle.
Thou shinest wondrously from the everlasting mountains; all the foolish of heart were troubled.
They have slept their sleep, and all the men of wealth have found nothing in their hands.
At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, they that had mounted upon horses fell aslumber.
Thou art to be feared, and who shall withstand Thee?
From thenceforth is Thy wrath; Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven.
The earth feared and was still, when God rose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth.
For the inward thought of man shall give praise unto Thee, and the remainder of his inward thought shall keep a feast to Thee.
Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God; all that are round about Him shall bring gifts, To Him that is to be feared and taketh away the spirits of princes, to Him that is to be feared among the kings of the earth.

For the End: A Psalm for Asaph Concerning Idithum, 76.

^{(Psalm 77 - Hebrew Numbering)}

With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto God, and He was attentive unto me.
In the day of mine affliction I sought out God, with my hands upraised by night before Him, and I was not deceived.
My soul refused to be comforted; I remembered God and I was gladdened; I spake in idleness and my spirit became faint-hearted.
Mine eyes were wakeful before the watches; I was troubled and spake not.
I thought upon the days of old, and the years of ages past I called to mind, and I meditated.
By night I pondered in my heart, and my spirit searched diligently.
Will the Lord then cast me off unto the ages, and will He be favourable no more?
Or will He cut off His mercy unto the end?
Hath He brought to an end His word from generation to generation?
Or will the Lord forget to be merciful? Or in His wrath will He shut up His compassions for ever?
And I said: Now have I made a beginning; this change hath been wrought by the right hand of the Most High.
I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember Thy wonders from the beginning.
And I will meditate on all Thy works, and I shall ponder upon Thy ways.
O God, in the sanctuary is Thy way.
What God is as great as our God?
Thou art God Who workest wonders.
Thou hast made Thy power among the peoples; with Thine arm hast Thou redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid; the abysses were troubled.
Great was the resounding sound of the waters, the clouds gave forth a voice.
Yea, for thine arrows passed abroad; the voice of Thy thunder is in their rolling.
And Thy lightnings have lightened the world; the earth was shaken and it trembled.
In the sea are Thy byways, and Thy paths in many waters; and Thy footsteps shall not be known.
Thou leddest Thy people as sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.