Spiritual Texts

Spiritual Texts

Athanasian Grail Psalter - Book V

Psalms 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, (151)

Psalm 107(106) Confitemini Domino

1 "O give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever."

2 Let them say this, the Lord's redeemed,
whom he redeemed from the hand of the foe
3 and gathered from far-off lands,
from east and west, north and south.

* * *

4 Some wandered in the desert, in the wilderness,
finding no way to a city they could dwell in.
5 Hungry they were and thirsty;
their soul was fainting within them.

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress
7 and he led them along the right way,
to reach a city they could dwell in.

8 Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men:
9 for he satisfies the thirsty soul;
he fills the hungry with good things.

* * *

10 Some lay in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and chains,
11 having defied the words of God
and spurned the counsels of the Most High.
12 He crushed their spirit with toil;
they stumbled; there was no one to help.

13 Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
14 He led them forth from darkness and gloom
and broke their chains to pieces.

15 Let them thank the Lord for his goodness,
for the wonders he does for men:
16 for he bursts the gates of bronze
and shatters the iron bars.

* * *

17 Some were sick on account of their sins
and afflicted on account of their guilt.
18 They had a loathing for every food;
they came close to the gates of death.

19 Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word to heal them
and saved their life from the grave.

21 Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men.
22 Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks
and tell of his deeds with rejoicing.

* * *

23 Some sailed to the sea in ships
to trade on the mighty waters.
24 These men have seen the Lord's deeds,
the wonders he does in the deep.

25 For he spoke; he summoned the gale,
tossing the waves of the sea
26 up to heaven and back into the deep;
their souls melted away in their distress.

27 They staggered, reeled like drunken men,
for all their skill was gone.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.

29 He stilled the storm to a whisper:
all the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They rejoiced because of the calm
and he led them to the haven they desired.

31 Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men.
32 Let them exalt him in the gathering of the people
and praise him in the meeting of the elders.

* * *

33 He changes streams into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 fruitful land into a salty waste,
for the wickedness of those who live there.

35 But he changes desert into streams,
thirsty ground into springs of water.
36 There he settles the hungry
and they build a city to dwell in.

37 They sow fields and plant their vines;
these yield crops for the harvest.
38 He blesses them; they grow in numbers.
He does not let their herds decrease.

* * *

40 He pours contempt upon princes,
makes them wander in trackless wastes.
39 They diminish, are reduced to nothing
by oppression, evil and sorrow.

41 But he raises the needy from distress;
makes families numerous as a flock.
42 The upright see it and rejoice
but all who do wrong are silenced.

43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things.
And consider the love of the Lord.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 108(107) Paratum cor meum

.2 My heart is ready, O God;
I will sing, sing your praise.
Awake, my soul;
.3 awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

.4 I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations I will praise you,
.5 for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.
.6 O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

.7 O come and deliver your friends;
help with your right hand and reply.
.8 From his holy place God has made this promise;
"I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem,
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

.9 Gilead is mine and Manasseh,
Ephraim I take for my helmet,
Judah for my commander's staff.
.10 Moab I will use for my washbowl,
on Edom I will plant my shoe.
Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph."

.11 But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?
Who will bring me face to face with Edom?
.12 Will you utterly reject us, O God,
and no longer march with our armies?

.13 Give us help against the foe,
for the help of man is vain.
.14 With God we shall do bravely
and he will trample down our foes.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 109(108) Deus, laudem

1 O God whom I praise, do not be silent,
2 for the mouths of deceit and wickedness
are opened against me.

3 They speak to me with lying tongues;
they beset me with words of hate
and attack me without cause.

4 In return for my love they accuse me
while I pray for them.
5 They repay me evil for good,
hatred for love.

* * *

6 Appoint a wicked man as his judge;
let an accuser stand at his right.
7 When he is judged let him come out condemned;
let his prayer be considered as sin.

8 Let the days of his life be few;
let another man take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless orphans
and his wife become a widow.

10 Let his children be wanderers and beggars
driven from the ruins of their home.
11 Let the creditor seize all his goods;
let strangers take the fruit of his work.

12 Let no one show him any mercy
nor pity his fatherless children.
13 Let all his sons be destroyed
and with them their names be blotted out.

14 Let his father's guilt be remembered,
his mother's be retained.
15 Let it always stand before the Lord,
that their memory be cut off from the earth.

16 For he did not think of showing mercy
but pursed the poor and the needy,
17 hounding the wretched to death.
He loved cursing; let curses fall upon him.
He scorned blessing; let blessing pass him by.

18 He put on cursing like his coat;
let it sink into his body like water;
let it sink like oil into his bones;
19 let it be like the clothes that cover him,
like a girdle he cannot take off!

* * *

20 Let the Lord thus repay my accusers,
all those who speak evil against me.
21 For your name's sake act in my defense;
in the goodness of your love be my rescuer.

22 For I am poor and needy
and my heart is pierced within me.
23 I fade like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I have become an object of scorn,
all who see me toss their heads.

26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me because of your love.
27 Let them know that is your work,
That this is your doing, O Lord.

28 They may curse but you will bless.
Let my attackers be put to shame,
but let your servant rejoice.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
covered with shame as with a cloak.

30 Loud thanks to the Lord are on my lips.
I will praise him in the midst of the throng,
31 for he stands at the poor man's side
to save him from those who condemn him.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 110(109) Dixit Dominus

1 The Lord's revelation to my Master:
"Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet."

2 The Lord will yield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.

3 A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.

4 The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
"You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old."

* * *

5 The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He, the judge of the nations
will heap high the bodies;
heads shall be scattered far and wide.

7 He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 111(110) Confitebor tibi

1 ALLELUIA!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.

3 Majestic and glorious his work,
his justice stands firm for ever.
4 He makes us remember his wonders.
The Lord is compassion and love.

5 He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
6 He has shown his might to his people
by giving them the lands of the nations.

7 His works are justice and truth,
his precepts are all of them sure,
8 standing firm for ever and ever;
they are made in uprightness and truth.

9 He has sent deliverance to his people
and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared.

10 To fear the Lord is the first stage of wisdom;
all who do so prove themselves wise.
His praise shall last for ever!

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 112(111) Beatus vir

1 ALLELUIA!

Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who take delight in all his commands.
2 His sons shall be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.

3 Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
4 He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.

5 The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honor.
6 The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.

7 He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
8 With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.

9 Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.

10 The wicked man sees and is angry,
grinds his teeth and fades away;
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 113(112) Laudate, pueri

1 ALLELUIA!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
2 May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!

4 High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
5 Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
6 yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?

7 From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
8 to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
9 To the childless wife he gives a home
and gladdens her heart with children.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 114(113.1) In exitu Israel

ALLELUIA!

1 When Israel came forth from Egypt,
Jacob's sons from an alien people
2 Judah became the Lord's temple,
Israel became his kingdom.

3 The sea fled at the sight:
the Jordan turned back on its course,
4 the mountains leapt like rams
and the hills like yearling sheep.

5 Why was it, sea, that you fled,
that you turned back, Jordan, on your course?
6 Mountains, that you leapt like rams;
hills, like yearling sheep?

7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,
in the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool
and flint into a spring of water.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 115(113.2) Non nobis, Domine

1 Not to us, Lord, not to us,
but to your name give the glory
for the sake of your love and your truth,
2 lest the heathen say: "Where is their God?"

3 But our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he wills.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see;
6 they have ears but they cannot hear;
they have nostrils but they cannot smell.

7 With their hands they cannot feel;
with their feet they cannot walk.
(No sound comes from their throats.)

8 Their makers will come to be like them
and so will all who trust in them.

9 Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
10 Sons of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.

11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
12 He remembers us, and he will bless us;
he will bless the sons of Israel.
(He will bless the sons of Aaron.)

13 The Lord will bless those who fear him,
the little no less than the great:
14 to you may the Lord grant increase,
to you and all your children.

15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heavens belong to the Lord
but the earth he has given to men.

17 The dead shall not praise the Lord,
nor those who go down into the silence.
18 But we who live bless the Lord
now and for ever. Amen.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 116.1(114) Dilexi, quoniam

ALLELUIA!

1 I love the Lord for he has heard
the cry of my appeal;
2 for he turned his ear to me
in the day when I called him.

3 They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
4 I called on the Lord's name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

5 How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
6 The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.

7 Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
8 he has kept my soul from death,
(my eyes from tears)
and my feet from stumbling.

9 I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 116.2(115) Credidi, propter

10 I trusted, even when I said:
"I am sorely afflicted,"
11 and when I said in my alarm:
"No man can be trusted."

12 How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
13 The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord's name.

14 My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people.
15 O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.

16 Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
17 A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the Lord's name.

18 My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 117(116) Laudate Dominum

ALLELUIA!

1 O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!

2 Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 118(117) Confitemini Domino

ALLELUIA!

1 Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.

* * *

2 Let the sons of Israel say:
"His love endures for ever."
3 Let the sons of Aaron say:
"His love endures for ever."
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
"His love endures for ever."

5 I called to the Lord in my distress;
he answered and freed me.
6 The Lord is at my side; I do not fear.
what can man do against me?
7 The Lord is at my side as my helper;
I shall look down on my foes.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
9 it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

10 The nations all encompassed me;
in the Lord's name I crushed them.
11 They compassed me, compassed me about;
in the Lord's name I crushed them.
12 They compassed me about like bees;
they blazed like a fire among thorns.
In the Lord's name I crushed them.

13 I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
but the Lord was my helper.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my savior.
15 There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

The Lord's right hand has triumphed;
16 his right hand raised me.
The Lord's right hand has triumphed;
17 I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
18 I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.

19 Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
20 This is the Lord's own gate
where the just may enter.
21 I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my savior.

22 The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
23 This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
24 This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

25 O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
26 Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
27 the Lord God is our light.

Go forward in procession with branches
even to the altar.
28 You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 119(118) Beati immaculati

*Aleph (A) I

1 They are happy whose life is blameless,
who follow God's law!
2 They are happy who do his will,
seeking him with all their hearts,

3 who never do anything evil
but walk in his ways.
4 You have laid down your precepts
to be obeyed with care.

5 May my footsteps be firm
to obey your statutes.
6 Then I shall not be put to shame
as I heed your commands.

7 I will thank you with an upright heart
as I learn your decrees.
8 I will obey your statutes;
do not forsake me.

*Beth (B) II

9 How shall the young remain sinless?
By obeying your word.
10 I have sought you with all my heart;
let me not stray from your commands.

11 I treasure your promise in my heart
lest I sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.

13 With my tongue I have recounted
the decrees of your lips.
14 I rejoiced to do your will
as they all riches were mine.

15 I will ponder all your precepts
and consider your paths.
16 I take delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

*Gimmel (G) III

17 Bless your servant and I shall live
and obey your word.
18 Open my eyes that I may see
the wonders of your law.

19 I am a pilgrim on the earth;
show me your commands.
20 My soul is ever consumed
as I long for your decrees.

21 You threaten the proud, the accursed,
who turn from your commands.
22 Relieve me from scorn and contempt
for I do your will.

23 Though the princes sit plotting against me
I ponder on your statutes.
24 Your will is my delight;
your statutes are my counselors.

*Daleth (D) IV

25 My soul lies in the dust;
by your will revive me.
26 I declared my ways and you answered;
teach me your statutes.

27 Make me grasp the way of your precepts
and I will muse on your wonders.
28 My soul pines away with grief;
by your word raise me up.

29 Keep me from the way of error
and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth
with your decrees before me.

31 I bind myself to do your will;
Lord, do not disappoint me.
32 I will run the way of your commands;
you give freedom to my heart.

*He (H) V

33 Teach me the demands of your statutes
and I will keep them to the end.
34 Train me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.

35 Guide me in the path of your commands;
for there is my delight.
36 Bend my heart to your will
and not to love of gain.

37 Keep my eyes from what is false;
by your word, give me life.
38 Keep the promise you have made
to the servant who fears you.

39 Keep me from the scorn I dread,
for your decrees are good.
40 See, I long for your precepts;
then in your justice, give me life.

*Vau (V) VI

41 Lord, let your love come upon me,
the saving help of your promise.
42 And I shall answer those who taunt me
for I trust in your word.

43 Do not take the word of truth from my mouth
for I trust in your decrees.
44 I shall always keep your law
for ever and ever.

45 I shall walk in the path of freedom
for I seek your precepts.
46 I will speak of your will before kings
and not be abashed.

47 Your commands have been my delight;
these I have loved.
48 I will worship your commands and love them
and ponder your statutes.

*Zayin (Z) VII

49 Remember your word to your servant
by which you gave me hope.
50 This is my comfort in sorrow:
that your promise gives me life.

51 Though the proud may utterly deride me
I keep to your law.
52 I remember your decrees of old
and these, Lord, console me.

53 I am seized with indignation at the wicked
who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have become my song
in the land of exile.

55 I think of your name in the nighttime
and I keep your law.
56 This has been my blessing,
the keeping of your precepts.

*Heth (CH) VIII

57 My part, I have resolved, O Lord,
is to obey your word.
58 With all my heart I implore your favor;
show the mercy of your promise.

59 I have pondered over many ways
and returned to your will.
60 I made haste and did not delay
to obey your commands.

61 Though the nets of the wicked ensnared me
I remembered your law.
62 At midnight I will rise and thank you
for your just decrees.

63 I am a friend of all who revere you,
who obey your precepts.
64 Lord, your love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes.

*Teth (T) IX

65 Lord, you have been good to your servant
according to your word.
66 Teach me discernment and knowledge
for I trust in your commands.

67 Before I was afflicted I strayed
but now I keep your word.
68 You are good and your deeds are good;
teach me your statutes.

69 Though proud men smear me with lies
yet I keep your precepts.
70 Their minds are closed to good
but your law is my delight.

71 It was good for me to be afflicted,
to learn your statutes.
72 The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.

*Yod (Y) X

73 It was your hands that made me and shaped me:
help me to learn your commands.
74 Your faithful will see me and rejoice
for I trust in your word.

75 Lord, I know that your decrees are right,
that you afflicted me justly.
76 Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.

77 Let your love come and I shall live
for your law is my delight.
78 Shame the proud who harm me with lies
while I ponder your precepts.

79 Let your faithful turn to me,
those who know your will.
80 Let my heart be blameless in your statutes
lest I be ashamed.

*Caph (K) XI

81 I yearn for your saving help;
I hope in your word.
82 My eyes yearn to see your promise.
When will you console me

83 Though parched and exhausted with waiting
I remember your statutes.
84 How long must your servant suffer?
When will you judge my foes?

85 For me the proud have dug pitfalls,
against your law.
86 Your commands are all true; then help me
when lies oppress me.

87 They almost made an end of me on earth,
but I kept your precepts.
88 Because of your love give me life
and I will do your will.

*Lamed (L) XII

89 Your word, O Lord, for ever
stands firm in the heavens:
90 your truth lasts from age to age,
like the earth you created.

91 By your decree it endures to this day;
for all things serve you.
92 Had your law not been my delight
I would have died in my affliction.

93 I will never forget your precepts
for with them you give me life.
94 Save me, for I am yours
since I seek your precepts.

95 Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me
yet I ponder your will.
96 I have seen that all perfection has an end
but your command is boundless.

*Mem (M) XIII

97 Lord, how I love your law!
It is ever in my mind.
98 Your command makes me wiser than my foes;
for it is mine for ever.

99 I have more insight than all who teach me
for I ponder your will.
100 I have more understanding than the old
for I keep your precepts.

101 I turn my feet from evil paths
to obey your word.
102 I have not turned from your decrees;
you yourself have taught me.

103 Your promise is sweeter to my taste
than honey in the mouth.
104 I gain understanding from your precepts
and so I hate false ways.

*Nun (N) XIV

105 Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path.
106 I have sworn and have made up my mind
to obey your decrees.

107 Lord, I am deeply afflicted;
by your word give me life.
108 Accept, Lord, the homage of my lips
and teach me your decrees.

109 Though I carry my life in my hands,
I remember your law.
110 Though the wicked try to ensnare me,
I do not stray from your precepts.

111 Your will is my heritage for ever,
the joy of my heart.
112 I set myself to carry out your statutes
in fullness, for ever.

*Samech (S) XV

113 I have no love for half-hearted men;
my love is for your law.
114 You are my shelter, my shield;
I hope in your word.

115 Leave me, you who do evil;
I will keep God's command.
116 If you uphold me by your promise I shall live;
let my hopes not be in vain.

117 Sustain me and I shall be saved
and ever observe your statutes.
118 You spurn all who swerve from your statutes;
their cunning is in vain.

119 You throw away the wicked like dross;
so I love your will.
120 I tremble before you in terror;
I fear your decrees.

*Ayin (O) XVI

121 I have done what is right and just:
let me not be oppressed.
122 Vouch for the welfare of your servant
lest the proud oppress me.

123 My eyes yearn for your saving help
and the promise of your justice.
124 Treat your servant with love
and teach me your statutes.

125 I am your servant, give me knowledge;
then I shall know your will.
126 It is time for the Lord to act
for your law has been broken.

127 That is why I love your commands
more than finest gold,
128 why I rule my life by your precepts,
and hate false ways.

*Pe (P) XVII

129 Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
130 The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.

131 I open my mouth and I sigh
as I yearn for your commands.
132 Turn and show me your mercy;
show justice to your friends.

133 Let my steps be guided by your promise;
let no evil rule me.
134 Redeem me from man's oppression
and I will keep your precepts.

135 Let your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
136 Tears stream from my eyes
because your law is disobeyed.

*Sade (TZ) XVIII

137 Lord, you are just indeed;
your decrees are right.
138 You have imposed your will with justice
and with absolute truth.

139 I am carried away by anger
for my foes forget your word.
140 Your promise is tried in the fire,
the delight of your servant.

141 Although I am weak and despised,
I remember your precepts.
142 Your justice is eternal justice
and your law is truth.

143 Though anguish and distress have seized me,
I delight in your commands.
144 The justice of your will is eternal:
if you teach me I shall live.

*Koph (Q) XIX

145 I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call upon you, save me
and I will do your will.

147 I rise before dawn and cry for help,
I hope in your word.
148 My eyes watch through the night
to ponder your promise.

149 In your love hear my voice, O Lord;
give me life by your decrees.
150 Those who harm me unjustly draw near;
they are far from your law.

151 But you, O Lord, are close,
your commands are truth.
152 Long have I known that your will
is established for ever.

*Resh (R) XX

153 See my affliction and save me
for I remember your law.
154 Uphold my cause and defend me;
by your promise, give me life.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked
who are heedless of your statutes.
156 Numberless, Lord, are your mercies;
with your decrees give me life.

157 Though my foes and oppressors are countless
I have not swerved from your will.
158 I look at the faithless with disgust;
they ignore your promise.

159 See how I love your precepts;
in your mercy give me life.
160 Your word is founded on truth,
your decrees are eternal.

*Shin (SH) XXI

161 Though princes oppress me without cause
I stand in awe of your word.
162 I take delight in your promise
like one who finds a treasure.

163 Lies I hate and detest
but your law is my love.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your just decrees.

165 The lovers of your law have great peace;
they never stumble.
166 I await your saving help,
O Lord, I fulfill your commands.

167 My soul obeys your will
and loves it dearly.
168 I obey your precepts and your will;
all that I do is before you.

*Tau (TH) XXII

169 Lord, let my cry come before you:
teach me by your word.
170 Let my pleading come before you:
save me by your promise.

171 Let my lips proclaim your praise
because you teach me your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing your promise
for your commands are just.

173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
since I have chosen your precepts.
174 Lord, I long for your saving help
and your law is my delight.

175 Give life to my soul that I may praise you.
Let your decrees give me help.
176 I am lost like a sheep; seek your servant
for I remember your commands.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 120(119) Ad Dominum

1 To the Lord in the hour of my distress
I call and he answers me.
2 "O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,
from the tongue of the deceitful."

3 What shall he repay you in return,
O treacherous tongue?
4 The warriors arrows sharpened
and coals, red-hot, blazing.

5 (Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,
dwell among the tents of Kedar!)

6 Long enough have I been dwelling
with those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace, but when I speak,
they are for fighting.

Psalm 121(120) Levai oculos

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
2 My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

3 May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
4 No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard.

5 The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
6 By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

7 The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard you soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever.

Psalm 122(121) Laetatus sum

1 I rejoiced when I heard them say:
"Let us go to God's house."
2 And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
4 It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel's law it is,
there to praise the Lord's name.
5 There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.

6 For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
"Peace be to your homes!
7 May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!"

8 For love of my brethren and friends
I say: "Peace upon you."
9 For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.

Return to Athanasius' Letter
Psalm 123(122) Ad te levavi oculos meos

1 To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens;
2 my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.

Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
3 so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.

4 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
5 Indeed all too full is our soul
with the scorn of the rich,
(with the proud man's disdain).

Psalm 124(123) Nisi qua Dominus

1 "If the Lord had not been on our side,"
this is Israel's song.
2 "If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us,
3 then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.

4 Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
5 over our head would have swept
the raging waters."

6 Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
a prey to their teeth!
7 Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.

Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125(124) Qui confidunt

1 Those who put their trust in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken,
that stands for ever.

2 Jerusalem! The mountains surround her,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and for ever.

3 For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just
should turn to evil.

4 Do good, Lord, to those who are good,
to the upright of heart;
5 but the crooked and those who do evil,
drive them away!

On Israel, peace!

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 126(125) In convertendo

1 When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.

The heathens themselves said: "What marvels
the Lord worked for them!"
3 What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad.

4 Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
5 Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.

6 They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves.

Return to Athanasius' Letter
Psalm 127(126) Nisi Dominus

1 If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

2 In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat,
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

3 Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
4 Indeed the sons of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

5 O the happiness of the man
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 128(127) Beati omnes

1 O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!

2 By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper;
3 the wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive,
around the your table.

4 Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion
5c all the days of your life!
6 May you see your children's children
5b in a happy Jerusalem!

On Israel, peace!

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 129(128) Saepe expugnaverunt

1 "They have pressed me hard from my youth,"
this is Israel's song.
2 "They have pressed me hard from my youth
but could never destroy me.

3 They plowed my back like plowmen,
drawing long furrows.
4 But the Lord who is just, has destroyed
the yoke of the wicked."

5 Let them be shamed and routed,
those who hate Zion!
6 Let them be like grass on the roof
that withers before it flowers.

7 With that no reaper fill his arms,
no binder makes his sheaves
8 and those passing by will not say:
"On you the Lord's blessing!"

"We bless you in the name of the Lord."

Psalm 130(129) De profundis

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
2 Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.

3 If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
4 But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.

5 My soul is waiting for the Lord.
I count on his word.
6 My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
(Let the watchman count on daybreak
7 and Israel on the Lord.)

Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
8 Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.

Psalm 131(130) Domine, non est

1 O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.

2 Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother's breast,
even so is my soul.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.

Psalm 132(131) Memento, Domine

1 O Lord, remember David
and all the many hardships he endured,
2 the oath he swore to the Lord,
his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.

3 "I will not enter the house where I live
nor go the bed where I rest.
4 I will give no sleep to my eyes,
to my eyelids I will give no slumber
5 till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob."

6 At Ephrata we heard of the ark;
we found it in the plains of Yearim.
7 "Let us go to the place of his dwelling;
let us go to kneel at his footstool."

8 Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest,
you and the ark of your strength.
9 Your priests shall be clothed with holiness;
your faithful shall ring out their joy.
10 For the sake of David your servant
do not reject your anointed.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
"A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.

12 If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons too shall rule
on your throne from age to age."

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
14 "This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live.

15 I will greatly bless her produce,
I will fill her poor with bread.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation
and her faithful shall ring out their joy.

17 There David's stock will flower;
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
18 I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine."

Psalm 133(132) Eccem qyan bonum!

1 How good and how pleasant it is,
when brothers live in unity!

2 It is like precious oil upon the head
running down upon the beard,
running down upon Aaron's beard,
upon the collar of his robes.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon which falls
on the heights of Zion.
For there the Lord gives his blessing,
life for ever.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 134(133) Ecce nunc

1 O come, bless the Lord,
all you who serve the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.

2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord through the night.

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made both heaven and earth.

Psalm 135(134) Laudate nomen

1 ALLELUIA!

Praise the name of the Lord,
praise him, servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord
in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good.
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself
and Israel for his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is high above all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever he wills,
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.

7 He summons clouds from the ends of the earth;
makes lightning produce the rain;
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.

8 The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
of man and beast alike.
9 Signs and wonders he worked
in the midst of your land, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 Nations in their greatness he struck
and kings in their splendor he slew.
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, the king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 He let Israel inherit their land;
on his people their land he bestowed.

13 Lord, your name stands for ever,
unforgotten from age to age,
14 for the Lord does justice for his people;
the Lord takes pity on his servants.

15 Pagan idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see.

17 They have ears but they cannot hear;
there is never a breath on their lips.
18 Their makers will come to be like them
and so will all who trust in them!

19 Sons of Israel, bless the Lord!
Sons of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 Sons of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear him, bless the Lord!

21 From Zion may the Lord be blessed,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 136(135) Confitemini

ALLELUIA!

1 O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods
for his love endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love endures for ever;

4 who alone has wrought marvelous works,
for his love endures for ever;
5 whose wisdom it was made the skies,
for his love endures for ever;
6 who fixed the earth firmly on the seas,
for his love endures for ever.

7 It was he who made the great lights,
for his love endures for ever;
8 the sun to rule in the day,
for his love endures for ever;
9 the moon and the stars in the night,
for his love endures for ever.

10 The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
for his love endures for ever.
11 He brought Israel out from the midst,
for his love endures for ever;
12 arm outstretched, with power in his hand,
for his love endures for ever.

13 He divided the Red Sea in two,
for his love endures for ever;
14 he made Israel pass through the midst,
for his love endures for ever;
15 he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea,
for his love endures for ever.

16 Through the desert his people he led,
for his love endures for ever.
17 Nations in their greatness he struck,
for his love endures for ever.
18 Kings in their splendor he slew,
for his love endures for ever.

19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his love endures for ever;
20 and Og, the king of Bashan,
for his love endures for ever.

21 He let Israel inherit their land,
for his love endures for ever.
22 On his servant their land he bestowed,
for his love endures for ever.
23 He remembered us in our distress,
for his love endures for ever.

24 And he snatched us away from our foes,
for his love endures for ever.
25 He gives food to all living things,
for his love endures for ever.
26 To the God of heaven give thanks,
for his love endures for ever.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 137(136) Super flumina

1 By the rivers of Babylon
there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
2 on the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps.

3 For it was there that they asked us,
our captors, for songs,
our oppressors, for joy.
"Sing to us," they said,
"one of Zion's songs."

4 O how could we sing
the song of the Lord
on alien soil?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!

6 O let my tongue
cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem
above all my joys!

7 Remember, O Lord,
against the sons of Edom
the day of Jerusalem;
when they said: "Tear it down!
Tear it down to its foundations!"

8 O Babylon, destroyer,
he is happy who repays you
the ills you brought on us.
9 He shall seize and shall dash
your children on the rock!

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 138(137) Confitebor tibi

1 I thank you, Lord, with all my heart,
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
2 I will adore before your holy temple.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love
which excel all we ever knew of you.
3 On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.

4 All earth's kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the Lord's ways:
"How great is the glory of the Lord!"

6 The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
and the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of affliction
you give me life and frustrate my foes.

You stretch out your hand and save me,
/8 your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 139(138) Domine, probasti

1 O Lord, you search me and you know me,
2 you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
3 You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.

4 Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
5 Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me.
6 Too wonderful for me this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach.

7 O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
8 If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea's furthest end,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.

11 If I say: "Let the darkness hide me
and the light around me be night,"
12 even darkness is not dark for you
and the night is as clear as the day.

13 For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.

Already you knew my soul
15 my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and molded in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw all my actions,
they were all of them written in your book;
every one of my days was decreed
before one of them came into being.

17 To me, how mysterious your thoughts,
the sum of them not to be numbered!
18 If I count them, they are more than the sand;
to finish, I must be eternal, like you.

19 O God, that you would slay the wicked!
Men of blood, keep far away from me!
20 With deceit they rebel against you
and set your designs at naught.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you,
abhor those who rise against you?
22 I hate them with a perfect hate
and they are foes to me.

23 O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.
24 See that I follow not the wrong path
and lead me in the path of life eternal.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 140(139) Exripe me, Domine

.2 Rescue me, Lord, from evil men;
from the violent keep me safe,
.3 from those who plan evil in their hearts
and stir up strife every day;
.4 who sharpen their tongue like an adder's,
with the poison of viper on their lips.

.5 Lord, guard me from the hands of the wicked;
from the violent keep me safe;
they plan to make me stumble.
.6 The proud have hidden a trap,
have spread out lines in a net,
set snares across my path.

.7 I have said to the Lord: "You are my God."
Lord, hear the cry of my appeal!
.8 Lord my God, my mighty help,
you shield my head in the battle.
.9 Do not grant the wicked their desire
nor let their plots succeed.

.10 Those surrounding me lift up their heads.
Let the malice of their speech overwhelm them.
.11 Let coals of fire rain upon them.
Let them be flung in the abyss, no more to rise.
.12 Let the slanderer not endure upon the earth.
Let evil hunt the violent man to death!

.13 I know that the Lord will avenge the poor,
That he will do justice for the needy.
Truly the just will praise your name
the upright shall live in your presence.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 141(140) Domine, clamavi

1 I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
2 Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.

3 Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth;
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
4 Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with men who are sinners.

Never allow me to share in their feasting.
5 If a just man strikes or reproves me it is kindness
but let the oil of the wicked not anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.

6 Their princes were thrown down by the side of the rock;
then they understood that my words were kind.
7 As a millstone is shattered to pieces on the ground,
so their bones were strewn at the mouth of the grave.

8 To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
9 From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe:
keep me from the snares of those who do evil.

10 Let the wicked fall into the traps they have set
while I pursue my way unharmed.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 142(141) Voce mea ad Dominum

.2 With all my voice I cry to the Lord,
with all my voice I entreat the Lord.
.3 I pour out my trouble before him;
I tell him all my distress
.4 while my spirit faints within me.
But you, O Lord, know my path.

On the way where I shall walk
they have hidden a snare to entrap me.
.5 Look on my right and see:
there is no one who takes my part.
I have no means of escape,
not one who cares for my soul.

.6 I cry to you, O Lord.
I have said: "You are my refuge
all I have in the land of the living."
.7 Listen, then, to my cry
for I am in the depths of distress.

Rescue me from those who pursue me
for they are stronger than I.
.8 Bring my soul out of this prison
and then I shall praise your name.
Around me the just will assemble
because of your goodness to me.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 143(142) Domine, exaudi

1 Lord, listen to my prayer:
turn your ear to my appeal.
You are faithful, you are just; give answer.
2 Do not call your servant to judgment
for no one is just in your sight.

3 The enemy pursues my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dead, long forgotten.
4 Therefore my spirit fails;
my heart is numb within me.

5 I remember the days that are past:
I ponder all your works.
I muse on what your hand has wrought
6 and to you I stretch out my hands.
Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.

7 Lord, make haste and answer;
for my spirit fails within me.
Do not hide your face
lest I become like those in the grave.

8 In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Make me know the way I should walk:
to you I lift up my soul.

9 Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will
for you, O Lord, are my God.
Let your good spirit guide me
in ways that are level and smooth.

11 For your name's sake, Lord, save my life;
in your justice save my soul from distress.
12 In your love make an end of my foes;
destroy all those who oppress me
for I am your servant, O Lord.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 144(143) Benedictus Dominus

1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.

2 He is my love, my fortress;
he is my stronghold, my savior
my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings peoples under my rule.

3 Lord, what is man that you care for him,
mortal man, that your keep him in mind;
4 man, who is merely a breath
whose life fades like a passing shadow?

5 Lower your heavens and come down;
touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.
6 Flash your lightnings; rout the foe,
shoot your arrows and put them to flight.

7 Reach down from heaven and save me;
draw me out from the mighty waters,
from the hands of alien foes
8 whose mouths are filled with lies,
whose hands are raised in perjury.

9 To you, O God, will I sing a new song;
I will play on the ten-stringed Harp
10 to you who give kings their victory,
who set David your servant free.

11 You set him free from the evil sword;
you rescued him from alien foes
whose mouths were filled with lies,
whose hands were raised in perjury.

* * *

12 Let our sons then flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth,
our daughters graceful as columns,
adorned as though for a palace.

13 Let our barns be filled to overflowing
with crops of every kind;
our sheep increasing by thousands,
myriads of sheep in our fields,
14 our cattle heavy with young,

no ruined wall, no exile,
no sound of weeping in our streets.
15 Happy the people with such blessings;
happy the people whose God is the Lord.

Return to Athanasius' Letter

Psalm 145(144) Exaltabo te, Deus

1 I will give you glory, O God my king,
I will bless your name for ever.

2 I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
3 The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.

4 Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall declare your mighty deeds,
5 shall speak of your splendor and glory,
tell the tale of your wonderful works.
6 They will speak of your terrible deeds,
recount your greatness and might.
7 They will recall your abundant goodness;
age to age shall ring out your justice.

8 The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.

10 All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,

12 to make known to all your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendor of your reign.
13 Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.

The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
14 The Lord supports all who fall
and raise up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food in due time.
16 You open wide your hand,
grant the desires of all who live.

17 The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
18 He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.

19 He grants the desires of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and he saves them.
20 The Lord protects all who love him ;
the wicked he will utterly destroy.

21 Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all peoples bless his holy name
for ever, for ages unending.

Psalm 146(145) Lauda, anima mea

1 ALLELUIA!

My soul, give praise to the Lord;
2 I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.

3 Put no trust in princes,
In mortal men in whom there is no help.
4 Take their breath, they return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.

5 He is happy who is helped by Jacob's God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
7 who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free,

8 the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
9 the Lord, who protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan.

8c It is the Lord who loves the just
9c but thwarts the path of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion's God, from age to age.

ALLELUIA!

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Psalm 147.1(146) Laudate Dominum

ALLELUIA!

1 Praise the Lord for he is good;
sing to our God for he is loving:
to him our praise is due.

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel's exiles,
3 he heals the broken-hearted,
he binds up all their wounds.
4 He fixes the number of the stars;
he calls each one by its name.

5 Our Lord is great and almighty;
his wisdom can never be measured.
6 The Lord raises the lowly;
he humbles the wicked to the dust.
7 O sing to the Lord giving thanks;
sing psalms to our God with the harp.

8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares the rain for the earth,
making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve man's needs.
9 He provides the beasts with their food
and young ravens that call upon him.

10 His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors' strength.
11 The Lord delights in those who revere him,
in those who wait for his love.

Psalm 147.2(147)
Lauda, Jerusalem

12 O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion praise your God!

13 He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
14 He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.

15 He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
16 He showers down snow white as wool,
he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

17 He hurls down hailstones like crumbs.
The waters are frozen at his touch;
18 he sends forth his word and it melts them:
at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.

19 He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
20 He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.

ALLELUIA!

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Psalm 148(148) Laudate Dominum

1 ALLELUIA!

Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his host.

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens
and the waters above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord.
He commanded: they were made.
6 He fixed them for ever,
gave a law which shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea creatures and all oceans,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his word;

9 all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars,
10 beasts, wild and tame,
reptiles and birds on the wing;

11 all earth's kings and peoples,
earth's princes and rulers,
12 young men and maidens,
the old men together with children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord
for he alone is exalted.
The splendor of his name
reaches beyond heaven and earth.

14 He exalts the strength of his people.
He is the praise of all his saints,
of the sons of Israel,
of the people to whom he comes close.

ALLELUIA!

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Psalm 149(149) Cantate Domino

1 ALLELUIA!

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion's sons exult in their king.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
6 Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

7 to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
8 to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
9 to carry out the sentence pre-ordained:
this honor is for all his faithful.

ALLELUIA!

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Psalm 150(150) Laudate Dominum

1 ALLELUIA!

Praise God in his holy place,
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his powerful deeds,
praise his surpassing greatness.

3 O praise him with sound of trumpet,
praise him with lute and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.

5 O praise him with resounding cymbals,
praise him with clashing of cymbals.
6 Let everything that lives and that breathes
give praise to the Lord.

ALLELUIA!

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Psalm (151)
This Psalm is ascribed to David and is outside the number. When he slew Goliath in single combat.
(This Title given in the Septuagint)

1 Little was I among my brethren:
A younger brother in my father's house.
2 My hands, they made an instrument of music:
My fingers, they prepared a psaltery.
3 And who shall bring back tidings to my master?
The Lord Himself, Himself gives ear.
4 Himself sent forth His messenger:
And took me from among my father's sheep;
And with the oil of His annointing He annointed me.
5 Comely my brethren were and tall:
And yet they found not favour with the Lord.
6 But I, I sallied forth to meet the alien:
And he reviled me by all his idols.
7 But I drew forth the sword that was beside him:
I cut his head off with it,
And from the sons of Israel removed reproach.

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More Psalms

Book I = Psalms 1-41
Book II = Psalms 42-72
Book III = Psalms 73-89
Book IV = Psalms 90-106
Book V = Psalms 107-(151) Top of This Page