Refrain: The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit.
1Have mercy on me, O God,
in your great goodness; •
according to the abundance of your compassion
blot out my offences.
2Wash me thoroughly from
my wickedness •
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my
faults •
and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you only have
I sinned •
and done what is evil in your sight,
5So that you are justified
in your sentence •
and righteous in your judgement. R
6I have been wicked even
from my birth, •
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
7Behold, you desire truth
deep within me •
and shall make me understand wisdom
in the depths of my heart.
8Purge me with hyssop
and I shall be clean; •
wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
9Make me hear of joy and
gladness, •
that the bones you have broken may rejoice. R
10Turn your face from
my sins •
and blot out all my misdeeds.
11Make me a clean heart,
O God, •
and renew a right spirit within me.
12Cast me not away from
your presence •
and take not your holy spirit from me.
13Give me again the joy
of your salvation •
and sustain me with your gracious spirit;
14Then shall I teach your
ways to the wicked •
and sinners shall return to you. R
15Deliver me from my guilt,
O God,
the God of my salvation, •
and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness.
16O Lord, open my lips
•
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
17For you desire no sacrifice,
else I would give it; •
you take no delight in burnt offerings.
18The sacrifice of God
is a broken spirit; •
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. R
19O be favourable and
gracious to Zion; •
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
20Then you will accept
sacrifices offered in righteousness,
the burnt offerings and oblations; •
then shall they offer up bulls on your altar.
Refrain: The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit.
Take away, good Lord, the sin that corrupts us;
give us the sorrow that heals
and the joy that praises
and restore by grace your own image within us,
that we may take our place among your people;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: I trust in the goodness of God for ever and ever.
1Why do you glory in evil,
you tyrant, •
while the goodness of God endures continually?
2You plot destruction,
you deceiver; •
your tongue is like a sharpened razor.
3You love evil rather
than good, •
falsehood rather than the word of truth.
4You love all words that
hurt, •
O you deceitful tongue.
5Therefore God shall utterly
bring you down; •
he shall take you and pluck you out of your tent
and root you out of the land of the living.
6The righteous shall see
this and tremble, •
they shall laugh you to scorn, and say:
7‘This is the one who
did not take God for a refuge, •
but trusted in great riches and relied upon wickedness.’
8But I am like a spreading
olive tree in the house of God; •
I trust in the goodness of God for ever and ever.
9I will always give thanks
to you for what you have done; •
I will hope in your name,
for your faithful ones delight in it.
Refrain: I trust in the goodness of God for ever and ever.
Faithful and steadfast God,
nourish your people in this wicked world,
and, through prayer and the Scriptures,
give us our daily bread;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
1The fool has said in
his heart, ‘There is no God.’ •
Corrupt are they, and abominable in their wickedness;
there is no one that does good.
2God has looked down from
heaven upon the children of earth, •
to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks after God.
3They are all gone out
of the way;
all alike have become corrupt; •
there is no one that does good, no not one. R
4Have they no knowledge,
those evildoers, •
who eat up my people as if they ate bread,
and do not call upon God?
5There shall they be in
great fear,
such fear as never was; •
for God will scatter the bones of the ungodly.
6They will be put to shame,
•
because God has rejected them.
7O that Israel’s salvation
would come out of Zion! •
When God restores the fortunes of his people
then will Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Refrain: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Without you, O God, nothing is real,
all things are open to corruption
and we are deadened by deceit;
do not abandon us to our folly,
but give us hearts that seek you
and, at the last, joy in your heavenly city;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Behold, God is my helper.
1Save me, O God, by your
name •
and vindicate me by your power.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
•
give heed to the words of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen
up against me,
and the ruthless seek after my life; •
they have not set God before them.
4Behold, God is my helper;
•
it is the Lord who upholds my life. R
5May evil rebound on those
who lie in wait for me; •
destroy them in your faithfulness.
6An offering of a free
heart will I give you •
and praise your name, O Lord, for it is gracious.
7For he has delivered
me out of all my trouble, •
and my eye has seen the downfall of my enemies.
Refrain: Behold, God is my helper.
O living God,
reach through the violence of the proud
and the despair of the weak
to create in Jesus Christ
a people free to praise your holy name,
now and for ever.
Refrain: Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you.
1Hear my prayer, O God;
•
hide not yourself from my petition.
2Give heed to me and answer
me; •
I am restless in my complaining.
3I am alarmed at the voice
of the enemy •
and at the clamour of the wicked;
4For they would bring
down evil upon me •
and are set against me in fury.
5My heart is disquieted
within me, •
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
6Fearfulness and trembling
are come upon me, •
and a horrible dread has overwhelmed me. R
7And I said: ‘O that I
had wings like a dove, •
for then would I fly away and be at rest.
8‘Then would I flee far
away •
and make my lodging in the wilderness.
9‘I would make haste to
escape •
from the stormy wind and tempest.’
10Confuse their tongues,
O Lord, and divide them, •
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
11Day and night they go
about on her walls; •
mischief and trouble are in her midst.
12Wickedness walks in
her streets; •
oppression and guile never leave her squares. R
13For it was not an open
enemy that reviled me, •
for then I could have borne it;
14Nor was it my adversary
that puffed himself up against me, •
for then I would have hid myself from him.
15But it was even you,
one like myself, •
my companion and my own familiar friend.
16We took sweet counsel
together •
and walked with the multitude in the house of God.
17Let death come suddenly
upon them;
let them go down alive to the Pit; •
for wickedness inhabits their dwellings, their very hearts. R
18As for me, I will call
upon God •
and the Lord will deliver me.
19In the evening and morning
and at noonday,
I will pray and make my supplication, •
and he shall hear my voice.
20He shall redeem my soul
in peace
from the battle waged against me, •
for many have come upon me.
21God, who is enthroned
of old,
will hear and bring them down; •
they will not repent, for they have no fear of God. R
22My companion stretched
out his hands against his friend •
and has broken his covenant;
23His speech was softer
than butter, though war was in his heart; •
his words were smoother than oil, yet are they naked swords.
24Cast your burden upon
the Lord and he will sustain you, •
and will not let the righteous fall for ever.
25But those that are bloodthirsty
and deceitful, O God, •
you will bring down to the pit of destruction.
26They shall not live
out half their days, •
but my trust shall be in you, O Lord.
Refrain: Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you.
Lord, in all times of fear and dread,
grant that we may so cast our burdens upon you,
that you may bear us on the holy wings of the Spirit
to the stronghold of your peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: In God I trust, and will not fear.
1Have mercy on me, O God,
for they trample over me; •
all day long they assault and oppress me.
2My adversaries trample
over me all the day long; •
many are they that make proud war against me.
3In the day of my fear
I put my trust in you, •
in God whose word I praise.
4In God I trust, and will
not fear, •
for what can flesh do to me? R
5All day long they wound
me with words; •
their every thought is to do me evil.
6They stir up trouble;
they lie in wait; •
marking my steps, they seek my life.
7Shall they escape for
all their wickedness? •
In anger, O God, cast the peoples down.
8You have counted up my
groaning;
put my tears into your bottle; •
are they not written in your book? R
9Then shall my enemies
turn back
on the day when I call upon you; •
this I know, for God is on my side.
10In God whose word I
praise,
in the Lord whose word I praise, •
in God I trust and will not fear,
what can flesh do to me?
11To you, O God, will
I fulfil my vows; •
to you will I present my offerings of thanks,
12For you will deliver
my soul from death
and my feet from falling, •
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Refrain: In God I trust, and will not fear.
Faithful God,
your deliverance is nearer than we know;
free us from fear
and help us to find courage in your Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Be merciful to me, O
God, be merciful to me, •
for my soul takes refuge in you;
2In the shadow of your
wings will I take refuge •
until the storm of destruction has passed by.
3I will call upon the
Most High God, •
the God who fulfils his purpose for me.
4He will send from heaven
and save me
and rebuke those that would trample upon me; •
God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
5I lie in the midst of
lions, •
people whose teeth are spears and arrows,
and their tongue a sharp sword.
6 Be
exalted, O God, above the heavens, •
and your glory over all the earth.
7They have laid a net
for my feet;
my soul is pressed down; •
they have dug a pit before me
and will fall into it themselves.
8My heart is ready, O
God, my heart is ready; •
I will sing and give you praise.
9Awake, my soul; awake,
harp and lyre, •
that I may awaken the dawn.
10I will give you thanks,
O Lord, among the peoples; •
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
11For your loving-kindness
is as high as the heavens, •
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
12 Be
exalted, O God, above the heavens, •
and your glory over all the earth.
Tender God,
gentle protector in time of trouble,
pierce the gloom of despair
and give us, with all your people,
the song of freedom and the shout of praise;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: The Lord makes himself known by his acts of justice.
1Do you indeed speak justly,
you mighty? •
Do you rule the peoples with equity?
2With unjust heart you
act throughout the land; •
your hands mete out violence.
3The wicked are estranged,
even from the womb; •
those who speak falsehood go astray from their birth.
4They are as venomous
as a serpent; •
they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,
5Which does not heed the
voice of the charmers, •
and is deaf to the skilful weaver of spells. R
6Break, O God, their teeth
in their mouths; •
smash the fangs of these lions, O Lord.
7Let them vanish like
water that runs away; •
let them wither like trodden grass.
8Let them be as the slimy
track of the snail, •
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9Before ever their pots
feel the heat of the thorns, •
green or blazing, let them be swept away.
10The righteous will be
glad when they see God’s vengeance; •
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11So that people will
say,
‘Truly, there is a harvest for the righteous; •
truly, there is a God who judges in the earth.’
Refrain: The Lord makes himself known by his acts of justice.
Living God,
deliver us from a world without justice
and a future without mercy;
in your mercy, establish justice,
and in your justice, remember the mercy
revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: You, O God, are my strong tower.
1Rescue me from my enemies,
O my God; •
set me high above those that rise up against me.
2Save me from the evildoers
•
and from murderous foes deliver me.
3For see how they lie
in wait for my soul •
and the mighty stir up trouble against me.
4Not for any fault or
sin of mine, O Lord; •
for no offence, they run and prepare themselves for war.
5Rouse yourself, come
to my aid and see; •
for you are the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.
6Awake, and judge all
the nations; •
show no mercy to the evil traitors. R
7They return at nightfall
and snarl like dogs •
and prowl about the city.
8They pour out evil words
with their mouths;
swords are on their lips; •
‘For who’, they say, ‘can hear us?’
9But you laugh at them,
O Lord; •
you hold all the nations in derision.
10For you, O my strength,
will I watch; •
you, O God, are my strong tower.
11My God in his steadfast
love will come to me; •
he will let me behold the downfall of my enemies. R
12Slay them not, lest
my people forget; •
send them reeling by your might
and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
13For the sins of their
mouth, for the words of their lips, •
let them be taken in their pride.
14For the cursing and
falsehood they have uttered, •
consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more.
15And they shall know
that God rules in Jacob, •
and to the ends of the earth. R
16And still they return
at nightfall and snarl like dogs •
and prowl about the city.
17Though they forage for
something to devour, •
and howl if they are not filled,
18Yet will I sing of your
strength •
and every morning praise your steadfast love;
19For you have been my
stronghold, •
my refuge in the day of my trouble.
20To you, O my strength,
will I sing; •
for you, O God, are my refuge,
my God of steadfast love.
Refrain: You, O God, are my strong tower.
Strong and merciful God,
stand with the oppressed
against the triumph of evil
and the complacency of your people,
and establish in Jesus Christ
your new order of generosity and joy,
for he is alive and reigns now and for ever.
Refrain: Restore us again, O God our Saviour.
1O God, you have cast
us off and broken us; •
you have been angry; restore us to yourself again.
2You have shaken the earth
and torn it apart; •
heal its wounds, for it trembles.
3You have made your people
drink bitter things; •
we reel from the deadly wine you have given us.
4You have made those who
fear you to flee, •
to escape from the range of the bow.
5That your beloved may
be delivered, •
save us by your right hand and answer us. R
6God has spoken in his
holiness: •
‘I will triumph and divide Shechem,
and share out the valley of Succoth.
7‘Gilead is mine and Manasseh
is mine; •
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my sceptre.
8‘Moab shall be my washpot;
over Edom will I cast my sandal; •
across Philistia will I shout in triumph.’ R
9Who will lead me into
the strong city? •
Who will bring me into Edom?
10Have you not cast us
off, O God? •
Will you no longer go forth with our troops?
11Grant us your help against
the enemy, •
for earthly help is in vain.
12Through God will we
do great acts, •
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
Refrain: Restore us again, O God our Saviour.
Risen Christ,
you claim your own among the nations;
mend what is broken in us, loving Saviour;
do not forsake us when we fail,
but in your service grant us daring and love;
for your name’s sake.
Refrain: You are
my refuge, O God,
a strong tower against the enemy.
1Hear my crying, O God,
•
and listen to my prayer.
2From the end of the earth
I call to you with fainting heart; •
O set me on the rock that is higher than I.
3For you are my refuge,
•
a strong tower against the enemy.
4Let me dwell in your
tent for ever •
and take refuge under the cover of your wings. R
5For you, O God, will
hear my vows; •
you will grant the request of those who fear your name.
6You will add length of
days to the life of the king, •
that his years may endure throughout all generations.
7May he sit enthroned
before God for ever; •
may steadfast love and truth watch over him.
8So will I always sing
praise to your name, •
and day by day fulfil my vows.
Refrain: You are
my refuge, O God,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Risen Christ,
as you knew the discipline of suffering
and the victory that brings us salvation,
so grant us your presence in our weakness
and a place in your unending kingdom
now and for evermore.
Refrain: Wait on God alone in stillness, O my soul.
1On God alone my soul
in stillness waits; •
from him comes my salvation.
2He alone is my rock and
my salvation, •
my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken.
3How long will all of
you assail me to destroy me, •
as you would a tottering wall or a leaning fence?
4They plot only to thrust
me down from my place of honour;
lies are their chief delight; •
they bless with their mouth, but in their heart they curse.
5Wait on God alone in
stillness, O my soul; •
for in him is my hope.
6He alone is my rock and
my salvation, •
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken. R
7In God is my strength
and my glory; •
God is my strong rock; in him is my refuge.
8Put your trust in him
always, my people; •
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
9The peoples are but a
breath,
the whole human race a deceit; •
on the scales they are altogether lighter than air.
10Put no trust in oppression;
in robbery take no empty pride; •
though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
11God spoke once, and
twice have I heard the same, •
that power belongs to God.
12Steadfast love belongs
to you, O Lord, •
for you repay everyone according to their deeds.
Refrain: Wait on God alone in stillness, O my soul.
O God, teach us to seek security,
not in money or theft,
not in human ambition or malice,
not in our own ability or power,
but in you, the only God,
our rock and our salvation.
Refrain: My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God.
1O God, you are my God;
eagerly I seek you; •
my soul is athirst for you.
2My flesh also faints
for you, •
as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
3So would I gaze upon
you in your holy place, •
that I might behold your power and your glory.
4Your loving-kindness
is better than life itself •
and so my lips shall praise you.
5I will bless you as long
as I live •
and lift up my hands in your name. R
6My soul shall be satisfied,
as with marrow and fatness, •
and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
7When I remember you upon
my bed •
and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
8For you have been my
helper •
and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.
9My soul clings to you;
•
your right hand shall hold me fast. R
10But those who seek my
soul to destroy it •
shall go down to the depths of the earth;
11Let them fall by the
edge of the sword •
and become a portion for jackals.
12But the king shall rejoice
in God;
all those who swear by him shall be glad, •
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Refrain: My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God.
To you we come, radiant Lord,
the goal of all our desiring,
beyond all earthly beauty;
gentle protector, strong deliverer,
in the night you are our confidence;
from first light be our joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord.
1Hear my voice, O God,
in my complaint; •
preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the conspiracy
of the wicked, •
from the gathering of evildoers.
3They sharpen their tongue
like a sword •
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
4That they may shoot at
the blameless from hiding places; •
suddenly they shoot, and are not seen.
5They hold fast to their
evil course; •
they talk of laying snares, saying ‘Who will see us?’
6They search out wickedness
and lay a cunning trap, •
for deep are the inward thoughts of the heart. R
7But God will shoot at
them with his swift arrow, •
and suddenly they shall be wounded.
8Their own tongues shall
make them fall, •
and all who see them shall wag their heads in scorn.
9All peoples shall fear
and tell what God has done, •
and they will ponder all his works.
10The righteous shall
rejoice in the Lord
and put their trust in him, •
and all that are true of heart shall exult.
Refrain: The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord.
Cut through the malice of our hearts, redeeming God,
with the Spirit’s sword,
wound the pride of our rebellion
with the grace that makes righteous
and bring near the day of Christ,
when love shall reign in joy;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Refrain: Be joyful in God, all the earth.
1Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion; •
to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.
2To you shall all flesh
come to confess their sins; •
when our misdeeds prevail against us,
you will purge them away.
3Happy are they whom you
choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there. •
We shall be satisfied with the blessings of your house,
even of your holy temple. R
4With wonders you will
answer us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation, •
O hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
5In your strength you
set fast the mountains •
and are girded about with might.
6You still the raging
of the seas, •
the roaring of their waves
and the clamour of the peoples.
7Those who dwell at the
ends of the earth
tremble at your marvels; •
the gates of the morning and evening sing your praise. R
8You visit the earth and
water it; •
you make it very plenteous.
9The river of God is full
of water; •
you prepare grain for your people,
for so you provide for the earth.
10You drench the furrows
and smooth out the ridges; •
you soften the ground with showers and bless its increase.
11You crown the year with
your goodness, •
and your paths overflow with plenty.
12May the pastures of
the wilderness flow with goodness •
and the hills be girded with joy.
13May the meadows be clothed
with flocks of sheep •
and the valleys stand so thick with corn
that they shall laugh and sing.
Refrain: Be joyful in God, all the earth.
May the richness of your creation, Lord,
and the mystery of your providence
lead us to that heavenly city
where all peoples will bring their wealth,
forsake their sins and find their true joy,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: All the earth shall worship you, O Lord.
1Be joyful in God, all
the earth; •
sing the glory of his name;
sing the glory of his praise.
2Say to God, ‘How awesome
are your deeds! •
Because of your great strength
your enemies shall bow before you.
3‘All the earth shall
worship you, •
sing to you, sing praise to your name.’ R
4Come now and behold the
works of God, •
how wonderful he is in his dealings with humankind.
5He turned the sea into
dry land;
the river they passed through on foot; •
there we rejoiced in him.
6In his might he rules
for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations; •
let no rebel rise up against him. R
7Bless our God, O you
peoples; •
make the voice of his praise to be heard,
8Who holds our souls in
life •
and suffers not our feet to slip.
9For you, O God, have
proved us; •
you have tried us as silver is tried.
10You brought us into
the snare; •
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
11You let enemies ride
over our heads;
we went through fire and water; •
but you brought us out into a place of liberty. R
12I will come into your
house with burnt offerings
and will pay you my vows, •
which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
13I will offer you fat
burnt sacrifices
with the smoke of rams; •
I will sacrifice oxen and goats. R
14Come and listen, all
you who fear God, •
and I will tell you what he has done for my soul.
15I called out to him
with my mouth •
and his praise was on my tongue.
16If I had nursed evil
in my heart, •
the Lord would not have heard me,
17But in truth God has
heard me; •
he has heeded the voice of my prayer.
18Blessed be God, who
has not rejected my prayer, •
nor withheld his loving mercy from me.
Refrain: All the earth shall worship you, O Lord.
How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation,
how faithful is your love;
help us to trust you in trial
and praise you in deliverance;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1God be gracious to us
and bless us •
and make his face to shine upon us,
2That your way may be
known upon earth, •
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let
the peoples praise you, O God; •
let all the peoples praise you.
4O let the nations rejoice
and be glad, •
for you will judge the peoples righteously
and govern the nations upon earth.
5 Let
the peoples praise you, O God; •
let all the peoples praise you.
6Then shall the earth
bring forth her increase, •
and God, our own God, will bless us.
7God will bless us, •
and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
In the face of Jesus Christ
your light and glory have blazed forth,
O God of all the nations;
with all your people,
may we make known your grace
and walk in the ways of peace;
for your name’s sake.
Refrain: Sing to God, sing praises to his name.
1Let God arise and let
his enemies be scattered; •
let those that hate him flee before him.
2As the smoke vanishes,
so may they vanish away; •
as wax melts at the fire,
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3But let the righteous
be glad and rejoice before God; •
let them make merry with gladness.
4Sing to God, sing praises
to his name;
exalt him who rides on the clouds. •
The Lord is his name; rejoice before him.
5Father of the fatherless,
defender of widows, •
God in his holy habitation!
6God gives the solitary
a home
and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, •
but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert. R
7O God, when you went
forth before your people, •
when you marched through the wilderness,
8The earth shook and the
heavens dropped down rain,
at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, •
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9You sent down a gracious
rain, O God; •
you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary.
10Your people came to
dwell there; •
in your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor. R
11The Lord gave the word;
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
•
‘Kings and their armies they flee, they flee!’
and women at home are dividing the spoil.
12Though you stayed
among the sheepfolds, •
see now a dove’s wings covered with silver
and its feathers with green gold.
13When the Almighty scattered
the kings, •
it was like snowflakes falling on Zalmon. R
14You mighty mountain,
great mountain of Bashan! •
You towering mountain, great mountain of Bashan!
15Why look with envy,
you towering mountains,
at the mount which God has desired for his dwelling,
•
the place where the Lord will dwell for ever?
16The chariots of God
are twice ten thousand,
even thousands upon thousands; •
the Lord is among them, the Lord of Sinai in holy power.
17You have gone up on
high and led captivity captive; •
you have received tribute,
even from those who rebelled,
that you may reign as Lord and God. R
18Blessed be the Lord
who bears our burdens day by day, •
for God is our salvation.
19God is for us the God
of our salvation; •
God is the Lord who can deliver from death.
20God will smite the head
of his enemies, •
the hairy scalp of those who walk in wickedness.
21The Lord has said, ‘From
the heights of Bashan, •
from the depths of the sea will I bring them back,
22‘Till you dip your foot
in blood •
and the tongue of your dogs has a taste of your enemies.’ R
23We see your solemn processions,
O God, •
your processions into the sanctuary, my God and my King.
24The singers go before,
the musicians follow after, •
in the midst of maidens playing on timbrels.
25In your companies, bless
your God; •
bless the Lord, you that are of the fount of Israel.
26At the head there
is Benjamin, least of the tribes,
the princes of Judah in joyful company, •
the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali. R
27Send forth your strength,
O God; •
establish, O God, what you have wrought in us.
28For your temple’s sake
in Jerusalem •
kings shall bring their gifts to you.
29Drive back with your
word the wild beast of the reeds, •
the herd of the bull-like, the brutish hordes.
30Trample down those who
lust after silver; •
scatter the peoples that delight in war.
31Vessels of bronze shall
be brought from Egypt; •
Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God. R
32Sing to God, you kingdoms
of the earth; •
make music in praise of the Lord;
33He rides on the ancient
heaven of heavens •
and sends forth his voice, a mighty voice.
34Ascribe power to God,
whose splendour is over Israel, •
whose power is above the clouds.
35How terrible is God
in his holy sanctuary, •
the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people!
Blessed be God.
Refrain: Sing
to God, sing praises to his name.
Blessed are you, gracious God;
you make your home among the weak,
you deliver us from death,
you bring us joy beyond our imagining
to the praise of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.
1Save me, O God, •
for the waters have come up, even to my neck.
2I sink in deep mire where
there is no foothold; •
I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me.
3I have grown weary with
crying; my throat is raw; •
my eyes have failed from looking so long for my God. R
4Those who hate me without
any cause •
are more than the hairs of my head;
5Those who would destroy
me are mighty; •
my enemies accuse me falsely:
must I now give back what I never stole?
6O God, you know my foolishness,
•
and my faults are not hidden from you.
7Let not those who hope
in you
be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; •
let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
O God of Israel. R
8For your sake have I
suffered reproach; •
shame has covered my face.
9I have become a stranger
to my kindred, •
an alien to my mother’s children.
10Zeal for your house
has eaten me up; •
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me. R
11I humbled myself with
fasting, •
but that was turned to my reproach.
12I put on sackcloth also
•
and became a byword among them.
13Those who sit at the
gate murmur against me, •
and the drunkards make songs about me. R
14But as for me, I make
my prayer to you, O Lord; •
at an acceptable time, O God.
15Answer me, O God, in
the abundance of your mercy •
and with your sure salvation.
16Draw me out of the mire,
that I sink not; •
let me be rescued from those who hate me
and out of the deep waters. R
17Let not the water flood
drown me,
neither the deep swallow me up; •
let not the Pit shut its mouth upon me.
18Answer me, Lord, for
your loving-kindness is good; •
turn to me in the multitude of your mercies.
19Hide not your face from
your servant; •
be swift to answer me, for I am in trouble. R
20Draw near to my soul
and redeem me; •
deliver me because of my enemies.
21You know my reproach,
my shame and my dishonour; •
my adversaries are all in your sight.
22Reproach has broken
my heart; I am full of heaviness. •
I looked for some to have pity, but there was no one,
neither found I any to comfort me.
23They gave me gall to
eat •
and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. R
24Let the table before
them be a trap •
and their sacred feasts a snare.
25Let their eyes be darkened,
that they cannot see, •
and give them continual trembling in their loins.
26Pour out your indignation
upon them, •
and let the heat of your anger overtake them.
27Let their camp be desolate,
•
and let there be no one to dwell in their tents. R
28For they persecute the
one whom you have stricken •
and increase the sorrows of him whom you have pierced.
29Lay to their charge
guilt upon guilt, •
and let them not receive your vindication.
30Let them be wiped out
of the book of the living •
and not be written among the righteous. R
31As for me, I am poor
and in misery; •
your saving help, O God, will lift me up.
32I will praise the name
of God with a song; •
I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
33This will please the
Lord more than an offering of oxen, •
more than bulls with horns and hooves.
34The humble shall see
and be glad; •
you who seek God, your heart shall live. R
35For the Lord listens
to the needy, •
and his own who are imprisoned he does not despise.
36Let the heavens and
the earth praise him, •
the seas and all that moves in them;
37For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah; •
they shall live there and have it in possession.
38The children of his
servants shall inherit it •
and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.
Thirsting on the cross,
your Son shared the reproach of the oppressed
and carried the sins of all;
in him, O God, may the despairing find you,
the afflicted gain life
and the whole creation know its true king,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Come to me quickly, O God.
1O God, make speed to
save me; •
O Lord, make haste to help me.
2Let those who seek my
life
be put to shame and confusion; •
let them be turned back and disgraced
who wish me evil.
3Let those who mock and
deride me •
turn back because of their shame. R
4But let all who seek
you rejoice and be glad in you; •
let those who love your salvation say always, ‘Great is the Lord.’
5As for me, I am poor
and needy; •
come to me quickly, O God.
6You are my help and my
deliverer; •
O Lord, do not delay.
Refrain: Come to me quickly, O God.
O God, our helper and defender,
deliver us in our weakness,
answer our longings
and vindicate our faith,
that we may see your glory
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: O God, be not far from me.
1In you, O Lord, do I
seek refuge; •
let me never be put to shame.
2In your righteousness,
deliver me and set me free; •
incline your ear to me and save me.
3Be for me a stronghold
to which I may ever resort; •
send out to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Deliver me, my God, from
the hand of the wicked, •
from the grasp of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5For you are my hope,
O Lord God, •
my confidence, even from my youth.
6Upon you have I leaned
from my birth,
when you drew me from my mother’s womb; •
my praise shall be always of you. R
7I have become a portent
to many, •
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8Let my mouth be full
of your praise •
and your glory all the day long.
9Do not cast me away in
the time of old age; •
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10For my enemies are talking
against me, •
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.
11They say, ‘God has forsaken
him;
pursue him and take him; •
because there is none to deliver him.’
12O God, be not far from
me; •
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13Let those who are against
me
be put to shame and disgrace; •
let those who seek to do me evil
be covered with scorn and reproach. R
14But as for me I will
hope continually •
and will praise you more and more.
15My mouth shall tell
of your righteousness
and salvation all the day long, •
for I know no end of the telling.
16I will begin with the
mighty works of the Lord God; •
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone. R
17O God, you have taught
me since I was young, •
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18Forsake me not, O God,
when I am old and grey-headed, •
till I make known your deeds to the next generation
and your power to all that are to come.
19Your righteousness,
O God, reaches to the heavens; •
in the great things you have done, who is like you, O God?
20What troubles and adversities
you have shown me, •
and yet you will turn and refresh me
and bring me from the deep of the earth again.
21Increase my honour;
•
turn again and comfort me. R
22Therefore will I praise
you upon the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God; •
I will sing to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23My lips will sing out
as I play to you, •
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24My tongue also will
tell of your righteousness all the day long, •
for they shall be shamed and disgraced
who sought to do me evil.
Refrain: O God, be not far from me.
Faithful Lord, living Saviour,
in youth and old age,
from the womb to the grave,
may we know your protection
and proclaim your great salvation
to the glory of God the Father.
Refrain: The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice.
1Give the king your judgements,
O God, •
and your righteousness to the son of a king.
2Then shall he judge your
people righteously •
and your poor with justice.
3May the mountains bring
forth peace, •
and the little hills righteousness for the people.
4May he defend the poor
among the people, •
deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor. R
5May he live as long as
the sun and moon endure, •
from one generation to another.
6May he come down like
rain upon the mown grass, •
like the showers that water the earth.
7In his time shall righteousness
flourish, •
and abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more. R
8May his dominion extend
from sea to sea •
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9May his foes kneel before
him •
and his enemies lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish
and of the isles shall pay tribute; •
the kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts.
11All kings shall fall
down before him; •
all nations shall do him service. R
12For he shall deliver
the poor that cry out, •
the needy and those who have no helper.
13He shall have pity on
the weak and poor; •
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14He shall redeem their
lives from oppression and violence, •
and dear shall their blood be in his sight. R
15Long may he live;
unto him may be given gold from Sheba; •
may prayer be made for him continually
and may they bless him all the day long.
16May there be abundance
of grain on the earth,
standing thick upon the hilltops; •
may its fruit flourish like Lebanon
and its grain grow like the grass of the field.
17May his name remain
for ever
and be established as long as the sun endures; •
may all nations be blest in him
and call him blessed. R
18Blessed be the Lord,
the God of Israel, •
who alone does wonderful things.
19And blessed be his glorious
name for ever. •
May all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
Refrain: The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice.
May your kingdom come, O God,
with deliverance for the needy,
with peace for the righteous,
with overflowing blessing for all nations,
with glory, honour and praise
for Christ, the only Saviour.
Refrain: In the Lord God have I made my refuge.
1Truly, God is loving
to Israel, •
to those who are pure in heart.
2Nevertheless, my feet
were almost gone; •
my steps had well-nigh slipped.
3For I was envious of
the proud; •
I saw the wicked in such prosperity;
4For they suffer no pains
•
and their bodies are sleek and sound;
5They come to no misfortune
like other folk; •
nor are they plagued as others are;
6Therefore pride is their
necklace •
and violence wraps them like a cloak.
7Their iniquity comes
from within; •
the conceits of their hearts overflow. R
8They scoff, and speak
only of evil; •
they talk of oppression from on high.
9They set their mouth
against the heavens, •
and their tongue ranges round the earth;
10And so the people turn
to them •
and find in them no fault.
11They say, ‘How should
God know? •
Is there knowledge in the Most High?’
12Behold, these are the
wicked; •
ever at ease, they increase their wealth.
13Is it in vain that I
cleansed my heart •
and washed my hands in innocence?
14All day long have I
been stricken •
and chastened every morning.
15If I had said, ‘I will
speak as they do,’ •
I should have betrayed the generation of your children. R
16Then thought I to understand
this, •
but it was too hard for me,
17Until I entered the
sanctuary of God •
and understood the end of the wicked:
18How you set them in
slippery places; •
you cast them down to destruction.
19How suddenly do they
come to destruction, •
perish and come to a fearful end!
20As with a dream when
one awakes, •
so, Lord, when you arise you will despise their image.
21When my heart became
embittered •
and I was pierced to the quick,
22I was but foolish and
ignorant; •
I was like a brute beast in your presence. R
23Yet I am always with
you; •
you hold me by my right hand.
24You will guide me with
your counsel •
and afterwards receive me with glory.
25Whom have I in heaven
but you? •
And there is nothing upon earth that I desire
in comparison with you.
26Though my flesh and
my heart fail me, •
God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
27Truly, those who forsake
you will perish; •
you will put to silence the faithless who betray you.
28But it is good for me
to draw near to God; •
in the Lord God have I made my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
Refrain: In the Lord God have I made my refuge.
Holy God,
may we find wisdom in your presence
and set our hope not on uncertain riches
but on the love that holds us to the end;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Arise, O God, maintain your own cause.
1O God, why have you utterly
disowned us? •
Why does your anger burn
against the sheep of your pasture?
2Remember your congregation
that you purchased of old, •
the tribe you redeemed for your own possession,
and Mount Zion where you dwelt.
3Hasten your steps towards
the endless ruins, •
where the enemy has laid waste all your sanctuary.
4Your adversaries roared
in the place of your worship; •
they set up their banners as tokens of victory.
5Like men brandishing
axes on high in a thicket of trees, •
all her carved work they smashed down with hatchet and hammer.
6They set fire to your
holy place; •
they defiled the dwelling place of your name
and razed it to the ground.
7They said in their heart,
‘Let us make havoc of them altogether,’ •
and they burned down all the sanctuaries of God in the land.
8There are no signs to
see, not one prophet left, •
not one among us who knows how long.
9How long, O God, will
the adversary scoff? •
Shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
10Why have you withheld
your hand •
and hidden your right hand in your bosom? R
11Yet God is my king from
of old, •
who did deeds of salvation in the midst of the earth.
12It was you that divided
the sea by your might •
and shattered the heads of the dragons on the waters;
13You alone crushed the
heads of Leviathan •
and gave him to the beasts of the desert for food.
14You cleft the rock for
fountain and flood; •
you dried up ever-flowing rivers.
15Yours is the day, yours
also the night; •
you established the moon and the sun.
16You set all the bounds
of the earth; •
you fashioned both summer and winter. R
17Remember now, Lord,
how the enemy scoffed, •
how a foolish people despised your name.
18Do not give to wild
beasts the soul of your turtle dove; •
forget not the lives of your poor for ever.
19Look upon your creation,
for the earth is full of darkness, •
full of the haunts of violence.
20Let not the oppressed
turn away ashamed, •
but let the poor and needy praise your name.
21Arise, O God, maintain
your own cause; •
remember how fools revile you all the day long.
22Forget not the clamour
of your adversaries, •
the tumult of your enemies that ascends continually.
Refrain: Arise, O God, maintain your own cause.
Redeeming God,
renew your broken people
with your Holy Spirit,
that they may walk your narrow way,
and greet your coming dawn
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: God alone is judge.
1We give you thanks, O
God, we give you thanks, •
for your name is near, as your wonderful deeds declare.
2‘I will seize the appointed
time; •
I, the Lord, will judge with equity.
3‘Though the earth reels
and all that dwell in her, •
it is I that hold her pillars steady.
4‘To the boasters I say,
“Boast no longer,” •
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
5‘“Do not lift up your
horn on high; •
do not speak with a stiff neck.”’ R
6For neither from the
east nor from the west, •
nor yet from the wilderness comes exaltation.
7But God alone is judge;
•
he puts down one and raises up another.
8For in the hand of the
Lord there is a cup, •
well mixed and full of foaming wine.
9He pours it out for all
the wicked of the earth; •
they shall drink it, and drain the dregs. R
10But I will rejoice for
ever •
and make music to the God of Jacob.
11All the horns of the
wicked will I break, •
but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Refrain: God alone is judge.
Judge of all the earth,
restrain the ambition of the proud
and establish among us the reign of the Messiah,
who drained for us the cup of judgement
and is alive with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.