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    Psalm 21  
1
  The king shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord; 
    how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
     
2
  You have given him his heart's desire 
    and have not denied the request of his lips.
     
3
  For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness 
    and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
     
4
  He asked of you life and you gave it him, 
    length of days, for ever and ever.
     
5
  His honour is great because of your salvation; 
    glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
     
6
  You have granted him everlasting felicity 
    and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
     
7
  For the king puts his trust in the Lord; 
    because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
     
     
8
  Your hand shall mark down all your enemies; 
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
     
9
  You will make them like a fiery oven
in the time of your wrath; 
    the Lord will swallow them up in his anger
and the fire will consume them.
     
10
  Their fruit you will root out of the land 
    and their seed from among its inhabitants.
     
11
  Because they intend evil against you 
    and devise wicked schemes
which they cannot perform,
     
12
  You will put them to flight 
    when you aim your bow at their faces.
     
13
  Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might; 
    we will make music and sing of your power.
     
    Psalm 22  
     
1
  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, 
    and are so far from my salvation,
from the words of my distress?
     
2
  O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but you do not answer; 
    and by night also, but I find no rest.
     
3
  Yet you are the Holy One, 
    enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
     
4
  Our forebears trusted in you; 
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
     
5
  They cried out to you and were delivered; 
    they put their trust in you and were not confounded.
     
6
  But as for me, I am a worm and no man, 
    scorned by all and despised by the people.
     
7
  All who see me laugh me to scorn; 
    they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
     
8
  'He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; 
    let him deliver him, if he delights in him.'
     
9
  But it is you that took me out of the womb 
    and laid me safe upon my mother's breast.
     
10
  On you was I cast ever since I was born; 
    you are my God even from my mother's womb.
     
11
  Be not far from me, for trouble is near at hand 
    and there is none to help.
     
12
  Mighty oxen come around me; 
    fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
     
13
  They gape upon me with their mouths, 
    as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
     
14
  I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; 
    my heart has become like wax
melting in the depths of my body.
     
15
  My mouth is dried up like a potsherd;
my tongue cleaves to my gums; 
    you have laid me in the dust of death.
     
16
  For the hounds are all about me,
the pack of evildoers close in on me; 
    they pierce my hands and my feet.
     
17
  I can count all my bones; 
    they stand staring and looking upon me.
     
18
  They divide my garments among them; 
    they cast lots for my clothing.
     
19
  Be not far from me, O Lord; 
    you are my strength; hasten to help me.
     
20
  Deliver my soul from the sword, 
    my poor life from the power of the dog.
     
21
  Save me from the lion's mouth,
from the horns of wild oxen. 
    You have answered me!
     
     
22
  I will tell of your name to my people; 
    in the midst of the congregation will I praise you.
     
23
  Praise the Lord, you that fear him; 
    O seed of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, O seed of Israel.
     
24
  For he has not despised nor abhorred the suffering of the poor;
neither has he hidden his face from them; 
    but when they cried to him he heard them.
     
25
  From you comes my praise in the great congregation; 
    I will perform my vows
in the presence of those that fear you.
     
26
  The poor shall eat and be satisfied; 
    those who seek the Lord shall praise him;
their hearts shall live for ever.
   
     
27
  All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the Lord, 
    and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
     
28
  For the kingdom is the Lord's 
    and he rules over the nations.
     
29
  How can those who sleep in the earth
bow down in worship, 
    or those who go down to the dust kneel before him?
     
30
  He has saved my life for himself;
my descendants shall serve him; 
    this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.
     
31
  They shall come and make known his salvation,
to a people yet unborn, 
    declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.
     
     
    Psalm 23  
     
1
  The Lord is my shepherd; 
    therefore can I lack nothing.
     
2
  He makes me lie down in green pastures 
    and leads me beside still waters.
     
3
  He shall refresh my soul 
    and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
     
4
  Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; 
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
     
5
  You spread a table before me
in the presence of those who trouble me; 
    you have anointed my head with oil
and my cup shall be full.
     
6
  Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, 
    and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
     
    Psalm 24  
     
1
  The earth is the Lord's and all that fills it, 
    the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
     
2
  For he has founded it upon the seas 
    and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
     
     
3
  'Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, 
    or who can rise up in his holy place?'
     
4
  'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, 
    who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
nor sworn an oath to a lie;
     
5
  'They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, 
    a just reward from the God of their salvation.'
     
6
  Such is the company of those who seek him, 
    of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
     
     
7
  Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors; 
    and the King of glory shall come in.
     
8
  'Who is the King of glory?' 
    'The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord who is mighty in battle.'
     
9
  Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors; 
    and the King of glory shall come in.
     
10
  'Who is this King of glory?' 
    'The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.'
     
    Psalm 25  
     
1
  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
O my God, in you I trust; 
    let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies triumph over me.
     
2
  Let none who look to you be put to shame, 
    but let the treacherous be shamed and frustrated.
     
3
  Make me to know your ways, O Lord, 
    and teach me your paths.
     
4
  Lead me in your truth and teach me, 
    for you are the God of my salvation;
for you have I hoped all the day long.
     
5
  Remember, Lord, your compassion and love, 
    for they are from everlasting.
     
6
  Remember not the sins of my youth
or my transgressions, 
    but think on me in your goodness, O Lord,
according to your steadfast love.
     
7
  Gracious and upright is the Lord; 
    therefore shall he teach sinners in the way.
     
8
  He will guide the humble in doing right 
    and teach his way to the lowly.
     
9
  All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth 
    to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
     
10
  For your name's sake, O Lord, 
    be merciful to my sin, for it is great.
     
11
  Who are those who fear the Lord? 
    Them will he teach in the way that they should choose.
     
12
  Their soul shall dwell at ease 
    and their offspring shall inherit the land.
     
13
  The hidden purpose of the Lord is for those who fear him 
    and he will show them his covenant.
     
14
  My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, 
    for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
     
15
  Turn to me and be gracious to me, 
    for I am alone and brought very low.
     
16
  The sorrows of my heart have increased; 
    O bring me out of my distress.
     
17
  Look upon my adversity and misery 
    and forgive me all my sin.
     
18
  Look upon my enemies, for they are many 
    and they bear a violent hatred against me.
     
19
  O keep my soul and deliver me; 
    let me not be put to shame, for I have put my trust in you.
     
20
  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, 
    for my hope has been in you.
     
21
  Deliver Israel, O God, 
    out of all his troubles.
     
© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
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