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    Psalm 56  
     
1
  Have mercy on me, O God, for they trample over me; 
    all day long they assault and oppress me.
     
2
  My adversaries trample over me all the day long; 
    many are they that make proud war against me.
     
3
  In the day of my fear I put my trust in you, 
    in God whose word I praise.
     
4
  In God I trust, and will not fear, 
    for what can flesh do to me?
     
5
  All day long they wound me with words; 
    their every thought is to do me evil.
     
6
  They stir up trouble; they lie in wait; 
    marking my steps, they seek my life.
     
7
  Shall they escape for all their wickedness? 
    In anger, O God, cast the peoples down.
     
8
  You have counted up my groaning;
    put my tears into your bottle; 
    are they not written in your book?
     
9
  Then shall my enemies turn back
    on the day when I call upon you; 
    this I know, for God is on my side.
     
10
  In 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?
     
11
  To you, O God, will I fulfil my vows; 
    to you will I present my offerings of thanks,
     
12
  For you will deliver my soul from death
    and my feet from falling, 
    that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
     
    Psalm 57  
     
1
  Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, 
    for my soul takes refuge in you;
     
2
  In the shadow of your wings will I take refuge 
    until the storm of destruction has passed by.
     
3
  I will call upon the Most High God, 
    the God who fulfils his purpose for me.
     
4
  He will send from heaven and save me
    and rebuke those that would trample upon me; 
    God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
     
5
  I 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.
     
7
  They 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.
     
     
8
  My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; 
    I will sing and give you praise.
     
9
  Awake, my soul; awake, harp and lyre, 
    that I may awaken the dawn.
     
10
  I will give you thanks, O Lord, among the peoples; 
    I will sing praise to you among the nations.
     
11
  For 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.
     
    Psalm 58  
     
1
  Do you indeed speak justly, you mighty? 
    Do you rule the peoples with equity?
     
2
  With unjust heart you act throughout the land; 
    your hands mete out violence.
     
3
  The wicked are estranged, even from the womb; 
    those who speak falsehood go astray from their birth.
     
4
  They are as venomous as a serpent; 
    they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,
     
5
  Which does not heed the voice of the charmers, 
    and is deaf to the skilful weaver of spells.
     
6
  Break, O God, their teeth in their mouths; 
    smash the fangs of these lions, O Lord.
     
7
  Let them vanish like water that runs away; 
    let them wither like trodden grass.
     
8
  Let them be as the slimy track of the snail, 
    like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
     
9
  Before ever their pots feel the heat of the thorns, 
    green or blazing, let them be swept away.
     
10
  The righteous will be glad when they see God's vengeance; 
    they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
     
11
  So that people will say,
    'Truly, there is a harvest for the righteous; 
    truly, there is a God who judges in the earth.'
     
    Psalm 59  
     
1
  Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; 
    set me high above those that rise up against me.
     
2
  Save me from the evildoers 
    and from murderous foes deliver me.
     
3
  For see how they lie in wait for my soul 
    and the mighty stir up trouble against me.
     
4
  Not for any fault or sin of mine, O Lord; 
    for no offence, they run and prepare themselves for war.
     
5
  Rouse yourself, come to my aid and see; 
    for you are the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.
     
6
  Awake, and judge all the nations; 
    show no mercy to the evil traitors.
     
7
  They return at nightfall and snarl like dogs 
    and prowl about the city.
     
8
  They pour out evil words with their mouths;
    swords are on their lips; 
    'For who', they say, 'can hear us?'
     
9
  But you laugh at them, O Lord; 
    you hold all the nations in derision.
     
10
  For you, O my strength, will I watch; 
    you, O God, are my strong tower.
     
11
  My God in his steadfast love will come to me; 
    he will let me behold the downfall of my enemies.
     
12
  Slay them not, lest my people forget; 
    send them reeling by your might
    and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
     
13
  For the sins of their mouth, for the words of their lips, 
    let them be taken in their pride.
     
14
  For the cursing and falsehood they have uttered, 
    consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more.
     
15
  And they shall know that God rules in Jacob, 
    and to the ends of the earth.
     
16
  And still they return at nightfall and snarl like dogs 
    and prowl about the city.
     
17
  Though they forage for something to devour, 
    and howl if they are not filled,
     
18
  Yet will I sing of your strength 
    and every morning praise your steadfast love;
     
19
  For you have been my stronghold, 
    my refuge in the day of my trouble.
     
20
  To you, O my strength, will I sing; 
    for you, O God, are my refuge,
    my God of steadfast love.
     
    Psalm 60  
     
1
  O God, you have cast us off and broken us; 
    you have been angry; restore us to yourself again.
     
2
  You have shaken the earth and torn it apart; 
    heal its wounds, for it trembles.
     
3
  You have made your people drink bitter things; 
    we reel from the deadly wine you have given us.
     
4
  You have made those who fear you to flee, 
    to escape from the range of the bow.
     
5
  That your beloved may be delivered, 
    save us by your right hand and answer us.
     
     
6
  God 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 wash pot;
    over Edom will I cast my sandal; 
    across Philistia will I shout in triumph.'
     
9
  Who will lead me into the strong city? 
    Who will bring me into Edom?
     
10
  Have you not cast us off, O God? 
    Will you no longer go forth with our troops?
     
11
  Grant us your help against the enemy, 
    for earthly help is in vain.
     
12
  Through God will we do great acts, 
    for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
     
© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
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