Church of England home page Common Worship   Publications Site Map
    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
All of the official Common Worship publications are being published by Church House Publishing.