The Psalms of David
Day 6. Evening Prayer
Psalm 32.
Beati, quorum
Blessed is he whose
unrighteousness is forgiven : and whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is
the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin : and in whose spirit
there is no guile.
3 For while I
held my tongue : my bones consumed away through my daily
complaining.
4 For thy
hand is heavy upon me day and night : and my moisture is like the
drought in summer.
5 I will
acknowledge my sin unto thee : and mine unrighteousness have I not
hid.
6 I said, I
will confess my sins unto the Lord : and so thou forgavest the
wickedness of my sin.
7 For this
shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time
when thou mayest be found : but in the great water-floods they
shall not come nigh him.
8 Thou art a
place to hide me in, thou shalt preserve me from trouble : thou
shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
9 I will
inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go : and
I will guide thee with mine eye.
10 Be ye not
like to horse and mule, which have no understanding : whose mouths
must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee.
11 Great
plagues remain for the ungodly : but whoso putteth his trust in the
Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side.
12 Be glad, O
ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord : and be joyful, all ye that
are true of heart.
Psalm 33.
Exultate, justi
Rejoice in the Lord,
O ye righteous : for it becometh well the just to be
thankful.
2 Praise the
Lord with harp : sing praises unto him with the lute, and
instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto
the Lord a new song : sing praises lustily unto him with a good
courage.
4 For the
word of the Lord is true : and all his works are faithful.
5 He loveth
righteousness and judgement : the earth is full of the goodness of
the Lord.
6 By the word
of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hosts of them by the
breath of his mouth.
7 He
gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap :
and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.
8 Let all the
earth fear the Lord : stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the
world.
9 For he
spake, and it was done : he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord
bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought : and maketh the
devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the
counsels of princes.
11 The
counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever : and the thoughts of his
heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed
are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah : and blessed are the
folk, that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance.
13 The Lord
looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men : from
the habitation of his dwelling he considereth all them that dwell
on the earth.
14 He
fashioneth all the hearts of them : and understandeth all their
works.
15 There is
no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host : neither is
any mighty man delivered by much strength.
16 A horse is
counted but a vain thing to save a man : neither shall he deliver
any man by his great strength.
17 Behold,
the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him : and upon them that
put their trust in his mercy;
18 To deliver
their soul from death : and to feed them in the time of dearth.
19 Our soul
hath patiently tarried for the Lord : for he is our help and our
shield.
20 For our
heart shall rejoice in him : because we have hoped in his holy
Name.
21 Let thy
merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us : like as we do put our trust
in thee.
Psalm 34.
Benedicam Domino
I will alway
give thanks unto the Lord : his praise shall ever be in my
mouth.
2 My soul
shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof,
and be glad.
3 O praise
the Lord with me : and let us magnify his Name together.
4 I sought
the Lord, and he heard me : yea, he delivered me out of all my
fear.
5 They had an
eye unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not
ashamed.
6 Lo, the
poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him : yea, and saveth him out of
all his troubles.
7 The angel
of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him : and
delivereth them.
8 O taste,
and see, how gracious the Lord is : blessed is the man that
trusteth in him.
9 O fear the
Lord, ye that are his saints : for they that fear him lack
nothing.
10 The lions
do lack, and suffer hunger : but they who seek the Lord shall want
no manner of thing that is good.
11 Come, ye
children, and hearken unto me : I will teach you the fear of the
Lord.
12 What man
is he that lusteth to live : and would fain see good days?
13 Keep thy
tongue from evil : and thy lips, that they speak no guile.
14 Eschew
evil, and do good : seek peace, and ensue it.
15 The eyes
of the Lord are over the righteous : and his ears are open unto
their prayers.
16 The
countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil : to root out
the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The
righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them: and delivereth them out
of all their troubles.
18 The Lord
is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart : and will save such
as be of an humble spirit.
19 Great are
the troubles of the righteous : but the Lord delivereth him out of
all.
20 He keepeth
all his bones : so that not one of them is broken.
21 But
misfortune shall slay the ungodly : and they that hate the
righteous shall be desolate.
22 The Lord
delivereth the souls of his servants : and all they that put their
trust in him shall not be destitute.
Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the
rights in which are vested in the Crown,
is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge
University Press.