1 My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: ♦
with my mouth will I proclaim your faithfulness
throughout all generations.
2 I will declare that your love is established for ever; ♦
you have set your faithfulness as firm as the heavens.
3 For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; ♦
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 “‘Your seed will I establish for ever ♦
and build up your throne for all generations.”’
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, ♦
and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6 For who among the clouds can be compared to the Lord? ♦
Who is like the Lord among the host of heaven?
7 A God feared in the council of the holy ones, ♦
great and terrible above all those round about him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? ♦
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
9 You rule the raging of the sea; ♦
you still its waves when they arise.
10 You crushed Rahab with a deadly wound ♦
and scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; ♦
you established the world and all that fills it.
12 You created the north and the south; ♦
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 You have a mighty arm; ♦
strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; ♦
steadfast love and faithfulness go before your face.
15 Happy are the people who know the shout of triumph: ♦
they walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.
16 In your name they rejoice all the day long ♦
and are exalted in your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength, ♦
and in your favour you lift up our heads.
18 Truly the Lord is our shield; ♦
the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: ♦
‘I have set a youth above the mighty;
I have raised a young man over the people.
20 ‘I have found David my servant; ♦
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 ‘My hand shall hold him fast ♦
and my arm shall strengthen him.
22 ‘No enemy shall deceive him, ♦
nor any wicked person afflict him.
23 ‘I will strike down his foes before his face ♦
and beat down those that hate him.
24 ‘My truth also and my steadfast love shall be with him, ♦
and in my name shall his head be exalted.
25 ‘I will set his dominion upon the sea ♦
and his right hand upon the rivers.
26 ‘He shall call to me, “You are my Father, ♦
my God, and the rock of my salvation;”
27 ‘And I will make him my firstborn, ♦
the most high above the kings of the earth.
28 ‘The love I have pledged to him will I keep for ever, ♦
and my covenant will stand fast with him.
29 ‘His seed also will I make to endure for ever ♦
and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 ‘But if his children forsake my law ♦
and cease to walk in my judgements,
31 ‘If they break my statutes ♦
and do not keep my commandments,
32 ‘I will punish their offences with a rod ♦
and their sin with scourges.
33 ‘But I will not take from him my steadfast love ♦
nor suffer my truth to fail.
34 ‘My covenant will I not break ♦
nor alter what has gone out of my lips.
35 ‘Once for all have I sworn by my holiness ♦
that I will not prove false to David.
36 ‘His seed shall endure for ever ♦
and his throne as the sun before me;
37 ‘It shall stand fast for ever as the moon, ♦
the enduring witness in the heavens.’
38 But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; ♦
you have shown fierce anger against him.
39 You have broken the covenant with your servant, ♦
and have cast his crown to the dust.
40 You have broken down all his walls ♦
and laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 All who pass by despoil him, ♦
and he has become the scorn of his neighbours.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes ♦
and made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have turned back the edge of his sword ♦
and have not upheld him in battle.
44 You have made an end of his radiance ♦
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth ♦
and have covered him with shame.
46 How long will you hide yourself so utterly, O Lord? ♦
How long shall your anger burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is, ♦
how frail you have made all mortal flesh.
48 Which of the living shall not see death, ♦
and shall deliver their soul from the power of darkness?
49 Where, O Lord, is your steadfast love of old, ♦
which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, O Lord, how your servant is scorned, ♦
how I bear in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
51 While your enemies mock, O Lord, ♦
while they mock the footsteps of your anointed.
52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. ♦
Amen and Amen.
Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000 and published by Church House Publishing.