The reading of
the Six Psalms:
Reader:
Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace,good will towards men. (3x)
O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall showforth Thy
praise. (2x)
PSALM III. 3
O Lord, why
are they multiplied that afflict me?Many rise up against me.
Many say unto my soul: There is no salvation forhim in his
God.
But Thou, 0 Lord, art my helper, my glory, and thelifter up
of my head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heardme out of
His holy mountain.
I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lordwill help me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of peoplethat set
themselves against me round about.
Arise, 0 Lord, save me, 0 my God, for Thou hastsmitten all
who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth of sinners hastThou broken.
Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is uponThy
people.
PSALM XXXVII. 37 (38)
O Lord,
rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chastenme in Thy wrath.
For Thine arrows are fastened in me, and Thou hastlaid Thy
hand heavily upon me.
There is no healing in my flesh in the face of Thywrath; and
there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sins.
For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head;as a heavy
burden have they pressed heavily upon me.
My bruises are become noisome and corrupt in theface of my
folly.
I have been wretched and utterly bowed down untilthe end;
all the day long I went with downcast face.
For my loins are filled with mockings, and thereis no
healing in my flesh.
I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I haveroared
from the groaning of my heart.
O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaningis not
hid from Thee.
My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed me;and the
light of mine eyes, even this is not with me.
My friends and my neighbours drew nigh over againstme and
stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar off.
And they that sought after my soul used violence;and they
that sought evils for me spake vain things, and craftinesses allthe day long
did they meditate.
But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not,and was as a
speechless man that openeth not his mouth.
And I became as a man that heareth not, and thathath in his
mouth no reproofs.
For in Thee have I hoped, 0 Lord; Thou wilt hearkenunto me,
0 Lord my God.
For I said: Let never mine enemies rejoice overme; yea, when
my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words againstme.
For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is
continuallybefore me.
For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will takeheed
concerning my sin.
But mine enemies live and are made stronger than1, and they
that hated me unjustly are multiplied.
They that render me evil for good slandered me,because I
pursued goodness.
Forsake me not, 0 Lord my God, depart not from me.
Be attentive unto my help, 0 Lord of my salvation.
PSALM LXI. 61 (62)
Shall not my
soul be subjected to God? For from Himis my salvation.
For He is my God, my saviour and my helper, andI shall be
shaken no more.
How long do ye assail a man? Ye kill, all of you,as ye might
assail a leaning wall and a tottering rampart.
But they made plans to cast aside mine honour, theyran in
falsehood; with their mouth they bless, but with their heart theycurse.
But be subject unto God, 0 my soul, for from Himis my
patient endurance.
For He is my God, my saviour and my helper, andI shall not
be moved from hence.
In God is my salvation and my glory; He is the Godof my
help, and my hope is in God.
Hope in Him, all ye congregation of the peoples;pour out
your hearts before Him, for God is our helper.
For the sons of men are vain, the sons of men area lie in
the balance; out of vanity they gather themselves together thatthey might do
injustice.
Set not your hopes on injustice, and lust not afterplunder;
if riches flow in, set not your hearts thereon.
Once hath God spoken; these two things have I heard,that
dominion belongeth to God, and mercy is Thine, 0 Lord; for Thou wiltrender to
every man according to his works.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit,
both now and ever and unto ages. Amen
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory be to Thee, O Lord (3x)
PSALM LXXXVII. 87 (88)
O Lord God
of my salvation, by day have I cried andby night before Thee.
Let my prayer come before Thee, bow down Thine earunto my
supplication,
For filled with evils is my soul, and my life untohades hath
drawn nigh.
I am counted with them that go down into the pit;I am become
as a man without help, free among the dead,
Like the bodies of the slain that sleep in the grave,whom
Thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from Thy hand.
They laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness andin the shadow
of death.
Against me is Thine anger made strong, and all Thybillows
hast Thou brought upon me.
Thou hast removed my friends afar from me; theyhave made me
an abomination unto themselves.
I have been delivered up, and have not come forth;mine eyes
are grown weak from poverty. 10 I have cried unto Thee, 0 Lord,the whole day
long; I have stretched out my hands unto Thee.
Nay, for the dead wilt Thou work wonders? Or shallphysicians
raise them up that they may give thanks unto Thee?
Nay, shall any in the grave tell of Thy mercy, andof Thy
truth in that destruction?
Nay, shall Thy wonders be known in that darkness,and Thy
righteousness in that land that is forgotten?
But as for me, unto Thee, 0 Lord, have I cried;and in the
morning shall my prayer come before Thee.
Wherefore, 0 Lord, dost Thou cast off my soul andturnest Thy
face away from me?
A poor man am 1, and in troubles from my youth;yea, having
been exalted, I was humbled and brought to distress.
Thy furies have passed upon me, and Thy terrorshave sorely
troubled me.
They came round about me like water, all the daylong they
compassed me about together.
Thou hast removed afar from me friend and neigbbour,and mine
acquaintances because of my misery.
PSALM CII. 102 (103)
Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is withinme bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all thatHe hath
done for thee,
Who is gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healethall
thine infirmities,
Who redeemeth thy life from corruption, Who crowneththee
with mercy and compassion,
Who fulfilleth thy desire with good things; thyyouth shall
be renewed as the eagle's.
The Lord performeth deeds of mercy, and executethjudgment
for all them that are wronged.
He hath made His ways known unto Moses, unto thesons of
Israel the things that He hath willed.
Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, longsufferingand
plenteous in mercy; not unto the end will He be angered, neither untoeternity
will He be wroth.
Not according to our iniquities hath He dealt withus,
neither according to our sins hath He rewarded us.
For according to the height of heaven from the earth,the
Lord hath made His mercy to prevail over them that fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hathHe removed
our iniquities from us.
Like as a father hath compassion upon his sons,so hath the
Lord had compassion upon them that fear Him; for He
knoweth whereof we are made, He hath remembered that we aredust.
As for man, his days are as the grass; as a flowerof the
field, so shall he blossom forth.
For when the wind is passed over it, then it shallbe gone,
and no longer will it know the place thereof.
But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity, evenunto
eternity, upon them that fear Him.
And His righteousness is upon sons of sons, uponthem that
keep His testament and remember His commandments to do them.
The Lord in heaven hath prepared His throne, andHis kingdom
ruleth over all.
Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, mighty in strength,that
perform His word, to hear the voice of His words.
Bless the Lord, all ye His hosts, His ministersthat
do His will.
Bless the Lord, all ye His works, in every placeof His
dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
PSALM CXLII. 142 (143)
O Lord, hear
my prayer, give ear unto my supplicationin Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy
righteousness.
And enter not into judgment with Thy servant, forin Thy
sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbledmy
life down to the earth.
He hath sat me in darkness as those that have beenlong dead,
and my spirit within me is become despondent; within me my heartis troubled.
I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thyworks, I
pondered on the creations of Thy hands.
I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirstethafter
Thee like a waterless land.
Quickly hear me, O Lord; my spirit hath faintedaway.
Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like untothem that
go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for inThee have I
put my hope.
Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I shouldwalk; for
unto Thee have I lifted up my soul.
Rescue me from mine enemies, 0 Lord; unto Thee haveI fled
for refuge. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.
Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness;for
Thy name s sake, 0 Lord, shalt Thou quicken me.
In Thy righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul outof affliction,
and in Thy mercy shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies.
And Thou shalt cut off all them that afflict mysoul, for I
am Thy servant.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit,
both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory be to Thee O Lord.. (3x)