Book of Common Prayer
49 [Zain]. Lord, have thou mind on thy word to thy servant (Lord, remember thy word to thy servant); in which word thou hast given hope to me.
50 This comforted me in my lowness; for thy word quickened me. (This comforted me in my time of trouble; for thy word hath given me life.)
51 Proud men did wickedly (to me) by all things; but I bowed not away from thy law. (The proud and the boastful have scorned me in all things; but I have not turned away from thy Law.)
52 Lord, I was mindful of thy dooms from the world; and I was comforted. (Lord, I remember thy judgements of long ago; and I am comforted.)
53 Failing held me; for sinners forsaking thy law. (Anger taketh hold of me; when I think of the sinners who desert thy Law.)
54 Thy justifyings were delightable to me to be sung; in the place of my pilgrimage. (Thy statutes were delightful for me to sing about; here on my pilgrimage.)
55 Lord, I had mind of thy name by night; and I kept thy law. (Lord, I remember thy name in the night; and I obey thy Law.)
56 This thing was made to me; for I sought thy justifyings. (And this is true of me; that I have kept thy precepts/that I have obeyed thy commands.)
57 [Cheth]. Lord, my part; I said to keep thy law. (Lord, thou art my portion; I have said that I would obey thy Law.)
58 I besought thy face in all mine heart; have thou mercy on me by thy speech. (I sought thee out with all my heart; have thou mercy on me according to thy word.)
59 I bethought (on) my ways; and I turned my feet into thy witnessings. (I thought about my ways; and I have turned my feet to follow thy teachings.)
60 I am ready, and I am not troubled; to keep thy commandments. (I am ready, and I have not delayed, to obey thy commandments.)
61 The cords of sinners have embraced me; and I have not forgotten thy law. (The cords of the sinners have entangled me; but I have not forgotten thy Law.)
62 At midnight, I rose to acknowledge to thee; on the dooms of thy justifyings. (At midnight, I rise to give thee thanks/I rise to give thee praise; for all thy righteous judgements.)
63 I am partner of all that dread thee; and keep thy behests. (I am a partner of all who fear thee/I am a friend of all who revere thee; of all who obey thy precepts.)
64 Lord, the earth is full of thy mercy; teach thou me thy justifyings. (Lord, the earth is full of thy love; teach thou me thy statutes.)
65 [Teth]. Lord, thou hast done goodness with thy servant; by thy word. (Lord, thou hast been kind to thy servant; yea, according to thy word.)
66 Teach thou me goodness, and lore, either chastising, and knowing; for I believed to thy behests. (Teach thou me goodness, and knowledge, or discipline; for I trust in thy commandments.)
67 Before that I was made meek, I trespassed; therefore I kept thy speech. (Before that I was punished, I trespassed; but thereafter, I have obeyed thy word.)
68 Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach thou me thy justifyings. (Thou art good, and thou doest good; teach thou me thy statutes.)
69 The wickedness of them that be proud, is multiplied on me; but in all mine heart I shall seek thy behests. (The wicked lies of them, who be proud, be multiplied against me; but I shall follow thy precepts with all my heart.)
70 The heart of them is crudded, either made hard, as milk; but I bethought (on) thy law. (Their hearts be like curdled milk; but I delight in thy Law.)
71 It is good to me, that thou hast made me meek; that I learn thy justifyings. (It was good for me, that thou hast punished me; so that I would learn thy statutes.)
72 The law (out) of thy mouth is better to me; than thousands of gold and silver. (The Law from thy mouth meaneth more to me/is more valuable to me, than a fortune in gold and silver.)
49 To victory, a psalm to the sons of Korah. All ye folks, hear these things; all ye that dwell in the world, perceive with ears. (To victory, a song for the sons of Korah. All ye nations, hear these things; all ye who live in the world, listen!)
2 All the sons of earth, and the sons of men; together the rich man, and the poor into one. (All the sons and daughters of the earth, the sons and daughters of men; yea, the rich and the poor, together as one.)
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the thinking of mine heart shall speak prudence.
4 I shall bow down mine ear into a parable; I shall open my reason set forth in a psaltery. (I shall listen closely to a parable; then I shall set forth my understanding on a lute.)
5 Why shall I dread in the evil day? the wickedness of mine heel shall (en)compass me. (Why should I have fear, or be afraid, on the day of evil, when the wickedness of my enemies shall surround me?)
6 Which trust in their own virtue (They who trust in their wealth); and have glory in the multitude of their riches.
7 A brother again-buyeth not, shall a man again-buy? and he shall not give to God his pleasing. (No one shall ever be able to redeem himself; he shall never be able to pay God the price that he asketh for him.)
8 And he shall not (be able to) give the price of ransom for his soul; and he shall travail into without end, (Yea, he shall never be able to pay the price of ransom for his own soul; even if he could work forever,)
9 and he shall live yet into the end. He shall not see perishing, (so that he would live forever, and not see perishing, or corruption.)
10 when he shall see wise men dying; the unwise man and the fool shall perish together. And they shall leave their riches to aliens; (For he seeth that the wise die; and that the foolish and the ignorant perish together with them. But they all leave their riches to others, even strangers;)
11 and the sepulchres of them be the houses of them without end. The tabernacles of them be in generation and in generation; they called their names in their lands. (and their tombs, or their graves, shall be their houses forever. Yea, their dwelling places for all generations; even though their lands were once called by their own names.)
12 A man/Man, when he was in honour, understood not; he is comparisoned to unwise beasts, and is made like to those. (For anyone, even when he hath been given great honour, liveth not forever; he is comparable to the unthinking beasts, and soon is made like them.)
13 This way of them is cause of stumbling to them; and afterward they shall please (al)together in their mouth. (Their way is a trap for themselves; and for all who seek to please them.)
14 As sheep they be put in hell; death shall gnaw them. And just men shall be lords of them in the morrowtide; and the help of them shall wax eld in hell, for the glory of them/from the glory of them. (Like sheep they go down to Sheol, or the land of the dead; and death shall gnaw on them. The righteous shall be their lords; and their bodies shall grow old, or rotten, in Sheol, so different from their days of glory.)
15 Nevertheless God shall again-buy my soul from the power of hell; when he shall take me. (But God shall redeem my soul; and he shall take me away from the power of Sheol, or the power of death.)
16 Dread thou not (Fear thou not), when a man is made rich; and when the glory of his house is multiplied.
17 For when he shall die, he shall not take all things with him (he shall not take anything with him); and his glory shall not go down with him.
18 For his soul shall be blessed in his life; he shall acknowledge to thee, when thou hast done well to him. (Even though his soul shall be blessed in this life; and people shall praise him, when he hath done well for himself.)
19 He shall enter till into the generations of his fathers; and till into without end he shall not see light. (He shall go to the generations of his forefathers; and none of them shall ever see the light again.)
20 A man/Man, when he was in honour, understood not; he is comparisoned to unwise beasts, and is made like to those. (Anyone, even when he hath been given great honour, liveth not forever; he is comparable to the unthinking beasts, and soon is made like them.)
53 To the overcomer by the quire, the learning of David. The unwise man said in his heart, God is not. They be corrupt, and made abominable in their wickednesses; none is that doeth good. (To the overcomer, or the victor, the teaching of David. The fool said in his heart, There is no God. Such men be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their wickednesses; there is no one who doeth good, no not one.)[a]
2 God beheld from heaven on the sons of men; that he see, if there is any understanding, either seeking God. (God looked down from heaven on the sons and daughters of men; to see if there is anyone who hath understanding, or is seeking God.)
3 All bowed away, they be made unprofitable (al)together; none is that doeth good, there is not till to one. (But they all have turned away, they all be made utterly unredeemable; there is no one who doeth good, no not one.)
4 Whether all men, that work wickedness, shall not know; which devour my people, as the meat of bread? They called not God; (Surely all those, who do evil, already know this; yea, they who devour my people, like people eat bread. They do not call on the Lord;)
5 there they trembled for dread, where no dread was. For God hath scattered the bones of them, that please men; they be shamed, for God hath forsaken them. (but they trembled there in fear, like never before. For God hath scattered the bones of those who please people; they be put to shame, for God hath deserted, or hath despised, them.)
6 Who shall give from Zion health to Israel? when the Lord hath turned the captivity of his people, Jacob shall full out make joy, and Israel shall be glad. (Who shall give victory/Who shall give salvation, or deliverance, to Israel out of Zion? When the Lord hath returned the prosperity of his people, then Jacob shall make full out joy, or rejoice; yea, Israel shall be glad.)
3 And the Lord showed to me the great priest Joshua, standing before the angel of the Lord; and Satan stood on his right half, that he should be adversary to him. (And the Lord showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord; and Satan stood at his right hand/and the Adversary stood at his right hand, so that he could accuse him, or so that he could be adverse, or hostile, to him.)
2 And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord blame in thee, Satan, and the Lord that chose Jerusalem, blame in thee. Whether this is not a dead brand ravished from the fire? (And the Lord said to Satan/And the Lord said to the Adversary, The Lord rebuketh thee, Satan, yea, the Lord who chose Jerusalem, rebuketh thee. Is not this man like a firebrand snatched from the fire?)
3 And Joshua was clothed with foul clothes, and stood before the face of the angel. (And Joshua was clothed with filthy clothes, and stood before the angel.)
4 Which answered, and said to them that stood before him, and he said, Do ye away foul clothes from him. And he said to him, Lo! I have done away from thee thy wickedness, and I have clothed thee with changing (of) clothes. (Who answered, and said to those who stood before him, and he said, Do ye away his filthy clothes. And then he said to him, Lo! I have done away thy wickedness from thee, and I have clothed thee with a change of clothing/and I have clothed thee with clean clothes.)
5 And he said, Put ye a clean mitre on his head. And they putted a clean mitre on his head, and clothed him with clothes. And the angel of the Lord stood, (And he said, Put ye a clean turban upon his head. And they put a clean turban upon his head, and clothed him with clean clothes. And the angel of the Lord stood by,)
6 and the angel of the Lord witnessed to Joshua, and said,
7 The Lord of hosts saith these things, If thou shalt go in my ways, and shalt keep my keeping, also and thou shalt deem mine house, and shalt keep my porches; and I shall give to thee goers, of these that now here stand nigh. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, If thou shalt go in my ways, and shalt perform your duties, then thou shalt judge, or thou shalt rule, my House, and shalt keep charge of my courtyards, and I shall give thee the right to come and go amongst those who now stand here nearby.)
8 Hear thou, Joshua, great priest, thou and thy friends that dwell before thee, for they be men signifying thing[s] to coming. Lo! soothly I shall bring my servant springing up, either Christ born. (Hear thou, Joshua, the High Priest, thou and thy friends who be seated before thee, for they signify the things to come. Lo! truly I shall bring forth my servant, The Branch.)
9 For lo! the stone which I gave before Joshua, on one stone be seven eyes; and lo! I shall grave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I shall do away the wickedness of that land in one day. (For lo! the stone which I put before Joshua, and on that one stone be seven eyes, or seven facets; and lo! I shall engrave its engraving, or its inscription, saith the Lord of hosts, and I shall do away the wickedness of that land in one day.)
10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, a man shall call his friend under a vine, and under a fig tree. (On that day, saith the Lord of hosts, a man shall call his friends to come, and sit down, and rest under a vine, and under a fig tree.)
4 After these things I saw, and lo! a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice that I heard, was as of a trumpet speaking with me, and said, Ascend thou up hither [And the first voice that I heard, was as of a trump speaking with me, saying, Ascend up hither], and I shall show to thee which things it behooveth to be done soon after these things.
2 And at once [And anon] I was in Spirit, and lo! a seat was set in heaven, and upon the seat one sitting [and on the seat one sitting].
3 And he that sat, was like [to] the sight of a stone jasper, and to sardine; and a rainbow was in [the] compass of the seat, like [to] the sight of emerald [like to the sight of smaragdus].
4 And in the compass of the seat were four and twenty small seats; and above the thrones four and twenty elder men sitting, covered about with white clothes [And in compass of the seat were four and twenty small seats; and upon the thrones four and twenty elders sitting, girded about with white clothes], and in the heads of them golden crowns.
5 And lightnings, and voices, and thunderings came out of the throne; and seven lamps burning before the throne, which be the seven spirits of God.
6 And before the seat as a sea of glass, like [to] crystal, and in the middle of the seat, and in the compass [and in compass] of the seat, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast like a lion; and the second beast like a calf; and the third beast having a face as of a man [and the third beast having a face as a man]; and the fourth beast like an eagle flying.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings; and all about [and in compass] and within they were full of eyes; and they had not rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God almighty, that was, and that is, and that is to coming [and that is to come].
45 Who guessest thou is a true servant and prudent [Who guessest thou is a faithful servant and prudent], whom his lord ordained on his household, to give them meat in time?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he shall come [when he come], shall find so doing.
47 Truly I say to you, for on [upon] all his goods he shall ordain him.
48 But if that evil servant [shall] say in his heart, My lord tarrieth to come,
49 and beginneth to smite his even-servants [and shall begin to smite his even-servants], and to eat, and drink with drunken men;
50 the lord of that servant shall come in the day [in] which he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not,
51 and shall part him (in pieces), and put his part with hypocrites; there shall be weeping, and grinding of teeth [there shall be weeping, and beating together of teeth].
2001 by Terence P. Noble