Book of Common Prayer
1 Blessed is the man, that goeth not in the counsel of wicked men; and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the chair of pestilence. (Happy is the person who goeth not in the counsel of the wicked; and walketh not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the chair of pestilence.)
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord; and he shall bethink in the law of him day and night. (But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and he shall think about his Law day and night.)
3 And he shall be as a tree, which is planted beside the runnings of waters; that shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall down; and all things, whichever he shall do, shall have prosperity. (And he shall be like a tree, which is planted beside the running water; it shall give its fruit at its proper time, and its leaves shall not fall down. Yea, everything, whatever he shall do, shall prosper.)
4 Not so wicked men, not so; but they be as dust, which the wind casteth away from the face of the earth. (Not so the wicked, not so; but they be like the dust, which the wind bloweth away from off the face of the earth.)
5 Therefore wicked men rise not again in doom; neither sinners in the council of just men. (And so the wicked shall not stand long at the judgement; nor shall the sinners stand with the congregation of the righteous.)
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of just men; and the way of wicked men shall perish. (For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the wicked shall perish on their own way.)
2 Why gnashed with teeth heathen men; and peoples thought vain things? (Why do the heathen gnash with their teeth? and the peoples think up useless plans?)
2 The kings of earth stood together; and princes came together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (The kings of the earth stood together; yea, the rulers came together against the Lord, and against his anointed king.)
3 Break we the bonds of them; and cast we away the yoke of them from us. (And they said, Let us break their bonds, that is, their rule over us; yea, let us throw off their yoke from us.)
4 He that dwelleth in heavens shall scorn them; and the Lord shall bemock them. (But he who liveth in heaven shall scorn them; yea, the Lord shall mock them.)
5 Then he shall speak to them in his wrath; and he shall trouble them in his strong vengeance. (And then he shall speak to them in his anger; and he shall trouble them with his fury.)
6 Soothly I am ordained of him a king upon Zion, his holy hill; (And the Lord saith of me, I have set my king upon Zion; upon my holy hill.)
7 preaching his commandment. The Lord said to me, Thou art my son; I have begotten thee today. (And I said, I shall tell out his decree. Then the Lord said to me, Thou art my son; and today I have become thy father.)
8 Ask thou of me, and I shall give to thee heathen men (for) thine heritage; and (for) thy possession the terms of earth. (Ask thou of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance; and the ends of the earth for thy possession.)
9 Thou shalt govern them in an iron rod; and thou shalt break them together as the vessel of a potter. (Thou shalt govern them with an iron rod; and thou shalt break them in pieces, like a clay pot.)
10 And now, ye kings, understand; ye that deem the earth, be ye learned. (And so now, ye kings, understand; ye who judge, or who rule, the earth, learn your lesson!)
11 Serve ye the Lord with dread; and make ye full out joy to him with trembling. (Serve ye the Lord in fear/Serve ye the Lord with reverence; and bow down before him with trembling.)
12 Take ye lore of chastising; lest the Lord be wroth sometime, and ye perish from the just way. When his wrath shall burn out in short time; blessed be all they, that trust in him. (Kiss ye the King, that is, worship and serve him; lest sometime, the Lord be angry. And then, ye perish on the way; when, in a moment of time, his anger flareth up. Happy be all they, who trust in him.)
3 The psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom, his son. Lord, why be they multiplied that trouble me? many men rise against me. (The song of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, why be there so many who trouble me? why be there so many who rise up against me?)
2 Many men say of my soul, None health there is to him in his God. (Many say of me, There is no help for him from his God.)
3 But thou, Lord, art mine up-taker; my glory, and enhancing mine head. (But thou, Lord, art my defender; my glory, and the one who lifteth up my head.)
4 With my voice I cried to the Lord; and he heard me from his holy hill. (I cried to the Lord with my voice; and he answered me from his holy hill.)
5 I slept, and rested, and I rose up; for the Lord received me (for the Lord had protected me).
6 I shall not dread thousands of people (en)compassing me; (I shall not fear even thousands of people surrounding me;)
7 Lord, arise thou; my God, make me safe. For thou hast smitten all men being adversaries to me without cause; thou hast all-broken the teeth of sinners. (Lord, rise thou up; my God, save me. Thou hast struck down all who be my adversaries; thou hast broken all the teeth of the sinners.)
8 Health is of the Lord; and thy blessing is on thy people. (Victory is from the Lord/Salvation, or deliverance, is from the Lord; and thy blessing is upon thy people.)
4 To the victory in organs, the psalm of David. When I inwardly called, God of my rightwiseness heard me; in tribulation thou hast alarged to me. Have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer. (To victory, on instruments, the song of David. Please answer me when I call thee, O God of my righteousness. For when I was in trouble, thou set me free, or at large. So have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer.)
2 Sons of men, how long be ye of heavy heart? why love ye vanity, and seek leasing? (Sons and daughters of men, how long shall ye insult me? why love ye empty and futile, or worthless, things, and go after lies?)
3 And know ye, that the Lord hath made marvellous his holy man; the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him. (And know ye, that the Lord hath chosen the holy man for his own/that the Lord hath shown me his wondrous love; and that the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him.)
4 Be ye wroth, and do not ye sin; and for those evils to which ye say in your hearts and in your beds, be ye compunct. (Be ye angry, but sin ye not; and have ye remorse for the evils which ye say in your hearts, and in your beds.)
5 Sacrifice ye the sacrifice of rightfulness/Offer ye an offering of rightfulness, and hope ye in the Lord; (Offer ye a righteous sacrifice, and trust ye in the Lord;)
6 many say, Who showed good things to us? Lord, the light of thy cheer is marked upon us; (many say, Who hath shown us any good thing? Lord, shine the light of thy face upon us!)
7 thou hast given gladness in mine heart. They be multiplied of the fruit of wheat, and of wine; and of their oil. (But thou hast put more gladness in my heart, than they have ever had; yea, even when their corn, and their wine, were plentiful.)
8 In peace in the same thing; I shall sleep, and take rest. For thou, Lord; hast set me singularly in hope/hast set me only in hope. (And so I shall lie down in peace; and sleep. For thou alone, Lord, hast given me hope/hast made me safe.)
7 For the ignorance of David, which he sang to the Lord, on the words of (the) Ethiopian, the son of Benjamin. My Lord God, I have hoped in thee; make thou me safe from all that pursue me, and deliver thou me. (For the sin of ignorance by David, which he sang to the Lord, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. My Lord God, I put my trust in thee; save thou me from all who persecute me, and rescue thou me.)
2 Lest any time he as a lion ravish my soul; while none there is that again-buyeth, neither that maketh safe. (Lest any time they tear me apart like a lion; when there is no one who can save me.)
3 My Lord God, if I did this thing, if wickedness is in mine hands, or works (if there is wickedness, or a stain, upon my hands, or deeds);
4 if I yielded to men yielding to me evils, fall I by deserving void from mine enemies; (if I gave back evil to those who first did good to me, let me deservedly fall before my enemies;)
5 mine enemy pursue he my soul, and take he, and defoul my life in earth; and bring my glory into dust. (let my enemy persecute me, and take hold of me, and tread me down into the ground; and bring my honour down into the dust, or down into the dirt.)
6 Lord, rise thou up in thine ire; and be thou raised (up) in the coasts of mine enemies. And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the commandment, which thou hast commanded (And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the justice, or in the judgement, which thou hast commanded);
7 and the synagogue of peoples shall (en)compass thee. And for this go thou again on high; (and the congregation of the people shall surround thee. And for them, go thou again on high;)
8 the Lord deemeth peoples. Lord, deem thou me by my rightfulness; and by mine innocence on me. (and then let the Lord judge the people. Lord, judge thou me according to my righteousness; and the innocence which is in me.)
9 The wickedness of sinners be ended; and thou, God, seeking the hearts, that is, thoughts, and reins, that is, delightings, shall (ad)dress a just man. (Let the wickedness of the sinners be ended; and thou, O God, who judgeth our thoughts, and our desires, shall direct the righteous.)
10 My just help is of the Lord; that maketh safe rightful men in heart. (My righteous help is from the Lord; who saveth the upright in heart.)
11 The Lord is a just judge, strong and patient; whether he is wroth by all days? (The Lord is a righteous judge; every day he is angry with the wicked.)
12 If ye be not converted (If they be not turned from their evil ways), he shall flourish his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.
14 Lo! the wicked hath conceived sorrow; he painfully hath brought forth unrightfulness, and he hath childed wickedness. (Lo! he who is wicked hath conceived many ways to bring sorrow; yea, he hath painfully brought forth unrighteousness, and he hath birthed wickedness.)
15 He opened a pit, and digged it out; and he fell into the ditch which he made. (He opened a pit, and dug it out; but he himself shall fall into the ditch, which he hath made.)
16 His sorrow shall be turned into his head; and his wickedness shall come down into his neck. (His sorrow shall return onto his own head; and his wickedness shall come down onto his own neck.)
17 I shall acknowledge to the Lord by his rightfulness; and I shall sing to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall praise the Lord for his righteousness; and I shall sing to the name of the Most High Lord.)
32 Soothly the sons of Reuben and of Gad had many beasts, and cattle without number was to them, in work beasts. And when they had seen Jazer and Gilead, to be covenable lands to beasts to be fed, (Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had many beasts, and of work beasts, they had cattle without number. And so when they had seen that Jazer and Gilead had suitable lands, where beasts could be pastured,)
2 they came to Moses, and to Eleazar, the priest, and to the princes of the multitude (and to the leaders of the multitude), and said,
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 (that is,) the land which the Lord smote in the sight of the sons of Israel, is of most plenteous country to the pasture of beasts (is very fine land for pasturing beasts); and we thy servants have full many beasts;
5 and we pray thee, if we have found grace before thee, that thou give to us thy servants that country into possession, and make not us to pass [over] Jordan. (and we pray thee, that if we have found grace before thee, that thou give to us thy servants this land for our possession, and do not make us cross over the Jordan River to live.)
6 To whom Moses answered, Whether your brethren shall go to battle, and ye shall sit here?
16 And they went nigh, and said, We shall make sheepfolds, and stables of beasts, and we shall make strengthened cities to our little children. (And they came near, and said to him, We shall make sheepfolds, and stables for our beasts, and we shall make our cities safe and strong for our little children.)
17 Forsooth we ourselves shall be armed to defense, and shall be girded with arms to assailing, and shall go to battle before the sons of Israel, till we bring them into their places; (but) our little children, and whatever thing we may have, shall be in strengthened cities, for the treasons of the dwellers (hereabout). (And then we ourselves shall be armed for defense, and shall be girded for assault, and we shall go forth to battle at the front of the Israelites, until we have brought them into their land; but our little children, and whatever things we have, shall stay here safe in our cities, made strong against the treasons of the inhabitants hereabout.)
18 We shall not turn again into our houses, till the sons of Israel wield their heritage; (We shall not return to our houses, until the Israelites possess their inheritance;)
19 and we shall not ask (for) anything over Jordan, for we have now our possession in the east coast thereof. (and we shall not ask for anything on the west side of the Jordan River, for now we have received our possession here on the east side of the river.)
20 To whom Moses said, If ye do that, that ye promise, be ye made ready, and go ye to (the) battle before the Lord;
21 and each fighting man be armed, and pass he [over] Jordan (and cross he over the Jordan River, and remain there), till the Lord destroy his enemies,
22 and all the land be made subject to him; then ye shall be made guiltless with God, and with Israel, and ye shall wield the countries, which ye will, before the Lord. (and all the land be made subject to him; then ye shall have fulfilled your obligation to God, and to Israel, and ye shall possess the land, which ye desire, in the sight of the Lord.)
23 But if ye do not that, that ye say, it is no doubt to any man, that not ye sin against God; and know ye, that your sin shall take (hold of) you. (But if ye do not do what ye say ye will, no one shall have any doubt, but that ye have sinned against God; and know ye, that your sin shall catch up with you.)
24 Therefore build ye cities to your little children, and folds, and stables to your sheep, and to beasts; and [ful]fill ye that, that ye have promised. (And so build ye cities for your little children, and folds for your sheep, and stables for your beasts; but then fulfill ye, what ye have promised to do.)
25 And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, We be thy servants; we shall do that, that our lord commandeth.
26 We shall leave our little children, and (our) women, and our sheep, and (our) beasts, in the cities of Gilead;
27 forsooth all we thy servants shall go ready to battle, as thou, (my) lord, speakest. (but we thy servants all shall go forth, ready for battle, as thou, my lord, sayest.)
26 And also the Spirit helpeth our infirmity; for what we shall pray, as it behooveth, we know not, but that Spirit asketh for us with sorrowings, that may not be told out [but that Spirit asketh for us with sorrowings, that be not able to be told out].
27 For he that seeketh the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth, for by God [for after God, that is, at God's will,] he asketh for holy men.
28 And we know, that to men that love God, all things work together into good, to them that after purpose be called saints.
29 For those that he knew before [For why and whom he knew before], he before-ordained by grace to be made like to the image of his Son, that he be the first begotten among many brethren.
30 And those that he before-ordained to bless, them he called; and whom he called, them he justified; and whom he justified, them he glorified. [Soothly whom he before-ordained to bless, and them he called; and whom he called, and them he justified; soothly whom he justified, and them he glorified.]
23 Then Jesus spake to the people, and to his disciples, [Then Jesus spake to the companies, and to his disciples,]
2 and said, On the chair of Moses, scribes and Pharisees have sat. [saying, Scribes and Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses.]
3 Therefore keep ye, and do ye all things, whatever things they say to you [whatever they shall say to you]. But do not ye do after their works; for they say, and do not.
4 And they bind grievous charges, and that be not able to be borne [Soothly they bind grievous charges, and unportable, or that may not be borne], and put on [the] shoulders of men; but with their finger they will not move them.
5 Therefore [Forsooth] they do all their works to be seen of men; for they draw abroad their phylacteries, and magnify [their] hems.
6 And they love the first sitting places in suppers [Soothly they love the first sitting places at suppers], and the first chairs in synagogues;
7 and salutations in [the] market, and to be called of men, master [and to be called of men, masters].
8 But do not ye be called master; for one is your master, and all ye be brethren.
9 And do not ye call to you a father on earth [And do not ye call to you a father upon earth], for one is your Father, that is in heavens.
10 Neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, Christ.
11 He that is greatest among you, shall be your minister.
12 For he that higheth himself, shall be meeked; and he that meeketh himself, shall be enhanced. [Forsooth he that shall high himself, shall be meeked; and he that shall meek himself, shall be enhanced.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble