Book of Common Prayer
83 The song of the psalm of Asaph. God, who shall be like thee? God, be thou not still, neither be thou peaced. (God, be thou not silent. Yea, God, be thou not still, nor hold thy peace.)
2 For lo! thine enemies sounded; and they that hate thee raised the head. (For lo! thy enemies have raised a ruckus; and those who hate thee have raised up their heads in revolt, or in defiance.)
3 They made a wicked counsel on thy people; and they thought against thy saints. (They made wicked plans against thy people; yea, they thought together against thy saints.)
4 They said, Come ye, and lose we them from the folk; and the name of Israel be no more had in mind. (They said, Come ye, and let us destroy their nation; and then the name of Israel shall no more be remembered.)
5 For they thought with one accord; (For they thought with one accord; they proposed together a plan against thee/they conspired to work together against thee;)
6 the tabernacles of Idumeans, and men of Ishmael disposed a testament together against thee. Moab, and Hagarenes, (yea, the families of the Edomites, and the Ishmaelites; and the Moabites, and the Hagarenes;)
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; (and the) aliens with them that dwell in Tyre. (and the peoples of Gebal, and of Ammon, and of Amalek; and the Philistines, and those who live in Tyre.)
8 For Assur cometh with them; they be made into help to the sons of Lot. (And the Assyrians also come with them; they all want to help the sons of Lot.)
9 Make thou to them as to Midian, and Sisera; as to Jabin, in the strand of Kison. (Do thou to them like thou did to the Midianites, and to Sisera; and to Jabin, at the Kishon Stream.)
10 They perished in Endor; they were made as a turd of earth. (They perished at Endor; they were made like a turd upon the earth.)
11 Put thou the princes of them as Oreb and Zeeb; and Zebah and Zalmunna. (Make thou their princes, or their leaders, like Oreb and Zeeb; and like Zebah and Zalmunna.)
12 All the princes of them, that said, Hold we by heritage the saintuary of God. (Yea, all their princes, or their leaders, who said, Let us take for ourselves the land that belongeth to God/the land that belongeth to God’s people.)
13 My God, put thou them as a wheel; and as stubble before the face of the wind. (My God, put thou them into a whirlwind; yea, make them like the dust in the wind.)
14 As fire that burneth a wood; and as flame burning hills. (Like the fire that burneth a wood; and the flames that burn the hills,)
15 So thou shalt pursue them in thy tempest; and thou shalt trouble them in thine ire. (so shalt thou pursue after them with thy tempest; and thou shalt made them afraid with thy storm winds.)
16 Lord, fill thou the faces of them with shame; and they shall seek thy name. (Lord, fill thou their faces with shame; and then they shall seek thy name.)
17 Be they ashamed, and be they troubled into the world of world (Be they ashamed, and let them be troubled forever); and be they shamed, and perish they.
18 And know they, that Lord is name to thee; thou alone art the Highest in every land. (And then they shall know, that The Lord is thy name; and that thou alone art the Most High in all the earth.)
34 To David, when he changed his mouth, or his word, before Abimelech, and he drove out David, and he went forth. I shall bless the Lord in all time; ever[more] his praising be in my mouth. (To David, when he changed his face, and his words, before Abimelech, who then drove David out, and so he went forth. I shall always bless the Lord; his praises shall be in my mouth forevermore.)
2 My soul shall be praised in the Lord; mild men hear, and be glad. (My soul shall have glory in the Lord; let the humble hear, and be glad.)
3 Magnify ye the Lord with me; and enhance we his name into itself (and let us exalt his name together).
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my tribulations (and he rescued, or saved, me, from all of my troubles).
5 Nigh ye to him, and be ye lightened (Go ye near to him, and ye shall shine with joy); and your faces shall not be shamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him from all his tribulations.
7 The angel of the Lord sendeth in the compass of men dreading him; and he shall deliver them. (The angel of the Lord guardeth those who fear him/who revere him; and he rescueth them.)
8 Taste ye, and see, for the Lord is sweet; blessed is the man, that hopeth in him. (Taste ye, and see, that the Lord is good; happy is the person, who trusteth in him.)
9 All ye holy men of the Lord, dread ye him; for no neediness is to men dreading him. (All ye holy people of the Lord, fear him; for there is no neediness in those who fear him./All ye holy people of the Lord, revere him; for there is no neediness in those who revere him.)
10 Rich men were needy, and were hungry; but men that seek the Lord shall not fail of all good (but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing).
11 Come, ye sons, hear ye me; I shall teach you the dread of the Lord. (Come, ye sons and daughters, and listen ye to me; I shall teach you the fear of the Lord/I shall teach you to revere the Lord.)
12 Who is the man, that willeth life; that loveth to see good days? (Who is the person who desireth life? who loveth to see good days?)
13 Forbid thy tongue from evil; and thy lips speak not guile (and do not let thy lips speak deceitfully).
14 Turn thou away from evil, and do good; seek thou peace, and perfectly follow thou it.
15 The eyes of the Lord be on just men (The eyes of the Lord be on the righteous); and his ears be to their prayers.
16 But the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils; that he lose the mind of them from [the] earth. (But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil; and he shall blot out the memory of them from off the earth.)
17 Just men cried [The rightwise cried], and the Lord heard them; and delivered them from all their tribulations (and he rescued, or saved, them from all their troubles).
18 The Lord is nigh [to] them that be of troubled heart; and he shall save meek men in spirit. (The Lord is near to those who have a troubled heart; and he saveth those whose spirit is meek, or is humble.)
19 Many tribulations be of just men; and the Lord shall deliver them from all these. (Many troubles be to the righteous; but the Lord shall rescue, or save, them out of all of them.)
20 The Lord keepeth all the bones of them; one of those shall not be broken. (The Lord guardeth, or keepeth safe, all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.)
21 The death of sinners is worst; and they that hate a just man shall trespass. (The death of sinners is brought about by the Worst/Evil bringeth about the death of sinners; and those who hate the righteous shall be punished.)
22 The Lord shall again-buy the souls of his servants; and all, that hope in him, shall not trespass. (But the Lord redeemeth, or ransometh, the souls of his servants; and all who trust in him, shall not go astray.)
85 To the overcomer, the song of the sons of Korah. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. (To the overcomer, the song for the sons of Korah. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast brought back the captives of Jacob/thou hast returned prosperity to Jacob.)
2 Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of thy people; thou hast covered all the sins of them.
3 Thou hast assuaged all thine ire; thou hast turned (thyself) away from the ire of thine indignation.
4 God, our health, convert thou us; and turn away thine ire from us. (God, our salvation, bring thou us back/God, our deliverance, turn back to us; and turn away thy anger from us.)
5 Whether thou shalt be wroth to us [into] without end; either shalt thou hold forth thine ire from generation into generation? (Shalt thou be angry with us forever? shalt thou bring forth thy anger to all generations?)
6 God, thou converted, shalt quicken us; and thy people shall be glad in thee. (God, give thou us new life; and thy people shall be glad, or shall rejoice, in thee.)
7 Lord, show thy mercy to us; and give thine health to us. (Lord, show thy love to us; and give thy help to us/and grant us thy salvation, or thy deliverance.)
8 I shall hear what the Lord God shall speak in me; for he shall speak peace to his people. And on his holy men; and on them that be turned to heart. (I shall listen to what the Lord God shall say; for he shall speak words of peace to his people. Yea, to us, and to his holy men; and to all who turn towards him with their hearts.)
9 Nevertheless his health is nigh (to) men dreading him; that glory dwell in our land. (For his salvation, or his deliverance, is near to those who fear him/is near to those who revere him; so that glory can be in our land.)
10 Mercy and truth met themselves; rightfulness and peace were kissed. (Love and faithfulness came together; righteousness and peace kissed each other.)
11 Truth came forth (out) of the earth; and rightfulness beheld from heaven. (Faithfulness sprang forth from the earth; and righteousness looked down from heaven.)
12 For the Lord shall give benignity; and our earth shall give his fruit. (For the Lord shall give prosperity; and our earth shall give its fruit.)
13 Rightfulness shall go before him; and shall set his steps in the way. (Righteousness shall go before him; and shall prepare the way for his steps.)
86 The prayer of David. Lord, bow (down) thine ear, and hear me; for I am needy and poor.
2 Keep thou my life, for I am holy; my God, make thou safe thy servant hoping in thee. (Keep thou my life safe, for I am holy; my God, save thou thy servant, who trusteth in thee.)
3 Lord, have thou mercy on me, for I cried all day (long) to thee;
4 make thou glad the soul of thy servant; for why, Lord, I have raised my soul to thee (for Lord, I have raised up my soul to thee).
5 For thou, Lord, art sweet and mild; and of much mercy to all men inwardly calling thee. (For thou, Lord, art good and forgiving; and hath great love for all who call to thee/and hath great mercy for all who cry to thee.)
6 Lord, perceive thou my prayer with ears; and give thou attention to the voice of my beseeching. (Lord, listen thou to my prayer; and give attention to the words of my plea.)
7 In the day of my tribulation I cried to thee; for thou heardest me. (In my time of trouble, I cried to thee; for thou shalt answer me.)
8 Lord, none among gods is like thee; and none is even to thy works. (Lord, there is no god like thee; and there be no works like thy works/and there be no works equal to thy works.)
9 Lord, all folks, whichever thou madest (Lord, all the nations, which thou hast made), shall come, and worship before thee; and they shall glorify thy name.
10 For thou art full great, and making marvels (For thou art very great, and doing marvellous deeds); thou art God alone.
11 Lord, lead thou me forth in thy way, and I shall enter in thy truth; mine heart be glad, that it dread thy name. (Lord, lead thou me forth in thy way, and I shall walk in thy truth; let my heart be glad, that I fear thy name/that I revere thy name.)
12 My Lord God, I shall acknowledge to thee in all mine heart; and I shall glorify thy name [into] without end. (My Lord God, I shall praise thee with all my heart; and I shall glorify thy name forever.)
13 For thy mercy is great on me; and thou deliveredest my soul from the lower hell. (For thy love is great towards me; and thou hast rescued my soul from the depths of Sheol, or the land of the dead/and thou hast rescued my soul from the grave itself.)
14 God, wicked men have risen upon me; and the synagogue of mighty men have sought my life; and they have not set forth thee in their sight. (God, the wicked have risen against me; and a company of mighty men have sought my life; and they have no thought of thee.)
15 And thou, Lord God, doing mercy, and merciful; patient, and of much mercy, and soothfast. (But thou, Lord, art a God who giveth love, and art merciful; yea, thou art patient, and hath great love, and art faithful.)
16 Behold on me, and have mercy on me, give thou the empire to thy servant; and make thou safe the son of thine handmaid. (Turn to me, and have mercy on me; give thou thy strength to thy servant, and save thou the son of thy servantess.)
17 Make thou with me a sign in(to) good, that they see, that hate me, and be ashamed (Show thou me a sign of thy goodness, so that those who hate me can see it, and be ashamed); (yea,) for thou, Lord, hast helped me/hast holpen me, and hast comforted me.
12 And Marie spake and Aaron against Moses, for his wife (was) a woman of Ethiopia, (And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, for his wife was an Ethiopian woman,)
2 and they said, Whether God spake his will only by Moses? whether he spake not also to us in like manner? And when the Lord had heard this, he was wroth greatly (he was greatly angered);
3 for Moses was the mildest man, over all men that dwelled in earth. (for Moses was the humblest man, more humble than any other man who lived upon the face of the earth.)
4 And suddenly the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron and to Marie, (and said,) Go out ye three alone to the tabernacle of the bond of peace. And when they were gone in, (And suddenly the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, and said, Ye three go out alone to the Tabernacle of the Covenant. And when they had gone out to it,)
5 the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and he stood in the entering of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Marie. And when they had gone forth, (the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and he stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And when they had come forth,)
6 he said to them, Hear ye my words; if any among you is a prophet of the Lord, I shall appear to him in revelation, either I shall speak to him by a dream.
7 And he said, And my servant Moses is not such, the which is most faithful in all mine house; (Then he said, But my servant Moses is not such a prophet, for he alone is most faithful in all my household;)
8 for I speak to him mouth to mouth, and he seeth God openly, and not by dark speeches, either dark likenesses, and figures. Why therefore dreaded ye not to backbite my servant Moses? (and I speak with him face to face, and he seeth God openly, and not only through riddles. Yea, he hath even seen my form, or my figure! So why do ye not fear to backbite my servant Moses?)
9 And the Lord was wroth against them, and he went away.
10 And the cloud went away, that was on the tabernacle, and lo! Marie appeared shining with leprosy (and lo! Miriam had become leprous), white as snow. And when Aaron beheld her, and saw her besprinkled with leprosy,
11 he said to Moses, My lord, I beseech thee, put thou not this sin upon us, which we did follily (for we acted foolishly),
12 (and) that this woman be not made as dead, and as a dead born thing that is cast out of the mother’s womb; lo! now the half of her flesh is devoured, or over-covered, with leprosy (lo! now half of her flesh hath been devoured by the leprosy!).
13 And Moses cried to the Lord, and said, Lord, I beseech thee, heal thou her.
14 To whom the Lord answered, If her father had spit into her face, whether she ought not to be full-filled with shame, namely seven days? Therefore be she separated out of the tents by seven days, and afterward she shall be called again (And so let her be set apart from the tents for seven days, and then she shall be called back again).
15 And so Marie was excluded, or put, out of the tents by seven days; and the people was not moved from that place, till Marie was called again. (And so Miriam was sent away from the tents for seven days; and the people did not move from that place, until Miriam was called back again.)
16 And the people went forth from Hazeroth, when the tents were set in the desert of Paran. (And then the people went forth from Hazeroth, and pitched their tents in the wilderness of Paran.)
12 For whoever have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law; and whoever have sinned in the law, they shall be deemed by the law. [For whoever sin without law, shall perish without law; and whoever in the law sin, shall be deemed by the law.]
13 For the hearers of the law be not just with God, but the doers of the law shall be made just.
14 For when heathen men that have not law, do naturally [do by kind] those things that be of the law, they not having such manner [of] law, be law to themselves,
15 that show the work of the law written in their hearts. For the conscience of them yieldeth to them a witnessing betwixt themselves of thoughts that be accusing or defending, [that show the work of law written in their hearts; the conscience of them yielding to them a witnessing and between themselves of thoughts accusing or also defending,]
16 in the day when God shall deem the privy things of men after my gospel, by Jesus Christ.
17 But if thou art named a Jew [Forsooth if thou art named a Jew], and restest in the law, and hast glory in God,
18 and hast known his will, and thou learned by the law approvest [provest] the more profitable things,
19 and trustest thyself to be a leader of blind men, the light of them that be in darknesses,
20 a teacher of unwise men, a master of young children, that hast the form of knowing [having the form of science, or knowing,] and of truth in the law;
21 what then teachest thou another, and teachest not thyself? Thou that preachest that me shall not steal, stealest? [therefore thou that teachest another, teachest not thyself? Thou that preachest to not steal, stealest?]
22 Thou that teachest that me shall not do lechery, doest lechery? Thou that loathest maumets, doest sacrilege?[a]
23 Thou that hast glory in the law, unhonourest God by breaking of the law? [Thou that gloriest in the law, by breaking of the law unworshippest, or despisest, God?]
24 For the name of God is blasphemed by you among heathen men, as [it] is written. [For the name of God by you is blasphemed among heathen men, as it is written.]
10 See ye, that ye despise not one of these little. For I say to you, that the angels of them in heavens see evermore the face of my Father that is in heavens [Truly I say to you, for the angels of them in heavens see ever the face of my Father which is in heavens].
11 For man's Son came to save that thing that perished.
12 What seemeth to you? If there were to a man an hundred sheep, and one of them hath erred, whether he shall not leave ninety and nine in desert [whether he shall not leave ninety and nine in the hills], and shall go to seek that that erred?
13 And if it fall that he find it, truly I say to you, that he shall have joy thereof more than on ninety and nine that erred not. [And if it befall that he find it, truly I say to you, for he shall joy thereon more than of ninety and nine that erred not.]
14 So it is not the will of your Father that is in heavens[a], that one of these little perish.
15 But if thy brother sinneth against thee, go thou, and reprove him, betwixt thee and him alone; if he heareth thee, thou hast won thy brother.[b]
16 And if he heareth thee not, take with thee one or twain, that every word stand in the mouth of twain or three witnesses. [Truly if he shall not hear thee, take with thee one or two, that every word stand in the mouth of two or three witnesses.]
17 And if he heareth not them, say thou to the church. But if he heareth not the church, be he as an heathen and a publican to thee. [That if he shall not hear them, say thou to the church. Forsooth if he shall not hear the church, be he to thee as an heathen man and a publican.]
18 I say to you truly, whatever things ye [shall] bind on earth, those shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever things ye [shall] unbind on earth, those shall be unbound also in heaven. [I say to you truly, whatever things ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever things ye shall unbind on earth, shall be unbound also in heaven.]
19 Again I say to you, that if twain of you consent on earth, of every thing whatever they ask, it shall be done to them of my Father that is in heavens.[c]
20 For where twain or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them. [For where two or three be gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble