Book of Common Prayer
26 [The psalm of David.] Lord, deem thou me, for I entered in mine innocence; and I hoping in the Lord, shall not be made unsteadfast. (The song of David. Lord, judge me, for I have gone my way in innocence; and trusting in the Lord, I have not been made unsteady, that is, I have not slipped, or stumbled.)
2 Lord, prove thou me, and assay me; burn thou my reins, and mine heart (burn thou my will, and my heart).
3 For why thy mercy is before mine eyes; and I pleased in thy truth. (For thy love is always before me; and I have gone in thy faithfulness.)
4 I sat not with the counsel of vanity; and I shall not enter with men doing wicked things. (I sat not down with vain, that is, empty, or worthless, people; and I shall not go along with those who do wicked things.)
5 I hated the church of evil men; and I shall not sit with wicked men. (I hate the company of evil people; and I shall not sit with the wicked.)
6 I shall wash mine hands among innocents; and, Lord, I shall compass thine altar. (I shall wash my hands in innocence; and then, Lord, I shall march around thy altar.)
7 That I hear the voice of praising; and that I tell out all thy marvels. (And I shall sing thy praises with thanksgiving; and I shall tell of all thy marvellous deeds.)
8 Lord, I have loved the fairness of thine house; and the place of the dwelling of thy glory. (Lord, I love the beauty of thy House; yea, the place where thy glory dwelleth.)
9 God, lose thou not my soul with unfaithful men; and my life with men of bloods. (God, do not thou destroy me along with the unfaithful; and do not take away my life along with those who thirst for blood, that is, murderers.)
10 In whose hands wickednesses be; the right hand of them is full-filled with gifts. (In whose hands be wickednesses; their right hands be filled full with bribes.)
11 But I entered in mine innocence; again-buy thou me, and have mercy on me. (But I went forth in innocence; so redeem thou me, and have mercy on me.)
12 My foot stood in rightfulness; Lord, I shall bless thee in churches. (Yea, my feet standeth on firm ground; Lord, I shall bless thee in the congregations.)
28 To David. [The psalm to this David.] Lord, I shall cry to thee; my God, be thou not still from me, be thou not still any time from me; and I shall be made like to them, that go down into the pit. (The song of David. Lord, I shall cry to thee. My God, be thou not deaf to me, and never be thou silent with me; or I shall be made like those who go down into the pit.)
2 Lord, hear thou the voice of my beseeching, while I pray to thee; while I raise mine hands to(ward) thine holy temple. (Lord, hear thou the words of my plea, when I pray to thee; when I raise up my hands toward thy holy Temple.)
3 Betake thou not me together with sinners; and lose thou not me with them that work wickedness. Which speak peace to their neighbour(s); but evils be in their hearts. (Take thou me not away with the sinners; and destroy thou me not with those who do evil. Yea, those who speak peacefully to their neighbours; but evil is in their hearts.)
4 Give thou to them after the works of them; and after the wickedness of their findings. Give thou to them after the works of their hands; yield thou their yielding to them. (Punish thou them according to their works; yea, according to the wickedness of their deeds. Punish thou them according to the works of their hands; give thou them their just reward.)
5 For they understood not the works of the Lord, and by the works of his hands thou shalt destroy them; and thou shalt not build them. (Because they do not respect the works of the Lord, or the works of his hands, he shall destroy them; and he shall not build them up again.)
6 Blessed be the Lord; for he heard the voice of my beseeching (for he heard the words of my plea).
7 The Lord is mine helper and my defender; and mine heart hoped in him, and I am helped. And my flesh flowered again; and (out) of my will I shall acknowledge to him. (The Lord is my helper and my defender; and my heart trusted him, and I was helped. And my heart full out joyed, or rejoiced; and I shall praise him with my song.)
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; and he is the defender of the savings of his christ (The Lord is the strength of his people; and he is the defender and the saviour of his anointed king/and he is the defender and the safe place, or the refuge, for his anointed king.)
9 Lord, make thou safe thy people, and bless thou thine heritage; and rule thou them, and enhance thou them till into without end. (Lord, save thou thy people, and bless thou thy inheritance; and rule thou over them, and lift thou them up, yea, take good care of them, forever.)
36 To victory, to David, the servant of the Lord. The unjust man said, that he trespass in himself; the dread of God is not before his eyes. (To the victory of David, the servant of the Lord. The wicked man said, My sin, or my trespass, is my concern alone; and so the fear of God is not in his heart/and so reverence for God is not in his heart.)
2 For he did guilefully in the sight of God; that his wickedness be found to (be) hatred. (But he did deceitfully before God; until his wickedness was found to be hateful.)
3 The words of his mouth be wickedness and guile; he would not understand to do well. (The words of his mouth be wicked and deceitful; he desireth not to understand, or to do good.)
4 He thought wickedness in his bed; he stood nigh (to) all way(s) (that be) not good; forsooth he hated not malice.
5 Lord, thy mercy is in heaven; and thy truth is unto [the] clouds. (Lord, thy love reacheth up to the heavens; and thy faithfulness up to the clouds.)
6 Thy rightfulness is as the hills of God; thy dooms be (as) much depth of waters. Lord, thou shalt save men and beasts; (Thy righteousness is as high as the mountains; thy judgements, or thy just acts, be as deep as the water. Lord, thou shalt save people and beasts;)
7 as thou, God, hast multiplied thy mercy. But the sons of men shall hope in the covering of thy wings. (for thou, God, hast multiplied thy love. And so the sons and daughters of men shall hope for/shall trust in the covering of thy wings.)
8 They shall be (ful)filled greatly of the plenty of thine house; and thou shalt give drink to them of the stiff stream of thy liking. (They shall be filled from the rich plenty of thy House; and thou shalt give drink to them out of the flowing stream of thy delights, or of thy goodness.)
9 For the well of life is with thee; and in thy light we shall see light.
10 Lord, set forth thy mercy to them that know thee; and thy rightfulness to them that be of rightful heart. (Lord, continue to show thy love to those who know thee; and thy righteousness to those who have an upright heart.)
11 The foot of pride come not to me; and the hand of the sinner move me not. (Let not the foot of pride come against me; nor let the hand of the sinner upset me.)
12 There they have fallen down, that work wickedness; they be cast out, and might not stand. (See where those who do evil have fallen; yea, they be thrown down, and be not able to stand up again.)
39 For victory, to Jeduthun, the psalm of David. I said, I shall keep my ways; that I trespass not in my tongue. I setted keeping to my mouth; when a sinner stood against me. (To victory, to Jeduthun, the song of David. I said, I shall keep watch over my ways; so that I do not trespass with my tongue. And I guarded my mouth; when a sinner stood against me.)
2 I was dumb, and I was meeked full greatly, and was still, (even) from goods; and my sorrow was renewed. (I was dumb, and was very greatly humbled, and I was silent, even about good things; and so my sorrow was renewed.)
3 Mine heart was hot within me; and fire shall burn out in my thinking. I spake in my tongue; (My heart was hot within me; and the fire burned forever as I thought about all this. And then I said with my tongue,)
4 Lord, make thou mine end known to me. And the number of my days, what it is; that I know, what faileth to me (so that I know what falleth to me/so that I know when I shall fail, or die).
5 Lo! thou hast set my days measurable; and my substance is as nought before thee. Nevertheless all vanity; each man living. (Lo! thou hast made my days able to be measured, or counted; and my substance is like but nothing before thee, yea, but a puff of air. And all is emptiness, or uselessness; for each person alive.)
6 Nevertheless a man passeth in an image; but also he is troubled vainly. He treasureth; and he know not, to whom he shall gather those things. (And a person passeth by like a shadow; and he travaileth, or laboureth, in vain, that is, he worketh for nothing. For he buildeth up treasure; yet he truly knoweth not, for whom he gathered those things.)
7 And now which is mine abiding? whether not the Lord? and my substance is at thee. (And now, who do I wait for? is it not for the Lord? yea, for my hope is in thee.)
8 Deliver thou me from all my wickednesses; thou hast given me (as a) shame to the unknowing. (Rescue thou me/Save thou me from all of my wickednesses; thou hast made me a shame, or a reproach, to the ignorant.)
9 I was dumb, and opened not my mouth; for thou hast made (this happen), (But I was dumb, and did not open my mouth; for thou hast done this.)
10 remove thou thy wounds from me. From the strength of thine hand I failed in blamings; (Cease thou from wounding me; for I am failing from the strokes of thy hand.)
11 for wickedness thou hast chastised [a] man. And thou madest his life to fail as a spider; nevertheless each man is troubled in vain. (For when thou hast chastised someone for wickedness, thou hast destroyed his life; yea, like a moth that eateth up a piece of cloth. Nevertheless, each person is troubled over nothing anyway, for his life is nothing but emptiness.)
12 Lord, hear thou my prayer, and my beseeching; perceive thou with ears my tears. Be thou not still, for I am a comeling with thee; and a pilgrim, as all my fathers. (Lord, hear thou my prayer; and listen to my plea. Be thou not silent before my tears, for I am but a newcomer, or a visitor, here with thee; yea, a pilgrim, like all my forefathers were before me.)
13 Forgive thou to me, that I be refreshed, before that I go; and I shall no more be. (Forgive thou me, so that I can be refreshed, before that I go away; and then I shall be no more.)
15 Then she let them down from the window by a cord; for her house was joined to the town wall.
16 And she said to them, Go ye up to the hilly places, lest peradventure the men turning again meet you; and be ye hid there three days, till they come again; and so ye shall go by your way. (And she said to them, Go ye up to the hills, lest as the men return, they come upon you; and be ye hid there for three days, until they return; and then ye can go on your way.)
17 Which said to her, We shall be guiltless of this oath, by which thou hast charged us,
18 if, when we enter into the land, this red cord is not (shown as) a sign, and thou bindest it not in the window, by which thou lettest us down; and thou gatherest not into thine house thy father, and mother, and brethren, and all thy kindred;
19 the blood of him shall be on his head, that goeth out at the door of thine house, and we shall be guiltless; forsooth the blood of all men that be in the house with thee, shall turn into our head (shall be on our heads), if any man toucheth them.
20 That if thou wilt betray us, and bring forth into the midst this word, we shall be clean of this oath, by which thou hast charged us. (But if thou wilt betray us, and bring forth this word into the midst/and make known our agreement, then we shall be released from this oath, by which thou hast charged us.)
21 And she answered, As ye have spoken, so be it done. And she let go them, that they should go forth (And she let them go, so that they could go forth), and (then) she hanged the red cord in her window.
22 And they went forth, and came into the hilly places, and dwelled there three days, till they turned again that (had) pursued them; for they sought them by each way, and found not them. (And they went forth, and came to the hills, and stayed there for three days, until they who had pursued them returned; for they had sought them every place that they could think of, but could not find them anywhere.)
23 And when the seekers entered into the city again, the spyers turned again, and came down from the hill; and when they had passed [over] (the) Jordan, they came to Joshua, the son of Nun; and they told to him all things that befelled to them, (And after that those who had sought them had entered into the city again, the spies returned, and came down from the hills; and when they had crossed back over the Jordan River, they came to Joshua, the son of Nun; and they told him everything that had happened to them,)
24 and said, The Lord hath betaken all the land into our hands, and all the dwellers thereof be cast down by dread. (and they said, The Lord hath delivered all the land into our hands, and all of its inhabitants be greatly afraid of us.)
13 But I say to you [Soothly I say to you], heathen men, for as long as I am apostle of heathen men, I shall honour my ministry [I shall honour my ministry, or service],
14 if in any manner I stir my flesh for to follow, and that I make some of them safe. [if on any manner I stir my flesh to follow, and I make some of them safe.]
15 For if the loss of them is the reconciling of the world, what is the taking up [of them], but life of dead men [but life of dead]?
16 For if a little part of that that is tasted be holy, the whole gobbet is holy; and if the root is holy, also the branches.
17 What if any of the branches be broken, when thou were a wild olive tree, art grafted among them, and art made fellow of the root, and of the fatness of the olive tree, [That if any of the branches be broken, thou soothly, when thou were a wild olive tree, wert set in among them, and wert made fellow of the root, and of fatness of the olive tree,]
18 do not thou have glory against the branches [do not thou glory against the branches]. For if thou gloriest, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Therefore thou sayest, The branches be broken, that I be grafted in [that I be inset].
20 Well, for unbelief the branches be broken; but thou standest by faith. Do not thou understand high things [Do not thou savour high thing], but dread thou,
21 for if God spared not the natural branches, [see thou] lest peradventure he spare not thee.
22 Therefore see the goodness, and the fierceness of God; yea, the fierceness into them that fell down, but the goodness of God into thee, if thou dwellest in goodness [if thou shalt dwell in goodness], else also thou shalt be cut down.
23 Yea, and they shall be set in, if they dwell not in unbelief. For God is mighty, to set them in again. [But, and they shall be inset, if they shall not dwell in unbelief. Forsooth God is mighty, again to inset them.]
24 For if thou art cut down of the natural wild olive tree, and against kind art set into a good olive tree, how much more they that be by kind, shall be set in their olive tree?[a]
14 For as a man that goeth in pilgrimage [Soothly as a man going far in pilgrimage], called his servants, and betook to them his goods;
15 and to one he gave five talents, to another twain [and to one he gave five talents, or bezants, forsooth to another two], and to another one, to each after his own virtue; and he went forth at once [and he went forth anon].
16 And he that had five bezants [Forsooth and he that had taken five talents], went forth, and wrought in them, and won other five.
17 Also and he that had taken twain, won other twain. [Also and he that had taken two, won other two.]
18 But he that had taken one, went forth, and delved in the earth, and hid the money of his lord.
19 But after long time, the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.
20 And he that had taken five bezants, came, and brought other five, and said, Lord, thou betookest to me five bezants, lo! I have gotten above five others.[a]
21 His lord said to him, Well be thou, good servant and faithful; for on few things thou hast been true[b], I shall ordain thee on many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 And he that had taken two talents, came, and said, Lord, thou betookest to me two bezants; lo! I have won over other twain.[c]
23 His lord said to him, Well be thou, good servant and true; for on few things thou hast been true[d], I shall ordain thee on many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 But he that had taken one bezant [Forsooth and he that had taken one talent], came, and said, Lord, I know that thou art an hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and thou gatherest together where thou hast not spreaded abroad;
25 and I dreading went, and hid thy bezant in the earth [and I dreading went, and hid thy talent in the earth]; lo! thou hast that that is thine.
26 His lord answered, and said to him, Evil servant and slow, knewest thou that I reap where I sowed not, and gather together where I spreaded not abroad?
27 Therefore it behooved thee to betake my money to (ex)changers [Therefore it behooved thee to have sent my money to changers], that when I came, I should have received that that is mine with usuries.
28 Therefore take away from him the bezant, and give [ye it] to him that hath ten bezants. [And so take ye away from him the talent, and give ye it to him that hath ten talents.]
29 For to every man that hath me shall give, and he shall increase[e]; but from him that hath not, also that that he seemeth to have, shall be taken away from him.
30 And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into outer-more darknesses; there shall be weeping, and grinding of teeth. [And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into utter-more darknesses; there shall be weeping, and beating together of teeth.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble