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.)

¹⁴ The third tongue hath stirred many men, and hath scattered them from folk into folk. It hath destroyed walled cities of rich men, and hath mined down (or undermined) the houses of great men. It hath cut down the virtues of peoples, and hath unknit strong folks. [The third tongue many men stirred, and scattered them from folk into folk. Walled cities of rich men it destroyed, and the houses of great men it minded out. The virtues of peoples it hewed down, and strong folks of kind it unknit.]

¹⁵ The third tongue hath cast out wedded, or honest, women, and hath (de)prived them of their travails.

¹⁶ He that beholdeth the third tongue [or Who beholdeth it], shall not have rest; neither shall have a friend, in whom he shall rest.

¹⁷ The wound of beating maketh wanness; but the wound of (the) tongue shall make less the bones. [The wound of a scourge maketh wanness; the wound forsooth of a tongue shall bruise or shall break bones.]

¹⁸ Many men fell down by the sharpness of (the) sword; but not so (many) (or not as many) as they that perished [or died] by their tongue.

¹⁹ He is blessed that is covered from a wicked tongue [Blessful or Blissful that is covered from a shrewd (or a depraved) tongue]; and he that passed not in the wrathfulness thereof, and he that drew not the yoke thereof, and was not bound in the bonds thereof.

²⁰ For why the yoke thereof is an iron yoke, and the bond thereof is a brazen bond.

²¹ The death thereof is the worst death; and hell is more profitable, that is, the pain of hell is less evil, than it.

²² The perseverance thereof shall not dwell, but it shall hold the ways of unjust men; in his flame it shall not burn just men. [The steadfastness of it shall not abide still, but shall hold the ways of unrightwise men; in his flame he shall not burn rightwise men.]

²³ They that forsake God, shall fall into it; and it shall burn greatly in them, and it shall not be quenched; and as a lion it shall be sent into them [or it shall be sent into them as a lion], and as a (leo)pard it shall hurt them.

²⁴ Beset thine ears with thorns, and do not thou hear a wicked tongue; and make thou doors to (or for) thy mouth, and locks to (or for) thine ears. Well thou, or temper thou, thy gold, and thy silver; [Hedge thine ears with thorns, and do thou not hear the shrewd (or depraved) tongue; and to thy mouth make thou doors, and locks to thine ears. Thy gold and thy silver melt together;]

²⁵ and make thou a balance to (or for) thy words, and rightful bridles to (or for) thy mouth. [and to thy words make thou a balance, and right bridles to thy mouth.]

²⁶ And take heed, lest peradventure thou slide in (or with) (the) tongue, and fall in the sight of enemies, setting treason, to (or for) thee, and thy fall be uncurable into death. [And take heed, lest peradventure thou slide in the tongue, and thou fall in the sight of enemies, waiting to thee (or lying in wait for thee), and thy falling be unhealable into death.]

12 And a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and in the head of her a crown of twelve stars.

² And she had in womb, and she crieth [And she having in womb, or being with child; and she cried], travailing of child, and is tormented, that she bear child.

³ And another sign was seen in heaven; and lo! a great red dragon, that had seven heads [having seven heads], and ten horns, and in the heads of him seven diadems.

⁴ And the tail of him drew the third part of [the] stars of heaven, and sent them into the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, that was to bearing child, that when she had born child, he should devour her son.

⁵ And she bare a man child, that was to ruling all folks in an iron rod [that was to rule all folks in an iron rod]; and her son was snatched (up) to God, and to his throne.

⁶ And the woman flew into wilderness, where she hath a place made ready of God, that he feed her there a thousand days two hundred and sixty.

³⁷ And when he spake, a Pharisee prayed him [some Pharisee prayed], that he should eat with him. And he entered, and sat to meat [And he gone in, sat at the meat].

³⁸ And the Pharisee began to say, guessing within himself, why he was not washed before [the] meat.

³⁹ And the Lord said to him, Now ye Pharisees cleanse that that is withoutforth of the cup and the platter; but that thing that is within of you [but that thing of you that is within], is full of raven and wickedness.

⁴⁰ Fools, whether he that made that that is withoutforth, made not also that that is within?

⁴¹ Nevertheless that that is over-plus [Nevertheless that thing that is over, or superfluous], give ye alms, and lo! all things be clean to you.

⁴² But woe to you, Pharisees, that tithe mint, and rue, and each herb, and leave doom and the charity of God [that tithe mint, and rue, and all wort, or herb, and pass doom and the charity of God]. For it behooved to do these things, and not to leave those.

⁴³ Woe to you, Pharisees, that love the first chairs in synagogues, and salutations in market [and salutations in markets].

⁴⁴ Woe to you, that be as sepulchres, that be not seen [which appear not], and men walking above know not.

⁴⁵ But one of the wise men of the law answered, and said to him, Master, thou saying these things, also to us doest despite. [Forsooth one of the wise men of law answering, said to him, Master, thou saying these things, doest despite also to us.]

⁴⁶ And he said, Also woe to you, wise men of [the] law, for ye charge men with burdens which they be not able to bear [for ye charge men with burdens which they may not bear], and ye yourselves with your one finger touch not the heavinesses.

⁴⁷ Woe to you, that build tombs of prophets [Woe to you, that build burials, or tombs, of prophets]; and your fathers slew them.

⁴⁸ Truly ye witness, that ye consent to the works of your fathers; for [soothly] they slew them, but ye build their sepulchres.

⁴⁹ Therefore [and] the wisdom of God said, I shall send to them prophets and apostles, and of them they shall slay and pursue,

⁵⁰ that the blood of all [the] prophets, that was shed from the making of the world [that was shed out from the beginning of the world], be sought of this generation;

⁵¹ from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias that was slain betwixt the altar and the house^[a]. So I say to you, it shall be sought of this generation.

⁵² Woe to you, wise men of the law [wise men of law], for ye have taken away the key of knowing; and ye yourselves entered not [ye yourselves entered not in], and ye have forbidden them that entered.