Book of Common Prayer

¹ For the music director: “Do not Destroy,” a psalm of Asaph, a song.
² We praise You, we praise God,
for Your Name is near.
People declare Your wonders.

¹ For the music director, on stringed instruments: a psalm of Asaph, a song.
² In Judah God is known.
In Israel His Name is great.
³ In Salem is His sukkah
and His dwelling place in Zion.
⁴ There He broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the battle. Selah
⁵ You are brilliant,
more majestic than nourishing mountains.
⁶ The valiant have been plundered—
they slumbered in their sleep.
The mighty could not lift their hands.
⁷ At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both horse and rider lay dead asleep.
⁸ You are awesome, yes You are!
Who can stand in Your presence once You are angry?
⁹ From heaven You pronounced judgment.
The earth feared and was still—
¹⁰ when God rose up to judgment,
to save all the humble of the land. Selah
¹¹ For wrath upon man will bring You praise,
a remnant of wrath You put on as a belt.
¹² Make vows to Adonai your God and fulfill them.
Let all around Him bring tribute to the One who is to be feared.
¹³ He cuts off the breath of princes.
The kings of earth are in awe of Him.

¹ A psalm of David.
Adonai is my shepherd, I shall not want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³ He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
    for His Name’s sake.

¹ Of David.
Adonai is my light and my salvation:
    whom should I fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life:
    whom should I dread?
² When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh
—my adversaries and my foes—they stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army camp besieges me, my heart will not fear.
Though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident.
⁴ One thing have I asked of Adonai,
that will I seek:
to dwell in the House of Adonai
    all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of Adonai,
    and to meditate in His Temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His sukkah,
conceal me in the shelter of His tent,
and set me high upon a rock.
⁶ Then will my head be high above my enemies around me.
In His Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing, yes, sing praises to Adonai.

²⁰ “Declare this in the house of Jacob
    and proclaim it in Judah, saying:
²¹ ‘Hear this you foolish people
    who have no understanding,
    who have eyes but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear.
²² Do you not fear Me?’ says Adonai.
    ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?’
    For I made the sand a boundary of the sea,
            an everlasting decree that cannot be broken.
    Though the waves roll, they cannot prevail.
    Though they roar, they cannot cross it.
²³ But this people have a stubborn and rebellious heart.
    They have turned aside and gone away.
²⁴ They do not say in their heart,
    ‘Let us now fear Adonai Eloheinu,
        who gives rain in its season
        —fall rain and spring rain—
        who reserves for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
²⁵ Your iniquities have turned these away,
    your sins have deprived you of bounty.
²⁶ For among My people are wicked men,
        watching like bait-layers lying in wait.
    They set a trap—they catch men.
²⁷ As a cage is full of birds,
    so are their houses full of deceit.
    That is why they grew great and rich.
²⁸ They grew fat and sleek.
    They also overlooked evil deeds.
    They do not uphold a cause
    —the cause of an orphan to prosper—
    nor do they defend the right of the poor.
²⁹ Should I not punish them?” says Adonai.
    “On such a nation
        should I not avenge Myself?
³⁰ An appalling and horrible thing
        has happened in the land.
³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely,
    the kohanim rule by their own authority,
    and My people love it this way!
    But what will you do in the end?”