Book of Common Prayer
69 To the Overseer. -- `On the Lilies,' by David. Save me, O God, for come have waters unto the soul.
2 I have sunk in deep mire, And there is no standing, I have come into the depths of the waters, And a flood hath overflown me.
3 I have been wearied with my calling, Burnt hath been my throat, Consumed have been mine eyes, waiting for my God.
4 Those hating me without cause Have been more than the hairs of my head, Mighty have been my destroyers, My lying enemies, That which I took not away -- I bring back.
5 O God, Thou -- Thou hast known Concerning my overturn, And my desolations from Thee have not been hid.
6 Let not those waiting on Thee be ashamed because of me, O Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Let not those seeking Thee Blush because of me, O God of Israel.
7 For because of Thee I have borne reproach, Shame hath covered my face.
8 A stranger I have been to my brother, And a foreigner to sons of my mother.
9 For zeal for Thy house hath consumed me, And the reproaches of Thy reproachers Have fallen upon me.
10 And I weep in the fasting of my soul, And it is for a reproach to me.
11 And I make my clothing sackcloth, And I am to them for a simile.
12 Those sitting at the gate meditate concerning me, And those drinking strong drink, Play on instruments.
13 And I -- my prayer [is] to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.
14 Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters.
15 Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me.
16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for good [is] Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me,
17 And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, For I am in distress -- haste, answer me.
18 Be near unto my soul -- redeem it, Because of mine enemies ransom me.
19 Thou -- Thou hast known my reproach, And my shame, and my blushing, Before Thee [are] all mine adversaries.
20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am sick, And I look for a bemoaner, and there is none, And for comforters, and I have found none.
21 And they give for my food gall, And for my thirst cause me to drink vinegar.
22 Their table before them is for a snare, And for a recompence -- for a trap.
23 Darkened are their eyes from seeing, And their loins continually shake Thou.
24 Pour upon them Thine indignation, And the fierceness of Thine anger doth seize them.
25 Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller.
26 For they have pursued him Thou hast smitten, And recount of the pain of Thy pierced ones.
27 Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness.
28 They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written.
29 And I [am] afflicted and pained, Thy salvation, O God, doth set me on high.
30 I praise the name of God with a song, And I magnify Him with thanksgiving,
31 And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock -- horned -- hoofed.
32 The humble have seen -- they rejoice, Ye who seek God -- and your heart liveth.
33 For Jehovah hearkeneth unto the needy, And His bound ones He hath not despised.
34 The heavens and earth do praise Him, Seas, and every moving thing in them.
35 For God doth save Zion, And doth build the cities of Judah, And they have dwelt there, and possess it.
36 And the seed of His servants inherit it, And those loving His name dwell in it!
73 A Psalm of Asaph. Only -- good to Israel [is] God, to the clean of heart. And I -- as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,
2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
4 And their might [is] firm.
5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
11 And they have said, `How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
12 Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Only -- a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
15 If I have said, `I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended -- consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
23 And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
26 Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
27 For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.
28 And I -- nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
11 I have become a fool -- boasting; ye -- ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles -- even if I am nothing.
12 The signs, indeed, of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,
13 for what is there in which ye were inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this injustice!
14 Lo, a third time I am ready to come unto you, and I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not yours, but you, for the children ought not for the parents to lay up, but the parents for the children,
15 and I most gladly will spend and be entirely spent for your souls, even if, more abundantly loving you, less I am loved.
16 And be it [so], I -- I did not burden you, but being crafty, with guile I did take you;
17 any one of those whom I have sent unto you -- by him did I take advantage of you?
18 I entreated Titus, and did send with [him] the brother; did Titus take advantage of you? in the same spirit did we not walk? -- did we not in the same steps?
19 Again, think ye that to you we are making defence? before God in Christ do we speak; and the all things, beloved, [are] for your up-building,
20 for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I -- I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,
21 lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.
41 And when he came nigh, having seen the city, he wept over it,
42 saying -- `If thou didst know, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things for thy peace; but now they were hid from thine eyes.
43 `Because days shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast around thee a rampart, and compass thee round, and press thee on every side,
44 and lay thee low, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou didst not know the time of thy inspection.'
45 And having entered into the temple, he began to cast forth those selling in it, and those buying,
46 saying to them, `It hath been written, My house is a house of prayer -- but ye made it a den of robbers.'
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes were seeking to destroy him -- also the chiefs of the people --
48 and they were not finding what they shall do, for all the people were hanging on him, hearing him.