Book of Common Prayer
56 1 David being brought to Achish the king of Gath, 1 Sam. 21:12, complaineth of his enemies, demandeth succor, 3 Putteth his trust in God and in his promises, 12 And promiseth to perform his vows which he had taken upon him, whereof this was the effect, to praise God in his Church.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David on Michtam, concerning the [a]dumb dove in a far country, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, for [b]man would swallow me up: he fighteth continually and vexeth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for many fight against me, O thou most High.
3 When I was afraid, I trusted in thee.
4 I will rejoice in God, because of his [c]word, I trust in God, and will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Mine own [d]words grieve me daily: all their thoughts are against me to do me hurt.
6 [e]They gather together, and keep themselves close: they mark my steps, because they wait for my soul.
7 [f]They think they shall escape by iniquity: O God, cast these people down in thine anger.
8 Thou hast counted my wanderings; put my [g]tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy register?
9 When I cry, then mine enemies shall turn back; this I know, for God is with me.
10 I will rejoice in God because of his word; in the Lord will I rejoice because of his word.
11 In God do I trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 [h]Thy vows are upon me, O God, I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, and also my feet from falling, that I may [i]walk before God in the [j]light of the living.
57 1 David being in the desert of Ziph, where the inhabitants did betray him, and at length in the same cave with Saul, 2 Calleth most earnestly unto God, with full confidence that he will perform his promise, and take his cause in hand. 5 Also that he will show his glory in the heavens and the earth against his cruel enemies. 9 Therefore doth he render laud and praise.
To him that excelleth. [k]Destroy not. A Psalm of David on Michtam. (A)When he fled from Saul in the cave.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me; for my soul trusteth in thee, and in the shadow of thy wings will I [l]trust, till these [m]afflictions overpass.
2 I will call unto the most high God, even the God, that [n]performeth his promise toward me.
3 He will send from [o]heaven, and save me from the reproof of him that would swallow me. Selah. God will send his mercy, and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions; I lie among the children of men, that are set on fire; whose teeth are [p]spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 [q]Exalt thyself, O God, above the heaven, and let thy glory be upon all the earth.
6 They have laid a net for my steps; [r]my soul is pressed down, they have dug a pit before me, and are fallen into the midst of it. Selah.
7 Mine heart is [s]prepared, O God, mine heart is prepared; I will sing and give praise.
8 [t]Awake my tongue, awake viol and harp: I will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the [u]clouds.
11 Exalt thyself, O God, above the heavens, and let thy glory be upon all the earth.
58 1 He describeth the malice of his enemies, the flatterers of Saul, who both secretly and openly sought his destruction, from whom he appealeth to God’s judgment, 10 Showing that the just shall rejoice, when they see the punishment of the wicked to the glory of God.
To him that excelleth. Destroy not. A Psalm of David on Michtam.
1 Is it true? O [v]congregation, speak ye justly? O sons of men judge ye uprightly?
2 Yea, rather ye imagine mischief in your heart: [w]your hands execute cruelty upon the earth.
3 The wicked [x]are strangers from the womb: even from the belly have they erred, and speak lies.
4 Their poison is even like the poison of a serpent; like the deaf [y]adder that stoppeth his ear.
5 Which heareth not the voice of the enchanter, though he be most expert in charming.
6 Break their [z]teeth, O God, in their mouths: break the jaws of the young lions, O Lord.
7 Let them [aa]melt like the waters, let them pass away; when he shooteth his arrows, let them be as broken.
8 Let them consume like a snail that melteth, and like the untimely fruit of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.
9 [ab]As raw flesh before your pots feel the fire of thorns: so let them carry them away as with a whirlwind in his wrath.
10 The righteous shall [ac]rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the [ad]blood of the wicked.
11 And men shall say, [ae]Verily there is fruit for the righteous; doubtless there is a God that judgeth in the earth.
64 1 David prayeth against the fury and false reports of his enemies. 7 He declareth their punishment and destruction. 10 To the comfort of the just and the glory of God.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my [a]voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the [b]conspiracy of the wicked, and from the [c]rage of the works of iniquity.
3 Which have whet their tongue like a sword, and shot for their arrows [d]bitter words:
4 To shoot at the upright in secret: they shoot at him suddenly and [e]fear not.
5 They [f]encourage themselves in a wicked purpose: they commune together to lay snares privily, and say, Who shall see them?
6 They have sought out iniquities, and have accomplished that which they sought out, even everyone [g]his secret thoughts, and the depth of his heart.
7 But God will shoot an arrow at them suddenly: their strokes shall be at once.
8 They shall cause their own tongue to fall upon them: and whosoever shall see them, shall [h]flee away.
9 And all men shall see it, and declare the work of God, and they shall understand, what he hath wrought.
10 But the righteous [i]shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him: and all that are upright of heart, shall rejoice.
65 1 A praise and thanksgiving unto God by the faithful, who are signified by Zion, 4 For the choosing, preservation, and governance of them, 9 And for the plentiful blessings poured forth upon all the earth, but especially toward his Church.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm or song of David.
1 O God, [j]praise waiteth for thee in Zion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2 Because thou hearest the prayer, unto thee shall all [k]flesh come.
3 Wicked deeds [l]have prevailed against me: but thou wilt be merciful unto our transgressions.
4 Blessed is he, whom thou choosest and causest to come to thee: he shall dwell in thy courts, and we shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thine House, even of thine holy Temple.
5 O God of our salvation, thou wilt [m]answer us with fearful signs in thy righteousness, O thou the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are far off in the [n]Sea.
6 He establisheth the mountains by his power: and is girded about with strength.
7 He appeaseth the [o]noise of the seas, and the noise of the waves thereof, and the tumults of the people.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, shall be afraid of thy signs; thou shalt make [p]the East and the West to rejoice.
9 Thou [q]visitest the earth, and waterest it; thou makest it very rich: the [r]river of God is full of water, thou preparest them corn; for so thou appointest [s]it.
10 Thou [t]waterest abundantly the furrows thereof; thou causest the rain to descend into the valleys thereof; thou makest it soft with showers, and blessest the bud thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy steps drop fatness.
12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the hills shall be compassed with gladness.
13 The pastures are clad with sheep; the valleys also shall be covered with corn; therefore they shout for joy, [u]and sing.
7 Divers precepts to follow that which is good, and to avoid the contrary.
1 Surely there be many things that increase vanity, and what availeth it a man?
2 For who knoweth what is [a]good for man in the life, and in the number of the days of the life of his vanity, seeing he maketh them as a (A)shadow? for who can show unto man what shall be after him under the sun?
3 (B)A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of [b]death, than the day that one is born.
4 It is better to go to the house of [c]mourning, than to go to the house of feasting, because this is the end of all men: and the living shall lay it to his heart.
5 Anger is better than laughter: for by a sad look the heart is made better.
6 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
7 Better it is to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
8 For like the noise of the [d]thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
9 Surely oppression maketh a wise man [e]mad: and the reward destroyeth the heart.
10 The [f]end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
11 Be not thou of an hasty spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
12 Say not thou, Why is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire [g]wisely of this thing.
13 Wisdom is good with an [h]inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sun.
14 For man shall rest in the shadow of wisdom, and in the shadow of silver: but the excellency of the knowledge of wisdom giveth life to the possessors thereof.
12 [a]Be ye as I (for I am even as you) brethren, I beseech you: ye have not hurt me at all.
13 And ye know, how through [b]infirmity of the flesh, I preached the Gospel unto you at the first.
14 And the [c]trial of me which was in my flesh, ye despised not, neither abhorred: but ye received me as an Angel of God, yea, as [d]Christ Jesus.
15 [e]What was then your felicity? for I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them unto me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 They are jealous over you [f]amiss: yea, they would exclude you, [g]that ye should altogether love them.
18 But it is a good thing to love [h]earnestly always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you,
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.
20 And I would I were with you now, that I might [i]change my voice: for I am in doubt of you.
21 (A)And Jesus went thence, and departed into the [a]coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman a [b]Canaanite came out of the same coasts, and cried, saying unto him, Have mercy on me, O Lord, the son of David: my daughter is miserably vexed with a devil.
23 [c]But he answered her not a word. Then came to him his disciples, and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered, and said, I am not sent, but unto the (B)lost sheep of the [d]house of Israel.
25 Yet she came, and worshipped him, saying, Lord help me.
26 And he answered, and said, It is not good to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to whelps.
27 But she said, Truth, Lord: yet indeed the whelps eat of the crumbs, which fall from their master’s table.
28 Then Jesus answered, and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it to thee, as thou desirest. And her daughter was made whole at that hour.
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