DAY 22 EVENING PRAYER

PSALM 108. _Paratum cor meum_.

O G.o.d, my heart is ready, my heart is ready: I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have.

2 Awake, thou lute, and harp: I myself will awake right early.

3 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

4 For thy mercy is greater than the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

5 Set up thyself, O G.o.d, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

6 That thy beloved may be delivered: let thy right hand save them, and hear thou me.

7 G.o.d hath spoken in his holiness: I will rejoice therefore, and divide Sichem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine, and Mana.s.ses is mine: Ephraim also is the strength of my head.

9 Judah is my law-giver, Moab is my wash-pot: over Edom will I cast out my shoe, upon Philistia will I triumph.

10 Who will lead me into the strong city: and who will bring me into Edom?

11 Hast not thou forsaken us, O G.o.d: and wilt not thou, O G.o.d, go forth with our hosts?

12 O help us against the enemy: for vain is the help of man.

13 Through G.o.d we shall do great acts: and it is he that shall tread down our enemies.

PSALM 109. _Deus, laudem_.

Hold not thy tongue, O G.o.d of my praise: for the mouth of the unG.o.dly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.

2 And they have spoken against me with false tongues: they compa.s.sed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

3 For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part: but I give myself unto prayer.

4 Thus have they rewarded me evil for good: and hatred for my good will.

5 Set thou an unG.o.dly man to be ruler over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

6 When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned: and let his prayer be turned into sin.

7 Let his days be few: and let another take his office.

8 Let his children be fatherless: and his wife a widow.

9 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread: let them seek it also out of desolate places.

10 Let the extortioner consume all that he hath: and let the stranger spoil his labour.

11 Let there be no man to pity him: nor to have compa.s.sion upon his fatherless children.

12 Let his posterity be destroyed: and in the next generation let his name be clean put out.

13 Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be done away.

14 Let them alway be before the Lord: that he may root out the memorial of them from off the earth.

15 And that, because his mind was not to do good: but persecuted the poor helpless man, that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart.

16 His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen unto him: he loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from him,

17 He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a raiment: and it shall come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

18 Let it be unto him as the cloke that he hath upon him: and as the girdle that he is alway girded withal.

19 Let it thus happen from the Lord unto mine enemies: and to those that speak evil against my soul.

20 But deal thou with me, O Lord G.o.d, according unto thy Name: for sweet is thy mercy.

21 O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor: and my heart is wounded within me.

22 I go hence like the shadow that departeth: and am driven away as the gra.s.shopper.

23 My knees are weak through fasting: my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.

24 I became also a reproach unto them: they that looked upon me shaked their heads.

25 Help me, O Lord my G.o.d: O save me according to thy mercy.

26 And they shall know, how that this is thy hand: and that thou, Lord, hast done it.

27 Though they curse, yet bless thou: and let them be confounded that rise up against me; but let thy servant rejoice.

28 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame: and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a cloke.

29 As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth: and praise him among the mult.i.tude.

30 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor: to save his soul from unrighteous judges.

DAY 23 MORNING PRAYER

PSALM 110. _Dixit Dominus_.

The Lord said unto my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion: be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.