THE PSALTER SELECTION 1 THE FIRST DAY MORNING WORSHIP PSALM 1 BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The wicked are not so; But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the wicked shall perish. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell of the decree: The Lord said unto me, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my Thou shalt dash them in pieces God: like a potter's vessel. Now therefore be wise, Oye kings: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the Be instructed, ye judges of the wicked. earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Lay hold if instruction lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. PSALM 3 LORD, how are mine adversaries increased! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cry unto the LORD with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustaineth me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people, that have set Salvation belongeth belongeth unto the LORD: Thy blessing be upon thy people. SELECTION 2 THE FIRST DAY EVENING WORSHIP ANSWER me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress: have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonour? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: The Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteous ness, And put your trust in the Lord. Many there be that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than they have when their corn and their wine are increased. In peace will I both lay me down and sleep: For thou, Lord, alone makest me dwell in safety. PSALM 8 O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! SELECTION 3 THE SECOND DAY MORNING WORSHIP PSALM I WILL give thanks unto the LORD with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and exult in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High. When mine enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging What is man, that thou art mind- righteously. ful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever. The enemy are come to an end, And crownest him with glory and they are desolate for ever; honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, their very memorial is perished. But the LORD sitteth as king for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgement to the peoples in uprightness. The LORD also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble; And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the peoples his doings. For he that maketh inquisitior for blood remembereth them: He forgetteth not the cry of the poor. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; behold my affliction which I suffer of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death; That I may shew forth all thy praise: In the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in thy salvation. The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever. Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: Let the nations be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O LORD: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. SELECTION 4 THE SECOND DAY EVENING WORSHIP WHY standest thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; They are taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, And the covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth the Lord. The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not re In the net which they hid is their quire it. own foot taken. The LORD hath made himself known, he hath executed judgment: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall return to Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God. All his thoughts are, There is no God. His ways are firm at all times; Thy judgements are far above out of his sight: as for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them. He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved: To all generations I shall not be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: In the covert places doth he murder the innocent: His eyes are privily set against the helpless. He lurketh in the covert as a lion in his den: He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net. He croucheth, he boweth down, ones. He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten: He hideth his face; he will never see it. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: Forget not the poor. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it? Thou hast seen it: For thou beholdest mischief and spite, to take it into thy hand: The helpless committeth himself unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless. Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none. The LORD is King for ever and ever: The nations are perished out of his land. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man which is of the earth may be terrible no more. PSALM 11:1-2, 4-7 IN the LORD put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. The LORD is in his holy temple, The Lord, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. |