Psalm 142

O Lord, hear my prayer ; hearken to my pleading in your faithfulness ; in

your justice answer me.

And enter not into judgment with your servant, for before you no living

man is just.

For the enemy pursues me ; he has crushed my life to the ground ; he has

left me dwelling in the dark, like those long dead.

And my spirit is faint within me, my heart within me is appalled.

I remember the days of old ; I meditate on all your doings, the works of

your hands I ponder.

I stretch out my hands to you ; my soul thirsts for you like parched land.

Hasten to answer me, O Lord, for my spirit fails me.

Hide not your face from me lest I become like those who go down into

the pit.

At dawn let me hear of your kindness, for in you I trust.

Show me the way in which I should walk, for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for in you I hope.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.

May your good spirit guide me on level ground.

For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve me ; in your justice free me from

distress,

And in your kindness destroy my enemies ; bring to naught all my foes,

for I am your servant.

Psalm 129

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ; Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication :

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?

But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.

I trust in the Lord ; my soul trusts in his word.

My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.

More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,

For with the Lord is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption ;

And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

Psalm 101

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me ; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like fire.

Withered and died up like grass is my heart ; I forget to eat my bread.

Because of my insistent sighing I am reduced to skin and bone.

I am like a desert owl ; I have become like an owl among the ruins.

I am sleepless, and I moan ; I am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

All the day my enemies revile me ; in their rage against me they make a

curse of me.

For I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drink with tears,

Because of your fury and your wrath ; for you lifted me up only to cast

me down.

My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I whither like grass.

But you, O Lord, abide forever, and your name through all generations.

You will arise and have mercy on Sion, for it is time to pity her, for the

appointed time has come.

For her stones are dear to your servants, and her dust moves them to pity.

And the nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the

earth your glory,

When the Lord has rebuilt Sion and appeared in his glory ;

When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their

prayer.

Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures

praise the Lord :

“The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the

earth,

To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die” –

That the name of the Lord may be declared in Sion ; and his praise, in

Jerusalem,

When the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

He has broken down my strength in the way ; he has cut short my days.

I say: O my God,

Take me not hence in the midst of my days ; through all generations your

years endure.

Of old you established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your

hands.

They shall perish, but you remain though all of them grow old like a

garment.

Like clothing you change them, and they are changed, but you are the

same, and your years have no end.

The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall

continue in your presence.

Psalm 50 (The Miserere)

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness ; in the greatness of your

compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.

For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always:

“Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight” –

That you may be justified in your sentence, vindicated when you

condemn.

Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me ;

Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being

you teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be purified ; wash me, and I shall be

whiter than snow.

Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness ; the bones you have crushed

shall rejoice.

Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt.

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence, and your holy spirit take not from

me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you.

Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God ; then my tongue shall

revel in your justice.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices ; should I offer a holocaust, you

would not accept it.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit ; a heart contrite and humbled, O

God, you will not spurn.

Be bountiful, O Lord, to Sion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of

Jerusalem ;

Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and

holocausts ; then shall they offer up bullocks on your altar.

Psalm 37

O Lord, in your anger punish me not, in your wrath chastise me not ;

For your arrows have sunk deep in me, and your hand has come down

upon me.

There is no health in my flesh because of your indignation ; there is no

wholeness in my bones because of my sin,

For my iniquities have overwhelmed me ; they are like a heavy burden,

beyond my strength.

Noisome and festering are my sores because of my folly,

I am stooped and bowed down profoundly ; all the day I go in mourning,

For my loins are filled with burning pains ; there is no health in my flesh.

I am numbed and severely crushed ; I roar with anguish of heart.

O Lord, all my desire is before you ; from you my groaning is not hid.

My heart throbs ; my strength forsakes me ; the very light of my eyes has

failed me.

My friends and my companions stand back because of my affliction ; my

neighbors stand afar off.

Men lay snares for me seeking my life ; they look to my misfortune, they

speak of ruin, treachery they talk of all the day.

But I am like a deaf man, hearing not, like a dumb man who opens not his

mouth.

I am become like a man who neither hears nor has in his mouth a retort.

Because for you, O Lord, I wait ; you, O Lord my God, will answer

When I say, “Let them not be glad on my account who, when my foot

slips, glory over me.”

For I am very near to falling, and my grief is with me always.

Indeed, I acknowledge my guilt ; I grieve over my sin.

But my undeserved enemies are strong ; many are my foes without cause.

Those who repay evil for good harass me for pursuing good.

Forsake me not, O Lord ; my God, be not far from me!

Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 31

Happy is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered.

Happy is the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit

there is no guile.

As long as I would not speak, my bones wasted away with my groaning

all the day,

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me ; my strength was dried

up as by the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not.

I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of

my sin.

For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress.

Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him.

You are my shelter ; from distress you will preserve me ; with glad cries

of freedom you will ring me round.

I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk ; I will counsel

you, keeping my eye on you.

Be not senseless like horses or mules: with bit and bridle their temper

must be curbed, else they will not come near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but kindness surrounds him who

trusts in the Lord.

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just ; exult, all you upright of heart.

Psalm 6

O Lord, reprove me not in your anger, nor chastise me in your wrath.

Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing ; heal me, O Lord, for my

body is in terror ;

My soul, too, is utterly terrified ; but you, O Lord, how long?

Return, O Lord, save my life ; rescue me because of your kindness,

For among the dead no one remembers you ; in the nether world who

gives you thanks?

I am wearied with sighing ; every night I flood my bed with weeping ; I

drench my couch with my tears.

My eyes are dimed with sorrow ; they have aged because of all my foes.

Depart from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my

weeping ;

The Lord has heard my plea ; the Lord has accepted my prayer.

All my enemies shall be put to shame in utter terror ; they shall fall back

in sudden shame.