135:15. And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:16. Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:17. Who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:18. And slew strong kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:19. Sehon king of the Amorrhites: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:20. And Og king of Basan: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:21. And he gave their land for an inheritance: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:22. For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:23. For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:24. And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:25. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:26. Give glory to the G.o.d of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
135:27. Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms Chapter 136
Super flumina.
The lamentation of the people of G.o.d in their captivity in Babylon.
A psalm of David, for Jeremias.
For Jeremias... For the time of Jeremias, and the captivity of Babylon.
136:1. Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:
136:2. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
136:3. For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
136:4. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?
136:5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.
136:6. Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.
136:7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
136:8. O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us.
136:9. Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.
Dash thy little ones, etc... In the spiritual sense, we dash the little ones of Babylon against the rock, when we mortify our pa.s.sions, and stifle the first motions of them, by a speedy recourse to the rock which is Christ.
Psalms Chapter 137
Confitebor tibi.
Thanksgiving to G.o.d for his benefits.
137:1. For David himself. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:
137:2. I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.
137:3. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.
137:4. May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.
137:5. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
137:6. For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.
137:7. If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.
137:8. The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands.
Psalms Chapter 138
Domine, probasti.
G.o.d"s special providence over his servants.
138:1. Unto the end, a psalm of David. Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:
138:2. Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.
138:3. Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.
138:4. And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.
There is no speech, etc... Viz., unknown to thee: or when there is no speech in my tongue; yet my whole interior and my most secret thoughts are known to thee.
138:5. Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.
138:6. Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it.
138:7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face?