9 What profit is there in my blood: when I go down to the pit?
10 Shall the dust give thanks unto thee: or shall it declare thy truth?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.
12 Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
13 Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing: O my G.o.d, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
PSALM 31. _In te, Domine, speravi_.
In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me: make haste to deliver me.
3 And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence: that thou mayest save me.
4 For thou art my strong rock, and my castle: be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name"s sake.
5 Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
6 Into thy hands I commend my spirit: for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou G.o.d of truth.
7 I have hated them that hold of superst.i.tious vanities: and my trust hath been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast known my soul in adversities.
9 Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: but hast set my feet in a large room.
10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness; yea, my soul and my body.
11 For my life is waxen old with heaviness: and my years with mourning.
12 My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity: and my bones are consumed.
13 I became a reproof among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours: and they of mine acquaintance were afraid of me; and they that did see me without conveyed themselves from me.
14 I am clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind: I am become like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the blasphemy of the mult.i.tude: and fear is on every side, while they conspire together against me, and take their counsel to take away my life.
16 But my hope hath been in thee, O Lord: I have said, Thou art my G.o.d.
17 My time is in thy hand, deliver me from the hand of mine enemies: and from them that persecute me.
18 Shew thy servant the light of thy countenance: and save me for thy mercy"s sake.
19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee: let the unG.o.dly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to silence: which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous.
21 O how plentiful is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee: and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men!
22 Thou shalt hide them privily by thine own presence from the provoking of all men: thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord: for he hath shewed me marvellous great kindness in a strong city.
24 And when I made haste, I said: I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes.
25 Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer: when I cried unto thee.
26 O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth them that are faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
27 Be strong, and he shall establish your heart: all ye that put your trust in the Lord.
DAY 6 EVENING PRAYER
PSALM 32. _Beati quorum_.
Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven: and whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin: and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 For while I held my tongue: my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.
4 For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night: and my moisture is like the drought in summer.
5 I will acknowledge my sin unto thee: and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.
6 I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord: and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
7 For this shall every one that is G.o.dly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found: but in the great water-floods they shall not come nigh him.
8 Thou art a place to hide me in, thou shalt preserve me from trouble: thou shalt compa.s.s me about with songs of deliverance.
9 I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go: and I will guide thee with mine eye.
10 Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding: whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee.
11 Great plagues remain for the unG.o.dly: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side.
12 Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord: and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.
PSALM 33. _Exultate, justi_.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for it becometh well the just to be thankful.
2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.