The Book of Common Prayer Part 110

11 A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth: evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him,

12 Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the cause of the helpless.

13 The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy Name: and the just shall continue in thy sight.

PSALM 141. _Domine, clamavi_.

O Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee unto me: and consider my voice when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense: and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and keep the door of my lips.

4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in unG.o.dly works with the men that work wickedness, lest I eat of such things as please them.

5 Let the righteous rather smite me friendly: and reprove me.

6 But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.

7 Let their judges be overthrown in stony places: that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.

8 Our bones lie scattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord G.o.d: in thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.

10 Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me: and from the traps of the wicked doers.

11 Let the unG.o.dly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever escape them.

DAY 29 EVENING PRAYER

PSALM 142. _Voce mea ad Dominum_.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice: yea, even unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him: and shewed him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heaviness thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

4 I looked also upon my right hand: and saw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto: and no man cared for my soul.

6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said: Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

7 Consider my complaint: for I am brought very low.

8 O deliver me from my persecutors: for they are too strong for me.

9 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy Name: which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company.

PSALM 143. _Domine, exaudi_. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire: hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake.

2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me: and my heart within me is desolate.

5 Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7 Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust: shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my G.o.d: let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name's sake: and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodness slay mine enemies: and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.

DAY 30 MORNING PRAYER

PSALM 144. _Benedictus Dominus_.

Blessed be the Lord my strength: who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

2 My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer, my defender in whom I trust: who subdueth my people that is under me.

3 Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him: or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?

4 Man is like a thing of nought: his time pa.s.seth away like a shadow.

5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them: shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.

7 Send down thine hand from above: deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children;

8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity: and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.

9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O G.o.d: and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.

10 Thou hast given victory unto kings: and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.