The Readings

1Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”

2All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *upon those who are noble among the people.

3But those who run after other gods *shall have their troubles multiplied.

4Their libations of blood I will not offer, *nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

5O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *it is you who uphold my lot.

6My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

7I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *my heart teaches me, night after night.

8I have set the Lord always before me; *because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *my body also shall rest in hope.

10For you will not abandon me to the grave, *nor let your holy one see the Pit.

11You will show me the path of life; *in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

1Hear my plea of innocence, O Lord; give heed to my cry; *listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.

2Let my vindication come forth from your presence; *let your eyes be fixed on justice.

3Weigh my heart, summon me by night, *melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.

4I give no offense with my mouth as others do; *I have heeded the words of your lips.

5My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law; *in your paths my feet shall not stumble.

6I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; *incline your ear to me and hear my words.

7Show me your marvelous loving-kindness, *O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.

8Keep me as the apple of your eye; *hide me under the shadow of your wings,

9From the wicked who assault me, *from my deadly enemies who surround me.

10They have closed their heart to pity, *and their mouth speaks proud things.

11They press me hard, now they surround me, *watching how they may cast me to the ground,

12Like a lion, greedy for its prey, *and like a young lion lurking in secret places.

13Arise, O Lord; confront them and bring them down; *deliver me from the wicked by your sword.

14Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand *from those whose portion in life is this world;

15Whose bellies you fill with your treasure, *who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones.

16But at my vindication I shall see your face; *when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?

2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *by night as well, but I find no rest.

3Yet you are the Holy One, *enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4Our forefathers put their trust in you; *they trusted, and you delivered them.

5They cried out to you and were delivered; *they trusted in you and were not put to shame.

6But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *scorned by all and despised by the people.

7All who see me laugh me to scorn; *they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,

8“He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; *let him rescue him, if he delights in him.”

9Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *and kept me safe upon my mother’s breast.

10I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb.

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *and there is none to help.

12Many young bulls encircle me; *strong bulls of Bashan surround me.

13They open wide their jaws at me, *like a ravening and a roaring lion.

14I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; *my heart within my breast is melting wax.

15My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.

16Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; *they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.

17They stare and gloat over me; *they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.

18Be not far away, O Lord; *you are my strength; hasten to help me.

19Save me from the sword, *my life from the power of the dog.

20Save me from the lion’s mouth, *my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.

21I will declare your Name to my brethren; *in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.

22Praise the Lord, you that fear him; *stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob’s line, give glory.

23For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; *but when they cry to him he hears them.

24My praise is of him in the great assembly; *I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.

25The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *“May your heart live for ever!”

26All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

27For kingship belongs to the Lord; *he rules over the nations.

28To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *all who go down to the dust fall before him.

29My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; *they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever.

30They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *the saving deeds that he has done.