Book of Common Prayer (ECUSA)/The Psalter/Book Four
Book Four
Eighteenth Day: Morning Prayer
90Domine, refugium
1Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
2Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.
3You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”
4For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.
5You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
7For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.
8Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9When you are angry, all our days are gone; *
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and we are gone.
11Who regards the power of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your indignation?
12So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
13Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.
14Satisfy us by your loving‑kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
16Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children.
17May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.
91Qui habitat
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2He shall say to the Lord,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”
3He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4He shall cover you with his pinions,
and you shall find refuge under his wings; *
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.
5You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid‑day.
7A thousand shall fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand, *
but it shall not come near you.
8Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,
10There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.
12They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.
14Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.
15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.
92Bonum est confiteri
1It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, *
and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
2To tell of your loving‑kindness early in the morning *
and of your faithfulness in the night season;
3On the psaltery, and on the lyre, *
and to the melody of the harp.
4For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; *
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
5Lord, how great are your works! *
your thoughts are very deep.
6The dullard does not know,
nor does the fool understand, *
that though the wicked grow like weeds,
and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
7They flourish only to be destroyed for ever; *
but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.
8For lo, your enemies, O Lord,
lo, your enemies shall perish, *
and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
9But my horn you have exalted like the horns of wild bulls; *
I am anointed with fresh oil.
10My eyes also gloat over my enemies, *
and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked who rise up against me.
11The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, *
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
12Those who are planted in the house of the Lord *
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
13They shall still bear fruit in old age; *
they shall be green and succulent;
14That they may show how upright the Lord is, *
my Rock, in whom there is no fault.
Eighteenth Day: Evening Prayer
93Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is King;
he has put on splendid apparel; *
the Lord has put on his apparel
and girded himself with strength.
2He has made the whole world so sure *
that it cannot be moved;
3Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *
you are from everlasting.
4The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice; *
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
5Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, *
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
6Your testimonies are very sure, *
and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
for ever and for evermore.
94Deus ultionum
1O Lord God of vengeance, *
O God of vengeance, show yourself.
2Rise up, O Judge of the world; *
give the arrogant their just deserts.
3How long shall the wicked, O Lord, *
how long shall the wicked triumph?
4They bluster in their insolence; *
all evildoers are full of boasting.
5They crush your people, O Lord, *
and afflict your chosen nation.
6They murder the widow and the stranger *
and put the orphans to death.
7Yet they say, “The Lord does not see, *
the God of Jacob takes no notice.”
8Consider well, you dullards among the people; *
when will you fools understand?
9He that planted the ear, does he not hear? *
he that formed the eye, does he not see?
10He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish? *
he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge?
11The Lord knows our human thoughts; *
how like a puff of wind they are.
12Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord! *
whom you teach out of your law;
13To give them rest in evil days, *
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the Lord will not abandon his people, *
nor will he forsake his own.
15For judgment will again be just, *
and all the true of heart will follow it.
16Who rose up for me against the wicked? *
who took my part against the evildoers?
17If the Lord had not come to my help, *
I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18As often as I said, “My foot has slipped,” *
your love, O Lord, upheld me.
19When many cares fill my mind, *
your consolations cheer my soul.
20Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you, *
one which frames evil into law?
21They conspire against the life of the just *
and condemn the innocent to death.
22But the Lord has become my stronghold, *
and my God the rock of my trust.
23He will turn their wickedness back upon them
and destroy them in their own malice; *
the Lord our God will destroy them.
Nineteenth Day: Morning Prayer
95Venite, exultemus
1Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
3For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
4In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
5The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
6Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
8Harden not your hearts,
as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
when they tempted me.
9They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.
10Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
11So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
96Cantate Domino
1Sing to the Lord a new song; *
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
2Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3Declare his glory among the nations *
and his wonders among all peoples.
4For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
7Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *
ascribe to the Lord honor and power.
8Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes, *
when he comes to judge the earth.
13He will judge the world with righteousness *
and the peoples with his truth.
97Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is King;
let the earth rejoice; *
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2Clouds and darkness are round about him, *
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
3A fire goes before him *
and burns up his enemies on every side.
4His lightnings light up the world; *
the earth sees it and is afraid.
5The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6The heavens declare his righteousness, *
and all the peoples see his glory.
7Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods! *
Bow down before him, all you gods.
8Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9For you are the Lord,
most high over all the earth; *
you are exalted far above all gods.
10The Lord loves those who hate evil; *
he preserves the lives of his saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11Light has sprung up for the righteous, *
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
12Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *
and give thanks to his holy Name.
Nineteenth Day: Evening Prayer
98Cantate Domino
1Sing to the Lord a new song, *
for he has done marvelous things.
2With his right hand and his holy arm *
has he won for himself the victory.
3The Lord has made known his victory; *
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
5Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
6Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
with the harp and the voice of song.
7With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
shout with joy before the King, the Lord.
8Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who dwell therein.
9Let the rivers clap their hands, *
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.
10In righteousness shall he judge the world *
and the peoples with equity.
99Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4“O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”
5Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8“O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.”
9Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
100Jubilate Deo
1Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
2Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
4For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
101Misericordiam et judicium
1I will sing of mercy and justice; *
to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.
2I will strive to follow a blameless course;
oh, when will you come to me? *
I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
3I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; *
I hate the doers of evil deeds;
they shall not remain with me.
4A crooked heart shall be far from me; *
I will not know evil.
5Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy; *
those who have a haughty look and a proud heart I cannot abide.
6My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me, *
and only those who lead a blameless life shall be my servants.
7Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house, *
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.
8I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land, *
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Twentieth Day: Morning Prayer
102Domine, exaudi
1Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you; *
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
2Incline your ear to me; *
when I call, make haste to answer me,
3For my days drift away like smoke, *
and my bones are hot as burning coals.
4My heart is smitten like grass and withered, *
so that I forget to eat my bread.
5Because of the voice of my groaning *
I am but skin and bones.
6I have become like a vulture in the wilderness, *
like an owl among the ruins.
7I lie awake and groan; *
I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house‑top.
8My enemies revile me all day long, *
and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.
9For I have eaten ashes for bread *
and mingled my drink with weeping.
10Because of your indignation and wrath *
you have lifted me up and thrown me away.
11My days pass away like a shadow, *
and I wither like the grass.
12But you, O Lord, endure for ever, *
and your Name from age to age.
13You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon her; *
indeed, the appointed time has come.
14For your servants love her very rubble, *
and are moved to pity even for her dust.
15The nations shall fear your Name, O Lord, *
and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16For the Lord will build up Zion, *
and his glory will appear.
17He will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless; *
he will not despise their plea.
18Let this be written for a future generation, *
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.
19For the Lord looked down from his holy place on high; *
from the heavens he beheld the earth;
20That he might hear the groan of the captive *
and set free those condemned to die;
21That they may declare in Zion the Name of the Lord, *
and his praise in Jerusalem;
22When the peoples are gathered together, *
and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23He has brought down my strength before my time; *
he has shortened the number of my days;
24And I said, “O my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days; *
your years endure throughout all generations.
25In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, *
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
26They shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment; *
as clothing you will change them,
and they shall be changed;
27But you are always the same, *
and your years will never end.
28The children of your servants shall continue, *
and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.”
103Benedic, anima mea
1Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
2Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
and forget not all his benefits.
3He forgives all your sins *
and heals all your infirmities;
4He redeems your life from the grave *
and crowns you with mercy and loving‑kindness;
5He satisfies you with good things, *
and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6The Lord executes righteousness *
and judgment for all who are oppressed.
7He made his ways known to Moses *
and his works to the children of Israel.
8The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13As a father cares for his children, *
so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
14For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.
15Our days are like the grass; *
we flourish like a flower of the field;
16When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
and its place shall know it no more.
17But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever on those who fear him, *
and his righteousness on children’s children;
18On those who keep his covenant *
and remember his commandments and do them.
19The Lord has set his throne in heaven, *
and his kingship has dominion over all.
20Bless the Lord, you angels of his,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
and hearken to the voice of his word.
21Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, *
you ministers of his who do his will.
22Bless the Lord, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; *
bless the Lord, O my soul.
Twentieth Day: Evening Prayer
104Benedic, anima mea
1Bless the Lord, O my soul; *
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
2You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.
3You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *
you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on the wings of the wind.
4You make the winds your messengers *
and flames of fire your servants.
5You have set the earth upon its foundations, *
so that it never shall move at any time.
6You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *
the waters stood higher than the mountains.
7At your rebuke they fled; *
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
8They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *
to the places you had appointed for them.
9You set the limits that they should not pass; *
they shall not again cover the earth.
10You send the springs into the valleys; *
they flow between the mountains.
11All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them, *
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12Beside them the birds of the air make their nests *
and sing among the branches.
13You water the mountains from your dwelling on high; *
the earth is fully satisfied by the fruit of your works.
14You make grass grow for flocks and herds *
and plants to serve mankind;
15That they may bring forth food from the earth, *
and wine to gladden our hearts,
16Oil to make a cheerful countenance, *
and bread to strengthen the heart.
17The trees of the Lord are full of sap, *
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
18In which the birds build their nests, *
and in whose tops the stork makes his dwelling.
19The high hills are a refuge for the mountain goats, *
and the stony cliffs for the rock badgers.
20You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, *
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
21You make darkness that it may be night, *
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
22The lions roar after their prey *
and seek their food from God.
23The sun rises, and they slip away *
and lay themselves down in their dens.
24Man goes forth to his work *
and to his labor until the evening.
25O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
26Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.
27There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
28All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
29You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
32May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
33He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the Lord.
36Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, *
and the wicked be no more.
37Bless the Lord, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!
Twenty‑first Day: Morning Prayer
105
Part IConfitemini Domino
1Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
7He is the Lord our God; *
his judgments prevail in all the world.
8He has always been mindful of his covenant, *
the promise he made for a thousand generations:
9The covenant he made with Abraham, *
the oath that he swore to Isaac,
10Which he established as a statute for Jacob, *
an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11Saying, “To you will I give the land of Canaan *
to be your allotted inheritance.”
12When they were few in number, *
of little account, and sojourners in the land,
13Wandering from nation to nation *
and from one kingdom to another,
14He let no one oppress them *
and rebuked kings for their sake,
15Saying, “Do not touch my anointed *
and do my prophets no harm.”
16Then he called for a famine in the land *
and destroyed the supply of bread.
17He sent a man before them, *
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18They bruised his feet in fetters; *
his neck they put in an iron collar.
19Until his prediction came to pass, *
the word of the Lord tested him.
20The king sent and released him; *
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21He set him as a master over his household, *
as a ruler over all his possessions,
22To instruct his princes according to his will *
and to teach his elders wisdom.
Psalm 105: Part IIEt intravit Israel
23Israel came into Egypt, *
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.
24The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; *
he made them stronger than their enemies;
25Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people, *
and dealt unjustly with his servants.
26He sent Moses his servant, *
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27They worked his signs among them, *
and portents in the land of Ham.
28He sent darkness, and it grew dark; *
but the Egyptians rebelled against his words.
29He turned their waters into blood *
and caused their fish to die.
30Their land was overrun by frogs, *
in the very chambers of their kings.
31He spoke, and there came swarms of insects *
and gnats within all their borders.
32He gave them hailstones instead of rain, *
and flames of fire throughout their land.
33He blasted their vines and their fig trees *
and shattered every tree in their country.
34He spoke, and the locust came, *
and young locusts without number,
35Which ate up all the green plants in their land *
and devoured the fruit of their soil.
36He struck down the firstborn of their land, *
the firstfruits of all their strength.
37He led out his people with silver and gold; *
in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.
38Egypt was glad of their going, *
because they were afraid of them.
39He spread out a cloud for a covering *
and a fire to give light in the night season.
40They asked, and quails appeared, *
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.
41He opened the rock, and water flowed, *
so the river ran in the dry places.
42For God remembered his holy word *
and Abraham his servant.
43So he led forth his people with gladness, *
his chosen with shouts of joy.
44He gave his people the lands of the nations, *
and they took the fruit of others’ toil,
45That they might keep his statutes *
and observe his laws.
Hallelujah!
Twenty‑first Day: Evening Prayer
106
Part IConfitemini Domino
1Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
2Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord *
or show forth all his praise?
3Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!
4Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you have for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;
5That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.
6We have sinned as our forebears did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.
7In Egypt they did not consider your marvelous works,
nor remember the abundance of your love; *
they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8But he saved them for his Name’s sake, *
to make his power known.
9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, *
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10He saved them from the hand of those who hated them *
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11The waters covered their oppressors; *
not one of them was left.
12Then they believed his words *
and sang him songs of praise.
13But they soon forgot his deeds *
and did not wait for his counsel.
14A craving seized them in the wilderness, *
and they put God to the test in the desert.
15He gave them what they asked, *
but sent leanness into their soul.
16They envied Moses in the camp, *
and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17The earth opened and swallowed Dathan *
and covered the company of Abiram.
18Fire blazed up against their company, *
and flames devoured the wicked.
Psalm 106: Part IIEt fecerunt vitulum
19Israel made a bull‑calf at Horeb *
and worshiped a molten image;
20And so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.
21They forgot God their Savior, *
who had done great things in Egypt,
22Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.
23So he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, *
to turn away his wrath from consuming them.
24They refused the pleasant land *
and would not believe his promise.
25They grumbled in their tents *
and would not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26So he lifted his hand against them, *
to overthrow them in the wilderness,
27To cast out their seed among the nations, *
and to scatter them throughout the lands.
28They joined themselves to Baal‑Peor *
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29They provoked him to anger with their actions, *
and a plague broke out among them.
30Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, *
and the plague came to an end.
31This was reckoned to him as righteousness *
throughout all generations for ever.
32Again they provoked his anger at the waters of Meribah, *
so that he punished Moses because of them;
33For they so embittered his spirit *
that he spoke rash words with his lips.
34They did not destroy the peoples *
as the Lord had commanded them.
35They intermingled with the heathen *
and learned their pagan ways,
36So that they worshiped their idols, *
which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons *
and their daughters to evil spirits.
38They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters, *
which they offered to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was defiled with blood.
39Thus they were polluted by their actions *
and went whoring in their evil deeds.
40Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people *
and he abhorred his inheritance.
41He gave them over to the hand of the heathen, *
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them, *
and they were humbled under their hand.
43Many a time did he deliver them,
but they rebelled through their own devices, *
and were brought down in their iniquity.
44Nevertheless, he saw their distress, *
when he heard their lamentation.
45He remembered his covenant with them *
and relented in accordance with his great mercy.
46He caused them to be pitied *
by those who held them captive.
47Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations, *
that we may give thanks to your holy Name
and glory in your praise.
48Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting; *
and let all the people say, “Amen!”
Hallelujah!