The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

My heart fluttereth, my strength faileth me; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

My friends and my companions stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak crafty devices, and utter deceits all the day.

But I am as a deaf man, I hear not; and I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

Yea, I am become as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no arguments.

For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.

For I said: 'Lest they rejoice over me; when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.'

For I am ready to halt, and my pain is continually before me.

For I do declare mine iniquity; I am full of care because of my sin.

But mine enemies are strong in health; and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

They also that repay evil for good are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.

Forsake me not, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me.

Make haste to help me, O LORD, my salvation.

For the Leader, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said: 'I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep a curb upon my mouth, while the wicked is before me.'

I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, had no comfort; and my pain was held in check.

My heart waxed hot within me; while I was musing, the fire kindled; then spoke I with my tongue:

'LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; let me know how short-lived I am.

Behold, Thou hast made my days as hand-breadths; and mine age is as nothing before Thee; surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Selah

Surely man walketh as a mere semblance; surely for vanity they are in turmoil; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope, it is in Thee.

Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the base.

I am dumb, I open not my mouth; because Thou hast done it.

Remove Thy stroke from off me; I am consumed by the blow of Thy hand.

With rebukes dost Thou chasten man for iniquity, and like a moth Thou makest his beauty to consume away; surely every man is vanity. Selah

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; keep not silence at my tears; for I am a stranger with Thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Look away from me, that I may take comfort, before I go hence, and be no more.'

For the Leader. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock, He established my goings.

And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Happy is the man that hath made the LORD his trust, and hath not turned unto the arrogant, nor unto such as fall away treacherously.

Many things hast Thou done, O LORD my God, even Thy wonderful works, and Thy thoughts toward us; there is none to be compared unto Thee! If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be told.

Sacrifice and meal-offering Thou hast no delight in; mine ears hast Thou opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering hast Thou not required.

Then said I: 'Lo, I am come with the roll of a book which is prescribed for me;

I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law is in my inmost parts.'

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation, lo, I did not refrain my lips; O LORD, Thou knowest.

I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy mercy and Thy truth from the great congregation.

Thou, O LORD, wilt not withhold Thy compassions from me; let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually preserve me.

For innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me.

Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt.

Let them be appalled by reason of their shame that say unto me: 'Aha, aha.'

Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; let such as love Thy salvation say continually: 'The LORD be magnified.'

But, as for me, that am poor and needy, the Lord will account it unto me; Thou art my help and my deliverer; O my God, tarry not.

For the Leader. A Psalm of David. Happy is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.

The LORD preserve him, and keep him alive, let him be called happy in the land; and deliver not Thou him unto the greed of his enemies.

The LORD support him upon the bed of illness; mayest Thou turn all his lying down in his sickness.

As for me, I said: 'O LORD, be gracious unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee.'

Mine enemies speak evil of me: 'When shall he die, and his name perish?'

And if one come to see me, he speaketh falsehood; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he speaketh of it.

All that hate me whisper together against me, against me do they devise my hurt:

'An evil thing cleaveth fast unto him; and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more.'

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

But Thou, O LORD, be gracious unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.

By this I know that Thou delightest in me, that mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

And as for me, Thou upholdest me because of mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

BOOK II For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: 'When shall I come and appear before God?'

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy God?'

These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I passed on with the throng, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him for the salvation of His countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore do I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.

Deep calleth unto deep at the voice of Thy cataracts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.

By day the LORD will command His lovingkindness, and in the night His song shall be with me, even a prayer unto the God of my life.

I will say unto God my Rock: 'Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?'

As with a crushing in my bones, mine adversaries taunt me; while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy God?'

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

Be Thou my judge, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For Thou art the God of my strength; why hast Thou cast me off? Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?

O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy mountain, and to Thy dwelling-places.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God, my exceeding joy; and praise Thee upon the harp, O God, my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

For the Leader; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us; a work Thou didst in their days, in the days of old.

Thou with Thy hand didst drive out the nations, and didst plant them in; Thou didst break the peoples, and didst spread them abroad.

For not by their own sword did they get the land in possession, neither did their own arm save them; but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou wast favourable unto them.

Thou art my King, O God; command the salvation of Jacob.

Through Thee do we push down our adversaries; through Thy name do we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I trust not in my bow, neither can my sword save me.

But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.

In God have we gloried all the day, and we will give thanks unto Thy name for ever. Selah

Yet Thou hast cast off, and brought us to confusion; and goest not forth with our hosts.

Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary; and they that hate us spoil at their will.

Thou hast given us like sheep to be eaten; and hast scattered us among the nations.

Thou sellest Thy people for small gain, and hast not set their prices high.

Thou makest us a taunt to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

All the day is my confusion before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

For the voice of him that taunteth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the revengeful.

All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we been false to Thy covenant.

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy path;

Though Thou hast crushed us into a place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god;

Would not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Nay, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Awake, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arouse Thyself, cast not off for ever.

Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercy's sake.

For the Leader; upon Shoshannim; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves. My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter; I say: 'My work is concerning a king'; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured upon thy lips; therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.