PSALM 118

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his steadfast love endures for ever!

2 Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures for ever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures for ever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures for ever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear.

What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is on my side to help me;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to put confidence in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees,

they blazedi like a fire of thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

15 Hark, glad songs of victory

in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted,

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has chastened me sorely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank thee that thou hast answered me

and hast become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected

has become the head of the corner.

23 This is the Lord’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we beseech thee, O Lord!

O Lord, we beseech thee, give us success!

26 Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord!

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God,

and he has given us light.

Bind the festal procession with branches,

up to the horns of the altar!

28 Thou art my God, and I will give thanks to thee;

thou art my God, I will extol thee.

29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures for ever!

PSALM 33

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright.

2 Praise the Lord with the lyre,

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

3 Sing to him a new song,

play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright;

and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;

he put the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord,

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood forth.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nought;

he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the Lord stands for ever,

the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven,

he sees all the sons of men;

14 from where he sits enthroned he looks forth

on all the inhabitants of the earth,

15 he who fashions the hearts of them all,

and observes all their deeds.

16 A king is not saved by his great army;

a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,

and by its great might it cannot save.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death,

and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

he is our help and shield.

21 Yea, our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

22 Let thy steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

even as we hope in thee.

PSALM 34

A Psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Look to him, and be radiant;

so your* faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good!

Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 O fear the Lord, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no want!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O sons, listen to me,

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is there who desires life,

and covets many days, that he may enjoy good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil,

and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Depart from evil, and do good;

seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,

and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,

to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous;

but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones;

not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked;

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.