The Book of Common Prayer Part 75

16 But unto the unG.o.dly said G.o.d: Why dost thou preach my laws, and takest my covenant in thy mouth;

17 Whereas thou hatest to be reformed: and hast cast my words behind thee?

18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst unto him: and hast been partaker with the adulterers.

19 Thou hast let thy mouth speak wickedness: and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit.

20 Thou satest, and spakest against thy brother: yea, and hast slandered thine own mother's son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue, and thou thoughtest wickedly, that I am even such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done.

22 O consider this, ye that forget G.o.d: lest I pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you.

23 Whoso offereth me thanks and praise, he honoureth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation right will I shew the salvation of G.o.d.

PSALM 51. _Miserere mei, Deus_.

Have mercy upon me, O G.o.d, after thy great goodness: according to the mult.i.tude of thy mercies do away mine offences.

2 Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.

5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

6 But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

7 Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Turn thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.

10 Make me a clean heart, O G.o.d: and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

12 O give me the comfort of thy help again: and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

13 Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O G.o.d, thou that art the G.o.d of my health: and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.

15 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew thy praise.

16 For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

17 The sacrifice of G.o.d is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O G.o.d, shalt thou not despise.

18 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

PSALM 52. _Quid gloriaris?_

Why boastest thou thyself, thou tyrant: that thou canst do mischief;

2 Whereas the goodness of G.o.d: endureth yet daily?

3 Thy tongue imagineth wickedness: and with lies thou cuttest like a sharp rasor.

4 Thou hast loved unrighteousness more than goodness: and to talk of lies more than righteousness.

5 Thou hast loved to speak all words that may do hurt: O thou false tongue.

6 Therefore shall G.o.d destroy thee for ever: he shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living.

7 The righteous also shall see this, and fear: and shall laugh him to scorn;

8 Lo, this is the man that took not G.o.d for his strength: but trusted unto the mult.i.tude of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

9 As for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of G.o.d: my trust is in the tender mercy of G.o.d for ever and ever.

10 I will always give thanks unto thee for that thou hast done: and I will hope in thy Name, for thy saints like it well.

DAY 10 EVENING PRAYER

PSALM 53. _Dixit insipiens_.

The foolish body hath said in his heart: There is no G.o.d.

2 Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness: there is none that doeth good.

3 G.o.d looked down from heaven upon the children of men: to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after G.o.d.

4 But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable: there is also none that doeth good, no not one.

5 Are not they without understanding, that work wickedness: eating up my people as if they would eat bread? they have not called upon G.o.d.

6 They were afraid where no fear was: for G.o.d hath broken the bones of him that besieged thee; thou hast put them to confusion, because G.o.d hath despised them.

7 O that the salvation were given unto Israel out of Sion: O that the Lord would deliver his people out of captivity!

8 Then should Jacob rejoice: and Israel should be right glad.

PSALM 54. _Deus, in Nomine_.