7 For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain : he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.

8 And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thee.

9 Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

10 I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing.

11 Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand.

12 When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my talling: hold not thy peace at my tears.

14 For I am a stranger with thee : and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

15 O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength: before I go hence, and be no

more seen.

I

PSAL. xl. Expectans expectavi. WAITED patiently for the Lord: and he inclined unto me, and heard my calling. 2 He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay: and set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth : even a thanksgiving unto our God.

4 Many shall see it, and fear: and shall put their trust in the Lord.

5 Blessed is the man that hath set his hope

:

in the Lord: and turned not unto the proud, and to such as go about with lies.

6 O Lord my God, great are the wondrous works which thou hast done, like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward: and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee.

7 If I should declare them, and speak of them: they should be more than I am able to express.

8 Sacrifice, and meat-offering, thou wouldest not: but mine ears hast thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings, and sacrifice for sin, hast thou not required: then said I, Lo, I come,

10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it; yea, thy law is within my heart.

11 I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregation : lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, and that thou knowest.

12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: my talk hath been of thy truth, and of thy salvation.

13 I have not kept back thy loving mercy and truth: from the great congregation.

14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth alway preserve me.

15 For innumerable troubles are come about me; my sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

16 O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me: make haste, O Lord, to help me.

17 Let them be ashamed, and confounded together, that seek after my soul to destroy it: let them be driven backward, and put to rebuke, that wish me evil.

18 Let them be desolate, and rewarded with shame: that say unto me, Fie upon thee, fie upon thee.

19 Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say alway, The Lord be praised.

20 As for me, I am poor and needy: but the Lord careth for me.

21 Thou art my helper and redeemer : make no long tarrying, O my God.

EVENING PRAYER.

PSAL. xli. Beatus qui intelligit.

BLESSED is he that considereth the poor

and needy: the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.

2 The Lord preserve him, and keep him alive, that he may be blessed upon earth: and deliver not thou him into the will of his enemies.

3 The Lord comfort him, when he lieth sick upon his bed: make thou all his bed in his sickness.

4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.

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

6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: and his heart conceiveth falshood within himself, and when he cometh forth he 3 O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.

4 And that I may go unto the altar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness: and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God, my God.

5 Why art thou so heavy, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me?

6 O put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.

MORNING PRAYER.

PSAL. xliv. Deus, auribus.

WE have heard with our ears, O God, our

fathers have told us : what thou hast

done in their time of old;

2 How thou hast driven out the heathen with thy hand, and planted them in: how thou hast destroyed the nations, and cast them out.

3 For they gat not the land in possession through their own sword: neither was it their own arm that helped them;

4 But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance: because thou hadst a favour unto them.

5 Thou art my King, O God: send help unto Jacob.

6 Through thee will we overthrow our enemies: and in thy Name will we tread them under, that rise up against us.

7 For I will not trust in my bow: it is not my sword that shall help me;

8 But it is thou that savest us from our ene

mies: and puttest them to confusion that hate us.

9 We make our boast of God all day long : and will praise thy Name for ever.

10 But now thou art far off, and puttest us to confusion: and goest not forth with our armies.

11 Thou makest us to turn our backs upon our enemies: so that they which hate us spoil our goods.

12 Thou lettest us be eaten up like sheep : and hast, scattered us among the heathen.

13 Thou sellest thy people for nought: and takest no money for them.

14 Thou makest us to be rebuked of our neighbours: to be laughed to scorn, and had in derision of them that are round about us.

15 Thou makest us to be a by-word among the heathen: and that the people shake their heads at us.

16 My confusion is daily before me: and the shame of my face hath covered me;

17 For the voice of the slanderer and blasphemer: for the enemy and avenger.

18 And though all this be come upon us, yet do we not forget thee: nor behave ourselves frowardly in thy covenant.

19 Our heart is not turned back: neither our steps gone out of thy way;

20 No, not when thou hast smitten us into the place of dragons: and covered us with the shadow of death.

21 If we have forgotten the Name of our God, and holden up our hands to any strange god: shall not God search it out? for he