And he shall exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not:
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright:
For the end of that man is peace.

But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: The end of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them,

Because they trust in him.

LXXI

I SAID I WILL TAKE HEED

Psalm xxxix.

SAID, I will take heed to my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue:
I will keep my mouth with a bridle,
While the wicked is before me.
I was dumb with silence, I held my
peace, even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me;

While I was musing the fire burned:

Then spake I with my tongue,

Lord, make me to know mine end,

And the measure of my days, what it is;
That I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth;

And mine age is as nothing before thee:

Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew:

Surely they are disquieted in vain :

He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for?

My hope is in thee.

Deliver me from all my transgressions:
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth;
Because thou didst it.

Remove thy stroke away from me:

I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,

Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a

moth:

Surely every man is vanity.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry;

Hold not thy peace at my tears:

For I am a stranger with thee,

And a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

O spare me, that I may recover strength,
Before I go hence, and be no more.

LXXII

AS THE HART PANTETH

Psalm xlii.

S 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 meat day and night,
While they continually say unto me, Where is thy
God?

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:

For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why art thou disquieted in me?

Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him

For the help of his countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me: Therefore will I remember thee from the land of

Jordan,

And of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts :

All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness

in the daytime,

And in the night his song shall be with me,

And my prayer unto the God of my life.

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?

Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me;

While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,
Who is the health of my countenance, and my
God.

LXXIII

JUDGE ME, O GOD

Psalm xliii.

JUDGE me, 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 dost thou cast me off?

Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead

me;

Let them bring me unto thy holy hill,

And to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God,

Unto God my exceeding joy:

Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my

God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,

Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

LXXIV

MY HEART IS INDITING

Psalm xlv.

Y heart is inditing a good matter:
I speak of the things which I have
made touching the king:

M

men:

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of

Grace is poured into thy lips:

Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty,
With thy glory and thy majesty.

And in thy majesty ride prosperously

Because of truth and meekness and righteousness; And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies;

Whereby the people fall under thee.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:

The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,

Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Kings' daughters were among thy honourable

women:

Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;