CIV

O LORD, THOU HAST SEARCHED ME

Psalm cxxxix.

LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,

Thou understandest my thought afar
off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down,
And art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue,
But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before,
And laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?

Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:

If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me,

And thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
Even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;

But the night shineth as the day:

The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins:

Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

Marvellous are thy works;

P

And that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret,

And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;

And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned,

When as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:

When I awake, I am still with thee.

Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
For they speak against thee wickedly,
And thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?
And am not I grieved with those that rise up
against thee?

I hate them with perfect hatred:

I count them mine enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart:

Try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

CV

BLESSED BE THE LORD

Psalm cxliv.

LESSED be the Lord my strength,
Which teacheth my hands to war,
And my fingers to fight:

My goodness, and my fortress;
My high tower, and my deliverer;
My shield, and he in whom I trust;
Who subdueth my people under me.

Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him!

Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

Man is like to vanity:

His days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down:
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them:
Shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Send thine hand from above;

Rid me, and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of strange children;

Whose mouth speaketh vanity,

And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:

Upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

It is he that giveth salvation unto kings:

Who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.

Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children,

Whose mouth speaketh vanity,

And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

That our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store:

That our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

That our oxen may be strong to labour;
That there be no breaking in, nor going out;
That there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people, that is in such a case:
Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

CVI

I WILL EXTOL THEE, MY GOD

Psalm cxlv.

WILL extol thee, my God, O king; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Every day will I bless thee;

And I will praise thy name for ever
and ever.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise thy works to another,
And shall declare thy mighty acts.

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, And of thy wondrous works.

And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts:

And I will declare thy greatness,

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness,

And shall sing of thy righteousness.

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion;
Slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The Lord is good to all:

And his tender mercies are over all his works.
All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord;
And thy saints shall bless thee.

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
And talk of thy power;

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,

And the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

The Lord upholdeth all that fall,

And raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon thee;

And thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand,

And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways,

And holy in all his works.

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him,
To all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:
He also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The Lord preserveth all them that love him:
But all the wicked will he destroy.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord:

And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and

ever.