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He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress;My God, in whom I trust.For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,And from the noisome pestilence.He shall cover thee with his pinions,And under his wings shalt thou take refuge:His truth is a shield and a buckler.Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night,Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;For the pestilence that walketh in darkness,Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.A thousand shall fall at thy side,And ten thousand at thy right hand;But it shall not come nigh thee.Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold,And see the reward of the wicked.For thou, O Lord, art my refuge!Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation;There shall no evil befall thee,Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.For he shall give his angels charge over thee,To keep thee in all thy ways.{107}They shall bear thee up in their hands,Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble:I will deliver him, and honour him.With long life will I satisfy him,And shew him my salvation.
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The Lord reigneth; he is clothed with majesty;The Lord is clothed with strength wherewith he hath girded himself:The world also is established, that it cannot be moved.Thy throne is established of old:Thou art from everlasting.The floods have lifted up, O Lord,The floods have lifted up their voice;The floods lift up their waves.Above the voices of many waters,The mighty breakers of the sea,The Lord on high is mighty.Thy testimonies are very sure:Holiness becometh thine house,O Lord, for evermore.
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ON THE COAST OF PALESTINE AT SUNSET.From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her kind permission.
"The sea is his and he made it,And his hands formed the dry land."
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O come, let us sing unto the Lord:Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God,And a great King above all gods.In his hand are the deep places of the earth;The heights of the mountains are his also.The sea is his, and he made it;And his hands formed the dry land.O come, let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker:For he is our God,And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
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O sing unto the Lord a new song:Sing unto the Lord, all the earth.Sing unto the Lord, bless his name;Shew forth his salvation from day to day.Declare his glory among the nations,His marvellous works among all the peoples.For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised:He is to be feared above all gods.For all the gods of the peoples are idols:But the Lord made the heavens.Honour and majesty are before him:Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the peoples,Give unto the Lord glory and strength.Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name:Bring an offering, and come into his courts.O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:Tremble before him, all the earth.Say among the nations, The Lord reigneth:The world also is established that it cannot be moved:He shall judge the peoples with equity.Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;Let the field exult, and all that is therein;Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joyBefore the Lord, for he cometh;For he cometh to judge the earth:He shall judge the world with righteousness,And the peoples with his truth.
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The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice;Let the multitude of isles be glad.Clouds and darkness are round about him:Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.A fire goeth before him,And burneth up his adversaries round about.His lightnings lightened the world:The earth saw, and trembled.The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.The heavens declare his righteousness,And all the peoples have seen his glory.Ashamed be all they that serve graven images,That boast themselves of idols:Worship him, all ye gods.Zion heard and was glad,And the daughters of Judah rejoiced;Because of thy judgments, O Lord.For thou, Lord, art most high above all the earth:Thou art exalted far above all gods.O ye that love the Lord, hate evil:He preserveth the souls of his saints;He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.Light is sown for the righteous,And gladness for the upright in heart.Be glad in the Lord, ye righteous;And give thanks to his holy name.
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O sing unto the Lord a new song;For he hath done marvellous things:His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation for him.The Lord hath made known his salvation:His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the nations.He hath remembered his mercy and his faithfulness towardthe house of Israel:All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:Break forth and sing for joy, yea, sing praises.Sing praises unto the Lord with the harp;With the harp and the voice of melody.With trumpets and sound of cornetMake a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;The world, and they that dwell therein;Let the floods clap their hands;Let the hills sing for joy togetherBefore the Lord, for he cometh to judge the earth:He shall judge the world with righteousness,And the peoples with equity.
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The Lord reigneth; let the peoples tremble:He sitteth above the cherubim; let the earth be moved.The Lord is great in Zion;And he is high above all the peoples.Let them praise thy great and terrible name:Holy is he.The king's strength also loveth justice;Thou dost establish equity;Thou executest justice and righteousness in Jacob.Exalt ye the Lord our God,And worship at his footstool:Holy is he.Moses and Aaron among his priests,And Samuel among them that call upon his name;They called upon the Lord, and he answereth them.He spake unto them in the pillar of cloud:They kept his testimonies,And the statute that he gave them.Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God:Thou wast a God that forgavest them,Though thou tookest vengeance of their doings.Exalt ye the Lord our God,And worship at his holy hill;For the Lord our God is holy.
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Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.Serve the Lord with gladness:Come before his presence with singing.Know ye that the Lord he is God:It is he that hath made us, and we are his;We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,And into his courts with praise:Give thanks unto him, and bless his name.For the Lord is good; his mercy endureth for ever;And his faithfulness unto all generations.
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I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:Thy years are throughout all generations.Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth;And the heavens are the work of thy hands.They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:But thou art the same,And thy years shall have no end.
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Bless the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless his holy name.Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all his benefits:Who forgiveth all thine iniquities:Who healeth all thy diseases;Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies:Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.The Lord executeth righteous acts,And judgments for all that are oppressed.He made known his ways unto Moses,His doings unto the children of Israel.The Lord is full of compassion and gracious,Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.He will not always chide;Neither will he keep his anger for ever.He hath not dealt with us after our sins,Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.For as the heaven is high above the earth,So great is his mercy toward them that fear him.As far as the east is from the west,{119}So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.Like as a father pitieth his children,So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.For he knoweth our frame;He remembereth that we are dust.As for man, his days are as grass;As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;And the place thereof shall know it no more.But the mercy of the Lord is from everlastingto everlasting upon them that fear him,And his righteousness unto children's children;To such as keep his covenant,And to those that remember his precepts to do them.The Lord hath established his throne in the heavens;And his kingdom ruleth over all.Bless the Lord, ye angels of his:Ye mighty in strength, that fulfil his word,Hearkening unto the voice of his word.Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts;Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.Bless the Lord, all ye his works,In all places of his dominion:Bless the Lord, O my soul.
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Bless the Lord, O my soul.O Lord my God, thou art very great;Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;Who maketh the clouds his chariot;Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:Who maketh winds his messengers;His ministers a flaming fire:Who laid the foundations of the earth,That it should not be moved for ever.Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;The waters stood above the mountains.At thy rebuke they fled;At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away;They went up by the mountains, they went down by the valleys,Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;That they turn not again to cover the earth.He sendeth forth springs into the valleys;They run among the mountains:They give drink to every beast of the field;{121}The wild asses quench their thirst.By them the birds of the heaven have their habitation,They sing among the branches.He watereth the mountains from his chambers:The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,And herb for the service of man;That he may bring forth food out of the earth:And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,And oil to make his face to shine,And bread that strengtheneth man's heart.The trees of the Lord are satisfied;The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;Where the birds make their nests:As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.The high mountains are for the wild goats;The rocks are a refuge for the conies.He appointed the moon for seasons:The sun knoweth his going down.Thou makest darkness, and it is night;Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.The young lions roar after their prey,And seek their meat from God.The sun ariseth, they get them away,And lay them down in their dens.Man goeth forth unto his workAnd to his labour until the evening.O Lord, how manifold are thy works!In wisdom hast thou made them all:{122}The earth is full of thy riches.Yonder is the sea, great and wide,Wherein are things creeping innumerable,Both small and great beasts.There go the ships;There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to take his pastime therein.These wait all upon thee,That thou mayest give them their meat in due season.That thou givest unto them they gather;Thou openest thine hand, they are satisfied with good.Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled;Thou takest away their breath, they die,And return to their dust.Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created;And thou renewest the face of the ground.Let the glory of the Lord endure for ever;Let the Lord rejoice in his works:Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live:I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.Let my meditation be sweet unto him:I will rejoice in the Lord.Let sinners be consumed out of the earth,And let the wicked be no more.Bless the Lord, O my soul.Praise ye the Lord.
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Oh give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name;Make known among the peoples his doings.Sing unto him, sing praises unto him;Talk ye of all his marvellous works.Glory ye in his holy name:Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.Seek ye the Lord and his strength;Seek his face evermore.Remember his marvellous works that he hath done,His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,O ye children of Abraham his servant,Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.He is the Lord our God:His judgments are in all the earth.He hath remembered his covenant for ever,The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,The covenant which he made with Abraham,And his oath unto Isaac,And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute,To Israel for an everlasting covenant,Saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,The lot of your inheritance,"When they were but a few men in number,Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.{124}And they went about from nation to nation,From one kingdom to another people.He suffered no man to do them wrong;Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,Saying, "Touch not mine anointed ones,And do my prophets no harm."And he called for a famine upon the land;He brake the whole staff of bread.He sent a man before them;Joseph was sold for a servant:His feet they hurt with fetters;He was laid in chains of iron,Until the time that his word came to pass,The word of the Lord tried him.The king sent and loosed him;Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.He made him lord of his house,And ruler of all his substance;To bind his princes at his pleasure,And teach his elders wisdom.Israel also came into Egypt;And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.And he increased his people greatly,And made them stronger than their adversaries.He turned their heart to hate his people,To deal subtilly with his servants.He sent Moses his servant,And Aaron whom he had chosen.They set among them his signs,{125}And wonders in the land of Ham.He sent darkness, and made it dark;And they rebelled not against his words.He turned their waters into blood,And slew their fish.Their land swarmed with frogs,In the chambers of their kings.He spake, and there came swarms of flies,And lice in all their borders.He gave them hail for rain,And flaming fire in their land.He smote their vines also and their fig trees;And brake the trees of their borders.He spake, and the locust came,And the cankerworm, and that without number,And did eat up every herb in their land,And did eat up the fruit of their ground.He smote also all the firstborn in their land,The chief of all their strength.And he brought them forth with silver and gold:And there was not one feeble person among his tribes,Egypt was glad when they departed;For the fear of them had fallen upon them.He spread a cloud for a covering;And fire to give light in the night.They asked, and he brought quails,And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.He opened the rock, and waters gushed out;They ran in the dry places like a river.For he remembered his holy word.{126}And Abraham his servant.And he brought forth his people with joy,And his chosen with singing.And he gave them the lands of the nations;And they took the labour of the peoples in possession:That they might keep his statutes,And observe his laws.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord.O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:For his mercy endureth for ever.Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord,Or shew forth all his praise?Blessed are they that keep judgment,And he that doeth righteousness at all times.Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people;O visit me with thy salvation:That I may see the prosperity of thy chosen,That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation,That I may glory with thine inheritance.We have sinned with our fathers,We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies;But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake,That he might make his mighty power to be known.He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up:{127}So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them,And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.And the waters covered their adversaries:There was not one of them left.Then believed they his words;They sang his praise.They soon forgot his works;They waited not for his counsel:But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,And tempted God in the desert.And he gave them their request;But sent leanness into their soul.They envied Moses also in the camp,And Aaron the saint of the Lord.The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,And covered the company of Abiram.And a fire was kindled in their company;The flame burned up the wicked.They made a calf in Horeb,And worshipped a molten image.Thus they changed their gloryFor the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.They forgot God their saviour,Which had done great things in Egypt;Wondrous works in the land of Ham,And terrible things by the Red Sea.Therefore he said that he would destroy them,Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach,To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.{128}Yea, they despised the pleasant land,They believed not his word;But murmured in their tents,And hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.Therefore he lifted up his hand unto them,That he would overthrow them in the wilderness:And that he would overthrow them among the nations,And scatter them in the lands.They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor,And ate the sacrifices of the dead.Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings;And the plague broke in upon them.Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment:And so the plague was stayed.And that was counted unto him for righteousness,Unto all generations for evermore.They angered him also at the waters of Meribah,So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:Because they were rebellious against his spirit,And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.They did not destroy the peoples,As the Lord commanded them;But mingled themselves with the nations,And learned their works:And they served their idols;Which became a snare unto them:Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,And shed innocent blood, even the blood oftheir sons and of their daughters,{129}Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan;And the land was polluted with blood.Thus were they defiled with their works,And did very evil in their doings.Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people,And he abhorred his inheritance.And he gave them into the hand of the nations;And they that hated them ruled over them.Their enemies also oppressed them,And they were brought into subjection under their hand.Many times did he deliver them;But they were rebellious in their counsel,And were brought low in their iniquity.Nevertheless he regarded their distress,When he heard their cry:And he remembered for them his covenant,And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.He made them also to be pitiedOf all those that carried them captive.Save us, O Lord our God,And gather us from among the nations,To give thanks unto thy holy name,And to triumph in thy praise.Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,From everlasting even to everlasting.And let all the people say, Amen.Praise ye the Lord.
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O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:For his mercy endureth for ever.Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary;And gathered them out of the lands,From the east and from the west,From the north and from the south.They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way;They found no city of habitation.Hungry and thirsty,Their soul fainted in them.Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble,And he delivered them out of their distresses.He led them also by a straight way,That they might go to a city of habitation.Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,And for his wonderful works to the children of men!For he satisfieth the longing soul,And the hungry soul he filleth with good.Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,Being bound in affliction and iron;Because they rebelled against the words of God,And contemned the counsel of the Most High:Therefore he brought down their heart with labour;{131}They fell down, and there was none to help.Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble,And he saved them out of their distresses.He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,And brake their bands in sunder.Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,And for his wonderful works to the children of men!For he hath broken the gates of brass,And cut the bars of iron in sunder.Fools because of their transgression,And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat;And they draw near unto the gates of death.Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,And he saveth them out of their distresses.He sendeth his word, and healeth them,And delivereth them from their destructions.Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,And for his wonderful works to the children of men!And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,And declare his works with singing.They that go down to the sea in ships,That do business in great waters;These see the works of the Lord,And his wonders in the deep.For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,Which lifteth up the waves thereof.They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths:{132}Their soul melteth away because of trouble.They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,And are at their wits' end.Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,And he bringeth them out of their distresses.He maketh the storm a calm,So that the waves thereof are still.Then are they glad because they be quiet;So he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,And for his wonderful works to the children of men!Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people,And praise him in the seat of the elders.He turneth rivers into a wilderness,And watersprings into a thirsty ground;A fruitful land into a salt desert,For the wickedness of them that dwell therein.He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water,And a dry land into watersprings.And there he maketh the hungry to dwell,That they may prepare a city of habitation;And sow fields, and plant vineyards,And get them fruits of increase.He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly;And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.Again, they are diminished and bowed downThrough oppression, trouble, and sorrow.He poureth contempt upon princes,{133}And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way.Yet setteth he the needy on high from affliction,And maketh him families like a flock.The upright shall see it, and be glad;And all iniquity shall stop her mouth.Whoso is wise shall give heed to these things,And they shall consider the mercies of the Lord.
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Praise ye the Lord.Praise, O ye servants of the Lord,Praise the name of the Lord.Blessed be the name of the LordFrom this time forth and for evermore.From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the sameThe Lord's name is to be praised.The Lord is high above all nations,And his glory above the heavens.Who is like unto the Lord our God,Who hath his seat on high,Who humbleth himself to beholdThe things that are in heaven and in the earth?He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;That he may set him with princes,Even with the princes of his people.When Israel went forth out of Egypt,The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;Judah became his sanctuary,Israel his dominion.The sea saw it, and fled;{135}Jordan was driven back.The mountains skipped like rams,The little hills like young sheep.What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest?Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back?Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams;Ye little hills, like young sheep?Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord,At the presence of the God of Jacob;Who turned the rock into a pool of water,The flint into a fountain of waters.
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Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,But unto thy name give glory,For thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.Wherefore should the nations say,Where is now their God?But our God is in the heavens:He hath done whatsoever he pleased.Their idols are silver and gold,The work of men's hands.They have mouths, but they speak not;Eyes have they, but they see not;They have ears, but they hear not;Noses have they, but they smell not;They have hands, but they handle not;Feet have they, but they walk not;Neither speak they through their throat.They that make them shall be like unto them;Yea, everyone that trusteth in them.
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I love the Lord, because he hath heardMy voice and my supplications.Because he hath inclined his ear unto me,Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.The sorrows of death compassed me,And the pains of Sheol seized me:I found trouble and sorrow.Then called I upon the name of the Lord;O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;Yea, our God is merciful.The Lord preserveth the simple:I was brought low, and he saved me.Return unto thy rest, O my soul;For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.For thou hast delivered my soul from death,Mine eyes from tears,And my feet from falling.I will walk before the LordIn the land of the living.I believe, for I will speak:I was greatly afflicted:{138}I said in my haste,All men are a lie.What shall I render unto the LordFor all his benefits toward me?I will take the cup of salvation,And call upon the name of the Lord.I will pay my vows unto the Lord,Yea, in the presence of all his people.Precious in the sight of the LordIs the death of his saints.O Lord, truly I am thy servant:I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid;Thou hast loosed my bonds.I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,And will call upon the name of the Lord.I will pay my vows unto the Lord.
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O praise the Lord, all ye nations;Laud him, all ye peoples.For his mercy is great toward us;And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.Praise ye the Lord.
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O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:For his mercy endureth for ever.Let Israel now say,That his mercy endureth for ever.Let the house of Aaron now say,That his mercy endureth for ever.Let them now that fear the Lord say,That his mercy endureth for ever.Out of my distress I called upon the Lord:The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:What can man do unto me?The Lord is on my side among them that help me:Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.It is better to trust in the LordThan to put confidence in man.It is better to trust in the LordThan to put confidence in princes.All nations compassed me about:In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about:In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.They compassed me about like bees;they are quenched as the fire of thorns:{141}In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall:But the Lord helped me.The Lord is my strength and song;And he is become my salvation.The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.The right hand of the Lord is exalted:The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.I shall not die, but live,And declare the works of the Lord.The Lord hath chastened me sore:But he hath not given me over unto death.Open to me the gates of righteousness:I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the Lord.This is the gate of the Lord;The righteous shall enter into it.I will give thanks unto thee, for thou hast answered me,And art become my salvation.The stone which the builders rejectedIs become the head of the corner.This is the Lord's doing;It is marvellous in our eyes.This is the day which the Lord hath made;We will rejoice and be glad in it.Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord:O Lord, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord:{142}We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.The Lord is God, and he hath given us light:Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee:Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;For his mercy endureth for ever.
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Blessed are they that are perfect in the way,Who walk in the law of the Lord.Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,That seek him with the whole heart.Yea, they do no unrighteousness;They walk in his ways.Thou hast commanded us thy precepts,That we should observe them diligently.Oh that my ways were establishedTo observe thy statutes!Then shall I not be ashamed,When I have respect unto all thy commandments.I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart,When I learn thy righteous judgments.I will observe thy statutes:O forsake me not utterly.Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed thereto according to thy word.With my whole heart have I sought thee:O let me not wander from thy commandments.Thy word have I laid up in mine heart,That I might not sin against thee.Blessed art thou, O Lord:Teach me thy statutes.{144}With my lips have I declaredAll the judgments of thy mouth.I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,As much as in all riches.I will meditate in thy precepts,And have respect unto thy ways.I will delight myself in thy statutes:I will not forget thy word.Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live;So will I observe thy word.Open thou mine eyes, that I may beholdWondrous things out of thy law.I am a sojourner in the earth:Hide not thy commandments from me.My soul breaketh for the longingThat it hath unto thy judgments at all times.Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed,Who wander from thy commandments.Take away from me reproach and contempt;For I have kept thy testimonies.Princes also sat and talked against me:But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.Thy testimonies also are my delightAnd my counsellors.My soul cleaveth unto the dust:Quicken thou me according to thy word.I declared my ways, and thou answeredst me:Teach me thy statutes.{145}Make me to understand the way of thy precepts:So shall I meditate of thy wondrous works.My soul melteth for heaviness:Strengthen thou me according unto thy word.Remove from me the way of falsehood:And grant me thy law graciously.I have chosen the way of faithfulness:Thy judgments have I set before me.I cleave unto thy testimonies:O Lord, put me not to shame.I will run the way of thy commandments,When thou shalt enlarge my heart.Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes;And I shall keep it unto the end.Give me understanding, and I shall keep the law;Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.Make me to go in the path of thy commandments;For therein do I delight.Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,And not to covetousness.Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity,And quicken me in thy ways.Confirm thy word unto thy servant,Which belongeth unto the fear of thee.Turn away my reproach whereof I am afraid;For thy judgments are good.Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:Quicken me in thy righteousness.Let thy mercies also come unto me, O Lord,{146}Even thy salvation, according to thy word.So shall I have an answer for him that reproacheth me;For I trust in thy word.And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth;For I have hoped in thy judgments.So shall I observe thy law continuallyFor ever and ever.And I will walk at liberty;For I have sought thy precepts.I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings,And will not be ashamed.And I will delight myself in thy commandments,Which I have loved.I will lift up my hands also unto thy commandments, which I have loved;And I will meditate in thy statutes.Thy hands have made me and fashioned me:Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.They that fear thee shall see me and be glad;Because I have hoped in thy word.I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are righteous,And that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort,According to thy word unto thy servant.Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live:For thy law is my delight.Let the proud be ashamed; for they have overthrown me wrongfully:{147}But I will meditate in thy precepts.Let those that fear thee turn unto me,And they shall know thy testimonies.Let my heart be perfect in thy statutes;That I be not ashamed.My soul fainteth for thy salvation:But I hope in thy word.Mine eyes fail for thy word,While I say, "When wilt thou comfort me?"For I am become like a bottle in the smoke;Yet do I not forget thy statutes.How many are the days of thy servant?When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?The proud have digged pits for me,Who are not after thy law.All thy commandments are faithful:They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.They had almost consumed me upon earth;But I forsook not thy precepts.Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;So shall I observe the testimony of thy mouth.For ever, O Lord,Thy word is settled in heaven.Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.They abide this day according to thine ordinances;For all things are thy servants.{148}Unless thy law had been my delight,I should then have perished in mine affliction.I will never forget thy precepts;For with them thou hast quickened me.I am thine, save me;For I have sought thy precepts.The wicked have waited for me to destroy me;But I will consider thy testimonies.I have seen an end of all perfection;But thy commandment is exceeding broad.Oh how love I thy law!It is my meditation all the day.Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies;For they are ever with me.I have more understanding than all my teachers;For thy testimonies are my meditation.I understand more than the aged,Because I have kept thy precepts.I have refrained my feet from every evil way,That I might observe thy word.I have not turned aside from thy judgments;For thou hast taught me.How sweet are thy words unto my taste!Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!Through thy precepts I get understanding:Therefore I hate every false way.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.I have sworn, and have confirmed it,That I will observe thy righteous judgments.{149}I am afflicted very much:Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,And teach me thy judgments.My soul is continually in my hand;Yet do I not forget thy law.The wicked have laid a snare for me;Yet went I not astray from thy precepts.Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever;For they are the rejoicing of my heart.I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes,For ever, even unto the end.I hate them that are of a double mind;But thy law do I love.Thou art my hiding place and my shield:I hope in thy word.Depart from me, ye evil-doers;That I may keep the commandments of my God.Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live;And let me not be ashamed of my hope.Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe,And shall have respect unto thy statutes continually.Thou hast set at nought all them that err from thy statutes;For their deceit is falsehood.Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross:Therefore I love thy commandments.My flesh trembleth for fear of thee;{150}And I am afraid of thy judgments.I have done judgment and justice:Leave me not to mine oppressors.Be surety for thy servant for good:Let not the proud oppress me.Mine eyes fail for thy salvation,And for thy righteous word.Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy,And teach me thy statutes.I am thy servant, give me understanding;That I may know thy testimonies.It is time for the Lord to work;For they have made void thy law.Therefore I love thy commandmentsAbove gold, yea, above fine gold.Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right;And I hate every false way.Thy testimonies are wonderful:Therefore doth my soul keep them.The opening of thy words giveth light;It giveth understanding unto the simple.I opened wide my mouth, and panted;For I longed for thy commandments.Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me,As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.Order my footsteps in thy word;And let not any iniquity have dominion over me.{151}Redeem me from the oppression of man:So will I observe thy precepts.Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;And teach me thy statutes.Mine eyes run down with rivers of water,Because they observe not thy law.Righteous art thou, O Lord,And upright are thy judgments.Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousnessand very faithfulness.My zeal hath consumed me,Because mine adversaries have forgotten thy words.Thy word is very pure;Therefore thy servant loveth it.I am small and despised:Yet do not I forget thy precepts.Thy righteousness is everlasting righteousness,And thy law is truth.Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me:Yet thy commandments are my delight.Thy testimonies are righteous for ever:Give me understanding, and I shall live.I have called with my whole heart; answer me, O Lord:I will keep thy statutes.I have called unto thee; save me,And I shall observe thy testimonies.I rose before the dawning of the morning, and cried:I hoped in thy words.{152}Mine eyes outwatched the night watches,That I might meditate in thy word.Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness:Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy judgments.They draw nigh that follow after wickedness;They are far from thy law.Thou art nigh, O Lord,And all thy commandments are truth.Of old have I known from thy testimonies,That thou hast founded them for ever.Consider mine affliction, and deliver me;For I do not forget thy law.Plead thou my cause, and redeem me:Quicken me according to thy word.Salvation is far from the wicked;For they seek not thy statutes.Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord:Quicken me according to thy judgments.Many are my persecutors and mine adversaries;Yet have I not swerved from thy testimonies.I beheld the treacherous dealers, and was grieved;Because they observe not thy word.Consider how I love thy precepts:Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.The sum of thy word is truth;And everyone of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.