1O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. 2Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.
3You turn men back to dust and say: "Go back, sons of men." 4To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night.
5You sweep men away like a dream, like the grass which springs up in the morning. 6In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades.
7So we are destroyed in your anger, struck with terror in your fury. 8Our guilt lies open before you; our secrets in the light of your face.
9All our days pass away in your anger. Our life is over like a sigh. 10Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone. 11Who understands the power of your anger and fears the strength of your fury?
12Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants.
14In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. 15Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune.
16Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children. 17Let the favor of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands. (give success to the work of our hands).
Psalm 91(90) Qui habitat
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and abides in the shade of the Almighty 2says to the Lord: "My refuge, my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!"
3It is he who will free you from the snare of the fowler who seeks to destroy you; 4he will conceal you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge.
5You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, 6nor the plague that prowls in the darkness nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.
7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand fall at your right, you, it will never approach; 4chis faithfulness is buckler and shield.
8Your eyes have only to look to see how the wicked are repaid, 9you who have said: "Lord, my refuge!" and have made the Most High your dwelling.
10Upon you no evil shall fall, no plague approach where you dwell. 11For you has he commanded his angels, to keep you in all your ways.
12They shall bear you upon their hands lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13On the lion and the viper you will tread and trample the young lion and the dragon.
14Since he clings to me in love, I will free him; protect you for he knows my name. 15When he calls I shall answer: "I am with you," I will save him in distress and give him glory.
16With length of days I will content him; I shall let you see my saving power.
Psalm 92(91) Bonum est confiteri
.2It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to make music to your name, O Most High, .3to proclaim your love in the morning and your truth in the watches of the night, .4on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute, with the murmuring sound of the harp.
.5Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad; for the work of your hands I shout with joy. .6O Lord, how great are your works! How deep are your designs! .7The foolish man cannot know this and the fool cannot understand.
.8Though the wicked spring up like grass and all who do evil thrive, they are doomed to be eternally destroyed. .9But you, Lord, are eternally on high. .10See how your enemies perish; all doers of evil are scattered.
.11To me you give the wild ox's strength; you anoint me with the purest oil. .12My eyes looked in triumph on my foes; my ears heard gladly of their fall. .13The just will flourish like the palm tree and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
.14Planted in the house of the Lord they will flourish in the courts of our God, .15still bearing fruit when they are old, still full of sap, still green, .16to proclaim that the Lord is just. In him, my rock, there is no wrong.
Psalm 93(92) Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power.
The world you made firm, not to be moved; 2your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
3The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted up their voice, the waters have lifted up their thunder.
4Greater than the roar of mighty waters more glorious than the surgings of the sea, the Lord is glorious on high.
5Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.
Psalm 94(93) Deus ultionum
1O Lord, avenging God, avenging God, appear! 2Judge of the earth, arise, give the proud what they deserve!
3How long, O Lord, shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? 4They bluster with arrogant speech; the evil-doers boast to each other.
5They crush your people, Lord, they afflict the ones you have chosen 6They kill the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless child.
7And they say: "The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed." 8Mark this, most senseless of people; fools, when will you understand?
9Can he who made the ear, not hear? Can he who formed the eye, not see? 10Will he who trains nations not punish? Will he who instructs us not have knowledge? 11(The Lord knows the thoughts of men. He knows they are no more than a breath.)
12Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord, whom you train by means of your law; 13to him you give peace in evil days while the pit is being dug for the wicked.
14The Lord will not abandon his people nor forsake those who are his own; 15for judgment shall again be just and all true hearts shall uphold it.
16Who will stand up for me against the wicked? Who will defend me from those who do evil? 17If the Lord were not to help me, I would soon go down into the silence.
18When I think: "I have lost my foothold"; your mercy, Lord, holds me up. 19When cares increase in my heart your consolation calms my soul.
20Can judges who do evil be your friends? They do injustice under cover of law; 21they attack the life of the just and condemn innocent blood.
22As for me, the Lord will be a stronghold; my God will be the rock where I take refuge. 23He will repay them for their evil wickedness, destroy them for their evil deeds. The Lord, our God, will destroy them.
Psalm 95(94) Venite, exultemus
1Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the rock who saves us. 2Let us come before him, giving thanks, with songs let us hail the Lord.
3A mighty God is the Lord, a great king above all gods. 4In his hands are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his. 5To him belongs the sea, for he made it and the dry land shaped by his hands.
6Come in; let us bow and bend low; let us kneel before the God who made us 7for he is our God and we the people who belong to his pasture, the flock that is led by his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice! 8"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the desert 9when your fathers put me to the test; when they tried me, though they saw my work.
10For forty years I was wearied of these people and I said: 'Their hearts are astray, these people do not know my ways. 11Then I took an oath in my anger: 'Never shall they enter my rest.'"
Psalm 96(95) Cantate Domino
1O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. 2O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day, 3tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.
4The Lord is great and worthy of praise, to be feared above all gods; 5the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens, 6his are majesty and state and power and splendor in his holy place.
7Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; 8give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts, 9worship the Lord in his temple. O earth, tremble before him.
10Proclaim to the nations: "God is king." The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the people in fairness.
11Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise, 12let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy
13at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Psalm 97(96) Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is king, let earth rejoice, let all the coastlands be glad. 2Cloud and darkness are his raiment; his throne, justice and right.
3A fire prepares his path; it burns up his foes on every side. 4His lightnings light up the world, the earth trembles at the sight.
5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the earth. 6The skies proclaim his justice; all peoples see his glory.
7Let those who serve idols be ashamed, those who boast of their worthless gods. All you spirits, worship him.
8Zion hears and is glad; the people of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, O Lord.
9For you indeed are the Lord most high above all the earth, exalted far above all spirits.
10The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the souls of his saints; he sets them free from the wicked.
11Light shines forth for the just and joy for the upright of heart. 12Rejoice, you just, in the Lord; give glory to his holy name.
Psalm 98(97) Cantate Domino
1Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right and hand his holy arm have brought salvation.
2The Lord has made know his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. 3He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.
5Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord.
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7Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. 8Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
9at the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.
Psalm 99(98) Dominus regnavit
1The Lord is king; the peoples tremble. He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes. 2The Lord is great in Zion.
He is supreme over all the peoples. 3Let them praise his name, so terrible and great, /4he is holy, full of power.
You are a king who loves what is right; you have established equity, justice and right; you have established them in Jacob.
5Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before Zion, his footstool. He the Lord is holy.
6Among his priests were Aaron and Moses, among those who invoked his name was Samuel. They invoked the Lord and he answered.
7To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud. They did his will; they kept the law, which he, the Lord, had given.
8O Lord our God, you answered them. For them you were a God who forgives; yet you punished their offenses.
9Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his holy mountain for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100(99) Jubilate Deo
1Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
3Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
4Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
5Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.
Psalm 101(100) Misericordiam et judicium
1My song is of mercy and justice; I sing to you, O Lord. 2I will walk in the way of perfection. O when, Lord, will you come?
I will walk with blameless heart within my house; 3I will not set before my eyes whatever is base.
I will hate the ways of the crooked; they shall not be my friends. 4The false-hearted must keep far away; the wicked I disown.
5The man who slanders his neighbor in secret I will bring to silence. The man of proud looks and haughty heart I will never endure.
6I look to the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me. He who walk in the way of perfection shall be my friend.
7No man who practices deceit shall live within my house. No man who utters lies shall stand before my eyes.
8Morning by morning I will silence all the wicked in the land, uprooting from the city of the Lord all who do evil.
Psalm 102(101) Domine, exaudi
.2O Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you. .3Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear towards me and answer me quickly when I call.
.4For my days are vanishing like smoke, my bones burn away like a fire. .5My heart is withered like the grass. I forget to eat my bread. .6I cry with all my strength and my skin clings to my bones.
.7I have become like a pelican in the wilderness like an owl in desolate places. .8I lie awake and I moan like some lonely bird on a roof. .9All day long my foes revile me; those who hate me use my name as a curse.
.10The bread I eat is ashes; my drink is mingled with tears. .11In your anger, Lord, and your fury you have lifted me up and thrown me down. .12My days are like a passing shadow and I wither away like the grass.
* * *
.13But you, O Lord, will endure for ever and your name from age to age. .14You will arise and have mercy on Zion: for this is the time to have mercy, (yes, the time appointed has come) .15for your servants love her very stones, are moved with pity even for her dust.
.16The nations shall fear the name of the Lord and all the earth's kings your glory, .17when the Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory. .18Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless; he will not despise their prayers.
.19Let this be written for ages to come that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord; .20for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high. He looked down from heaven to the earth .21that he might hear the groans of the prisoners and free those condemned to die.
.29The sons of your servants shall dwell untroubled and their race shall endure before you .22that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Zion and his praise in the heart of Jerusalem, .23when peoples and kingdoms are gathered together to pay their homage to the Lord.
* * *
.24He has broken my strength in mid-course; he has shortened the days of my life. .25I say to God: "Do not take me away before my day are complete, you, whose days last from age to age.
.26Long ago you founded the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. .27They will perish but you will remain. They will are wear out like a garment. You will change them like clothes that are changed. .28But you neither change, nor have an end."
Psalm 103(102) Benedic, anima mea
1My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. 2My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.
3It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, 4who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion, 5who fills your life with good things, renewing your youth like an eagle's.
6The Lord does deeds of justice, gives judgment for all who are oppressed. 7He made known his ways to Moses and his deeds to Israel's sons.
8The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. 9His wrath will come to an end; he will not be angry for ever. 10He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults.
11For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is his love for those who fear him. 12As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins.
13As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear him; 14for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are like grass; he flowers like the flower of the field; 16the wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again.
17But the love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear; his justice reaches out to children's children 18when they keep his covenant in truth, when they keep his will in their mind.
19The Lord has set his sway in heaven and his kingdom is ruling over all. 20Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels, mighty in power, fulfilling his word, who heed the voice of his word.
21Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts, his servants who do his will. 22Give thanks to the Lord, all his works, in every place where he rules. My soul, give thanks to the Lord!
Psalm 104(103) Benedic, anima mea
1Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are, clothed in majesty and glory, 2wrapped in light as in a robe!
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You stretch out the heavens like a tent. 3Above the rains you build your dwelling. You make the clouds your chariot, you walk on the wings of the wind, 4you make the winds your messengers and flashing fire your servants.
5You founded the earth on its base, to stand firm from age to age. 6You wrapped it with the ocean like a cloak: the waters stood higher than the mountains.
7At your threat they took to flight; at the voice of your thunder they fled. 8They rose over the mountains and flowed down to the place which you had appointed. 9You set limits they might not pass lest they return to cover the earth.
10You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow in between the hills. 11They give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst. 12On their banks dwell the birds of heaven; from the branches they sing their song.
13From your dwelling you water the hills; earth drinks its fill of your gift. 14You make the grass grow for the cattle and the plants to serve man's our needs,
that he may bring forth bread from the earth 15and wine to cheer man's heart; oil, to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.
16The trees of the Lord drink their fill, the cedars he planted on Lebanon; 17there the birds build their nests; on the treetop the stork has her home. 18The goats find a home on the mountains and rabbits hide in the rocks.
19You made the moon to mark the months; the sun knows the time for its setting. 20When you spread the darkness it is night and all the beasts of the forest creep forth. 21The young lions roar for their prey and ask their food from God.
22At the rising of the sun they steal away and go to rest in their dens. 23Man goes out to his work, to labor till evening falls.
24How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
25There is the sea, vast and wide, with its moving swarms past counting, living things great and small. 26The ships are moving there and the monsters you made to play with.
27All of these look to you to give them their food in due season. 28You give it, they gather it up: you open your hand, they have their fill.
29You hide your face, they are dismayed; you take back your spirit, they die, returning to the dust from which they came. 30You send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.
31May the glory of the Lord last for ever! May the Lord rejoice in his works! 32He looks on the earth and it trembles; the mountains send forth smoke at his touch.
33I will sing to the Lord all my life, make music to my God while I live. 34May my thoughts be pleasing to him. I find my joy in the Lord. 35Let sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked exist no more.
Bless the Lord, my soul.
Psalm 105(104) Confitemini Domino
ALLELUIA!
1Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
2O sing to him, sing his praise; tell all his wonderful works! 3Be proud of his holy name, let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
4Consider the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. 5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, the judgments he spoke.
6O children of Abraham, his servant, O sons of the Jacob he chose, 7he, the Lord, is our God; his judgments prevail in all the earth.
8He remembers his covenant for ever, his promise for a thousand generations, 9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
10He confirmed it for Jacob as a law, for Israel as a covenant for ever. 11He said: "I am giving you a land, Canaan, your appointed heritage."
12When they were few in number, a handful of strangers in the land, 13when they wandered from country to country, from one kingdom and nation to another,
14he allowed no one to oppress them; he admonished kings on their account: 15'Do not touch those I have anointed; do no harm to any of my prophets."
16But he called down a famine on the land; he broke the staff that supported them. 17He had sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
18His feet were put in chains, his neck was bound with iron, 19until what he said came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true.
20Then the king sent and released him the ruler of the people set him free, 21making him master of his house and ruler of all he possessed,
22to instruct his princes as he pleased and to teach his elders wisdom. 23So Israel came into Egypt; Jacob lived in the country of Ham.
24He gave his people increase; he made them stronger than their foes, 25whose hearts he turned to hate his people and to deal deceitfully with his servants.
26Then he sent Moses his servant and Aaron the man he had chosen. 27Through them he showed his marvels and his wonders in the country of Ham.
28He sent darkness, and dark was made but Egypt resisted his words. 29He turned the waters into blood and caused their fish to die.
30Their land was alive with frogs, even to the halls of their kings. 31He spoke; the dog-fly came and gnats covered the land.
32He sent hailstones in place of the rain and flashing fire in their land. 33He struck their vines and fig trees; he shattered the trees through their land.
34He spoke; the locusts came, young locusts, too many to be counted. 35They ate up every land in the land; they ate up all the fruit of their fields.
36He struck all the first-born in their land, the finest flower of their sons. 37He led out Israel with silver and gold. In his tribes were none who fell behind.
38Egypt rejoiced when they left for dread had fallen upon them. 39He spread a cloud as a screen and fire to give light in the darkness.
40When they asked for food he sent quails; he filled them with bread from heaven. 41He pierced the rock to give them water; it gushed forth in the desert like a river.
42For he remembered his holy word, which he gave to Abraham his servant. 43So he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.
44And he gave them the land of the nations. They took the fruit of other men's toil, 45that thus they might keep his precepts, that thus they might observe his laws.
ALLELUIA!
Psalm 106(105) Confitemini Domino
1ALLELUIA!
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures for ever. 2Who can tell the Lord's mighty deeds? Who can recount all his praise?
3They are happy who do what is right, who at all times do what is just. 4O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
Come to me, Lord, with your help 5that I may see the joy of your chosen ones and may rejoice in the gladness of your nation and share the glory of your people.
6Our sin is the sin of our fathers; we have done wrong, our deeds have been evil. 7Our fathers when they were in Egypt paid no need to your wonderful deeds.
They forgot the greatness of your love, at the Red Sea defied the Most High. 8Yet he saved them for the sake of his name, in order to make known his power.
9He threatened the Red Sea; it dried up and he led them through the deep as through the desert. 10He saved them from the hand of the foe; he saved them from the grip of the enemy.
11The waters covered their oppressors; not one of them was left alive. 12Then they believed in his words: then they sang his praises.
13But they soon forgot his deeds and would not wait upon his will. 14They yielded to their cravings in the desert and put God to the test in the wilderness.
15He granted them the favor they asked and sent disease among them. 16Then they rebelled, envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was holy to the Lord.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and buried the clan of Abiram. 18Fire blazed up against their clan and flames devoured the rebels.
19They fashioned a calf at Horeb and worshipped an image of metal, 20exchanging the God who was their glory for the image of a bull that eats grass.
21They forgot the God who was their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt, 22such portents in the land of Ham, such marvels at the Red Sea.
23For this he said he would destroy them, but Moses, the man he had chosen, stood in the breach before him, to turn back his anger from destruction.
24Then they scorned the land of promise; they had no faith in his word. 25They complained inside their tents and would not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26So he raised his hand to swear an oath that he would lay them low in the desert; 27would scatter their sons among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.
28They bowed before the Baal of Peor; ate offerings made to lifeless gods. 29They roused him to anger with their deeds and plague broke out among them.
30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened. Thus the plague was ended 31and this was counted in his favor from age to age for ever.
32They provoked him at the waters of Meribah. Through their fault it went ill with Moses; 33for they made his heart grow bitter and he uttered words that were rash.
34They failed to destroy the peoples as the Lord had given command, 35but instead they mingled with the nations and learned to act as they did.
36They worshipped the idols of the nations and these became a snare to entrap them. 37They even offered their own sons and their daughters in sacrifice to demons.
38They shed the blood of the innocent, the blood of their sons and daughters whom they offered to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.
39So they defiled themselves by their deeds and broke their marriage bond with the Lord 40till his anger blazed against his people; he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
41So he gave them into the hand of the nations and their foes became their rulers. 42Their enemies became their oppressors; they were subdued beneath their hand.
43Time after time God rescued them, but in their malice they dared to defy him and sank low through their guilt. 44In spite of this he paid heed to their distress, so often as he heard their cry.
45For their sake he remembered his covenant. In the greatness of his love he relented 46and he let them be treated with mercy by all who held them captive.
47O Lord, our God, save us! Bring us together from among the nations that we may thank your holy name and make it our glory to praise you.
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[48]Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, for ever, from age to age. Let all the people cry out: "Amen! Amen! ALLELUIA!"