The Holy BiblePart 5 out of 29118:39. Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for thy judgments are delightful. 118:40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy justice. VAU. 118:41. Let thy mercy also come upon me, O Lord: thy salvation according to thy word. 118:42. So shall I answer them that reproach me in any thing; that I have trusted in thy words. 118:43. And take not thou the word of truth utterly out of my mouth: for in thy words, I have hoped exceedingly. 118:44. So shall I always keep thy law, for ever and ever. 118:45. And I walked at large: because I have sought after thy commandments. 118:46. And I spoke of thy testimonies before kings: and I was not ashamed. 118:47. I meditated also on thy commandments, which I loved. 118:48. And I lifted up my hands to thy commandments, which I loved: and I was exercised in thy justifications. ZAIN. 118:49. Be thou mindful of thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast given me hope. 118:50. This hath comforted me in my humiliation: because thy word hath enlivened me. 118:51. The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from thy law. 118:52. I remembered, O Lord, thy judgments of old: and I was comforted. 118:53. A fainting hath taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law. 118:54. Thy justifications were the subject of my song, in the place of my pilgrimage. 118:55. In the night I have remembered thy name, O Lord: and have kept thy law. 118:56. This happened to me: because I sought after thy justifications. HETH. 118:57. O Lord, my portion, I have said, I would keep thy law. 118:58. I entreated thy face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to thy word. 118:59. I have thought on my ways: and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 118:60. I am ready, and am not troubled: that I may keep thy commandments. 118:61. The cords of the wicked have encompassed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 118:62. I rose at midnight to give praise to thee; for the judgments of thy justification. 118:63. I am a partaker with all them that fear thee, and that keep thy commandments. 118:64. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy justifications. TETH. 118:65. Thou hast done well with thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word. 118:66. Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge; for I have believed thy commandments. 118:67. Before I was humbled I offended; therefore have I kept thy word. 118:68. Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach me thy justifications. 118:69. The iniquity of the proud hath been multiplied over me: but I will seek thy commandments with my whole heart. 118:70. Their heart is curdled like milk: but I have meditated on thy law. 118:71. It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications. 118:72. The law of thy mouth is good to me, above thousands of gold and silver. JOD. 118:73. Thy hands have made me and formed me: give me understanding, and I will learn thy commandments. 118:74. They that fear thee shall see me, and shall be glad : because I have greatly hoped in thy words. 118:75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are equity: and in thy truth thou hast humbled me. 118:76. O! let thy mercy be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 118:77. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, and I shall live: for thy law is my meditation. 118:78. Let the proud be ashamed, because they have done unjustly towards me: but I will be employed in thy commandments. 118:79. Let them that fear thee turn to me: and they that know thy testimonies. 118:80. Let my heart be undefiled in thy justifications, that I may not be confounded. CAPH. 118:81. My soul hath fainted after thy salvation: and in thy word I have very much hoped. 118:82. My eyes have failed for thy word, saying: When wilt thou comfort me? 118:83. For I am become like a bottle in the frost: I have not forgotten thy justifications. 118:84. How many are the days of thy servant: when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? 118:85. The wicked have told me fables: but not as thy law. 118:86. All thy statutes are truth: they have persecuted me unjustly, do thou help me. 118:87. They had almost made an end of me upon earth: but I have not forsaken thy commandments. 118:88. Quicken thou me according to thy mercy: and I shall keep the testimonies of thy mouth. LAMED. 118:89. For ever, O Lord, thy word standeth firm in heaven. 118:90. Thy truth unto all generations: thou hast founded the earth, and it continueth. 118:91. By thy ordinance the day goeth on: for all things serve thee. 118:92. Unless thy law had been my meditation, I had then perhaps perished in my abjection. 118:93. Thy justifications I will never forget: for by them thou hast given me life. 118:94. I am thine, save thou me: for I have sought thy justifications. 118:95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I have understood thy testimonies. 118:96. I have seen an end of all perfection: thy commandment is exceeding broad. MEM. 118:97. O how have I loved thy law, O Lord! it is my meditation all the day. 118:98. Through thy commandment, thou hast made me wiser than my enemies: for it is ever with me. 118:99. I have understood more than all my teachers: because thy testimonies are my meditation. 118:100. I have had understanding above ancients: because I have sought thy commandments. 118:101. I have restrained my feet from every evil way: that I may keep thy words. 118:102. I have not declined from thy judgments, because thou hast set me a law. 118:103. How sweet are thy words to my palate! more than honey to my mouth. 118:104. By thy commandments I have had understanding: therefore have I hated every way of iniquity. NUN. 118:105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths. 118:106. I have sworn and am determined to keep the judgments of thy justice. 118:107. I have been humbled, O Lord, exceedingly: quicken thou me according to thy word. 118:108. The free offerings of my mouth make acceptable, O Lord: and teach me thy judgments. 118:109. My soul is continually in my hands: and I have not forgotten thy law. 118:110. Sinners have laid a snare for me: but I have not erred from thy precepts. 118:111. I have purchased thy testimonies for an inheritance for ever: because they are the joy of my heart. 118:112. I have inclined my heart to do thy justifications for ever, for the reward. SAMECH. 118:113. I have hated the unjust: and have loved thy law. 118:114. Thou art my helper and my protector: and in thy word I have greatly hoped. 118:115. Depart from me, ye malignant: and I will search the commandments of my God. 118:116. Uphold me according to thy word, and I shall live: and let me not be confounded in my expectation. 118:117. Help me, and I shall be saved: and I will meditate always on thy justifications. 118:118. Thou hast despised all them that fall off from thy judgments; for their thought is unjust. 118:119. I have accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators: therefore have I loved thy testimonies. 118:120. Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear: for I am afraid of thy judgments. AIN. 118:121. I have done judgment and justice: give me not up to them that slander me. 118:122. Uphold thy servant unto good: let not the proud calumniate me. 118:123. My eyes have fainted after thy salvation: and for the word of thy justice. 118:124. Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy: and teach me thy justifications. 118:125. I am thy servant: give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies. 118:126. It is time, O Lord, to do: they have dissipated thy law. 118:127. Therefore have I loved thy commandments above gold and the topaz. 118:128. Therefore was I directed to all thy commandments: I have hated all wicked ways. PHE. 118:129. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore my soul hath sought them. 118:130. The declaration of thy words giveth light: and giveth understanding to little ones. 118:131. I opened my mouth, and panted: because I longed for thy commandments. 118:132. Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me according to the judgment of them that love thy name. 118:133. Direct my steps according to thy word: and let no iniquity have dominion over me. 118:134. Redeem me from the calumnies of men: that I may keep thy commandments. 118:135. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: and teach me thy justifications. 118:136. My eyes have sent forth springs of water: because they have not kept thy law. SADE. 118:137. Thou art just, O Lord: and thy judgment is right. 118:138. Thou hast commanded justice thy testimonies: and thy truth exceedingly. 118:139. My zeal hath made me pine away: because my enemies forgot thy words. 118:140. Thy word is exceedingly refined: and thy servant hath loved it. 118:141. I am very young and despised; but I forget not thy justifications. 118:142. Thy justice is justice for ever: and thy law is the truth. 118:143. Trouble and anguish have found me: thy commandments are my meditation. 118:144. Thy testimonies are justice for ever: give me understanding, and I shall live. COPH. 118:145. I cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord: I will seek thy justifications. 118:146. I cried unto thee, save me: that I may keep thy commandments. 118:147. I prevented the dawning of the day, and cried: because in thy words I very much hoped. 118:148. My eyes to thee have prevented the morning: that I might meditate on thy words. 118:149. Hear thou my voice, O Lord, according to thy mercy: and quicken me according to thy judgment. 118:150. They that persecute me have drawn nigh to iniquity; but they are gone far off from thy law. 118:151. Thou art near, O Lord: and all thy ways are truth. 118:152. I have known from the beginning concerning thy testimonies: that thou hast founded them for ever. RES. 118:153. See my humiliation and deliver me for I have not forgotten thy law. 118:154. Judge my judgment and redeem me: quicken thou me for thy word's sake. 118:155. Salvation is far from sinners; because they have not sought thy justifications. 118:156. Many, O Lord, are thy mercies: quicken me according to thy judgment. 118:157. Many are they that persecute me and afflict me; but I have not declined from thy testimonies. 118:158. I beheld the transgressors, and pined away; because they kept not thy word. 118:159. Behold I have loved thy commandments, O Lord; quicken me thou in thy mercy. 118:160. The beginning of thy words is truth: all the judgments of thy justice are for ever. SIN. 118:161. Princes have persecuted me without cause: and my heart hath been in awe of thy words. 118:162. I will rejoice at thy words, as one that hath found great spoil. 118:163. I have hated and abhorred iniquity; but I have loved thy law. 118:164. Seven times a day I have given praise to thee, for the judgments of thy justice. 118:165. Much peace have they that love thy law, and to them there is no stumbling. block. 118:166. I looked for thy salvation, O Lord: and I loved thy commandments. 118:167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and hath loved them exceedingly. 118:168. I have kept thy commandments and thy testimonies: because all my ways are in thy sight. TAU. 118:169. Let my supplication, O Lord, come near in thy sight: give me understanding according to thy word. 118:170. Let my request come in before thee; deliver thou me according to thy word. 118:171. My lips shall utter a hymn, when thou shalt teach me thy justifications. 118:172. My tongue shall pronounce thy word: because all thy commandments are justice. 118:173. Let thy hand be with me to save me; for I have chosen thy precepts. 118:174. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my meditation. 118:175. My soul shall live and shall praise thee: and thy judgments shall help me. 118:176. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: seek thy servant, because I have not forgotten thy commandments. Psalms Chapter 119 Ad Dominum. A prayer in tribulation. A gradual canticle. A gradual canticle. . .The following psalms, in number fifteen, are called gradual psalms, or canticles, from the word gradus, signifying steps, ascensions, or degrees: either because they were appointed to be sung on the fifteen steps, by which the people ascended to the temple: or, that in the singing of them the voice was to be raised by certain steps or ascensions: or, that they were to be sung by the people returning from their captivity and ascending to Jerusalem, which was seated amongst mountains. The holy fathers, in a mystical sense, understand these steps, or ascensions, of the degrees by which Christians spiritually ascend to virtue and perfection; and to the true temple of God in the heavenly Jerusalem. 119:1. In my trouble I cried to the Lord: and he heard me. 119:2. O Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue. 119:3. What shall be given to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to a deceitful tongue? 119:4. The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste. 119:5. Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar: 119:6. My soul hath been long a sojourner. 119:7. With them that hated peace I was peaceable: when I spoke to them they fought against me without cause. Psalms Chapter 120 Levavi oculos. God is the keeper of his servants. A gradual canticle. 120:1. I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me. 120:2. My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 120:3. May he not suffer thy foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee. 120:4. Behold he shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel. 120:5. The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand. 120:6. The sun shall not burn thee by day: nor the moon by night. 120:7. The Lord keepeth thee from all evil: may the Lord keep thy soul. 120:8. May the Lord keep thy coming in and thy going out; from henceforth now and for ever. Psalms Chapter 121 Laetatus sum in his. The desire and hope of the just for the coming of the kingdom of God, and the peace of his church. 121:1. A gradual canticle. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. 121:2. Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem. 121:3. Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together. 121:4. For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. 121:5. Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David. 121:6. Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee. 121:7. Let peace be in thy strength: and abundance in thy towers. 121:8. For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of thee. 121:9. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for thee. Psalms Chapter 122 Ad te levavi. A prayer in affliction, with confidence in God. A gradual canticle. 122:1. To thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in heaven. 122:2. Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. 122:3. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for we are greatly filled with contempt. 122:4. For our soul is greatly filled: we are a reproach to the rich, and contempt to the proud. Psalms Chapter 123 Nisi quia Domini. The church giveth glory to God for her deliverance, from the hands of her enemies. 123:1. A gradual canticle. If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say: 123:2. If it had not been that the Lord was with us, When men rose up against us, 123:3. Perhaps they had swallowed us up alive. When their fury was enkindled against us, 123:4. Perhaps the waters had swallowed us up. 123:5. Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable. 123:6. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth. 123:7. Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered. 123:8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalms Chapter 124 Qui confidunt. The just are always under God's protection. 124:1. A gradual canticle. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion: he shall not be moved for ever that dwelleth 124:2. In Jerusalem. Mountains are round about it: so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth now and for ever. 124:3. For the Lord will not leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the just: that the just may not stretch forth their hands to iniquity. 124:4. Do good, O Lord, to those that are good, and to the upright of heart. 124:5. But such as turn aside into bonds, the Lord shall lead out with the workers of iniquity: peace upon Israel. Psalms Chapter 125 In convertendo. The people of God rejoice at their delivery from captivity. 125:1. A gradual canticle. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted. 125:2. Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy. Then shall they say among the Gentiles: The Lord hath done great things for them. 125:3. The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful. 125:4. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south. 125:5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 125:6. Going they went and wept, casting their seeds. 125:7. But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves. Psalms Chapter 126 Nisi Dominus. Nothing can be done without God's grace and blessing. 126:1. A gradual canticle of Solomon. Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it. 126:2. It is vain for you to rise before light, rise ye after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his beloved, It is vain for you to rise before light. . .That is, your early rising, your labour and worldly solicitude, will be vain, that is, will avail you nothing, without the light, grace, and blessing of God. 126:3. Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb. 126:4. As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken. 126:5. Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate. Psalms Chapter 127 Beati omnes. The fear of God is the way to happiness. 127:1. A gradual canticle. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways. 127:2. For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee. 127:3. Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table. 127:4. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 127:5. May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayst thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 127:6. And mayst thou see thy children's children, peace upon Israel. Psalms Chapter 128 Saepe expugnaverunt. The church of God is invincible : her persecutors come to nothing. 128:1. A gradual canticle. Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say. 128:2. Often have they fought against me from my youth: but they could not prevail over me. 128:3. The wicked have wrought upon my back: they have lengthened their iniquity. 128:4. The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners: 128:5. Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion. 128:6. Let them be as grass upon the tops of houses: which withereth before it be plucked up: 128:7. Who with the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom. 128:8. And they that passed by have not said: The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord. Psalms Chapter 129 De profundis. A prayer of a sinner, trusting in the mercies of God. The sixth penitential psalm. 129:1. A gradual canticle. Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord: 129:2. Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. 129:3. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it. 129:4. For with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word: 129:5. my soul hath hoped in the Lord. 129:6. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. 129:7. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption. 129:8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Psalms Chapter 130 Domine, none est. The prophet's humility. 130:1. A gradual canticle of David. Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me. 130:2. If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul. 130:3. Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever. Psalms Chapter 131 Memento, Domine. A prayer for the fulfilling of the promise made to David. 131:1. A gradual canticle. O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness. 131:2. How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob: 131:3. If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie: 131:4. If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, 131:5. Or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 131:6. Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood. We have heard of it in Ephrata. . .When I was young, and lived in Bethlehem, otherwise called Ephrata, I heard of God's tabernacle and ark, and had a devout desire of seeking it; and accordingly I found it at Cariathiarim, the city of the woods: where it was till it was removed to Jerusalem. See 1 Par. 13. 131:7. We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood. 131:8. Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified. 131:9. Let thy priests be clothed with justice: and let thy saints rejoice. 131:10. For thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of thy anointed. 131:11. The Lord hath sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne. 131:12. If thy children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them: Their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne. 131:13. For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling. 131:14. This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it. 131:15. Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 131:16. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy. 131:17. There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 131:18. His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish. Psalms Chapter 132 Ecce quam bonum. The happiness of brotherly love and concord. 132:1. A gradual canticle of David. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity: 132:2. Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, Which ran down to the skirt of his garment: 132:3. As the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commanded blessing, and life for evermore. Psalms Chapter 133 Ecce nunc benedicite. An exhortation to praise God continually. 133:1. A gradual canticle. Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. 133:2. In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord. 133:3. May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth. Psalms Chapter 134 Laudate nomen. An exhortation to praise God: the vanity of idols. 134:1. Alleluia. Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord: 134:2. You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. 134:3. Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing ye to his name, for it is sweet. 134:4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession. 134:5. For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods. 134:6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps. 134:7. He bringeth up clouds from the end of the earth: he hath made lightnings for the rain. He bringeth forth winds out of his stores: 134:8. He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast. 134:9. He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants. 134:10. He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings: 134:11. Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan. 134:12. And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel. 134:13. Thy name, O Lord, is for ever: thy memorial, O Lord, unto all generations. 134:14. For the Lord will judge his people, and will be entreated in favour of his servants. 134:15. The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands. 134:16. They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not. 134:17. They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths. 134:18. Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusteth in them. 134:19. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron. 134:20. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. 134:21. Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem. Psalms Chapter 135 Confitemini Domino. God is to be praised for his wonderful works. 135:1. Alleluia. Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Praise the Lord. . .By this invitation to praise the Lord, thrice repeated, we profess the Blessed Trinity, One God in three distinct Persons, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 135:2. Praise ye the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:3. Praise ye the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:4. Who alone doth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:5. Who made the heavens in understanding: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:6. Who established the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:7. Who made the great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:8. The sun to rule the day: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:9. The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:10. Who smote Egypt with their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:11. Who brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:12. With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:13. Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:14. And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:15. And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:16. Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:17. Who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:18. And slew strong kings: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:19. Sehon king of the Amorrhites: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:20. And Og king of Basan: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:21. And he gave their land for an inheritance: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:22. For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:23. For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:24. And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:25. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:26. Give glory to the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. 135:27. Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalms Chapter 136 Super flumina. The lamentation of the people of God in their captivity in Babylon. A psalm of David, for Jeremias. For Jeremias. . .For the time of Jeremias, and the captivity of Babylon. 136:1. Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion: 136:2. On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments. 136:3. For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion. 136:4. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? 136:5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. 136:6. Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy. 136:7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. 136:8. O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us. 136:9. Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock. Dash thy little ones, etc. . .In the spiritual sense, we dash the little ones of Babylon against the rock, when we mortify our passions, and stifle the first motions of them, by a speedy recourse to the rock which is Christ. Psalms Chapter 137 Confitebor tibi. Thanksgiving to God for his benefits. 137:1. For David himself. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels: 137:2. I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all. 137:3. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul. 137:4. May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth. 137:5. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord. 137:6. For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off. 137:7. If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me. 137:8. The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands. Psalms Chapter 138 Domine, probasti. God's special providence over his servants. 138:1. Unto the end, a psalm of David. Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me: 138:2. Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up. 138:3. Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out. 138:4. And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue. There is no speech, etc. . .Viz., unknown to thee: or when there is no speech in my tongue; yet my whole interior and my most secret thoughts are known to thee. 138:5. Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me. 138:6. Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it. 138:7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face? 138:8. If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present. 138:9. If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: 138:10. Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me. 138:11. And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures. 138:12. But darkness shall not be dark to thee, and night shall be light all the day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof are alike to thee. 138:13. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother's womb. 138:14. I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well. 138:15. My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth. 138:16. Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them. 138:17. But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened. 138:18. I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand, I rose up and am still with thee. 138:19. If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God: ye men of blood, depart from me: 138:20. Because you say in thought: They shall receive thy cities in vain. Because you say in thought, etc. . .Depart from me, you wicked, who plot against the servants of God, and think to cast them out of the cities of their habitation; as if they have received them in vain, and to no purpose. 138:21. Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated thee: and pined away because of thy enemies? 138:22. I have hated them with a perfect hatred: and they are become enemies to me. I have hated them. . .Not with an hatred of malice, but a zeal for the observance of God's commandments; which he saw were despised by the wicked, who are to be considered enemies to God. 138:23. Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths. 138:24. And see if there be in me the way of iniquity: and lead me in the eternal way. Psalms Chapter 139 Eripe me, Domine. A prayer to be delivered from the wicked. 139:1. Unto the end, a psalm of David. 139:2. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man. 139:3. Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles. 139:4. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips. 139:5. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me. Who have proposed to supplant my steps: 139:6. The proud have hidden a net for me. And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumblingblock by the wayside. 139:7. I said to the Lord: Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication. 139:8. O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle. 139:9. Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire to the wicked: they have plotted against me; do not thou forsake me, lest they should triumph. 139:10. The head of them compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them. 139:11. Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand. 139:12. A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction. 139:13. I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor. 139:14. But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance. Psalms Chapter 140 Domine, clamavi. A prayer against sinful words, and deceitful flatterers. A psalm of David. 140:1. I have cried to thee, O Lord, hear me: hearken to my voice, when I cry to thee. 140:2. Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice. 140:3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and a door round about my lips. 140:4. Incline not my heart to evil words; to make excuses in sins. With men that work iniquity: and I will not communicate with the choicest of them. 140:5. The just man shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head. For my prayer shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased: Let not the oil of the sinner, etc. . .That is, the flattery, or deceitful praise.--Ibid. For my prayer, etc. . .So far from coveting their praises, who are never well pleased but with things that are evil; I shall continually pray to be preserved from such things as they are delighted with. 140:6. Their judges falling upon the rock have been swallowed up. They shall hear my words, for they have prevailed: Their judges, etc. . .Their rulers, or chiefs, quickly vanish and perish, like ships dashed against the rocks, and swallowed up by the waves. Let them then hear my words, for they are powerful and will prevail; or, as it is in the Hebrew, for they are sweet. 140:7. As when the thickness of the earth is broken up upon the ground: Our bones are scattered by the side of hell. 140:8. But to thee, O Lord, Lord, are my eyes: in thee have I put my trust, take not away my soul. 140:9. Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the stumblingblocks of them that work iniquity. 140:10. The wicked shall fall in his net: I am alone until I pass. I am alone, etc. . .Singularly protected by the Almighty, until I pass all their nets and snares. Psalms Chapter 141 Voce mea. A prayer of David in extremity of danger. 141:1. Of understanding for David, A prayer when he was in the cave. [1 Kings 24.] 141:2. I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord. 141:3. In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble: 141:4. When my spirit failed me, then thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me. 141:5. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul. 141:6. I cried to thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living. 141:7. Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 141:8. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the just wait for me, until thou reward me. Psalms Chapter 142 Domine, exaudi. The psalmist in tribulation calleth upon God for his delivery. The seventh penitential psalm. 142:1. A psalm of David, when his son Absalom pursued him. [2 Kings 17.] Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice. 142:2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no man living shall be justified. 142:3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old: 142:4. And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled. 142:5. I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: I meditated upon the works of thy hands. 142:6. I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee. 142:7. Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. 142:8. Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for in thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee. 142:9. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled: 142:10. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land: 142:11. for thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice. Thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble: 142:12. And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies. And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant. Psalms Chapter 143 Benedictus Dominus. The prophet praiseth God, and prayeth to be delivered from his enemies. No worldly happiness is to be compared with that of serving God. A psalm of David against Goliath. 143:1. Blessed be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war. 143:2. My mercy, and my refuge: my support, and my deliverer: My protector, and I have hoped in him: who subdueth my people under me. 143:3. Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? 143:4. Man is like to vanity: his days pass away like a shadow. 143:5. Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 143:6. Send forth lightning, and thou shalt scatter them: shoot out thy arrows, and thou shalt trouble them. 143:7. Put forth thy hand from on high, take me out, and deliver me from many waters: from the hand of strange children: 143:8. Whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity. 143:9. To thee, O God, I will sing a new canticle: on the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises to thee. 143:10. Who givest salvation to kings: who hast redeemed thy servant David from the malicious sword: 143:11. Deliver me, And rescue me out of the hand of strange children; whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity: 143:12. Whose sons are as new plants in their youth: Their daughters decked out, adorned round about after the similitude of a temple: 143:13. Their storehouses full, flowing out of this into that. Their sheep fruitful in young, abounding in their goings forth: 143:14. Their oxen fat. There is no breach of wall, nor passage, nor crying out in their streets. 143:15. They have called the people happy, that hath these things: but happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Psalms Chapter 144 Exaltabo te, Deus. A psalm of praise, to the infinite majesty of God. 144:1. Praise, for David himself. I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. 144:2. Every day will I bless thee: and I will praise thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. 144:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end. 144:4. Generation and generation shall praise thy works: and they shall declare thy power. 144:5. They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works. 144:6. And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and shall declare thy greatness. 144:7. They shall publish the memory of the abundance of thy sweetness: and shall rejoice in thy justice. 144:8. The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy. 144:9. The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 144:10. Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee: and let thy saints bless thee. 144:11. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom: and shall tell of thy power: 144:12. To make thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of thy kingdom. 144:13. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words: and holy in all his works. 144:14. The Lord lifteth up all that fall: and setteth up all that are cast down. 144:15. The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord: and thou givest them meat in due season. 144:16. Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature. 144:17. The Lord is just in all his ways: and holy in all his works. 144:18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him: to all that call upon him in truth. 144:19. He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them. 144:20. The Lord keepeth all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy. 144:21. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name forever; yea, for ever and ever. Psalms Chapter 145 Lauda, anima. We are not to trust in men, but in God alone. 145:1. Alleluia, of Aggeus and Zacharias. 145:2. Praise the Lord, O my soul, in my life I will praise the Lord: I will sing to my God as long as I shall be. Put not your trust in princes: 145:3. In the children of men, in whom there is no salvation. 145:4. His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return into his earth: in that day all their thoughts shall perish. 145:5. Blessed is he who hath the God of Jacob for his helper, whose hope is in the Lord his God: 145:6. Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them. 145:7. Who keepeth truth for ever: who executeth judgment for them that suffer wrong: who giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth them that are fettered: 145:8. The Lord enlighteneth the blind. The Lord lifteth up them that are cast down: the Lord loveth the just. 145:9. The Lord keepeth the strangers, he will support the fatherless and the widow: and the ways of sinners he will destroy. 145:10. The Lord shall reign for ever: thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation. Psalms Chapter 146 Laudate Dominum. An exhortation to praise God for his benefits. 146:1. Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, because psalm is good: to our God be joyful and comely praise. 146:2. The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel. 146:3. Who healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their bruises. 146:4. Who telleth the number of the stars: and calleth them all by their names. 146:5. Great is our Lord, and great is his power: and of his wisdom there is no number. 146:6. The Lord lifteth up the meek, and bringeth the wicked down even to the ground. 146:7. Sing ye to the Lord with praise: sing to our God upon the harp. 146:8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth. Who maketh grass to grow on the mountains, and herbs for the service of men. 146:9. Who giveth to beasts their food: and to the young ravens that call upon him. 146:10. He shall not delight in the strength of the horse: nor take pleasure in the legs of a man. 146:11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him: and in them that hope in his mercy. Psalms Chapter 147 Lauda, Jerusalem. The church is called upon to praise God for his peculiar graces and favours to his people. In the Hebrew, this psalm is joined to the foregoing. Alleluia. 147:12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion. 147:13. Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee. 147:14. Who hath placed peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the fat of corn. 147:15. Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly. 147:16. Who giveth snow like wool: scattereth mists like ashes. 147:17. He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold? He sendeth his crystal. . .That is, his ice. Some understand it of hail, which is, as it were, ice, divided into particles or morsels. 147:18. He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run. 147:19. Who declareth his word to Jacob: his justices and his judgments to Israel. 147:20. He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia. Psalms Chapter 148 Laudate Dominum de caelis. All creatures are invited to praise their Creator. Alleluia. 148:1. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places. 148:2. Praise ye him, all his angels, praise ye him, all his hosts. 148:3. Praise ye him, O sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light. 148:4. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens 148:5. Praise the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created. 148:6. He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away. 148:7. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye deeps: 148:8. Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds, which fulfil his word: 148:9. Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars: 148:10. Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls: 148:11. Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth: 148:12. Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: 148:13. For his name alone is exalted. 148:14. The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he hath exalted the horn of his people. A hymn to all his saints to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia. Psalms Chapter 149 Cantate Domino. The church is particularly bound to praise God. Alleluia. 149:1. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: let his praise be in the church of the saints. 149:2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king. 149:3. Let them praise his name in choir: let them sing to him with the timbrel and the psaltery. 149:4. For the Lord is well pleased with his people: and he will exalt the meek unto salvation. 149:5. The saints shall rejoice in glory: they shall be joyful in their beds. 149:6. The high praises of God shall be in their mouth: and two-edged swords in their hands: 149:7. To execute vengeance upon the nations, chastisements among the people: 149:8. To bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron. 149:9. To execute upon them the judgment that is written: this glory is to all his saints. Alleluia. Psalms Chapter 150 Laudate Dominum in sanctis. An exhortation to praise God with all sorts of instruments. Alleluia. 150:1. Praise ye the Lord in his holy places: praise ye him in the firmament of his power. 150:2. Praise ye him for his mighty acts: praise ye him according to the multitude of his greatness. 150:3. Praise him with the sound of trumpet: praise him with psaltery and harp. 150:4. Praise him with timbrel and choir: praise him with strings and organs. 150:5. Praise him on high sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of joy: let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia. THE BOOK OF PROVERBS This Book is so called, because it consists of wise and weighty sentences: regulating the morals of men: and directing them to wisdom and virtue. And these sentences are also called PARABLES, because great truths are often couched in them under certain figures and similitudes. Proverbs Chapter 1 The use and end of the proverbs. An exhortation to flee the company of the wicked: and to hearken to the voice of wisdom. 1:1. The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, 1:2. To know wisdom, and instruction: 1:3. To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity: 1:4. To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding. 1:5. A wise man shall hear, and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth shall possess governments. 1:6. He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings. 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 1:8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 1:9. That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck. 1:10. My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them. 1:11. If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause: 1:12. Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. 1:13. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils. 1:14. Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse. 1:15. My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths. 1:16. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 1:17. But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings. 1:18. And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls. 1:19. So the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors. 1:20. Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets: 1:21. At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying: 1:22. O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge? 1:23. Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words. 1:24. Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded. 1:25. You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions. 1:26. I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared. 1:27. When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand: when tribulation and distress shall come upon you: 1:28. Then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning, and shall not find me: 1:29. Because they have hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord, 1:30. Nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof. 1:31. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and shall be filled with their own devices. 1:32. The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 1:33. But he that shall hear me, shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy abundance, without fear of evils. Proverbs Chapter 2 The advantages of wisdom: and the evils from which it delivers. 2:1. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee, 2:2. That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: incline thy heart to know prudence. 2:3. For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence: 2:4. If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure: 2:5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God: 2:6. Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge. 2:7. He wilt keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity, 2:8. Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints. 2:9. Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path. 2:10. If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul: 2:11. Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee, 2:12. That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things: 2:13. Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways: 2:14. Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things: 2:15. Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous. 2:16. That thou mayst be delivered from the strange woman, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words; 2:17. And forsaketh the guide of her youth, 2:18. And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. 2:19. None that go in unto her, shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life. 2:20. That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just. 2:21. For they that are upright, shall dwell in the earth; and the simple shall continue in it. 2:22. But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly, shall be taken away from it. Proverbs Chapter 3 An exhortation to the practice of virtue. 3:1. My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments. 3:2. For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life, and peace. 3:3. Let not mercy aud truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart. 3:4. And thou shalt find grace, and good understanding before God and men. 3:5. Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. 3:6. In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps. 3:7. Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil: 3:8. For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones. 3:9. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits; 3:10. And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine. 3:11. My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him: 3:12. For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself. 3:13. Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence: 3:14. The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold: 3:15. She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her. 3:16. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory. 3:17. Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable. 3:18. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.
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