Day 8 of the 30-day Psalter: Morning and Evening

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; *

do not punish me in your wrath.

For your arrows have already pierced me, *

and your hand presses hard upon me.

There is no health in my flesh,

because of your indignation; *

there is no soundness in my body, because of my sin.

For my iniquities overwhelm me; *

like a heavy burden they are too much for me to bear.

My wounds stink and fester *

by reason of my foolishness.

I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; *

I go about in mourning all the day long.

My loins are filled with searing pain; *

there is no health in my body.

I am utterly numb and crushed; *

I wail, because of the groaning of my heart.

O Lord, you know all my desires, *

and my sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart is pounding, my strength has failed me, *

and the brightness of my eyes is gone from me.

My friends and companions draw back from my affliction; *

my neighbors stand afar off.

Those who seek after my life lay snares for me; *

those who strive to hurt me speak of my ruin

and plot treachery all the day long.

But I am like the deaf who do not hear, *

like those who are mute and who do not open their mouth.

I have become like one who does not hear *

and from whose mouth comes no defense.

For in you, O LORD, have I fixed my hope; *

you will answer me, O Lord my God.

For I said, "Do not let them rejoice at my expense, *

those who gloat over me when my foot slips."

Truly, I am on the verge of falling, *

and my pain is always with me.

I will confess my iniquity *

and be sorry for my sin.

Those who are my enemies without cause are mighty, *

and many in number are those who wrongfully hate me.

Those who repay evil for good slander me, *

because I follow the course that is right.

O LORD, do not forsake me; *

be not far from me, O my God.

Make haste to help me, *

O Lord of my salvation.

I said, "I will keep watch upon my ways, *

so that I do not offend with my tongue.

I will put a muzzle on my mouth *

while the wicked are in my presence."

So I held my tongue and said nothing; *

I refrained from rash words;

but my pain became unbearable.

My heart was hot within me;

while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; *

I spoke out with my tongue:

LORD, let me know my end and the number of my days, *

so that I may know how short my life is.

You have given me a mere handful of days,

and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight; *

truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.

We walk about like a shadow,

and in vain we are in turmoil; *

we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.

And now, what is my hope? *

O Lord, my hope is in you.

Deliver me from all my transgressions *

and do not make me the taunt of the fool.

I fell silent and did not open my mouth, *

for surely it was you that did it.

Take your affliction from me; *

I am worn down by the blows of your hand.

With rebukes for sin you punish us;

like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us; *

truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.

Hear my prayer, O LORD,

and give ear to my cry; *

hold not your peace at my tears.

For I am but a sojourner with you, *

a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.

Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again, *

before I go my way and am no more.

I waited patiently upon the LORD; *

he stooped to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *

he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God; *

many shall see, and stand in awe,

and put their trust in the LORD.

Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *

they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!

how great your wonders and your plans for us! *

there is none who can be compared with you.

Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *

but they are more than I can count.

In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *

(you have given me ears to hear you);

Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *

and so I said, "Behold, I come.

In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *

'I love to do your will, O my God;

your law is deep in my heart.'"

I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *

behold, I did not restrain my lips;

and that, O LORD, you know.

Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *

I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.

You are the LORD;

do not withhold your compassion from me; *

let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,

For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; *

they are more in number than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; *

O LORD, make haste to help me.

Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed

who seek after my life to destroy it; *

let them draw back and be disgraced

who take pleasure in my misfortune.

Let those who say "Aha!" and gloat over me be confounded, *

because they are ashamed.

Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; *

let those who love your salvation continually say,

Great is the LORD!"

Though I am poor and afflicted, *

the Lord will have regard for me.

You are my helper and my deliverer; *

do not tarry, O my God.

Happy are they who consider the poor and needy! *

the LORD will deliver them in the time of trouble.

The LORD preserves them and keeps them alive,

so that they may be happy in the land; *

he does not hand them over to the will of their enemies.

The LORD sustains them on their sickbed *

and ministers to them in their illness.

I said, "LORD, be merciful to me; *

heal me, for I have sinned against you."

My enemies are saying wicked things about me: *

When will he die, and his name perish?"

Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words; *

their heart collects false rumors;

they go outside and spread them.

All my enemies whisper together about me *

and devise evil against me.

"A deadly thing," they say, "has fastened on him; *

he has taken to his bed and will never get up again."

Even my best friend, whom I trusted,

who broke bread with me, *

has lifted up his heel and turned against me.

But you, O LORD, be merciful to me and raise me up, *

and I shall repay them.

By this I know you are pleased with me, *

that my enemy does not triumph over me.

In my integrity you hold me fast, *

and shall set me before your face for ever.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, *

from age to age. Amen. Amen.

As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *

so longs my soul for you, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *

when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

My tears have been my food day and night, *

while all day long they say to me,

"Where now is your God?"

I pour out my soul when I think on these things; *

how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,

With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *

among those who keep holy-day.

Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *

and why are you so disquieted within me?

Put your trust in God; *

for I will yet give thanks to him,

who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

My soul is heavy within me; *

therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,

and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon.

One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; *

all your rapids and floods have gone over me.

The LORD grants his loving-kindness in the daytime; *

in the night season his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

I will say to the God of my strength,

"Why have you forgotten me? *

and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?"

While my bones are being broken, *

my enemies mock me to my face;

All day long they mock me *

and say to me, "Where now is your God?"

Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *

and why are you so disquieted within me?

Put your trust in God; *

for I will yet give thanks to him,

who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Give judgment for me, O God,

and defend my cause against an ungodly people; *

deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.

For you are the God of my strength;

why have you put me from you? *

and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?

Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, *

and bring me to your holy hill

and to your dwelling;

That I may go to the altar of God,

to the God of my joy and gladness; *

and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.

Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *

and why are you so disquieted within me?

Put your trust in God; *

for I will yet give thanks to him,

who is the help of my countenance, and my God.