psalm 6
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;
    do not punish me in your wrath.
have pity on me, Lord, for i am weak;
    heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.
my spirit shakes with terror;
    how long, o Lord, how long?
turn, o Lord, and deliver me;
    save me for your mercy's sake.
for in death no one remembers you;
    and who will give you thanks in the grave?
i grow weary because of my groaning;
    every night i drench my bed
    and flood my couch with tears.
my eyes are wasted with grief
    and worn away because of all my enemies.
depart from me, all evildoers,
    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
the Lord has heard my supplication;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
all my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear;
    they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 32
happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,
    and whose sin is put away!
happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
    and in whose spirit there is no guile!
while i held my tongue, my bones withered away,
    because of my groaning all day long.
for your hand was heavy upon me day and night;
    my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
then i acknowledged my sin to you,
    and did not conceal my guilt.
i said, i will confess my transgressions to the Lord.
    then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;
    when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
you are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
i will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go;
    i will guide you with my eye.
do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding;
    who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
    or else they will not stay near you.
great are the tribulations of the wicked;
    but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord;
    shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 38
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.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 51
have mercy on me o God, according to your loving-kindness;
    in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
wash me through and through from my wickedness
    and cleanse me from my sin.
for i know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
against you only have i sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight.
and so you are justified when you speak
    and upright in your judgment.
indeed, i have been wicked from my birth,
    a sinner from my mother's womb.
for behold, you look for truth deep within me,
    and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
purge me from my sin, and i shall be pure;
    wash me, and i shall be clean indeed.
make me hear of joy and gladness,
    that the body you have broken may rejoice.
hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my inquities.
create in me a clean heart, o God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
cast me not away from your presence
    and take not your holy Spirit from me.
give me the joy of your saving help again
    and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
i shall teach your ways to the wicked,
    and sinners shall return to you.
deliver me from death, o God,
    and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness,
    o God of my salvation.
open my lips, o Lord,
    and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
had you desired it, i would have offered sacrifice,
    but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, o God, you will not despise.

be favorable and gracious to zion,
    and rebuild the walls of jerusalem.
then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices,
with burnt-offerings and oblations;
    then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 102
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you;
    hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
incline your ear to me;
    when i call, make haste to answer me,
for my days drift away like smoke,
    and my bones are hot as burning coals.
my heart is smitten like grass and withered,
    so that i forget to eat my bread.
because of the voice of my groaning
    i am but skin and bones.
i have become like a vulture in the wilderness,
    like an owl among the ruins.
i like away and groan;
    i am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.
my enemies revile me all day long,
    and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.
for i have eaten ashes for bread
    and mingled my drink with weeping.
because of your indignation and wrath
    you have lifted me up and thrown me away.
my days pass away like a shadow,
    and i wither like the grass.
but you, o Lord, endure for ever,
    and your Name from age to age.
you will arise and have compassion on zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon her;
    indeed, the appointed time has come.
for your servants love her very rubble,
    and are moved to pity even for her dust.
the nations shall fear your Name, o Lord,
    and all the kings of the earth your glory.
for the Lord will build up zion,
    and his glory will appear.
he will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless;
    he will not despise their plea.
let this be written for a future generation,
    so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.
for the Lord looked down from his holy place on high;
    from the heavens he beheld the earth;
that he might hear the groan of the captive
    and set free those condemned to die.
that they may declare in zion the Name of the Lord,
    and his praise in jerusalem;
when the peoples are gathered together,
    and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
he has brought down my strength before my time;
    he has shortened the number of my days;
and i said, o my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days;
    your years endure throughout all generations.
in the beginning, o Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment;
    as clothing you will change them,
    and they shall be changed;
but you are always the same,
    and your years will never end.
the children of your servants shall continue,
    and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 130
out of the depths have i called to you, o Lord;
Lord, hear my voice;
    let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
if you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss,
    o Lord, who could stand?
for there is forgiveness with you;
    therefore you shall be feared.
i wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
    in his word is my hope.
my soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning;
    more than watchmen for the morning.
o Israel, wait for the Lord,
    for with the Lord there is mercy;
with him there is plenteous redemption,
    and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.

psalm 143
Lord, hear my prayer,
and in your faithfulness heed my supplications;
    answer me in your righteousness.
enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
for my enemy has sought my life;
he has crushed me to the ground;
    he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead.
my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is desolate.
i remember the time past;
i muse upon all your deeds;
    i consider the works of your hands.
i spread out my hands to you;
    my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
o Lord, make haste to answer me, my spirit fails me;
    do not hide your face from me
    or i shall be like those who go down to the pit.
let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,
for i put my trust in you;
    show me the road that i must walk,
    for i lift up my soul to you.
deliver me from my enemies, o Lord,
    for i flee to you for refuge.
teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;
    let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
revive me, o Lord, for your Name's sake;
    for your righteousness' sake, bring me out of trouble.

of your goodness, destroy my enemies
and bring all my foes to naught,
    for truly i am your servant.

glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. amen.