A Prayer of the Poor Man. When He Was Despondent, and Poured out His Supplication before the Lord.
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee.
2Turn not Thy face away from me; in the day when I am afflicted, incline Thine ear unto me.
3In the day when I call upon Thee, quickly hearken unto me.
4For my days are vanished like smoke, and my bones consumed like wood for the burning.
5I am smitten like grass, and withered is my heart, for I forgot to eat my bread.
6By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved unto my flesh.
7I am become like a pelican of the wilderness, I am like an owl in a ruined house.
8I have watched, and am like a sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house-top.
9The whole day long mine enemies reproached me, and they that praised me made an oath against me.
10For before the face of Thy wrath and Thine anger I ate ashes like bread, and my drink I mingled with weeping; for after uplifting me, Thou hast dashed me down.
11My days like a shadow have declined, and I like grass am withered.
12But Thou, O Lord, for ever abidest, and Thy remembrance is unto generation and generation.
13Thou shalt rise up and have pity upon Sion, for it is time to have compassion on her, yea, the time is come.
14For Thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they shall feel pity for her dust.
15And the nations shall fear Thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.
16For the Lord shall build up Sion, and He shall be seen in His glory.
17He hath regarded the prayer of the humble, and hath not despised their supplication.
18Let this be written for another generation, and the people that is being created shall praise the Lord.
19For He hath looked out from His holy height, the Lord from heaven hath looked upon the earth,
20To hear the groaning of them that be in fetters, to loose the sons of the slain,
21To declare in Sion the name of the Lord, and His praise in Jerusalem,
22When the peoples are gathered together, and the kings to serve the Lord.
23He answered Him in the way of his strength: The fewness of my days declare unto me.
24Take me not away at the half of my days; in generations and generations are Thy years.
25In the beginning, O Lord, Thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands.
26They shall perish, but Thou abidest; and all like a garment shall grow old,
27And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.
28The sons of Thy servants shall have their dwelling, and their seed for ever shall be guided aright.
David's.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.
2Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He hath done for thee,
3Who is gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities,
4Who redeemeth thy life from corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion,
5Who fulfilleth thy desire with good things; thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle's.
6The Lord performeth deeds of mercy, and executeth judgement for all them that are wronged.
7He hath made His ways known unto Moses, unto the sons of Israel the things that He hath willed.
8Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy; not unto the end will He be angered, neither unto eternity will He be wroth.
9Not according to our iniquities hath He dealt with us, neither according to our sins hath He rewarded us.
10For according to the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord hath made His mercy to prevail over them that fear Him.
11As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us.
12Like as a father hath compassion upon his sons, so hath the Lord had compassion upon them that fear Him; for He knoweth whereof we are made, He hath remembered that we are dust.
13As for man, his days are as the grass; as a flower of the field, so shall he blossom forth.
14For when the wind is passed over it, then it shall be gone, and no longer will it know the place thereof.
15But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity, even unto eternity, upon them that fear Him.
16And His righteousness is upon sons of sons, upon them that keep His testament and remember His commandments to do them.
17The Lord in heaven hath prepared His throne, and His kingdom ruleth over all.
18Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, mighty in strength, that perform His word, to hear the voice of His words.
19Bless the Lord, all ye His hosts, His ministers that do His will.
20Bless the Lord, all ye His works, in every place of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Stasis
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God. (Three times).
Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
David's. Concerning the Formation of the World.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly.
2Confession and majesty hast Thou put on, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment,
3Who stretchest out the heaven as it were a curtain; Who supporteth His chambers in the waters,
4Who appointeth the clouds for His ascent, Who walketh upon the wings of the winds,
5Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire,
6Who establisheth the earth in the sureness thereof; it shall not be turned back for ever and ever.
7The abyss like a garment is His mantle; upon the mountains shall the waters stand.
8At Thy rebuke they will flee, at the voice of Thy thunder shall they be afraid.
9The mountains rise up and the plains sink down, unto the place where Thou hast established them.
10Thou appointedst a bound that they shall not pass, neither return to cover the earth.
11He sendeth forth springs in the valleys; between the mountains will the waters run.
12They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild asses will wait to quench their thirst.
13Beside them will the birds of the heaven lodge, from the midst of the rocks will they give voice.
14He watereth the mountains from His chambers; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Thy works.
15He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men,
16To bring forth bread out of the earth; and wine maketh glad the heart of man.
17To make his face cheerful with oil; and bread strengtheneth man's heart.
18The trees of the plain shall be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon, which Thou hast planted.
19There will the sparrows make their nests; the house of the heron is chief among them.
20The high mountains are a refuge for the harts, and so is the rock for the hares.
21He hath made the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down.
22Thou appointedst the darkness, and there was the night, wherein all the beasts of the forest will go abroad.
23Young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God.
24The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together, and they lay them down in their dens.
25But man shall go forth unto his work, and to his labour until the evening.
26How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is filled with Thy creation.
27So is this great and spacious sea, therein are things creeping innumerable, small living creatures with the great.
28There go the ships; there this dragon, whom Thou hast made to play therein.
29All things wait on Thee, to give them their food in due season; when Thou givest it them, they will gather it.
30When Thou openest Thy hand, all things shall be filled with goodness; when Thou turnest away Thy face, they shall be troubled.
31Thou wilt take their spirit, and they shall cease; and unto their dust shall they return.
32Thou wilt send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
33Let the glory of the Lord be unto the ages; the Lord will rejoice in His works.
34Who looketh on the earth and maketh it tremble, Who toucheth the mountains and they smoke.
35I will sing unto the Lord throughout my life, I will chant to my God for as long as I have my being.
36May my words be sweet unto Him, and I will rejoice in the Lord.
37O that sinners would cease from the earth, and they that work iniquity, that they should be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Stasis
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God. (Three times).
Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia.
O give thanks unto the Lord and call upon His name; declare among the nations His works.
2Sing unto Him and chant unto Him; tell forth all His wonders.
3Glory in His holy name; let the heart of them be glad that seek the Lord.
4Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened; seek ye His face at all times.
5Remember His wonders which He wrought, His marvels, and the judgements of His mouth,
6Ye that are the seed of Abraham, His servants, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen.
7He is the Lord our God, in all the earth are His judgements.
8He hath remembered His covenant unto eternity, the word which He commanded unto a thousand generations,
9Which He made to Abraham, and His oath to Isaac.
10And He established it to Jacob for an ordinance, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11Saying: Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the portion of your inheritance.
12When they were few in number, very few and sojourners therein,
13And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people,
14He allowed no man to wrong them; and He reproved kings for their sake,
15Saying: Touch not Mine anointed ones, and to My prophets do no evil.
16And He called a famine upon the land, He brake all the staff of bread.
17He sent a man before them, Joseph was sold for a slave.
18They humbled his feet with fetters, his life was spent in irons, until his word came to pass.
19The oracle of the Lord proved him; the king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and released him.
20He made him lord of his house, and ruler over all his substance,
21To instruct his princes as himself, and to teach his elders wisdom.
22And Israel went into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
23And He increased His people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
24He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.
25He sent forth Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen for Himself.
26He set in them the words of His signs and of His marvels in the land of Ham.
27He sent forth darkness and made it dark, for they were embittered against His words.
28He turned their waters into blood, and He slew their fish.
29Their land teemed with frogs, even unto the secret chambers of their kings.
30He spake, and the dog-fly came, and gnats in all their borders.
31He gave them hail for rain, flaming fire in their land.
32And He smote their vines and their fig trees, and brake every tree of their border.
33He spake, and the locust came, and the caterpillar, and that without number.
34And devoured all the grass in their land, and devoured all the fruit of their land.
35And He smote every firstborn of their land, the firstlings of all their labour.
36And He led them out with silver and gold, and there was not among their tribes one man that was feeble.
37Egypt was glad when they departed, for fear of them had fallen upon them.
38He spread out a cloud for a shelter to them, and a fire to give them light by night.
39They made request and the quail came, and with the bread of heaven He filled them.
40He clave the rock and the waters flowed, in waterless places rivers ran.
41For He remembered His holy word which He spake unto Abraham His servant.
42And He led forth His people with rejoicing, and His chosen ones with gladness.
43And He gave unto them the lands of the heathen, and the labours of peoples they inherited,
44That they might keep His statutes and might seek after his law.
Final Stasis
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God our Hope, O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times)