The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, and his tongue will be talking of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart, and his goings shall not slide.

The ungodly seeth the righteous, and seeketh occasion to slay him.

The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land: when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.

I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, and flourishing like a green bay tree.

I went by, and lo, he was gone: I sought him, but his place could nowhere be found.

Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right; for that shall bring a man peace at the last. As for the transgressors, they shall perish together: and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.

But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord, who is also their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them; he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.

SELECTION V.

Psalm 1. Beatus vir, qui non abiit.

BLESSED is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful: But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season.

His leaf also shall not wither; and look, whatso ever he doeth, it shall prosper.

As for the ungodly, it is not so with them, but they are like the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth.

Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment, neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 15. Domine, quis habitabit?

LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle ? or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?

Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart:

He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour :

He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, and maketh much of them that fear the Lord :

He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hinderance:

He that hath not given his money upon usury, nor taken reward against the innocent:

Whoso doeth these things, shall never fail.

Psalm 91. Qui habitat.

WHOSO dwelleth under the defence of the Most

High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my stronghold; my God, in him will I trust.

For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers; his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.

A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the ungodly.

For thou, Lord, art my hope; thou hast set thine house of defence very high.

There shall no evil happen unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee in their hands; that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him up, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will hear him; yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.

With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

SELECTION VI.

From Psalm 32. Beati, quorum.

BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

I will acknowledge my sin unto thee; and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.

I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord; and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.

For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found; but in the great water-floods they shall not come nigh him.

Thou art a place to hide me in; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will guide thee with mine eye.

Great plagues remain for the ungodly; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side.

Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.

Psalm 130. De profundis.

OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice.

O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint.

If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it.

For there is mercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be feared.

I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him; in his word is my trust.

My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch.

O Israel, trust in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.

I

Psalm 121. Levavi oculos meos.

WILL lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh even from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord himself is thy keeper; the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand :

So that the sun shall not burn thee by day; neither the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore.

SELECTION VII.

Psalm 23. Dominus regit me.

THE Lord is my shepherd; therefore can 1 lack nothing.

He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

He shall convert my soul, and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me; thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

I

Psalm 34. Benedicam Domino.

WILL alway give thanks unto the Lord; his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.