Wednesday > Wednesday Prime
1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in
times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be
taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the
covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek
after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of
his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall
never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his
tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret
places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against
the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait
to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into
his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by
his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his
face; he will never see it.
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his
heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to
requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou
art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his
wickedness till thou find none.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out
of his land.
17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt
prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the
earth may no more oppress.
1 In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird
to your mountain?
2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow
upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven:
his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth
violence his soul hateth.
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an
horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth
behold the upright.
1 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from
among the children of men.
2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering
lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that
speaketh proud things:
4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our
own: who is lord over us?
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now
will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that
puffeth at him.
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a
furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this
generation for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
Updated: 2003/03/05