Selected Psalms

The Seven Penitential Psalms

Psalm 6 Domine, ne in furore.

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation, * neither chasten me in thy displeasure.

2Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; * O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3My soul also is sore troubled: * but, LORD, how long wilt thou punish me?

4Turn thee, O LORD, and deliver my soul; * O save me, for thy mercy's sake.

5For in death no man remembereth thee; * and who will give thee thanks in the pit?

6I am weary of my groaning; * every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.

7My beauty is gone for very trouble, * and worn away because of all mine enemies.

8Away from me, all ye that work iniquity; * for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9The LORD hath heard my petition; * the LORD will receive my prayer.

10All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed; * they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.

Psalm 32 Beati quorum.

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

2Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth no sin, * and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3For whilst I held my tongue, * my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.

4For thy hand was heavy upon me day and night, * and my moisture was like the drought in summer.

5I acknowledged my sin unto thee; * and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.

6I said, I will confess my sins unto the LORD; * and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.

7For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found; * surely the great water-floods shall not come nigh him.

8Thou art a place to hide me in; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; * thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

9I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go; * and I will guide thee with mine eye.

10Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding; * whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, else they will not obey thee.

11Great plagues remain for the ungodly; * but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD, mercy embraceth him on every side.

12Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; * and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.

Psalm 38 Domine, ne in furore.

PUT me not to rebuke, O LORD, in thine anger; * neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure:

2For thine arrows stick fast in me, * and thy hand presseth me sore.

3There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure; * neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.

4For my wickednesses are gone over my head, * and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.

5My wounds stink, and are corrupt, * through my foolishness.

6I am brought into so great trouble and misery, * that I go mourning all the day long.

7For my loins are filled with a sore disease, * and there is no whole part in my body.

8I am feeble and sore smitten; * I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart.

9Lord, thou knowest all my desire; * and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me, * and the light of mine eyes is gone from me.

11My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble, * and my kinsmen stood afar off.

12They also that sought after my life laid snares for me; * and they that went about to do me evil talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.

13As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not; * and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.

14I became even as a man that heareth not, * and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15For in thee, O LORD, have I put my trust; * thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.

16I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me; * for when my foot slipt, they rejoiced greatly against me.

17And I truly am set in the plague, * and my heaviness is ever in my sight.

18For I will confess my wickedness, * and be sorry for my sin.

19But mine enemies live, and are mighty; * and they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.

20They also that reward evil for good are against me; * because I follow the thing that good is.

21Forsake me not, O LORD my God; * be not thou far from me.

22Haste thee to help me, * O Lord God of my salvation.

Psalm 51 Miserere mei, Deus.

HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; * according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.

2Wash me throughly from my wickedness, * and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I acknowledge my faults, * and my sin is ever before me.

4Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; * that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou shalt judge.

5Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, * and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

6But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts, * and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

7Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; * thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, * that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9Turn thy face from my sins, * and put out all my misdeeds.

10Make me a clean heart, O God, * and renew a right spirit within me.

11Cast me not away from thy presence, * and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

12O give me the comfort of thy help again, * and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

13Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, * and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; * and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.

15Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, * and my mouth shall show thy praise.

16For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; * but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

17The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: * a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

18O be favourable and gracious unto Sion; * build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations; * then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

Psalm 102 Domine, exaudi.

HEAR my prayer, O LORD, * and let my crying come unto thee.

2Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble; * incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.

3For my days are consumed away like smoke, * and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.

4My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass; * so that I forget to eat my bread.

5For the voice of my groaning, * my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.

6I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, * and like an owl that is in the desert.

7I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow, * that sitteth alone upon the housetop.

8Mine enemies revile me all the day long; * and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.

9For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, * and mingled my drink with weeping;

10And that, because of thine indignation and wrath; * for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.

11My days are gone like a shadow, * and I am withered like grass.

12But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, * and thy remembrance throughout all generations.

13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion; * for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.

14And why? thy servants think upon her stones, * and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.

15The nations shall fear thy Name, O LORD; * and all the kings of the earth thy majesty;

16When the LORD shall build up Sion, * and when his glory shall appear;

17When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute, * and despiseth not their desire.

18This shall be written for those that come after, * and the people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.

19For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; * out of the heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

20That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity, * and deliver them that are appointed unto death;

21That they may declare the Name of the LORD in Sion, * and his worship at Jerusalem;

22When the peoples are gathered together, * and the kingdoms also, to serve the LORD.

23He brought down my strength in my journey, * and shortened my days.

24But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age; * as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.

25Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, * and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: * they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

27And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; * but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

28The children of thy servants shall continue, * and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.

Psalm 130 De profundis

OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; * Lord, hear my voice.

2O let thine ears consider well * the voice of my complaint.

3If thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, * O Lord, who may abide it?

4For there is mercy with thee; * therefore shalt thou be feared.

5I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him; * in his word is my trust.

6My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; * I say, before the morning watch.

7O Israel, trust in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, * and with him is plenteous redemption.

8And he shall redeem Israel * from all his sins.

Psalm 143 Domine, exaudi.

HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire; * hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake.

2And enter not into judgment with thy servant; * for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; * he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4Therefore is my spirit vexed within me, * and my heart within me is desolate.

5Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works; * yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

6I stretch forth my hands unto thee; * my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7Hear me, O LORD, and that soon; for my spirit waxeth faint: * hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust: * show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies; * for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee; for thou art my God: * let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

11Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Name's sake; * and for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12And of thy goodness slay mine enemies, * and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.