PSALM 46
For the End: A Psalm Concerning the Sons of Kore.

Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto God with a voice of rejoicing, For the Lord Most High is terrible, a great King over all the earth. He hath subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He hath chosen us for His inheritance, the beauty of Jacob, which He loved. God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord with the voice of the trumpet. O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto our King, chant ye. For God is king of all the earth, O chant ye with understanding. God is king over the nations, God sitteth upon His holy throne. The princes of the peoples are gathered together with the God of Abraham; for God's mighty ones of the earth are greatly exalted.

PSALM 47
An Ode for the Sons of Kore, for the Second Day of the Week.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain, in the well-rooted joy of all the earth. The mountains of Sion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her towers, when He cometh to help her. For lo, the kings of the earth were assembled; they came together. When they saw her thus they marvelled, they were troubled, they were shaken, trembling took hold of them; there were pangs as of a woman in travail. With a vehement wind shalt Thou shatter the ships of Tharsis. Even as we have heard, so too we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. God hath laid her foundations unto eternity. We have thought, O God, of Thy mercy in the midst of Thy people. According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise also unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Sion be glad, and let the daughters of Judea rejoice, because of Thy judgements, O Lord. Encircle Sion and encompass her; tell her story in her towers. Set your hearts upon her strength, and consider her bulwarks, that ye may tell it to another generation. For He is our God for ever, yea for ever and ever; He shall shepherd us unto the ages.

PSALM 48
For the End: A Psalm for the Sons of Kore.

Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world, Both ye that are born of earth, and ye sons of men, rich and poor men together. My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear unto a parable, I will unfold my problem on the psaltery. Wherefore should I fear in an evil day? The iniquity at my heel shall compass me about. There be some that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. A brother cannot redeem; shall a man redeem? He shall not give to God a ransom for himself, nor the price of the redemption of his own soul, though he hath laboured for ever, and shall live to the end. For he shall not see corruption, when he shall see wise men dying. The mindless man and the witless shall perish together, and they shall leave their riches to others. And their graves shall be their houses unto eternity, their dwelling places unto generation and generation, though they have called their lands after their own names. And man, being in honour, did not understand; he is compared to the mindless cattle, and is become like unto them. This way of theirs is a stumbling-block for them, yet afterwards they will please with their mouth. Like sheep they are laid in hades, death shall be their shepherd. And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their help shall wax old in hades; they have been cast out from their glory. Yet God shall redeem my soul out of the hand of hades, when he receiveth me. Be not afraid when a man becometh rich, nor when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away, nor shall his glory descend after him. For his soul shall be blessed in his lifetime; he will acknowledge Thee while Thou doest good unto him. He shall enter into the generation of his fathers; he shall not see light unto eternity. And man, being in honour, did not understand; he is compared to the mindless cattle, and is become like unto them.

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 to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

PSALM 49
A Psalm of Asaph.

The God of gods, the Lord, hath spoken, and He hath called the earth from the rising of the sun and unto the setting thereof. Out of Sion is the magnificence of His comeliness. God shall come visibly, yea, our God, and shall not keep silence. Fire shall blaze before Him, and round about Him shall there be a mighty tempest. He shall summon heaven above and the earth that He may judge His people. Gather together unto Him His holy ones who have established His covenant upon sacrifices. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God is judge. Hear, O my people, and I will speak unto thee, O Israel, and I will testify against thee; I am God, thy God. Not for sacrifices will I reprove thee; nay, thy whole-burnt offerings are continually before Me. I will not welcome bullocks out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy flocks. For Mine are all the beasts of the field, cattle on the mountains, and oxen. I know all the fowls of the air, and with Me is the beauty of the field. If I hunger, not to thee will I tell it; for Mine is the world, and the fullness thereof. Shall I eat of the flesh of bulls? Or the blood of goats, shall I drink it? Sacrifice unto God a sacrifice of praise, and pay unto the Most High thy vows. And call upon Me in the day of thine affliction, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. But unto the sinner God hath said: Why declarest thou My statutes and takest up My covenant in thy mouth? Thou hast hated instruction, and hast cast out My words behind thee. If thou sawest a thief, thou didst run with him; and with the adulterer thou hast set thy portion. Thy mouth hath abounded with evil, and thy tongue hath woven deceits. Thou didst sit down and speak against thy brother, and against thine own mother's son didst thou lay a stumbling-block; these things thou didst, and I kept silence. Thou didst think an iniquity, that I should be like unto thee; I will reprove thee, and bring thy sins before thy face. Wherefore, understand these things, ye that forget God, lest He snatch you away and there be none to deliver you. A sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me, and there is the way wherein I shall show unto him My salvation.

PSALM 50
For the End: A Psalm of David. When Nathan the Prophet Came unto Him. When He Went in unto Bersabee, the Wife of Urias.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

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 to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

PSALM 51
For the End: Concerning the Instruction by David. When Doek the Idumean Came, and Declared to Saul, and Said unto Him: David is Come to the House of Abimelech.

Why dost thou boast in evil, O mighty man, and in iniquity all the day long? Thy tongue hath devised unrighteousness, like a sharpened razor hast thou wrought deceit. Thou hast loved evil more than goodness, unrighteousness more than to speak righteousness. Thou hast loved all the words of engulfing ruin, and a deceitful tongue. Wherefore, God will destroy thee at the end, He will pluck thee out and remove thee from thy dwelling place, and thy root out of the land of the living. The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, and say: Lo, this is the man that made not God his helper, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his vanity. But as for me, I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of the Lord; I have hoped in the mercy of God for ever, and unto the ages of ages. I will give praise unto Thee for ever, for what Thou hast done, and I will wait on Thy name, for it is good before Thy saints.

PSALM 52
For the End: Concerning Maeleth. Concerning Instruction by David.

The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God. They are corrupt and are abominable in iniquities; there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the sons of man, to see if there be any that understand or seek after God. They are all gone astray, they are altogether rendered useless; there is none that doeth good, no not one. Shall not all they that work iniquity come to understanding, they that eat up my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon the Lord. There have they feared with fear where no fear is. For God hath scattered the bones of man-pleasers; they have been put to shame, because God hath set them at nought. Who shall give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? When God hath turned back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

PSALM 53
For the End: Among the Hymns of Instruction by David. When the Ziphites Came, and Said to Saul: Lo, is not David Hidden with Us?

O God, in Thy name save me, and in Thy strength do Thou judge me. O God, hearken unto my prayer, give ear unto the words of my mouth. For strangers are risen up against me, and mighty men have sought after my soul and have not set God before themselves. For behold, God helpeth me, and the Lord is the protector of my soul. He will bring evils upon mine enemies. Utterly destroy them by Thy truth. Willingly shall I sacrifice unto Thee; I will confess Thy name, O Lord, for it is good. For out of every affliction hast Thou delivered me, and mine eye hath looked down upon mine enemies.

PSALM 54
For the End: Among the Hymns of Instruction by David.

Give ear, O God, unto my prayer, and disdain not my supplication; attend unto me, and hear me. I was grieved in my meditation, and I was troubled at the voice of the enemy and at the oppression of the sinner; Because they have turned iniquity upon me, and with wrath were they angry against me. My heart is troubled within me, and the terror of death is fallen upon me. Fear and trembling are come upon me, and darkness hath covered me. And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove? And I will fly, and be at rest. Lo, I have fled afar off and have dwelt in the wilderness. I waited for God that saveth me from faintheartedness and from tempest. Plunge them into the depths, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen iniquity and gainsaying in the city. Day and night they go round about her upon her walls; iniquity and toil and unrighteousness are in the midst of her. And usury and deceit have not departed from her streets. For if mine enemy had reviled me, I might have endured it. And if he that hateth me had spoken boastful words against me, I might have hid myself from him. But thou it was, O man of like soul with me, my guide and my familiar friend, Thou who together with me didst sweeten my repasts; in the house of God I walked with thee in oneness of mind. Let death come upon such ones, and let them go down alive into hades. For wickedness is in their dwellings, and in the midst of them. As for me, unto God have I cried, and the Lord hearkened unto me. Evening, morning, and noonday will I tell of it and will declare it, and He will hear my voice. He will redeem my soul in peace from them that draw nigh unto me, for they among many were with me. God will hear, and He will humble them, He that is before the ages. For to them there is no requital, because they have not feared God; He hath stretched forth His hand in retribution. They have defiled His covenant; they were scattered by the wrath of His countenance, and their hearts have convened. Their words were smoother than oil, and yet they are darts. Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will nourish thee; He will never permit the righteous to be shaken. But Thou, O God, shalt bring those men down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but as for me, O Lord, I will hope in Thee.

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. (Two times). Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia: Glory to Thee, O God our Hope, O Lord, glory be to Thee. Lord, have mercy. (Three times). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Psalter copyright 1974 Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston, MA