Psalm 41
Blessed is he that considers the poor and helpless
: the Lord will deliver him in the day of trouble.
The Lord will guard him and preserve his life,
he shall be counted happy in the land
: you will not give him over to the will of his enemies.
And if he lies sick on his bed, the Lord will sustain him
: if illness lays him low, you will overthrow it.
I said ‘O Lord, be merciful toward me
: heal me, for I have sinned against you.’
My enemies speak evil of me, saying
: ‘When will he die, and his name perish for ever?’
And if one should come to see me, he mouths empty words
: while his heart gathers mischief, and when he goes out, he vents it.
All those that hate me whisper together against me
: they devise plots against me.
They say ‘A deadly thing has got hold of him
: he will not get up again from where he lies.’
Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted
: who shared my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O Lord, be gracious and raise me up
: and I will repay them what they have deserved.
By this will I know that you favour me
: That my enemy shall not triumph over me.
Because of my innocence you hold me fast
: you have set me before your face for ever.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
: from everlasting to everlasting. Amen, amen.
Psalm 44
We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us
: what things you did in their time, in the days of old;
How by your own hand you drove out the nations, and planted us in
: how you crushed the peoples, but caused us to root and grow.
For it was not by their swords that our fathers took possession of the land
: nor did their own arm get them the victory,
But your right hand, your arm, and the light of your countenance
: because you delighted in them.
You are my king and my God
: who ordained victory for Jacob.
By your power we struck our enemies through
: in your name we trod down those that rose against us.
For I did not trust in my bow
: nor could my sword save me;
But it was you that delivered us from our enemies
: and put our adversaries to confusion.
In God we made our boast all the day long
: we gave thanks to your name without ceasing.