Kathisma 18

THE EIGHTEENTH KATHISMA

Psalm 119

A song of ascents.

In mine affliction I cried to the Lord; and He heard me.
O Lord, deliver my soul from unrighteous lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be added unto thee, for thy deceitful tongue? Sharpened arrows of the mighty with coals that lay waste.
Woe is me, that my sojourn is prolonged; I have dwelt with the tents of Kedar; my soul hath long been a sojourner.
With them that hated peace I was peaceable; when I spake unto them, they made war against me without a cause.

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I have lifted up mine eyes to the mountains, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.
Let not thy foot be moved, and let not Him that keepeth thee slumber.

things for thee.
Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord shall keep thee; the Lord is thy shelter upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not burn thee by day, neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; the Lord shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy coming in and thy going out, from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I was glad because of them that said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet have stood within thy courts, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together.
For thither the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
For there are set thrones for judgment, thrones for the house of David.
Ask now for the things which are for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the prosperity of them that love thee.
Let peace be with thy strength, and prosperity within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I spake peace concerning thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good

Psalm 122

A song of ascents.

Unto Thee have I lifted up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a handmaiden look unto the hands of her

mistress, so look our eyes unto the Lord our God, until that He have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we are utterly filled with abasement. Our soul hath been exceedingly filled therewith; let reproach come upon those that prosper, and abasement upon the proud.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let now Israel say; if it had not been that the Lord was with us, when men rose up against us; then they had swallowed us up alive.
When their wrath was kindled against us, then the waters had overwhelmed us.
Our soul had passed through the torrent; then had our soul passed through the overwhelming water.
Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
Our soul is delivered, as a sparrow out of the snare of the hunters.
The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God.
Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents with them.

They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion; he that dwelleth in Jerusalem shall never be moved.
The mountains are round about her; so the Lord is round about His people, from henceforth, and for evermore.
For the Lord shall not suffer the rod of sinners to rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquities.
Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their heart.
As for such as turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we became like them that are comforted.
Then was our mouth was filled with joy, and our tongue with exultation.
Then shall they say among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us, and we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
They went on and wept, as they cast their seed.
But they shall come with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, he that keepeth it watcheth but in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early; ye rise up after resting, ye that eat the bread of sorrow, While He hath given his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, the reward of the fruit of the womb.
As arrows in the hands of a mighty man, so are the children of those that were outcast.
Blessed is the man that shall satisfy his desire with them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gates.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, that walk in His ways.
Thou shalt eat the fruit of thy labours; blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thy house; thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
The Lord bless thee out of Zion; and mayest thou see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
And mayest thou see thy children’s children. Peace upon Israel.

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up, may Israel now say; Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up; yet they have not prevailed against me.
The sinners wrought upon my back, they prolonged their iniquity.
The Lord is righteous; He hath cut asunder the necks of sinners.
Let them all be ashamed and turned back that hate Zion.
Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it is uprooted.

Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom.
Neither have they which go by said, The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we have blessed you in the name of the Lord.

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For there is forgiveness with Thee.
For Thy name’s sake have I waited for Thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited for Thy word, my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor are mine eyes lofty.
Neither have I exercised myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me.

If I had not been humble minded, but had exalted my soul, like a child that is weaned from his mother, so wouldest Thou have requited my soul.
Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth, and for ever.

Psalm 131

A song of ascents.

Lord, remember David and all his meekness; how he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the God of Jacob.
I will not go into the tabernacle of my house; I will not go up into the couch of my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, nor slumber to mine eyelids, nor rest to my temples, Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the God of Jacob.
Behold, we heard it in Ephratha; we found it in the fields of the wood.
Let us go into His tabernacles; let us worship at the place where His feet have stood.
Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy holiness.
Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy just shall rejoice.
For Thy servant David’s sake turn not away Thy face from Thine anointed.
The Lord hath sworn in truth to David, and He will not annul it, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne, If thy sons will keep My covenant and these testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
For the Lord hath chosen Zion, He hath chosen it for His habitation.
This is My rest for ever and ever; here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with joy.
There will I make to spring forth an horn for David; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall My holiness flourish.

Psalm 132

A song of ascents.

Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant as for brethren to dwell together in unity? It is like the oil of myrrh upon the head, that runneth down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that runneth down to the fringe of his garment.
As the dew of Aermon, that descendeth upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded His blessing, even life for evermore.

Psalm 133

A song of ascents.

Behold now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Lift up your hands by night unto the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.
The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.