Kathisma 19

THE NINETEENTH KATHISMA

Psalm 134

Alleluia.

Praise ye the name of the Lord; O ye servants, praise the Lord, Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises unto His name, for it is good.
For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His own possession.
For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatsoever the Lord willed, that hath He done, in heaven, and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.
He bringeth up clouds from the ends of the earth; He made lightnings for the rain; He bringeth winds out of His treasuries.
He smote the firstborn of Egypt, from man unto beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt; unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants.
He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings:
Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan; and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
And gave their lands for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel His people.
Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and Thy memorial from generation to generation.
For the Lord will judge His people, and be entreated concerning His servants.
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
They have a mouth, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not.
They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

Let those who make them be like unto them, yea, all that trusteth in them.
Bless the Lord, O house of Israel. Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi.
Ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, Who dwelleth at Jerusalem.

Psalm 135

Alleluia.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the Lord of lords; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him Who alone hath done great wonders; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him that by wisdom made the heavens; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him that established the earth upon the waters; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him that alone made great lights; for His mercy endureth for ever.
The sun to rule the day; for His mercy endureth for ever.
The moon and the stars to rule the night; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn; for His mercy endureth for ever.
And brought out Israel from among them; for His mercy endureth for ever.
With a strong hand, and with an upraised arm; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him Which divided the Red Sea into parts; for His mercy endureth for ever.
And led Israel through the midst of it; for His mercy endureth for ever.
And overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him Which led His people through the wilderness; for His mercy endureth for ever.
To Him Which smote great kings; for His mercy endureth for ever.
And slew mighty kings; for His mercy endureth for ever. Sihon, king of the Amorites; for His mercy endureth for ever. And Og, the king of Bashan; for His mercy endureth for ever. And gave their land for an heritage; for His mercy endureth for ever.
Even an heritage unto Israel His servant; for His mercy endureth for ever.
For the Lord remembered us in our low estate; for His mercy endureth for ever.
And hath redeemed us from our enemies; for His mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven; for His mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 136

For David. By Jeremiah, in the Captivity.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
We hanged our instruments upon the willows in the midst thereof.
For there they that had taken us captive required of us words of a song.
And they that had carried us away asked us for an hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Let my tongue cleave to my throat if I remember thee not, if I prefer not Jerusalem above all others as my chief joy.
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it, raze it, even to the foundations thereof.
O wretched daughter of Babylon, blessed shall he be that shall reward thee as thou hast rewarded us.

Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash thy little ones against the rock.

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 137

David’s. Of Haggai and Zechariah.

I will give Thee thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart: and before angels will I sing praise unto Thee; for Thou hast heard all the words of my mouth.
I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and give thanks unto Thy name, for Thy mercy and Thy truth; for Thou hast magnified Thy holy name above all that is.
In whatsoever day I shall call upon Thee, hear me speedily; Thou shalt endue my soul abundantly with Thy strength.
Let all the kings of the earth give Thee thanks, O Lord, for they have heard all the words of Thy mouth.
Yea, let them sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
For the Lord is exalted, yet hath He regard unto the lowly; but the proud He knoweth from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath saved me.
The Lord shall make recompense for me; Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not the work of Thy hands.

Psalm 138

Unto the end: a Psalm of Zechariah in the Diaspora.

O Lord, Thou hast proved me, and Thou knowest me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar.
Thou hast searched out my path and my lot, and hast foreseen all my ways; for there is no guile upon my tongue.
Behold, O Lord, Thou knowest all things, the last and the first; Thou hast fashioned me, and laid Thine hand upon me.
Thy knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is great, I cannot attain to it.
Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? and whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I go down into hell, Thou art there present.
If I take up my wings in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.
And I said, Surely the darkness shall cover me, and in my pleasure shall the night be turned to day.
For darkness will not be darkness with Thee, but night shall be bright as day; as is the darkness, even so shall be the light thereof.
For Thou hast possessed my reins; Thou hast holpen me, O Lord, from my mother’s womb.
I will give Thee thanks, for Thou art wondrous and fearful; marvellous are Thy works, and my soul knoweth it right well.
My bones are not hid from Thee, which Thou hast made in secret; nor my substance in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book shall all mankind be written; daily shall they be fashioned, when as yet there be none of them.
Exceeding honoured also are Thy friends unto me, O God! their rule is greatly strengthened.
I will tell them, and they shall be multiplied in number more than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee.
Surely Thou wilt slay the sinners, O God! Depart from me, ye bloody men, for Thou shalt say of their thought, They shall take Thy cities in vain.
Have not I hated them, O Lord, that hate Thee? And have I not pined away because of Thine enemies? I have hated them with a perfect hatred, and they are counted mine enemies.

Prove me, O Lord, and know my heart; try me, and know my ways.
And see if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

Unto the end: a Psalm of David.

Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; deliver me from the unrighteous man, Which have imagined injustice in their heart; all the day long have they prepared for war.
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner; rescue me from the unjust men who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
The proud have hid a snare for me and spread a net with cords for my feet; they have set stumbling blocks for me beside the way.
I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God; give ear unto the voice of my supplication, O Lord.
O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Deliver me not, O Lord, unto the sinner, according to my desire. They have consulted against me; forsake me not, lest they be exalted.
As for the head of those that compass me about, the mischief of their lips shall cover them.
Coals will fall upon them; Thou shalt cast them down into the fire, and they shall not stand in their miseries.
A babbling man shall not prosper upon the earth; evils shall hunt an unrighteous man unto destruction.
I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the needy, and the right of the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name, and the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.

Psalm 140

A Psalm of David.

Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hear Thou me; give ear unto the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee.
Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words, to make excuse with pretexts for sins with men that work iniquity; I shall not join with their chosen.
The righteous shall chasten me with mercy, and reprove me; but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head.
For yet shall my prayer be against their pleasures; their judges have been swallowed up like unto a rock.
They will hear my words, for they are sweet; as when a clod of earth is broken up upon the ground, so have their bones been scattered nigh unto Hades.
But my eyes are unto Thee, Lord, O Lord; in Thee have I hoped; take not away my soul.
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling blocks of the workers of iniquity.
The wicked shall fall into their own net; I am alone until that I pass hence.

Psalm 141

Instruction by David, when he was in the cave praying.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make supplication.
I will pour out my supplication before Him; I will shew before Him my trouble.
When my spirit was fainting within me, then Thou knewest my paths.
In this way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
I looked on my right hand, and beheld; but there was no man that knew me.
Flight failed me, and there is none that watcheth for my soul.
I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
Attend unto my supplication, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name. The just shall await me, until Thou shalt reward me.

Psalm 142

Of David. When his son Absalom pursued him.

Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy righteousness.
And enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath brought my life down to the ground.
He hath sat me in darkness, as those that have been long dead; and my spirit is faint within me, my heart within me is troubled.
I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all Thy works, I mused on the works of Thy hands.
I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee as a thirsty land.
Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit waxeth faint.
Turn not away Thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning, for in Thee do I hope.

Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk, for I lifted up my soul unto Thee.
Rescue me, O Lord, from mine enemies; have I fled unto Thee for refuge. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.
Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the land of uprightness; quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake.
In Thy righteousness Thou shalt bring my soul out of trouble, and in Thy mercy Thou shalt destroy my enemies.
And Thou shalt destroy all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.