Kathisma 20

THE TWENTIETH KATHISMA

Psalm 143

Of David, referring to Goliath.

Blessed be the Lord my God, Which teacheth my hands to battle, and my fingers to fight.
My mercy and my refuge; my help and my deliverer.
My defender, in Whom I have hoped; Who hath subdued my people under me.
Lord, what is man, that Thou art made known unto him? or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him? Man is like unto vanity; his days as a shadow pass away.
Bow the heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Flash forth lightning, and Thou shalt scatter them; send out Thine arrows, and Thou shalt trouble them.

Send out Thine hand from above; rescue me, and deliver me from many waters, from the hand of the sons that are strangers, Whose mouth hath spoken vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of unrighteousness.
I will sing a new song unto Thee, O God; upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises to Thee; Who givest salvation unto kings; Who redeemest David Thy servant from the evil sword.
Deliver me, and rescue me from the hand of sons that are strangers, whose mouth hath spoken vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of unrighteousness.
Whose sons are like new plants, strongly planted in their youth; their daughters decked out, adorned after the similitude of a temple.
Their garners, brimming over with all manner of store.
Their sheep fruitful with young, abounding in their gateways; their oxen fat.
There is no breach of wall, nor passage, neither any crying in their streets.
They have called the people blessed whose lot this is; but blessed is that people whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 144

Of David. A Psalm of praise.

I will exalt Thee, O God my king, and I will bless Thy name for ever, yea, for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever, yea, for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and there is no end of His greatness.
Generation and generation shall praise Thy works, and shall declare Thy might.
They shall speak of the majesty of the glory of Thy holiness, and shall tell of Thy wondrous works.
And they shall speak of the might of Thy marvellous acts, and shall tell of Thy majesty.
They shall publish the memory of the abundance of Thy goodness, and shall exult in Thy righteousness.
The Lord is full of compassion, and merciful; longsuffering, and of great mercy.

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.
Let all Thy works praise Thee, O Lord, and let Thy saints bless Thee.
They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and tell of Thy dominion.
To make known to the sons of men Thy dominion, and the glorious majesty of Thy kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all His words, and holy in all His works.
The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be cast down.
The eyes of all look unto Thee in hope, and Thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest Thine hand, and fillest with Thy favour every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He also will hear their supplication, and will save them.
The Lord preserveth all them that love Him, but all the sinners will He destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever, yea, for ever and ever.

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 145

Alleluia. Of Haggai and Zechariah.

Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.
His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth.
In that very day shall all his thoughts perish.
Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God; Who made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; Who keepeth truth for ever, Who executeth judgment for the wronged, Who giveth food to the hungry.
The Lord looseth the fettered; the Lord giveth wisdom to the blind; the Lord raiseth up the fallen; the Lord loveth the righteous; the Lord preserveth the strangers.
He shall take for His own the fatherless and widow, but the way of sinners shall He destroy.
The Lord shall reign for ever; even thy God, O Zion, from generation to generation.

Psalm 146

Alleluia. Of Haggai and Zechariah.

Praise ye the Lord, for a psalm is good; let praise be sweet to our God.
The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; He shall gather together the dispersed of Israel.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
He telleth the multitude of the stars, and calleth them all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and great is His power; and His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifteth up the meek, but casteth the sinners down to the ground.
Begin your song unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God,

Who covereth the heavens with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, and green herb for the service of man, Who giveth to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens which call upon Him.
He shall not delight in the strength of an horse, neither taketh He pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, and in those that hope in His mercy.

Psalm 147

Alleluia. Of Haggai and Zechariah.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee.
He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the fat of the wheat.
He sendeth forth His commandment to the earth; His word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth His snow like wool; He scattereth the mist like ashes.
He casteth forth His ice like morsels; who shall stand before His cold? He shall send out His word, and melt them; His wind shall blow, and the waters shall flow.
He sheweth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel.
He hath not dealt so with every nation, neither hath He shewed His judgments unto them.

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 148

Alleluia. Of Haggai and Zechariah.

Praise ye the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.
Praise ye Him, all His angels; praise ye him, all His hosts.
Praise ye Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars and light.
Praise Him, ye heaven of heavens, and thou water that art above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord; for He spake, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.
He hath established them for ever and ever; He hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps.
Fire, and hail, snow, and ice, stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars; Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and winged fowl; Kings of the earth, and all peoples; princes, and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; old men, and children; Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted.
His praise is above the earth and heaven, and He shall exalt the horn of His people, A hymn is meet for all His saints; even for the sons of Israel, for the people that draw near unto Him.

Psalm 149

Alleluia.

Sing unto the Lord a new song, His praise is in the congregation of the saints.
Let Israel be glad in Him that made him, and let the sons of Zion be joyful in their king.

Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and psaltery.
For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people, and shall exalt the meek with salvation.
The saints shall rejoice in glory, and shall exult upon their beds.
The high praises of God shall be in their mouth, and two- edged swords in their hands; To execute vengeance among the heathen, and punishments among the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute among them the judgment written; this glory shall be for all His saints.

Psalm 150

Alleluia.

Praise God in His holy ones; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the multitude of His greatness.
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with the strings and pipe.
Praise Him with the tuneful cymbals; praise Him with the joyful cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.

A Psalm

This Psalm is one written by David’s own hand; it is not numbered with the one hundred and fifty psalms. Composed

when he fought in single combat with Goliath.
I was the least among my brethren, and the youngest in the house of my father; I shepherded my father’s sheep.
My hands made an instrument, and my fingers tuned a psaltery.
And who shall tell my Lord? The Lord Himself shall hear.
He sent His angel, and took me from my father’s sheep, and anointed me with the oil of His anointing.
My brethren were comely and tall, but the Lord took not pleasure in them.
I went forth to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols.
But I drew his own sword, and cut off his head; and I took away the reproach from the sons of Israel.