Book 21 Psalms (continued 2)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
117:6. The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man can do unto me.
117:7. The Lord is my helper: and I will look over my enemies.
117:8. It is good to confide in the Lord, rather than to have confidence in man.
117:9. It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in princes.
117:10. All nations compassed me about; and, in the name of the Lord I have been revenged on them.
117:11. Surrounding me they compassed me about: and in the name of the Lord I have been revenged on them.
117:12. They surrounded me like bees, and they burned like fire among thorns: and in the name of the Lord I was revenged on them.
117:13. Being pushed I was overturned that I might fall: but the Lord supported me.
117:14. The Lord is my strength and my praise: and he is become my salvation.
117:15. The voice of rejoicing and of salvation is in the tabernacles of the just.
117:16. The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength: the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me: the right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength.
117:17. I shall not die, but live: and shall declare the works of the Lord.
117:18. The Lord chastising hath chastised me: but he hath not delivered me over to death.
117:19. Open ye to me the gates of justice: I will go in to them, and give praise to the Lord.
117:20. This is the gate of the Lord, the just shall enter into it.
117:21. I will give glory to thee because thou hast heard me: and art become my salvation.
117:22. The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner.
117:23. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
117:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.
117:25. O Lord, save me: O Lord, give good success.
117:26. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
117:27. The Lord is God, and he hath shone upon us. Appoint a solemn day, with shady boughs, even to the horn of the altar.
117:28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. I will praise thee, because thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
117:29. O praise ye the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms Chapter 118
Beati immaculati.
Of the excellence of virtue consisting in the love and observance of the commandments of God.
Alleluia.
ALEPH.
Aleph... The first eight verses of this psalm in the original begin with Aleph, which is the name of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The second eight verses begin with Beth, the name of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and so to the end of the whole alphabet, in all twenty-two letters, each letter having eight verses. This order is variously expounded by the holy fathers; which shews the difficulty of understanding the holy scriptures, and consequently with what humility, and submission to the Church they are to be read.
118:1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
118:2. Blessed are they that search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart.
His testimonies... The commandments of God are called his testimonies, because they testify his holy will unto us. Note here, that in almost every verse of this psalm (which in number are 176) the word and law of God, and the love and observance of it, is perpetually inculcated, under a variety of denominations, all signifying the same thing.
118:3. For they that work iniquity, have not walked in his ways.
118:4. Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently.
118:5. O! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications.
118:6. Then shall I not be confounded, when I shall look into all thy commandments.
118:7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the judgments of thy justice.
118:8. I will keep thy justifications: O! do not thou utterly forsake me.
BETH.