I labour for peace; but when I speak unto them thereof, they make them ready to battle.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.

so that the sun shall not burn thee by day, neither the moon by night.

{A song of the stairs} I was glad when they said unto me, "We will go in to the house of the LORD."

For there the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD, to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

Yea because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek to do thee good.

Do well, O LORD, unto those that be good and true of heart.

All them that have an evil will to Zion shall be confounded, and made to turn back from it.

If thou, LORD wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O LORD who may abide it?

{A song of the stairs} LORD, I am not high-minded; I have no proud looks. I do not exercise myself in great matters which are too high for me.

I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber,

For the LORD hath chosen Zion, to be a habitation for himself; he hath longed for her.

There shall I make the horn of David to flourish; I have ordained a lantern for mine anointed.

{A song of the stairs} Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard; even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.

Like the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hill of Zion. For there the LORD promised his blessing, and life forevermore.

Thy name, O LORD, endureth forever; so doth thy memorial, O LORD, from one generation to another.

The sun to rule the day! For his mercy endureth forever.

The moon and the stars to govern the night! For his mercy endureth forever.

And made Israel to go through the midst of it! For his mercy endureth forever.

If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth.

Remember the children of Edom, O LORD, in the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Down with it! Down with it, even to the ground!"

O daughter of Babylon, thou shalt come to misery thyself; yea, happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

{To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} O LORD, thou searchest me out, and knowest me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me; I cannot attain unto it.

If I climb up into heaven, thou art there; if I go down to hell, thou art there also.

If I say, "Peradventure the darkness shall cover me, then shall my night be turned to day." -

Yea, the darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as the day; the darkness and light are both alike.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book were all my members written, which day by day were fashioned, when as yet there was not one of them.

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

{To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} Deliver me, o LORD, from the evil men, and preserve me from the wicked men,

which imagine mischief in their hearts, and stir up strife all the day long.

Keep me, O LORD, from the hand of the ungodly; preserve me from the wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings.

O LORD. O LORD God, thou strength of my health; thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Let not the ungodly have his desire, O LORD; let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud. Selah.

O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing, to be minded as the ungodly or wicked men; lest I eat of such things as please them.

{The Instruction of David, a prayer when he was in the cave} I cry unto the LORD with my voice; yea, even unto the LORD do I make my supplication.

I look upon my righthand, and see there is no man that will know me. I have no place to flee unto, no man careth for my soul.

Therefore do I cry unto thee, O LORD, and say, "Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living!"

Consider my complaint, for I am brought very low. O deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

For the enemy persecuteth my soul; he smiteth my life down to the ground; he layeth me in the darkness, as the dead men of the world.

Yet do I remember the times past; I muse upon all thy works. Yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies, for I resort unto thee to hide me.

Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee; for thou art my God. Let thy loving spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

{A Psalm of David} Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no decay, no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.

Every day will I give thanks unto thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and marvelous, worthy to be praised; there is no end to his greatness.

The eyes of all wait upon thee, O LORD; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth, and so all his thoughts perish.

who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; who feedeth the hungry. The LORD looseth men out of prison;

the LORD giveth sight to the blind. The LORD helpeth them up that are fallen; the LORD loveth the righteous.

{Praise the Everlasting} Praise ye the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; yea, a joyful and pleasant thing is it to be thankful.

The LORD setteth up the meek, and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.

which covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth, and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains;

He casteth forth his ice like morsels. Who is able to abide his frost?

Let the praises of God be in their mouth, and two-edged swords in their hands,

to be avenged of the heathen, and to rebuke the people;

to bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of iron,

To learn wisdom, instruction, understanding, prudence,

and he that is endued with understanding shall obtain wit to perceive a parable, and the interpretation thereof; the words of the wise, and the dark speeches of the same.

For their feet run to evil, and are hasty to shed blood.

but all my counsels have ye despised and set my corrections to naught.

that thou wilt incline thin ears unto wisdom; apply thine heart then to understanding.

Wisdom is more worth than precious stones, and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and blessed are they that keep her fast.

Through his wisdom the depths break up, and the clouds drop down of the dew.

Thou needest not to be afraid of any sudden fear, neither for the violent rushing of the ungodly, when it cometh.

Refuse not to do good unto him that should have it, so long as thine hand is able to do it.

whereas thou hast now to give him. Intend no hurt unto thy neighbour, seeing he hopeth to dwell in rest by thee.

As for the scornful, he shall laugh them to scorn, but he shall give grace unto the lowly.

The chief point of wisdom is that thou be willing to obtain wisdom, and before all thy goods to get the understanding.

The path of the righteous shineth as the light, and is ever brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.

Turn not aside, neither to the righthand nor to the left; but withhold thy foot from evil.

My son, give heed unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my prudence:

But at the last she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two edged sword.

That thou give not thine honour unto another, and thy years to the cruel;

Because he would not be reformed, he shall die: and for his great foolishness he shall be destroyed.

Therefore my son, do this: and thou shalt be discharged, when thou art come into thy neighbour's danger. Go thy ways then soon, and entreat thy neighbour:

Save thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Go to the Emmet, thou sluggard: consider her ways, and learn to be wise.

a heart that goeth about with wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to do mischief,

A harlot will make a man to beg his bread, but a married woman will hunt for the precious life.

Even so, whosoever goeth in to his neighbour's wife, and toucheth her, can not be unguilty.

Men do not utterly despise a thief, that stealeth to satisfy his soul, when he is hungry:

no, though thou wouldest offer him great gifts to make amends, he will not receive them.

in the twilight of the evening, when it began now to be night and dark.

She was full of loud words and ready to dally: whose feet could not abide in the house.

"I had a vow to pay, and this day I perform it.

Therefore came I forth to meet thee, that I might seek thy face, and so I have found thee.

My bed have I made to smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon.

suddenly to follow her - as it were an ox to the slaughter, and like as it were a fool that laugheth when he goeth to the stocks to be punished -

so long till she hath wounded his liver with her dart: like as if a bird hasted to the snare, not knowing that the peril of his life lieth thereupon.

Her houses are the way to hell, where men go down into the chambers of death.

Give ear, for I will speak of great matters, and open my lips to tell things that be right.

They are all plain to such as will understand, and right to them that find knowledge.

For wisdom is more worth than precious stones; yea, all the things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared unto it.

That I may send prosperity to those that love me, and to increase their treasure.

As for the round compass of his world, I make it joyful: for my delight is to be among the children of men.

She hath sent forth her maidens to cry upon the highest place of the city: