O GOD, thou art my God; * early will I seek thee.
My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, * in a barren and dry land where no water is.
Thus have I looked for thee in the sanctuary, * that I might behold thy power and glory.
For thy loving-kindness is better than the life itself: * my lips shall praise thee.
As long as I live will I magnify thee in this manner, * and lift up my hands in thy Name.
My soul shall be satisfied, even as it were with marrow and fatness, * when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.
Have I not remembered thee in my bed, * and thought upon thee when I was waking?
Because thou hast been my helper; * therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul hangeth upon thee; * thy right hand hath upholden me.
These also that seek the hurt of my soul, * they shall go under the earth.
Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, * that they may be a portion for foxes.
But the King shall rejoice in God; all they also that swear by him shall be commended; * for the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

HEAR my voice, O God, in my prayer; * preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the gathering together of the froward, * and from the insurrection of wicked doers;
Who have whet their tongue like a sword, * and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words;
That they may privily shoot at him that is perfect: * suddenly do they hit him, and fear not.
They encourage themselves in mischief, * and commune among themselves, how they may lay snares; and say, that no man shall see them.
They imagine wickedness, and practise it; * that they keep secret among themselves, every man in the deep of his heart.
But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow, * that they shall be wounded.
Yea, their own tongues shall make them fall; * insomuch that whoso seeth them shall laugh them to scorn.
And all men that see it shall say, This hath God done; * for they shall perceive that it is his work.
The righteous shall rejoice in the LORD, and put his trust in him; * and all they that are true of heart shall be glad.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

O GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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