Psalm 143. i.  Benedictus Dominus

Blessed be the Lord † my God, who teacheth my hands to war, * and my fingers to fight.
2  My hope and my fortress, * my castle and deliverer;
3  My defender in whom I trust; * who subdueth my people that is under me.
4  Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him? * or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
5  Man is like a thing of nought; * his time passeth away like a shadow.
6  Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; * touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
7  Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them; * shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
8  Send down thine hand from above, deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, * from the hand of strange children.
9  Whose mouth talketh of vanity, * and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end.  Amen.