1 A Psalm of David.
To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. 2 O my God, I have trusted in thee: let me not be confounded, neither let mine enemies laugh me to scorn. 3 For none of them that wait on thee shall in any wise be ashamed: let them be ashamed that transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; and teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art God my Saviour: and I have waited on thee all the day. 6 Remember thy compassions, O Lord, and thy mercies, for they are from everlasting. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my sins of ignorance: remember me according to thy mercy, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he 1instruct sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: the meek will he teach his ways. 10 All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that seek his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name's sake, O Lord, do thou also be merciful to my sin; for it is great. 12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? he shall instruct him in the way which he has chosen. 13 His soul shall dwell in prosperity; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The Lord is the strength of them that fear him; and his covenant is to manifest 2truth to them.
15 Mine eyes are continually to the Lord; for he shall draw my feet out of the snare. 16 Look upon me, and have mercy upon me; for I am an only child and poor. 17 The afflictions of my heart have been multiplied; deliver me from my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my trouble; and forgive all my sins. 19 Look upon mine enemies; for they have been multiplied; and they have hated me with unjust hatred. 20 Keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I have hoped in thee. 21 The harmless and upright joined themselves to me: for I waited for thee, O Lord. 22 Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his afflictions.
About this text. This is Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 translation of the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament the Orthodox Church reads, rather than the Hebrew text behind most English Bibles. It is in the public domain. Words in italics are ones Brenton supplied that the Greek does not have; he marked them so that a reader could tell the difference, and they are kept that way here. The numbered notes are his own. Its English is Victorian, and does not match the modern English of the New Testament pages on this site.
On the numbering. The Psalms are numbered here as the Septuagint numbers them, which is how Orthodox service books cite them. From Psalm 10 onward that is one behind a Hebrew-numbered Bible: Psalm 50 here is the Psalm 51 of most English Bibles. The Septuagint also carries a hundred and fifty-first Psalm, which those Bibles do not.