87:15. Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me? 87:16. I am poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled. 87:17. Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me. 87:18. They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together. 87:19. Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery. Psalms Chapter 88 Misericordias Domini. The perpetuity of the church of Christ, in consequence of the promise of God: which, notwithstanding, God permits her to suffer sometimes most grievous afflictions. 88:1. Of understanding, for Ethan the Ezrahite. 88:2. The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth to generation and generation. 88:3. For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them. 88:4. I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant: 88:5. Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation. 88:6. The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints. 88:7. For who in the clouds can be compared to the Lord: or who among the sons of God shall be like to God? 88:8. God, who is glorified in the assembly of the saints: great and terrible above all them that are about him. 88:9. O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee. 88:10. Thou rulest the power of the sea: and appeasest the motion of the waves thereof. 88:11. Thou hast humbled the proud one, as one that is slain: with the arm of thy strength thou hast scattered thy enemies. 88:12. Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth: the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded: 88:13. The north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name: 88:14. Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted: 88:15. Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face: 88:16. Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance: 88:17. And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted. 88:18. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted. 88:19. For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel. 88:20. Then thou spokest in a vision to thy saints, and saidst: I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and have exalted one chosen out of my people. 88:21. I have found David my servant: with my holy oil I have anointed him. 88:22. For my hand shall help him: and my arm shall strengthen him. 88:23. The enemy shall have no advantage over him: nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.