Psalms in Times of Pestilence

An Anthem for these times of grievous sickness and great mortality, 
from Psalm 39, verses 5-8, 13 and 15 (Prayer Book Version – see below).

Continuing to delve into those liturgical and devotional treasures of the Anglican Patrimony which, received now into full communion, constitute a treasure to be shared with the wider Catholic Church, the following psalms, in the classic Coverdale translation as used in the Book of Common Prayer, seem highly suitable for use morning and evening, as suggested in the Form appointed by Royal Proclamation for use at the time of the Great Plague of London in 1665 – apart from omitting the most usual of them, Psalm 50(51) and Psalm 129(130), the Miserere and De profundis respectively, which every Catholic ought know and use continually in any case; and wisely moving Psalm 6 from morning to evening, that the total number of psalm verses be approximately the same at each:

At Morning Prayer. 

Psalm 32. Beati, quorum [Ps. 31 in the Vulgate]

BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven : and whose sin is covered.
2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin : and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3. For while I held my tongue : my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.
4. For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night : and my moisture is like the drought in summer.
5. I will acknowledge my sin unto thee : and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.
6. I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord : and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
7. For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found : but in the great water-floods they shall not come nigh him.
8. Thou art a place to hide me in, thou shalt preserve me from trouble : thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
9. I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go : and I will guide thee with mine eye.
10. Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding : whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee.
11. Great plagues remain for the ungodly : but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side.
12. Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord : and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart. 

Psalm 38. Domine, ne in furore [Ps. 37 in the Vulgate]

PUT me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger : neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure.
2. For thine arrows stick fast in me : and thy hand presseth me sore.
3. There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure : neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.
4. For my wickednesses are gone over my head : and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.
5. My wounds stink, and are corrupt : through my foolishness.
6. I am brought into so great trouble and misery : that I go mourning all the day long.
7. For my loins are filled with a sore disease : and there is no whole part in my body.
8. I am feeble, and sore smitten : I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart.
9. Lord, thou knowest all my desire : and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10. My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me : and the sight of mine eyes is gone from me.
11. My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble : and my kinsmen stood afar off.
12. They also that sought after my life laid snares for me : and they that went about to do me evil talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.
13. As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not : and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.
14. I became even as a man that heareth not : and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15. For in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust : thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.
16. I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me : for when my foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.
17. And I, truly, am set in the plague : and my heaviness is ever in my sight.
18. For I will confess my wickedness : and be sorry for my sin.
19. But mine enemies live, and are mighty : and they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.
20. They also that reward evil for good are against me : because I follow the thing that good is.
21. Forsake me not, O Lord my God : be not thou far from me.
22. Haste thee to help me : O Lord God of my salvation. 

Psalm 39. Dixi, Custodiam [Ps. 38 in the Vulgate]

I SAID, I will take heed to my ways : that I offend not in my tongue.
2. I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle : while the ungodly is in my sight.
3. I held my tongue, and spake nothing : I kept silence, yea, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.
4. My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing the fire kindled : and at the last I spake with my tongue;
5. Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days : that I may be certified how long I have to live.
6. Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long : and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity.
7. For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain : he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
8. And now, Lord, what is my hope : truly my hope is even in thee.
9. Deliver me from all mine offences : and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.
10. I became dumb, and opened not my mouth : for it was thy doing.
11. Take thy plague away from me : I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand.
12. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment : every man therefore is but vanity.
13. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling : hold not thy peace at my tears.
14. For I am a stranger with thee : and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
15. O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength : before I go hence, and be no more seen. 

****** 

At Evening Prayer. 

Psalm 6. Domine, ne in furore

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation : neither chasten me in thy displeasure.
2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak : O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
3. My soul also is sore troubled : but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
4. Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul : O save me for thy mercy's sake.
5. For in death no man remembereth thee : and who will give thee thanks in the pit?
6. I am weary of my groaning; every night wash I my bed : and water my couch with my tears.
7. My beauty is gone for very trouble : and worn away because of all mine enemies.
8. Away from me, all ye that work vanity : for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9. The Lord hath heard my petition : the Lord will receive my prayer.
10. All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed : they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly. 

Psalm 90. Domine, refugium [Ps. 89 in the Vulgate]

LORD, thou hast been our refuge : from one generation to another.
2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made : thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
3. Thou turnest man to destruction : again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.
4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday : seeing that is past as a watch in the night.
5. As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep : and fade away suddenly like the grass.
6. In the morning it is green, and groweth up : but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.
7. For we consume away in thy displeasure : and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
8. Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee : and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9. For when thou art angry all our days are gone : we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
10. The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years : yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
11. But who regardeth the power of thy wrath : for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure.
12. So teach us to number our days : that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13. Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last : and be gracious unto thy servants.
14. O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon : so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15. Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us : and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
16. Shew thy servants thy work : and their children thy glory.
17. And the glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us : prosper thou the work of our hands upon us, O prosper thou our handywork. 

Psalm 91. Qui habitat [Ps. 90 in the Vulgate]

WHOSO dwelleth under the defence of the most High : shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold : my God, in him will I trust.
3. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter : and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers : his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night : nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. For the pestilence that walketh in darkness : nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.
7. A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand : but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold : and see the reward of the ungodly.
9. For thou, Lord, art my hope : thou hast set thine house of defence very high.
10. There shall no evil happen unto thee : neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee : to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee in their hands : that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder : the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him : I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will hear him : yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.
16. With long life will I satisfy him : and shew him my salvation.

To read with these, I suggest the following passages of Scripture – concerning the Davidic plague and the seven last plagues, respectively – according to the Anglican practice of reading two long lessons, one from each of the Old and New Testaments, after psalmody: in the morning, 1 Chronicles (Paralipomenon in the Vulgate) chapter 21 and Revelation (Apocalypse) chapter 15; and at eventide, 2 Samuel (2 Kings in the Vulgate) chapter 24 and Revelation (Apocalypse) chapter 16.

Selected Anglican prayers appointed for use in time of pestilence (as given in the previous post) would be fittingly read after these psalms and readings.