Visitation of the Sick

with Holy Absolution and the Lord’s Supper

 

The liturgy for the visitation of the sick is especially appropriate for those, who because of illness or infirmity, are not able to attend the regular Divine Service of Word and Sacrament. The pastor may use this office to the great comfort of individual members of the parish whom he knows to be in situations of illness. Members of the church who know of individuals suffering from afflictions and illnesses should contact the pastor with such knowledge well before the person is in the final  time of the illness, so that the individual may enjoy the instruction and comfort of the pastor while fully able to understand what is done and said.

The pastor shall instruct the ill, as the need may be, concerning how a Christian is to look upon sickness, why it is sent, what God’s intentions are for the sick person, and how to bear sickness in a Christian way. The Pastor should give comfort, not only against bodily pains and weakness, but also against all types of spiritual conflicts, that those who suffer may learn again that God is at peace with them, and thereby become more patiently reconciled to their difficulties.

In the ministration of this liturgy the pastor cannot be confined to any fixed form to be used under all circumstances, but must carefully adapt himself to each case. If the individual desires private absolution, others should leave the room so that the pastor and the penitent may share this comfort in confidence and quiet. If the individual who is sick is not a member of the church the pastor shall exercise special care so that the Law and Gospel of God are proclaimed in such a way that the wages of sin, as well as the abundant redemption of grace are clear. The Lord’s Supper is distributed only to those who are in the communion of the church. If the sickness is of a nature that the individual is not physically able to receive the Sacrament, the pastor shall direct the individual to the benefits of Baptism. At such a time individual absolution with the laying on of hands is especially appropriate, according to the custom of our churches.

It is appropriate for the pastor to wear a stole for the service of visitation. A simple white cloth, candles, a crucifix or some other comforting picture (the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, Christ among the Children) may adorn a temporary altar in the room of the individual who is sick.

 

 

 

The Greeting and Invocation

The peace of the Lord be with you.

In the name of the Father and of the @ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

The Psalmody: 6, 23, 25, 27, 30, 31, 38, 39, 40, 51, 73, 88, 90, 102, 130, 139, 143

 

Psalm 6

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord — how long?

4 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.

7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.

10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

 

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

 

Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.

1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.

3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses!

18 Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.

22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles!

 

Psalm 27

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident.

4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When You said,  “Seek My face,” My heart said to You,  “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

 

Psalm 30

A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.

1 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

6 Now in my prosperity I said,  “I shall never be moved.”

7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication:

9  “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

 

Psalm 31

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.

2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me.

3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.

4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.

5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

6 I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities,

8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.

9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body!

10 For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.

11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me.

12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say,  “You are my God.”

15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me.

16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

17 Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave.

18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!

20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!

22 For I said in my haste,  “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You.

23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.

24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

 

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.

6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.

12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.

13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.

15 For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.

16 For I said,  “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.

19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!

22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

 

Psalm 39

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 I said,  “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”

2 I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up.

3 My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

4  “Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am.

5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.

7  “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

9 I was mute, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it.

10 Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.

11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth; Surely every man is vapor. Selah

12  “Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13 Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more.”

 

Psalm 40

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

3 He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7 Then I said,  “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know.

10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!

14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.

15 Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me,  “Aha, aha!”

16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually,  “The Lord be magnified!”

17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

 

Psalm 51

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

 

Psalm 73

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

3 For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.

7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.

8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

11 And they say,  “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.

13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.

14 For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said,  “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me —

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.

19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind.

22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

 

Psalm 88

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.

2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry.

3 For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws near to the grave.

4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength,

5 Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand.

6 You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah

8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out;

9 My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.

10 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah

11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?

12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.

14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?

15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.

16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.

17 They came around me all day long like water; They engulfed me altogether.

18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me, And my acquaintances into darkness.

 

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction, And say,  “Return, O children of men.”

4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.

5 You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:

6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified.

8 You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh.

10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants.

14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil.

16 Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.

17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

 

Psalm 102

A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You.

2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth.

4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

8 My enemies reproach me all day long, Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.

12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.

14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.

15 So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

16 For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.

17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.

18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,

21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,

22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.

24 I said,  “O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.

27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.

28 The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.”

 

Psalm 130

A Song of Ascents.

1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;

2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.

3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning — Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.

8 And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

 

Psalm 139

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say,  “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

 

Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness.

2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

7 Answer me speedily, O Lord; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.

10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.


 

 

The Confession of Sin: ELH p. 41; p. 61; p. 88; p. 108; p. 109; p. 131 (p. 129)