Wednesday Prime

The first part of Prime is in the Ordinary

COMMENTARY

Ant.    Misericórdia tua. Ant.    Thy loving kindness.

Psalmus 25.  Judica me, Domine

Júdica me, Dómine, quóniam ego in innocéntia mea ingréssus sum: * et in Dómino sperans non infirmábor.
2   Proba me, Dómine, et tenta me: * ure renes meos et cor meum.
3  Quóniam misericórdia tua ante óculos meos est: * et complácui in veritáte tua.
4  Non sedi cum concílio vanitátis: * et cum iníqua geréntibus non introíbo.
5  Odívi ecclésiam malignántium: * et cum ímpiis non sedébo.
6  Lavábo inter innocéntes manus meas: * et circúmdabo altáre tuum, Dómine.
7  Ut áudiam vocem laudis: * et enárrem univérsa mirabília tua.
8  Dómine, diléxi decórem domus tuæ: * et locum habitatiónis glóriæ tuæ.
9  Ne perdas cum ímpiis, Deus, ánimam meam, * et cum viris sánguinum vitam meam.
10  In quorum mánibus iniquitátes sunt: * déxtera eórum repléta est munéribus.
11  Ego autem in innocéntia mea ingréssus sum: * rédime me, et miserére mei.
12  Pes meus stetit in dirécto: * in ecclésiis benedícam te, Dómine.

Psalm 25.  Judica me, Domine

Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine innocency : * my trust hath been also in the Lord, therefore shall I not fall.
2  Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; * burn my reins and my heart.
3  For thy loving-kindness is ever before mine eyes; * and I am well pleased with thy truth.
4  I have not dwelt with the council of vanity; * neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.
5  I have hated the congregation of the wicked; * and will not sit among the ungodly.
6  I will wash my hands among the innocent; * and will compass thine altar, O Lord.
7  That I may hear the voice of thy praise, * and tell of all thy wondrous works.
8  Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house, * and the place where thy glory dwelleth.
9  O take not away my soul with the sinners, O God, * nor my life with the blood-thirsty;
10  In whose hands is wickedness, * and their right hand is full of gifts.
11  But as for me, I have walked in mine innocency: * O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
12  My foot hath stood right : * in the churches will I bless thee, O Lord.

Psalmus 51.  Quid gloriaris

Quid gloriáris in malítia, * qui potens es in iniquitáte?
2  Tota die injustítiam cogitávit lingua tua: * sicut novácula acúta fecísti dolum.
3  Dilexísti malítiam super benignitátem: * iniquitátem magis quam loqui æquitátem.
4  Dilexísti ómnia verba præcipitatiónis: * lingua dolósa.
5  Proptérea Deus déstruet te in finem, * evéllet te, et emigrábit te de tabernáculo tuo: et radícem tuam de terra vivéntium.
6  Vidébunt justi, et timébunt, et super eum ridébunt et dicent: *  Ecce homo, qui non pósuit Deum adjutórem suum:
7  Sed sperávit in multitúdine divitiárum suárum: * et præváluit in vanitáte sua.
8  Ego autem, sicut olíva fructífera in domo Dei: * sperávi in misericórdia Dei in ætérnum : et in sæculum sæculi.
9  Confitébor tibi in sæculum, quia fecísti: * et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.

Psalm 51.  Quid gloriaris

Why dost thou glory in malice, * thou that art mighty in wickedness?
2  All the day long thy tongue hath imagined injustice : * as a sharp razor, thou hast wrought deceit.
3  Thou hast loved malice more than goodness, * and wickedness more than righteousness.
 Thou hast loved all the words of ruin, * O thou false tongue.
5  Therefore shall God destroy thee for ever; * he shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living.
6  The righteous also shall see this, and fear, and shall laugh him to scorn, saying : * Lo, this is the man that took not God for his strength.
7  But trusted unto the multitude of his riches, * and prevailed in his vanity.
 As for me, like a green olive-tree in the house of God, * I have hoped in the tender mercy of God for ever, yea, for ever and ever.
9  I will alway give thanks unto thee for that thou hast done; * and I will hope in thy Name, for it is good in the sight of thy saints.

Psalmus 52.  Dixit insipiens

Dixit insípiens in corde suo: * Non est Deus.
2  Corrúpti sunt, et abominábiles facti sunt in iniquitátibus: * non est qui fáciat bonum.
3  Deus de cælo prospéxit super fílios hóminum: * ut vídeat si est intélligens, aut requírens Deum.
4  Omnes declinavérunt simul inútiles facti sunt: * non est qui fáciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.
5  Nonne scient omnes qui operántur iniquitátem: * qui dévorant plebem meam ut cibum panis?
6  Deum non invocavérunt, * illic trepidavérunt timóre, ubi non erat timor.
7  Quóniam Deus dissipávit ossa eórum qui homínibus placent: * confúsi sunt, quóniam Deus sprevit eos.
8  Quis dabit ex Sion salutáre Israël? * cum convérterit Deus captivitátem plebis suæ, exsultábit Jacob, et lætábitur Israël.

Psalm 52.  Dixit insipiens

The fool hath said in his heart, * There is no God.
2  Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness; * there is none that doeth good.
3  God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, * to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.
4  But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable; * there is none that doeth good, no not one.
5  Shall they not know, all they that are such workers of mischief, * eating up my people as it were bread?
6  They have not called upon the Lord, * there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.
7  For God hath broken the bones of them that please men; * they have been put to confusion, because God hath despised them.
8  Who shall give salvation unto Israel out of Sion? * When God turneth the captivity of his people; then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be right glad.


After the three foregoing Psalms have been recited, at once the Antiphon is said as given below, unless at Lauds Psalm 50, Miserere mei, was said, in which case here is added to Prime the omitted first Psalm of Lauds; and the same is done likewise on other weekdays.

Psalmus 96.  Dominus regnavit

Dóminus regnávit exsultet terra: * læténtur ínsulæ multæ.
2  Nubes, et calígo in circúitu ejus: * justítia, et judícium corréctio sedis ejus.
3  Ignis ante ipsum præcédet: * et inflammábit in circúitu inimícos ejus.
4  Illuxérunt fúlgura ejus orbi terræ: * vidit et commóta est terra.
5  Montes, sicut cera fluxérunt a fácie Dómini: * a fácie Dómini omnis terra.
6  Annuntiavérunt cæli justítiam ejus: * et vidérunt omnes pópuli glóriam ejus.
7  Confundántur omnes, qui adórant sculptília: * et qui gloriántur in simulácris suis.
8  Adoráte eum, omnes Angeli ejus: * audívit, et lætáta est Sion.
9  Et exsultavérunt fíliæ Judæ: * propter judícia tua, Dómine:
10  Quóniam tu Dóminus Altíssimus super omnem terram: * nimis exaltátus es super omnes deos.
11  Qui dilígitis Dóminum, odíte malum: * custódit Dóminus ánimas sanctórum suórum, de manu peccatóris liberábit eos.
12  Lux orta est justo, * et rectis corde lætítia.
13  Lætámini, justi in Dómino: * et confitémini memóriæ sanctificatiónis ejus.

Psalm 96.  Dominus regnavit

The Lord hath reigned, may the earth be glad thereof; * yea, the multitude of the isles shall be joyful.
2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: * righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his seat.
3  There shall go a fire before him, * and burn up his enemies on every side.
4  His lightnings gave shine unto the world: * the earth saw it, and trembled.
5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord; * the whole earth at the presence of the Lord.
6  The heavens have declared his righteousness, * and all the peoples have seen his glory.
7  Confounded be all they that worship carved images, * and that delight in their vain gods.
8  Worship him, all ye his Angels : * Sion heard of it, and rejoiced.
9  And the daughters of Judah were glad, * because of thy judgments, O Lord.
10  For thou art the most high Lord over all the earth: * thou art exalted far above all gods.
11  O ye that love the Lord, hate evil: * the Lord preserveth the souls of his saints; he shall deliver them from the hand of the ungodly.
12  There is sprung up a light for the righteous, * and joy for such as are true-hearted.
13  Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; * and give thanks for a remembrance of his holiness.


Ant.    Misericórdia tua, Dómine, ante óculos meos: et complácui in veritáte tua.

Ant.    Thy loving kindness, O Lord, is ever before mine eyes, and I am well pleased with thy truth.

Return to
Ordinary of Prime