Daily Office BCP

Chants for the Daily Office

Psalm 49, Chant A

Chant A

 

Psalm 49   Audite haec, omnes

1 Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world, *
you of high degree and low, rich and poor to-ge-ther.

2 My mouth shall speak of wis-dom, *
and my heart shall meditate on un-der-stand-ing.

3 I will incline my ear to a pro-verb *
and set forth my riddle up-on the harp.

4 Why should I be afraid in evil days, *
when the wickedness of those at my heels sur-rounds me,

Chant A

5 The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, *
and boast of their great ri-ches?

6 We can never ransom our-selves, *
or deliver to God the price of our life;

7 For the ransom of our life is so great, *
that we should never have e-nough to pay it,

8 In order to live for ever and ev-er, *
and never see the grave.

Chant A

9 For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they per-ish *
and leave their wealth to those who come af-ter them.

10 Their graves shall be their homes for ever, their dwelling places from generation to gene-ra-tion, *
though they call the lands after their own names.

11 Even though honored, they cannot live for ev-er; *
they are like the beasts that per-ish.

12 Such is the way of those who foolishly trust in them-selves, *
and the end of those who delight in their own words.

Chant A

13 Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die; Death is their shep-herd; *
they go down straightway to the grave.

14 Their form shall waste a-way, *
and the land of the dead shall be their home.

15 But God will ransom my life; *
he will snatch me from the grasp of death.

16 Do not be envious when some become rich, *
or when the grandeur of their house in-crea-ses;

Chant A

17 For they will carry nothing away at their death, *
nor will their gran-deur fol-low them.

18 Though they thought highly of themselves while they lived, *
and were praised for their suc-cess,

19 They shall join the company of their fore-bears, *
who will never see the light again.

20 Those who are honored, but have no under-stand-ing, *
are like the beasts that per-ish.

Chant A

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spir-it: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ev-er. A-men.