The Psalter is divided into twenty sections called kathismata, read in order through the week at Vespers and Matins. Kathisma 15 contains Psalms 105–108 (Septuagint numbering).
Psalm 105 (106)
Alleluia.
1Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.
2Who shall tell the mighty acts of the Lord? who shall cause all his praises to be heard?
3Blessed are they that keep judgment, and do righteousness at all times.
4Remember us, O Lord, with the favour thou hast to thy people: visit us with thy salvation;
5that we may behold the good of thine elect, that we may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that we may glory with thine inheritance.
6We have sinned with our fathers, we have transgressed, we have done unrighteously.
7Our fathers in Egypt understood not thy wonders, and remembered not the multitude of thy mercy; but provoked him as they went up by the Red Sea.
8Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might cause his mighty power to be known.
9And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up: so he led them through the deep as through the wilderness.
10And he saved them out of the hand of them that hated them, and redeemed them out of the hand of the enemy.
11The water covered those that oppressed them: there was not one of them left.
12Then they believed his words, and celebrated his praise.
13They made haste, they forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel.
14And they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the dry land.
15And he gave them their request, and sent fulness into their souls.
16They provoked Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and closed upon the congregation of Abiron.
18And a fire was kindled in their congregation, and a flame burnt up the sinners.
19And they made a calf in Choreb, and worshipped the graven image,
20and they changed their glory into the similitude of a calf that feeds on grass.
21They forgot God that saved them, who had wrought great deeds in Egypt;
22wondrous works in the land of Cham, and terrible things at the Red Sea.
23So he said that he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn him away from the fierceness of his anger, so that he should not destroy them.
24Moreover they set at nought the desirable land, and believed not his word.
25And they murmured in their tents: they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord.
26So he lifted up his hand against them, to cast them down in the wilderness;
27and to cast down their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in the countries.
28They were joined also to Beelphegor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. And they provoked him with their devices;
29and destruction was multiplied among them.
30Then Phinees stood up, and made atonement: and the plague ceased.
31And it was counted to him for righteousness, to all generations for ever.
32They provoked him also at the water of Strife, and Moses was hurt for their sakes;
33for they provoked his spirit, and he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.
34They destroyed not the nations which the Lord told them to destroy;
35but were mingled with the heathen, and learned their works.
36And they served their graven images; and it became an offence to them.
37And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to devils,
38and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan; and the land was defiled with blood,
39and was polluted with their works; and they went a whoring with their own devices.
40So the Lord was very angry with his people, and he abhorred his inheritance.
41And he delivered them into the hands of their enemies; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42And their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought down under their hands.
43Many a time he delivered them; but they provoked him by their counsel, and they were brought low by their iniquities.
44Yet the Lord looked upon their affliction, when he heard their petition.
45And he remembered his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercy.
46And he caused them to be pitied in the sight of all who carried them captive.
47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, that we may glory in thy praise.
48Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting; and all the people shall say, Amen, Amen.
Psalm 106 (107)
Alleluia.
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.
2Let them say so who have been redeemed by the Lord, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3and gathered them out of the countries, from the east, and west, and north, and south.
4They wandered in the wilderness in a dry land; they found no way to a city of habitation.
5Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7And he guided them into a straight path, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works to the children of men.
9For he satisfies the empty soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things,
10even them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, fettered in poverty and iron;
11because they rebelled against the words of God, and provoked the counsel of the Most High.
12So their heart was brought low with troubles; they were weak, and there was no helper.
13Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved them out of their distresses.
14And he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder.
15Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonders to the children of men.
16For he broke to pieces the brazen gates, and crushed the iron bars.
17He helped them out of the way of their iniquity; for they were brought low because of their iniquities.
18Their soul abhorred all meat; and they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved them out of their distresses.
20He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them out of their destructions.
21Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works to the children of men.
22And let them offer to him the sacrifice of praise, and proclaim his works with exultation.
23They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in many waters;
24these men have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25He speaks, and the stormy wind arises, and its waves are lifted up.
26They go up to the heavens, and go down to the depths; their soul melts because of troubles.
27They are troubled, they stagger as a drunkard, and all their wisdom is swallowed up.
28Then they cry to the Lord in their affliction, and he brings them out of their distresses.
29And he commands the storm, and it is calmed into a gentle breeze, and its waves are still.
30And they are glad, because they are quiet; and he guides them to their desired haven.
31Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works to the children of men.
32Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders.
33He turns rivers into a desert, and streams of water into a dry land;
34a fruitful land into saltness, for the wickedness of them that dwell in it.
35He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and a dry land into streams of water.
36And there he causes the hungry to dwell, and they establish for themselves cities of habitation.
37And they sow fields, and plant vineyards, and they yield fruit of increase.
38And he blesses them, and they multiply exceedingly, and he diminishes not the number of their cattle.
39Again they become few, and are brought low, by the pressure of evils and pain.
40Contempt is poured upon their princes, and he causes them to wander in a desert and trackless land.
41But he helps the poor out of poverty, and makes him families as a flock.
42The upright shall see and rejoice; and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43Who is wise, and will observe these things, and understand the mercies of the Lord?
Psalm 107 (108)
Song of a Psalm by David.
2O God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready; I will sing and sing psalms with my glory.
3Awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake early.
4I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the people; I will sing praise to thee among the Gentiles.
5For thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reaches to the clouds.
6Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth.
7That thy beloved ones may be delivered, save with thy right hand, and hear me. God has spoken in his sanctuary;
8I will be exalted, and will divide Sicima, and will measure out the valley of tents.
9Galaad is mine; and Manasses is mine; and Ephraim is the help of mine head; Judas is my king;
10Moab is the caldron of my hope; over Idumea will I cast my sandal; the Philistines are made subject to me.
11Who will bring me into the fortified city? or who will guide me to Idumea?
12Wilt not thou, O God, who hast rejected us? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
13Give us help from tribulation: for vain is the help of man.
14Through God we shall do valiantly; and he will bring to nought our enemies.
Psalm 108 (109)
For the end, a Psalm of David.
1O God, pass not over my praise in silence;
2for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty man have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.
3And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.
5And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6Set thou a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.
7When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.
9Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
10Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.
11Let his creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labours.
12Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.
13Let his children be given up to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.
16Because he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and that to slay him that was pricked in the heart.
17He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.
18Yea, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.
19Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.
20This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
21But thou, O Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me, for thy name’s sake: for thy mercy is good.
22Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.
23I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.
24My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of the want of oil.
25I became also a reproach to them: when they saw me they shook their heads.
26Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to thy mercy.
27And let them know that this is thy hand; and that thou, Lord, hast wrought it.
28Let them curse, but thou shalt bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoice.
29Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.
30I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.
31For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save me from them that persecute my soul.
Text: The Septuagint Psalter, translated by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton (1851). Public domain.