O LORD, DO NOT REBUKE ME IN YOUR ANGER… Contemplations on Psalm 6 Author: His Holiness Pope Shenouda III Print: 3rd, 2003 ISBN: 5345-26-X Translation: Fr Macarius Wahba Diocese of Melbourne November 14, 2005 34th Enthronement Anniversary of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III INTRODUCTION The sixth Psalm is from the Morning Hour Psalms. It is also from the Psalms of repentance, like Psalm 50(51). It is also a cry to God, from a person in trouble, like Psalm 12(13) "How long, O Lord Will you forget me forever " and like Psalm 3 "Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!" It is suitable to a person who is in tribulation from his enemies, and to a person who is in spiritual toil from sin and from Satan… He expresses the emotions that pass through the hearts of many, asking for mercy from God. The Church took great care with this Psalm, repeating it in some of the prayers of the Agbia: In the Morning Prayer, in the Veil Prayer for the monks and in the Midnight Prayer… It is also from the Psalms that start with explaining the toil and trouble of the oppressing enemies, but it ends with joy. The person praying feels that, during his prayer, God has received and accepted it; which calls for joy and praise. In this, it resembles Psalm 3 and also Psalm 12 – the same spirit the same answer. I delivered these contemplations in this Psalm late in 1968, in the Friday night meetings. The contemplations remained in audio cassettes till God willed that it be published after 27 years, and reach your hands, dear reader. It is one of the Psalms that was the subject of our contemplations at that time. We have published part of it, and I hope that the rest is on its way to you, with God's will. Pope Shenouda III April 1995
O Lord, Do Not Rebuke me in Your Anger (Psalm 6) O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord… how long Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for your mercies' sake! For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Let my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. Alleluia.

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