Book of Common Prayer
Book I
The righteous and the wicked contrasted.
[a]1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah;
And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
That bringeth forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also doth not wither;
And [b]whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous;
But the way of the wicked shall perish.
The reign of Jehovah’s anointed.
2 Why do the nations [c]rage,
And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bonds asunder,
And cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh:
The Lord will have them in derision.
5 Then will he speak unto them in his wrath,
And [d]vex them in his sore displeasure:
6 Yet I have set my king
Upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son;
This day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 Now therefore be wise, O ye kings:
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve Jehovah with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way,
For his wrath [e]will soon be kindled.
[f]Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.
Morning prayer of trust in God.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 Jehovah, how are mine adversaries increased!
Many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there are that say [g]of my soul,
There is no [h]help for him in God. Selah
3 But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me;
My glory, and the lifter up of my head.
4 I cry unto Jehovah with my voice,
And he answereth me out of his holy hill. Selah
5 I laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for Jehovah sustaineth me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people
That have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God:
For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;
Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
8 [i]Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah:
Thy blessing be upon thy people. Selah
Evening prayer of trust in God.
For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness;
Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress:
[j]Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor?
How long will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah
3 But know that Jehovah hath set apart for himself [k]him that is godly:
Jehovah will hear when I call unto him.
4 [l]Stand in awe, and sin not:
Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in Jehovah.
6 Many there are that say, Who will show us any good?
Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
More than they have when their grain and their new wine are increased.
8 In peace will I both lay me down and sleep;
For thou, Jehovah, [m]alone makest me dwell in safety.
Jehovah implored to defend the psalmist against the wicked.
Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto Jehovah, concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite.
7 O Jehovah my God, in thee do I take refuge:
Save me from all them that pursue me, and deliver me,
2 Lest they tear my soul like a lion,
Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Jehovah my God, if I have done this;
If there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me
(Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary;)
5 Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth,
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, O Jehovah, in thine anger;
Lift up thyself against the rage of mine adversaries,
And awake for me; thou hast commanded judgment.
7 [a]And let the congregation of the peoples compass thee about;
And over them return thou on high.
8 Jehovah ministereth judgment to the peoples:
Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness, and to mine integrity [b]that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous:
For the righteous God trieth the minds and [c]hearts.
10 My shield is with God,
Who saveth the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
Yea, a God that hath indignation every day.
12 [d]If a man turn not, he will whet his sword;
He hath bent his bow, and made it ready;
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;
He maketh his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity;
Yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He hath made a pit, and digged it,
And is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,
And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High.
15 And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. 2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I [a]have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and [b]utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and [a]utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not [b]utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they [c]destroyed utterly.
10 Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, 11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a [d]monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal. 13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. 14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have [e]utterly destroyed. 16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what Jehovah hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samuel said, [f]Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel; 18 and Jehovah sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Jehovah, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah? 20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have [g]utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal. 22 And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of [h]witchcraft, and stubbornness is as [i]idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
19 and he took food and was strengthened.
And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus. 20 And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. 21 And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests. 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
23 And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him: 24 but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night that they might kill him: 25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 And when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem, 29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the [a]Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31 So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being [b]edified; and, walking [c]in the fear of the Lord and [d]in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.
44 And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole [a]land until the ninth hour, 45 [b]the sun’s light failing: and the veil of the [c]temple was rent in the midst. 46 [d]And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, he gave up the ghost. 47 And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.
50 And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a councillor, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), a man of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was looking for the kingdom of God: 52 this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn in stone, where never man had yet lain. 54 And it was the day of the Preparation, and the sabbath [e]drew on. 55 And the women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
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