Book of Common Prayer

120 The song of degrees. When I was set in tribulation, I cried to the Lord; and he heard me. (When I was beset with troubles, I cried to the Lord; and he answered me.)

² Lord, deliver thou my soul from wicked lips; and from a guileful tongue. (Lord, save thou me from wicked lips; and from a deceitful tongue.)

³ What shall be given to thee, either what shall be laid to thee; to a guileful tongue? (What shall be given to thee; that is, how shall he punish thee, O deceitful tongue?)

⁴ Sharp arrows of the mighty; with coals that make desolate. (With sharp arrows from the mighty; and with coals that shall make thee desolate.)

⁵ Alas to me! for my dwelling in an alien land is made long, I dwelled with men dwelling in Kedar; (Alas for me! for my stay here in Mesech is prolonged, and I must live among the people, or in the tents, of Kedar!)

⁶ my soul was much (time) a comeling. I was peaceable with them that hated peace; (I am here too long as a newcomer, or a stranger; yea, too long living with those who hate peace.)

⁷ when I spake to them, they impugned, either against-said, me without cause. (I am for peace; but whenever I speak of it to them, they be for war.)

121 The song of degrees. I raised mine eyes to the hills; from whence help shall come to me. (I raised up my eyes to the hills, or the mountains; O where shall I find help?/from where help shall come to me.)

² Mine help is of the Lord; that made heaven and earth. (My help is from the Lord; who made heaven and earth.)

³ The Lord give not thy foot into moving; neither he nap, that keepeth thee. (The Lord shall not let thy foot slip, or stumble; nor shall he nap, who keepeth thee safe.)

⁴ Lo! he shall not nap, neither sleep; that keepeth Israel. (Lo! he, who keepeth Israel safe; shall not nap, or sleep.)

⁵ The Lord keepeth thee; the Lord is thy protection above thy right hand. (The Lord keepeth thee safe; the Lord is thy protection at thy right hand.)

⁶ The sun shall not burn thee by day; neither the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord keep thee from all evil; the Lord keep thy soul. (The Lord shall keep thee safe from all evil; yea, the Lord shall keep thee safe.)

⁸ The Lord keep thy going in and thy going out; from this time now and into the world. (The Lord shall guard thy coming in, and thy going out; from this time now, and forever.)

122 The song of degrees of David. I am glad in these things, that be said to me; We shall go into the house of the Lord. (The song of degrees for David. I was glad, when they said to me, We shall go to the House of the Lord.)

² Our feet were standing; in thy halls/in thy foreyards, thou Jerusalem. (And now our feet stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.)

³ Jerusalem, which is builded as a city; whose partaking thereof is into the same thing. (Jerusalem is built to be a city, where people be together, yea, with one heart and mind.)

⁴ For the lineages, the lineages of the Lord, ascended thither, the witnessing of Israel; to acknowledge to the name of the Lord. (For the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, come there to give thanks to the Lord; that is Israel’s duty.)

⁵ For they sat there on seats in doom; seats on the house of David. (For the thrones of judgement, or of justice, be put there; yea, the thrones of the house of David.)

⁶ Pray ye those things, that be to the peace of Jerusalem; and abundance be to them that love thee. (Pray ye for the peace of Jerusalem; and say, May those who love thee prosper, or have great abundance.)

⁷ Peace be made in thy strength; and abundance in thy towers. (May there be peace within thy strongholds, or thy fortresses; and prosperity within thy palaces.)

⁸ For my brethren and my neighbours; I spake peace of thee. (For the sake of my brothers, or my kinsmen, and my neighbours; I say, Peace be with thee.)

⁹ For the house of our Lord God; I sought goods to thee. (For the sake of the House of the Lord our God; I shall seek thy good, or thy prosperity/I shall pray for good things for thee.)

123 The song of degrees. To thee I have raised mine eyes; that dwellest in heavens. (I raise up my eyes to thee; who livest in heaven.)

² Lo! as the eyes of servants be in the hands of their lords. As the eyes of the handmaid be in the hands of her lady; so our eyes be to our Lord God, till he have mercy on us. (Lo! like the eyes of the servant look to the hand of his lord; and like the eyes of the servantess look to the hand of her lady; so let our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.)

³ Lord, have thou mercy on us, have thou mercy on us; for we be much filled with despising (for we be greatly despised).

⁴ For our soul is much filled; we be shame to them that be abundant with riches, and despising to proud men. (For our soul is filled full, with the scorn of those who have abundant riches; and with disdain from the proud.)

124 The song of degrees of David. Israel say now, No but for the Lord was in us; (The song of degrees for David. Let Israel say now, If the Lord was not with us/If the Lord had not been for us,)

² no but for the Lord was in us. When men rose up against us; (yea, if the Lord was not with us/if the Lord had not been for us; then when men rose up against us,)

³ in hap they had swallowed us quick. When the strong vengeance of them was wroth against us; (they would have swallowed us up alive. Yea, when their fury raged against us;)

⁴ in hap water had swallowed us up. Our soul passed through a strand; (the water would have swallowed us up. When the stream had gone up over our heads;)

⁵ in hap our soul had passed through a water unsufferable. (when the insufferable waters had gone up over our heads.)

⁶ Blessed be the Lord; that gave not us into taking, [(or) the catching,] of the teeth of them. (Blessed be the Lord; who did not allow us to be caught by their teeth.)

⁷ Our soul, as a sparrow, is delivered; from the snare of hunters. The snare is all-broken; and we be delivered. (We have escaped, like a sparrow, from the hunter’s snare. The snare is all-broken; and we be set free.)

⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord; that made heaven and earth (who made heaven and earth).

125 The song of degrees. They that trust in the Lord be as the hill of Zion; he shall not be moved [into] without end, that dwelleth in Jerusalem. (They who trust in the Lord be like Mount Zion; it cannot be shaken, but it remaineth firm, or steadfast, forever.)

² Hills be in the compass of it, and the Lord is in the compass of his people; from this time now, and into the world. (Like the mountains, or the hills, be all around Jerusalem, so the Lord is all around his people; from this time now, and forever.)

³ For the Lord shall not leave the rod of sinners on the part of just men; that just men hold not forth their hands to wickedness. (For the rod of the sinners shall not remain over the land of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands to wickedness.)

⁴ Lord, do thou well to good men; and to rightful in heart. (Lord, do thou good to good people; yea, to those with an upright heart.)

⁵ But the Lord shall lead them that bow into obligations, with them that work wickedness; peace be upon Israel. (But may the Lord lead forth those, who turn aside into depraved ways, with those who do evil. May peace be upon Israel.)

126 The song of degrees. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion; we were made as comforted. (When the Lord returned the captives to Zion/When the Lord returned prosperity to Zion; we were made like in a dream.)

² Then our mouth was filled with joy; and our tongue with full out joying. Then they shall say among heathen men; The Lord magnified to do with them. (Then our mouths were filled with joy; and ours tongues with rejoicing. And the heathen said to each other, The Lord hath done great things for them.)

³ The Lord magnified to do with us; we be made glad. (Yea, the Lord did great things for us; and we were glad.)

⁴ Lord, turn thou (again) our captivity; as a strand in the south. (Lord, return thou the captives/return thou our prosperity; like the streams return to the south.)

⁵ They that sow in tears; shall reap in full out joying. (Then they who sowed in tears; shall reap with rejoicing.)

⁶ They going, went, and wept; sending their seeds. But they coming, shall come with full out joying; bearing their handfuls (They going, went, and wept; sending out their seeds. But when they shall return, they shall come back rejoicing; carrying their harvest.)

127 The song of degrees of Solomon. No but the Lord build the house; they that built it have travailed in vain. No but the Lord keepeth the city; he waketh in vain that keepeth it./But if the Lord build the house; they that built it have travailed in vain. But (if) the Lord keepeth the city; he waketh in vain that keepeth it. (The song of degrees for Solomon. Unless the Lord build the house; those who have built it, have laboured in vain. Unless the Lord guardeth the city; he who standeth watch, guardeth in vain.)

² It is vain to you to rise before the light; rise ye after ye have set, that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his loved; (It is useless for you to rise before the light; and then to stay up late, only so that ye can eat the bread of sorrows. For he giveth to his beloved; even while they sleep.)

³ lo! the heritage of the Lord is sons, the meed is the fruit of womb. (Lo! sons and daughters be thy inheritance/be thy gift from the Lord; yea, the fruit of thy womb is his reward to you.)

⁴ As arrows be in the hand of the mighty; so the sons of them that be shaken out. (Like arrows be in the hand of the mighty; so be the sons and daughters that a man hath when he is young.)

⁵ Blessed is the man, that hath [full-]filled his desire of those; he shall not be shamed, when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate. (Happy is the man who hath filled his quiver full of them; he shall not be put to shame, or defeated, when he shall speak to his enemies in court.)

⁴ My Lord God saith these things, Feed thou beasts of slaughter, (The Lord my God saith these things, Feed thou the beasts for slaughter,)

⁵ which they that wielded slew; and sorrowed not, and sold them, and they said, Blessed be the Lord, we be made rich. And the shepherds of them spared not them, (which they who possessed them killed; and they did not have any sorrow, or any regret, and they sold them, and they said, Blessed be the Lord, for we be made rich. And their shepherds did not spare them,)

⁶ and I shall no more spare on them that inhabit the earth, saith the Lord. Lo! I shall betake men, each into the hand of his neighbour, and in(to) the hand of his king, and they shall rend together the land; and I shall not deliver from the hand of them, (and so no more shall I spare any who inhabit the earth, saith the Lord. Lo! I shall deliver all of the people, each one into the hands of his neighbour, and into the hands of his king, and they shall altogether, or shall completely, tear down the land; and I shall not rescue them from their hands,)

⁷ and I shall feed the beast of slaying. For this thing, ye poor men of the flock, hear (and I shall feed the beasts for slaughter. And so for this, ye poor of the flock, listen). And I took to me two staffs; one I called Fairness, and the tother I called Little Cord; and I fed the flock.

⁸ And I cutted down three shepherds in one month, and my soul was drawn (al)together in them; for also the soul of them varied in me. (And I cut down three shepherds in one month, for I lost patience with them; and their souls loathed me.)

⁹ And I said, I shall not feed you; that that dieth, die; and that that is cut down, be cut down; and the residues devour, each man the flesh of his neighbour. (And I said, I shall not feed you; he who shall die, die; and he who shall be cut down, be cut down; and the rest devour each other, yea, each person the flesh of his neighbour.)

¹⁰ And I took my staff, that was called Fairness, and I cutted down it, that I should make void my covenant, which I smote with all peoples. (And I took my staff, that was called Fairness, or Favour, and I cut it down, or I broke it in two, so that I would make void my covenant, which I struck with all the peoples, or all the nations.)

¹¹ And it was made void in that day; and the poor men of the flock that kept to me, knew thus, for it is the word of the Lord. (And it was made void, or annulled, on that day; and the poor of the flock who were watching me, knew this, for it was the word of the Lord.)

¹² And I said to them, If it is good in your eyes, bring ye my meed (bring ye my reward, or my wages); and if nay, rest ye. And they weighed my meed, thirty pieces of silver.

¹³ And the Lord said to me, Cast away it to the maker of images, the fair price, by which I am appraised of them. And I took [the] thirty pieces of silver, and casted forth them in the house of the Lord, to the maker of images. (And the Lord said to me, Throw it forth to the maker of figures, the fair price, by which I was appraised by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the House of the Lord, to the maker of figures./And the Lord said to me, Throw it forth into the Temple treasury, the fair price, by which I was appraised by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the House of the Lord, into the Temple treasury.)

¹⁴ And I cutted down my second staff, that was called Little Cord, that I should part, or unbind, the brotherhood betwixt Judah and Israel. (And I broke in half my second staff, that was called Little Cord, or Union, so that I would part, or unbind, the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.)

¹⁵ And the Lord said to me, Yet take to thee the vessels of a fond shepherd; (And the Lord said to me, Now get thee for thyself the instruments of a foolish shepherd;)

¹⁶ for lo! I shall raise a shepherd in earth, which shall not visit forsaken things, and shall not seek scattered things, and he shall not heal a thing all-broken, and shall not nourish forth that that standeth. And he shall eat fleshes of the fat, and shall unbind the claws of them. (for lo! I shall raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit the forsaken, or seek out the scattered, and he shall not heal anyone who is broken, or who is ill, and shall not feed anyone who standeth up straight, or who is healthy. But he shall eat the flesh of the fat beasts, and he shall cut off their hoofs.)

¹⁷ A! the shepherd, and idol, forsaking the flock; sword on his arm, and on his right eye; the arm of him shall be dried with dryness, and his right eye waxing dark shall be made dark. (O! the idle shepherd, deserting his flock; the sword shall fall upon his arm, and upon his right eye; and his arm shall be dried up with dryness, and his right eye growing dark shall be made dark, or shall go blind.)

¹⁰ After the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise master carpenter I setted the foundament [I set the foundament]; and another buildeth above. But each man see, how he buildeth above [how and what things he buildeth upon].

¹¹ For no man may set another foundament, except that that is set [besides that that is set], which is Christ Jesus.

¹² For if any man buildeth over this foundament, gold, silver, precious stones, sticks, hay, or stubble, [Forsooth if any man build upon this foundament, gold, silver, precious stones, sticks, hay, stubble,]

¹³ every man's work shall be open; for the day of the Lord shall declare, for it shall be showed in fire; the fire shall prove the work of each man, what manner work it is [what manner it is].

¹⁴ If the work of any man dwell still, which he builded above [which he builded upon], he shall receive meed.

¹⁵ If any man's work burn, he shall suffer harm [If any man's work shall burn, he shall suffer impairing]; but he shall be safe, so nevertheless as by fire.

¹⁶ Know ye not, that ye be the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

¹⁷ And if any [man] defouleth the temple of God, God shall destroy him [God shall lose him]; for the temple of God is holy, which ye be.

¹⁸ No man deceive himself. If any man among you is seen to be wise in this world, be he made a fool, that he be wise.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is folly with God; for it is written, I shall catch wise men in their fell wisdom [I shall catch wise men in their fell wisdom, or subtle guile];

²⁰ and again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of wise men, for those be vain [for they be vain].

²¹ Therefore no man have glory in men [And so no man glory in men]. For all things be yours,

²² either Paul, either Apollos, either Cephas, either the world, either life, either death, either things present, either things to coming [either things to come]; for all things be yours,

²³ and ye be of Christ, and Christ is of God.

³¹ And Jesus took his twelve disciples, and said to them, Lo! we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be ended, that be written by the prophets of man's Son.

³² For he shall be betrayed to heathen men, and he shall be scorned, and scourged, and bespat;

³³ and after that they have scourged him, they shall slay him, and the third day he shall rise again.

³⁴ And they understood nothing of these; and this word was hid from them, and they understood not those things that were said.

³⁵ But it was done, when Jesus came nigh to Jericho, a blind man sat beside the way, and begged [some blind man sat beside the way begging].

³⁶ And when he heard the people passing [And when he heard the company of people passing], he asked, what this was.

³⁷ And they said to him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed.

³⁸ And he cried, and said [saying], Jesus, the son of David, have mercy on me.

³⁹ And they that went before blamed him, that he should be still; but he cried much the more [soothly he cried much more], Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

⁴⁰ And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought forth to him. And when he came nigh, he asked him, and said [saying],

⁴¹ What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I see.

⁴² And Jesus said to him, Behold; thy faith hath made thee safe.

⁴³ And at once he saw, and followed him, and magnified God [And anon he saw, and followed him, magnifying God]. And all the people, as it saw [that it saw], gave praising to God.