Book of Common Prayer

119 Alleluia. [Aleph]. Blessed be men without wem in the way; that go in the law of the Lord. (Alleluia. Happy be they whose lives be without blemish, or without fault; who walk in the Law of the Lord.)

² Blessed be they, that seek his witnessings; and seek him in all the heart. (Happy be they who obey his teachings, or his commands; and who seek him, or obey him, with all their heart.)

³ For they that work wickedness; went not in his ways. (For they who work wickedness, went not in his ways.)

⁴ Thou hast commanded; that thy behests be kept greatly. (Thou hast commanded, that thy precepts, or thy laws, be diligently kept.)

⁵ I would that my ways were (ad)dressed; to keep thy justifyings. (I desire that my ways be directed; so that I can obey thy statutes.)

⁶ Then I shall not be shamed; when I shall behold perfectly in(to) all thy behests. (Then I shall not be shamed, if I fix my eyes on thy commandments.)

⁷ I shall acknowledge to thee in the (ad)dressing of mine heart; in that that I learned the dooms of thy rightfulnesses. (I shall praise thee with my heart properly directed, when I have learned thy righteous judgements./I shall praise thee with a pure heart, when I have learned thy just decrees.)

⁸ I shall keep thy justifyings; forsake thou not me on each side. (I shall obey thy statutes; do not thou abandon me on any side/never desert thou me.)

⁹ [Beth]. In what thing amendeth a young waxing man his way? in keeping thy words. (How may a young man correct his way? by obeying thy words, or thy commands.)

¹⁰ In all mine heart I sought thee; put thou me not away from thy behests. (With all my heart I have sought thee; let me not stray from thy commandments.)

¹¹ In mine heart I hid thy speeches; that I do not sin against thee. (I hid thy words in my heart; so that I will not sin against thee.)

¹² Lord, thou art blessed; teach thou me thy justifyings. (Lord, blessed art thou; teach thou me thy statutes.)

¹³ In my lips I have pronounced; all the dooms of thy mouth. (With my lips I have declared, all the judgements, or the laws, from thy mouth.)

¹⁴ I delighted in the way of thy witnessings; (as much) as in all riches. (I delighted in the way of thy teachings, or thy commands; as much as in great riches.)

¹⁵ I shall be exercised, either busily occupied, in thy behests; and I shall behold thy ways. (I shall think about thy precepts; and I shall study thy ways.)

¹⁶ I shall bethink in thy justifyings; I shall not forget thy words. (I shall delight myself in thy statutes; I shall not forget thy words, or thy commands.)

¹⁷ [Gimel]. Yield to thy servant; quicken thou me, and I shall keep thy words. (Grant this to thy servant; that thou let me live, and that I obey thy commands.)

¹⁸ Lighten thou mine eyes; and I shall behold the marvels of thy law. (Open thou my eyes; and I shall see the marvels, or the wonders, that come forth from thy Law.)

¹⁹ I am a comeling in earth; hide thou not thy behests from me. (I am a newcomer, or a stranger, here on earth; hide thou not thy commandments from me.)

²⁰ My soul coveted to desire thy justifyings; in all time. (My soul desireth to know thy judgements; at all times.)

²¹ Thou blamedest the proud; they be cursed, that bow away from thy behests. (Thou hast rebuked the proud; cursed be they who turn away from thy commandments.)

²² Do thou away from me shame and despising; for I sought thy witnessings. (Do thou away from me all shame and despising; for I have kept thy commands/for I have obeyed thy laws/for I have followed thy teachings.)

²³ For why princes sat, and spake against me; but thy servant was exercised in thy justifyings. (For the rulers sit, and speak against me; but thy servant studied, and thought about, thy statutes/but thy servant shall study, and shall think about, thy statutes.)

²⁴ For why and thy witnessings is my thinking; and my counsel is thy justifyings. (For thy teachings, or thy commands, be my delight; and they be my counsellors.)

12 To the victory, on the eighth, the song of David. Lord, make thou me safe, for the holy (man) failed; for truths be made little from the sons of men. (To victory, on the eighth, the psalm of David. Lord, save thou me, for there be no more holy people; the faithful be made few, if any, among the sons and daughters of men.)

² They spake vain things, each man to his neighbour; and they having guileful lips, spake in their heart, and with their heart. (They spoke lies, each man to his neighbour; yea, they having deceitful lips, spoke with a double heart.)

³ The Lord destroy all guileful lips; and the great speaking tongue. (May the Lord destroy all deceitful, or lying, lips; and the tongues that speak so proudly, or so boastfully.)

⁴ Which said, We shall magnify (with) our tongue, our lips be of us-selves; who (else) is our lord? (They who say, We shall gain victory with our tongues, for our lips be our own; who else is lord over us?)

⁵ For the wretchedness of needy men, and for the wailing of poor men; now I shall rise up, saith the Lord. I shall set (him) in health; I shall do trustily in him. (Because of the wretchedness of the needy, and the wailing of the poor, I shall now rise up, saith the Lord. I shall place them in safety; I shall do trustily for them.)

⁶ The speeches of the Lord be chaste speeches; (as) silver assayed by fire, proved from the earth, purged sevenfold. (The speeches of the Lord be chaste speeches; like silver assayed in an earthen furnace, purged seven times.)

⁷ Thou, Lord, shalt keep us; and thou shalt keep us from this generation [into] without end. (Thou, Lord, shalt keep us safe; yea, thou shalt keep us safe from this generation forever.)

⁸ Wicked men go in compass; by thine highness thou hast multiplied the sons of men. (Even though the wicked be all around; and the vilest people be exalted.)

13 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. Lord, how long forgettest thou me, into the end? how long turnest thou away thy face from me? (To victory, the song of David. Lord, how long forgettest thou me, forever? how long turnest thou away thy face from me?)

² How long shall I set counsel in my soul; sorrow in my heart by day? How long shall mine enemy be raised up on me? (How long shall I suffer anguish in my soul; and each day have sorrow in my heart? How long shall my enemy be raised up over me?)

³ My Lord God, behold thou, and hear thou me. Lighten thou mine eyes, lest any time I sleep in death; (My Lord God, behold thou, and answer thou me. Give thou light to my eyes, lest any time I sleep in death;)

⁴ lest any time mine enemy say, I had the mastery against him. They, that trouble me, shall have joy, if I shall be stirred; (lest any time my enemy say, I had the mastery over him. For they, who trouble me, shall have joy, if I shall slip, or shall stumble/if I shall fall;)

⁵ but I hoped in thy mercy. Mine heart shall fully have joy in thine health; (but I trusted in thy love. My heart shall make full out joy in thy salvation/My heart shall rejoice in thy deliverance;)

⁶ I shall sing to the Lord, that giveth goods to me, and I shall say psalm to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall sing to the Lord, who giveth good things to me, yea, I shall sing a song to the name of the Most High Lord.)

14 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. The unwise man said in his heart, God is not. They be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their studies; none there is that doeth good, none is till to one. (To victory, the song of David. The fool said in his heart, There is no God. Such men be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their deeds; there is no one who doeth good, no not one.)^[a]

² The Lord beheld from heaven on the sons of men; that he see, if any is understanding, either seeking God. (The Lord looked down from heaven on the sons and daughters of men; to see if there is anyone who hath understanding, or is seeking God.)

³ All bowed away, (al)together they be made unprofitable; none is that doeth good, none is till to one (But they all have turned away, they all be made utterly unredeemable; there is no one who doeth good, no not one). The throat of them is an open sepulchre, they did guilefully with their tongues; the venom of snakes is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet be swift to shed out blood. Sorrow and cursedness is in the ways of them, and they knew not the way of peace; the dread of God is not before their eyes.

⁴ Whether all men that work wickedness shall not know; that devour my people, as (the) meat of bread? They called not the Lord; (Surely all those, who do evil, already know this; yea, they who devour my people, like men eat bread. They do not call on the Lord;)

⁵ they trembled there for dread, where was no dread; for the Lord is in a rightful generation. (but they trembled there in fear, like never before. For the Lord is with the upright generation.)

⁶ Thou hast shamed the counsel of a poor man; for the Lord is his hope. (Ye evil-doers, ye have frustrated the plans of the poor; but the Lord is their hope.)

⁷ Who shall give from Zion health to Israel? When the Lord hath turned away the captivity of his people; Jacob shall fully be joyful/Jacob shall (make) full out joy, and Israel shall be glad. (Who shall give victory/Who shall give salvation, or deliverance, to Israel out of Zion? When the Lord hath returned the prosperity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice; yea, Israel shall be glad.)

¹² The Lord saith these things, As if a shepherd ravisheth from the mouth of a lion twain hips, either the last thing of the ear, so the children of Israel shall be ravished, that dwell in Samaria, in the country of (a) bed, and in the bed of Damascus. (The Lord saith these things, Like a shepherd taketh out of the mouth of a lion only two legs, or the last part of an ear, so only a few Israelites, who live in Samaria, shall be rescued, from the corner of a bed there, and from their beds in Damascus.)

¹³ Hear ye, and witness ye in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God of hosts.

¹⁴ For in the day, when I shall begin to visit the trespassings of Israel on him, I shall visit also on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut away, and shall fall down into the earth. (For on the day, when I shall begin to punish Israel for their trespasses, I shall destroy the altars of Bethel; and the corners of the altars shall be cut off, and shall fall to the ground.)

¹⁵ And I shall smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and many houses shall be destroyed, saith the Lord. (And I shall strike both the winter house and the summer house, and the ivory houses, or the palaces, shall perish, yea, every great house shall be destroyed, saith the Lord.)

4 Ye fat kine, that be in the mount of Samaria, hear this word; which make false challenge to needy men, and break poor men; which say to your lords, Bring ye, and we shall drink. (Ye fat cows of Bashan, who live on the mount of Samaria, hear this word; ye who oppress the needy, and trample down the poor; who say to your lords, or to your masters, Bring ye us something to drink!)

² The Lord God swore in his holy (place), for lo! days shall come on you; and they shall raise you in shafts, and your remnants in boiling pots. (The Lord God swore by his holiness, for lo! days shall come upon you; and then they shall raise you up with shafts, and shall put your remnants into boiling pots.)

³ And ye shall go out by the openings, one against another, and ye shall be cast forth into Harmon, saith the Lord. (And ye shall go out by the openings in the walls, one after the other, and ye shall be thrown forth onto the dunghill, saith the Lord.)

⁴ Come ye to Bethel, and do ye wickedly; to Gilgal, and multiply your trespassing; and offer ye early your sacrifices, in three days your tithes (and offer ye your sacrifices early in the morning, and your tithes every three days).

⁵ And sacrifice ye praising of bread made sour, and call ye (out about your) willful offerings, and tell ye; for ye, sons of Israel, would so, saith the Lord God. (And offer ye the unleavened bread of thanksgiving, and shout ye out about your freewill offerings, and tell ye everyone; for ye, Israelites, delighteth to do so, saith the Lord God.)

3 Lo! ye most dear-worthy brethren, I write to you this second epistle [Lo! I write to you, most dear, this second epistle], in which I stir your clear soul by admonishing together,

² that ye be mindful of those words [that ye be mindful of the words], that I before-said of the holy prophets, and of the commandments of the holy apostles of the Lord and Saviour.

³ First know ye this thing, that in the last days deceivers shall come in deceit [First knowing this thing, that in the last days scorners shall come in deceit], going after their own covetings,

⁴ saying, Where is the promise, or the coming of him? for since the fathers died, all things last from the beginning of creature [for since fathers slept, either died, so all things last from the beginning of creature].

⁵ But it is hid from them willing this thing, that heavens were before, and the earth of water was standing by water, by God's word [that heavens were first, and the earth of water and by water being, or standing, together by God's word];

⁶ by which [things] that same world cleansed, then by water perished.

⁷ But the heavens that now be, and the earth, be kept by the same word, and be reserved to fire into the day of doom and perdition of wicked men. [Forsooth the heavens that now be, and the earth, by the same word put again, be kept to fire into the day of doom and perdition of unpious men.]

⁸ But, ye most dear, this one thing be not hid to you [be not unknown], that one day with God is as a thousand years, and a thousand years be as one day [and a thousand years as one day].

⁹ The Lord tarrieth not his promise, as some [men] guess, but he doeth patiently for you, and will not that any man perish [not willing any to perish], but that all turn again to penance.

¹⁰ For the day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which heavens with great rush shall pass [in which heavens with great rush, or fierceness, shall pass], and elements shall be dissolved by heat, and the earth, and all the works that be in it, shall be burnt.

²³ And when he came into the temple, the princes of priests and elder men of the people came to him that taught, and said [And when he came into the temple, the princes of priests and the elder men of the people came nigh to him teaching, and said], In what power doest thou these things? and who gave thee this power?

²⁴ Jesus answered, and said to them, And I shall ask you one word, the which if ye tell me [which if ye shall say to me], I shall say to you, in what power I do these things.

²⁵ Of whence was the baptism of John; of heaven, or of men? And they thought within themselves, saying, If we [shall] say of heaven, he shall say to us, Why then believe ye not to him?

²⁶ [Soothly] If we [shall] say of men, we dread the people, for all had John as a prophet.

²⁷ And they answered to Jesus, and said, We know not. And he said to them, Neither I say to you, in what power I do these things.

²⁸ But what seemeth to you? A man had two sons [Some man had two sons]; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work this day [to day] in my vineyard.

²⁹ And he answered, and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went forth [but afterward he stirred by penance, or repenting, went].

³⁰ But he came to the other, and said in like manner. And he answered, and said, Lord, I go; and he went not.

³¹ Who of the twain did the father's will? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Truly I say to you, for publicans and whores shall go before you into the kingdom of God.

³² For John came to you in the way of rightwiseness, and ye believed not to him; but publicans and whores believed to him. But ye saw, and had no repenting after, that ye believed to him [But ye seeing, had not penance afterward, that ye should believe to him].