Book of Common Prayer
Childlike trust in Jehovah.
A Song of Ascents; of David.
131 Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty;
Neither do I [a]exercise myself in great matters,
Or in things too wonderful for me.
2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child with his mother,
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in Jehovah
From this time forth and for evermore.
Prayer for Jehovah’s blessing upon the sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
132 Jehovah, remember for David
All his affliction;
2 How he sware unto Jehovah,
And vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 Surely I will not come into the [b]tabernacle of my house,
Nor go up into [c]my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes,
Or slumber to mine eyelids;
5 Until I find out a place for Jehovah,
[d]A tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of it in [e]Ephrathah:
We found it in the field of [f]the wood.
7 We will go into his tabernacles;
We will worship at his footstool.
8 Arise, O Jehovah, into thy resting-place;
Thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness;
And let thy saints shout for joy.
10 For thy servant David’s sake
Turn not away the face of thine anointed.
11 Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth;
He will not turn from it:
Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
12 If thy children will keep my covenant
And my testimony that I shall teach them,
Their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.
13 For Jehovah hath chosen Zion;
He hath desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my resting-place for ever:
Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will [g]abundantly bless her provision:
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests also will I clothe with salvation;
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There will I make [h]the horn of David to bud:
I have [i]ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame;
But upon himself shall his crown flourish.
The excellency of brotherly unity.
A Song of Ascents; of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard;
That came down upon the [j]skirt of his garments;
3 Like the dew of Hermon,
That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion:
For there Jehovah commanded the blessing,
Even life for evermore.
Greetings of night-watchers.
A Song of Ascents.
134 Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah,
That by night stand in the house of Jehovah.
2 Lift up your hands [k]to the sanctuary,
And bless ye Jehovah.
3 Jehovah bless thee out of Zion;
Even he that made heaven and earth.
Praise for Jehovah’s wonderful works. Vanity of idols.
[l]135 Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise ye the name of Jehovah;
Praise him, O ye servants of Jehovah,
2 Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah,
In the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good:
Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
4 For [m]Jehovah hath chosen Jacob unto himself,
And Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that Jehovah is great,
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
7 Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who maketh lightnings for the rain;
Who bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries;
8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt,
Both of man and beast;
9 Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants;
10 Who smote many [n]nations,
And slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
And Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 And gave their land for a heritage,
A heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy name, O Jehovah, endureth for ever;
Thy memorial name, O Jehovah, throughout all generations.
14 For Jehovah will judge his people,
And repent himself concerning his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not;
Eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not;
Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless ye Jehovah:
O house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah:
20 O house of Levi, bless ye Jehovah:
Ye that fear Jehovah, bless ye Jehovah.
21 Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion,
Who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
[o]Praise ye Jehovah.
3 Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not [a]correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. 3 Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they [b]leave nothing till the morrow. 4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 5 Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; [c]every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. 6 I have cut off nations; their [d]battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. 7 I said, Only fear thou me; receive [e]correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, [f]according to all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my [g]determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the peoples of a pure [h]language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one [i]consent. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia [j]my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. 11 In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee [k]thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain. 12 But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah. 13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Be subject to every [a]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent [b]by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and not [c]using your freedom for a cloak of [d]wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 [e]Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is [f]acceptable, if for conscience [g]toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is [h]acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [i]himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 who his own self [j]bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose [k]stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and [l]Bishop of your souls.
20 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a [a]shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle; 4 and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. 8 And when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a [b]shilling. 10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a [c]shilling. 11 And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, 12 saying, These last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the [d]scorching heat. 13 But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a [e]shilling? 14 Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.
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