Book of Common Prayer
140 1 David complaineth of the cruelty, falsehood and injuries of his enemies. 8 Against the which he prayeth unto the Lord, and assureth himself of his help and succor. 12 Wherefore he provoketh the just to praise the Lord, and to assure themselves of his tuition.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the [a]cruel man:
2 Which imagine evil things in their [b]heart, and make war continually.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: [c]adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep [d]me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the cruel man, which purposeth to cause my steps to slide.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net with cords in my pathway, and set gins for me. Selah.
6 Therefore I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayers.
7 O Lord God the strength of my salvation, thou [e]hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the wicked have his desire, O Lord; [f]perform not his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.
9 As for [g]the chief of them that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10 Let coals fall upon them: let [h]him cast them into the fire, and into the deep pits that they rise not.
11 For the backbiter shall not be established upon the earth, evil shall [i]hunt the cruel man to destruction.
12 I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted, and judge the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall praise thy Name, and the just shall [j]dwell in thy presence.
142 The Prophet neither astonied with fear, nor carried away with anger, nor forced by desperation, would kill Saul: but with a quiet mind directed his earnest prayer to God, who did preserve him.
A Psalm of David, to give instruction, and a prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice I [a]prayed unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my meditation before him, and declared mine affection in his presence.
3 Though my spirit [b]was in perplexity in me, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, but there was none that would know me: all refuge failed me, and [c]none cared for my soul.
5 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art mine [d]hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hearken unto my cry, for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring my soul out of [e]prison, that I may praise thy Name: then shall the righteous [f]come about me, when thou art beneficial unto me.
141 1 David being grievously persecuted under Saul, only fleeth unto God to have succor. 3 Desiring him to bridle his affections, that he may patiently abide till God take vengeance of his enemies.
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I [a]call upon thee: haste thee unto me: hear my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the [b]lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the [c]door of my lips.
4 Incline not mine heart to evil, that I should commit wicked works with them that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their [d]delicates.
5 Let the righteous smite me: for that is a benefit: and let [e]him reprove me, and it shall be a precious oil that shall not break mine head: for within a while I shall even [f]pray in their miseries.
6 When their judges shall be cast down in stony places, they shall [g]hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones lie scattered at the [h]grave’s mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.
8 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust: leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into [i]his nets [j]together, while I escape.
143 1 An earnest prayer for remission of sins, acknowledging that the enemies did thus cruelly persecute him by God’s just judgment. 8 He desireth to be restored to grace, 10 To be governeth by his holy Spirit, that he may spend the remnant of his life in the true fear and service of God.
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my supplication: answer me in thy [a]truth, and in thy [b]righteousness.
2 (And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy [c]sight shall none that liveth, be justified.)
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath smitten my life down to the earth: he hath laid me in the darkness, as they that have been dead [d]long ago:
4 And my spirit was in perplexity in me, and mine [e]heart within me was amazed.
5 Yet do I remember the time [f]past: I meditate in all thy works, yea, I do meditate in the works of thine hands.
6 I stretch forth mine hands unto thee: my soul desireth after thee, as the thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, else I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear thy loving-kindness in the [g]morning, for in thee is my trust; [h]show me the way, that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for [i]I hid me with thee.
10 [j]Teach me to [k]do thy will, for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake, and for thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And for thy mercy [l]slay mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy [m]servant.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment, that I have executed, and mine hand, which I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know, that I am the Lord their God from that day and so forth.
23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for [a]their iniquity, because they trespassed against me: therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness, and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have compassion upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for mine holy Name,
26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their transgression, whereby they have transgressed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and without fear of any.
27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am (A)sanctified in them in the sight of many nations,
28 Then shall they know, that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them anymore there,
29 Neither will I hide my face anymore from them: for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
3 1 Setting down the inestimable glory of this that we are God’s sons, 7 he showeth that newness of life must be testifieth by good works, whereof charity is a manifest token. 19 Of faith, 22 and praying unto God.
1 Behold, [a][b]what love the Father hath given to us, that we should be [c]called the sons of God: [d]For this cause this world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not him.
2 [e]Dearly beloved, now are we the sons of God, but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be: and we know that when he shall be made manifest: we shall be [f]like him: for we shall see him [g]as he is.
3 [h]And every man that hath this hope in him purgeth himself, even [i]as he is pure.
4 [j]Whosoever [k]commiteth sin, transgresseth also the Law: for [l]sin is the transgression of the Law.
5 [m]And ye know that he was made manifest, that he might (A)take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever [n]sinneth, hath not seen him, neither hath known him.
7 [o]Little children, let no man deceive you, he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, as he is righteous.
8 [p]He that (B)commiteth sin, is of the [q]devil: for the devil [r]sinneth from the [s]beginning: for this purpose was made manifest that Son of God, that he might loose the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God sinneth not: for his [t]seed remaineth in him, neither can he sin, because he is born of God.
10 [u]In this are the children of God known, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God, [v]neither he that loveth not his brother.
24 (A)The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is, and the servant as his Lord. (B)If they have called the master of the house [a]Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?
26 [b]Fear them not therefore: (C)for there is nothing covered, that shall not be disclosed, nor hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the [c]houses.
28 And [d]fear ye not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [e]farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father?
30 (D)Yea, and all the hairs of your head are numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 (E)[f]Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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