Book of Common Prayer
The whole Creation invoked to praise Jehovah.
[a]148 Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise ye Jehovah from the heavens:
Praise him in the heights.
2 Praise ye him, all his angels:
Praise ye him, all his host.
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon:
Praise him, all ye stars of light.
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens,
And ye waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of Jehovah;
For he commanded, and they were created.
6 He hath also established them for ever and ever:
He hath made a decree [b]which shall not pass away.
7 Praise Jehovah from the earth,
Ye sea-monsters, and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and vapor;
Stormy wind, fulfilling his word;
9 Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying birds;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children:
13 Let them praise the name of Jehovah;
For his name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and the heavens.
14 And he hath lifted up [c]the horn of his people,
The praise of all his saints;
Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him.
[d]Praise ye Jehovah.
Israel invoked to praise Jehovah.
[e]149 Praise ye Jehovah.
Sing unto Jehovah a new song,
And his praise in the assembly of the saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his name in the dance:
Let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp.
4 For Jehovah taketh pleasure in his people:
He will beautify the meek with [f]salvation.
5 Let the saints exult in glory:
Let them sing for joy upon their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their [g]mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To execute vengeance upon the nations,
And punishments upon the peoples;
8 To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute upon them the judgment written:
[h]This honor have all his saints.
[i]Praise ye Jehovah.
Call to praise God with musical instruments.
[j]150 Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise God in his sanctuary:
Praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts:
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with trumpet sound:
Praise him with psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance:
Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
5 Praise him with loud cymbals:
Praise him with high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that hath breath praise [k]Jehovah.
[l]Praise ye Jehovah.
God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
114 When Israel went forth out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled;
The Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.
5 What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest?
Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams;
Ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
Heathen idols contrasted with Jehovah.
115 Not unto us, O Jehovah, not unto us,
But unto thy name give glory,
For thy lovingkindness, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Wherefore should the nations say,
Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens:
He hath done whatsoever he pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not;
Eyes have they, but they see not;
6 They have ears, but they hear not;
Noses have they, but they smell not;
7 They have hands, but they handle not;
Feet have they, but they walk not;
Neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah:
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah:
He is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah:
He is their help and their shield.
12 Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us:
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear Jehovah,
Both small and great.
14 Jehovah increase you more and more,
You and your children.
15 Blessed are ye of Jehovah,
Who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah;
But the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not [a]Jehovah,
Neither any that go down into silence;
18 But we will bless [b]Jehovah
From this time forth and for evermore.
[c]Praise ye Jehovah.
9 Wisdom hath builded her house;
She hath hewn out her seven pillars:
2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine;
She hath also furnished her table:
3 She hath sent forth her maidens;
She crieth upon the highest places of the city:
4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:
As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
5 Come, eat ye of my bread,
And drink of the wine which I have mingled.
6 [a]Leave off, ye simple ones, and live;
And walk in the way of understanding.
7 He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling;
And he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee:
Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom;
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied,
And the years of thy life shall be increased.
12 If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself;
And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.
14 Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: 16 for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the [a]Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this [b]matter: for thy heart is not right before God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. 23 For I see that thou [c]art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. 24 And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.
25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and [d]preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, [a]Thou shalt love the Lord thy God [b]with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; [c]and thy neighbor as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was [a]cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 But the Lord answered and said unto her, [b]Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: 42 [c]but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
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