Book of Common Prayer
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
12 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.
To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.
1 Help Lord, for there is not [a]a godly man left: for the faithful are failed from among the children of men.
2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor, [b]flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.
3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Which have said, [c]With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
5 [d]Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will [e]set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold.
7 Thou wilt keep [f]them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side; when they are exalted, [g]it is a shame for the sons of men.
13 1 David as it were overcome with sundry and new afflictions, fleeth to God as his only refuge, 3 and so at the length being encouraged through God’s promises, he conceiveth most sure confidence against the extreme horrors of death.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, [h]forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take [i]counsel within myself having weariness daily in mine heart? how long shall mine enemy be exalted above me?
3 Behold, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have [j]prevailed against him: and they that afflict me, rejoice, when I slide.
5 But I trust in thy [k]mercy: mine heart shall rejoice in thy salvation; I will sing to the Lord, because he hath [l]dealt lovingly with me.
14 1 He describeth the perverse nature of men, which were so grown to licentiousness, that God was brought to utter contempt. 7 For the which thing, although he was greatly grieved, yet being persuaded that God would send some present remedy, he comforteth himself and others.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 The (A)fool hath said in his heart, [m]There is no God: they have [n]corrupted, and done an abominable work: there is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, and seek God.
3 [o]All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people, as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord.
5 [p]There they shall be taken with fear, because God is in the generation of the just.
6 You have made [q]a mock at the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his trust.
7 Oh give salvation unto [r]Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Note that of Psalm 14:5-7, which are put into the common translation, and may seem unto some to be left out in this, are not in the same Psalm in the Hebrew text, but rather are put in more fully to express the manners of the wicked, and are gathered out of Psalms 5, 10, 36, 140; Isa. 59, and are alleged by S. Paul, and placed together in Romans 3.
25 ¶ When thou shalt beget children and children’s children, and shalt have remained long in the land, if ye [a]corrupt yourselves, and make any graven image, or likeness of anything, and work evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger,
26 I [b]call heaven and earth to record against you this day, that ye shall shortly perish from the land, whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it: ye shall not prolong your days therein, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27 And the Lord shall [c]scatter you among the people, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither the Lord shall bring you:
28 And there ye shall serve gods: even the work of man’s hand, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thine [d]heart, and with all thy soul.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [e]at the length, if thou return to the Lord thy God, and be obedient unto his voice,
31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he [f]sware unto them.
21 I speak as concerning the [a]reproach: as though that we had been [b]weak: but wherein any man is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold also.
22 They are Hebrews, (A)so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seed of Abraham, so am I.
23 They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as a fool) I am [c]more: in labors more abundant: in stripes above measure: in prison more plenteously: in [d]death oft.
24 Of the Jews [e]five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 I was [f]thrice (B)beaten with rods: I was (C)once stoned: I suffered thrice (D)shipwreck: night and day have I been in the deep sea.
26 In journeying I was often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren,
27 In weariness and [g]painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.
28 [h]Beside the things which are outward, I am cumbered daily, and have the care of all the Churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?
30 [i]If I must needs rejoice, I will rejoice of mine infirmities.
31 The God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In (E)Damascus the governor of the people under King Aretas, laid watch in the city of the Damascenes, and would have caught me.
33 But at a window was I let down in a basket through the wall, and escaped his hands.
24 (A)[a]No man can serve [b]two masters: for either he shall hate the one, and love the other, or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and [c]riches.
25 (B)[d]Therefore I say unto you, be not careful for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more worth than meat? and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the [e]heaven: for they sow not, neither reap, nor carry into the barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by [f]taking care is able to add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why care ye for raiment? Learn how the Lilies of the field do grow: they [g]are not wearied, neither spin:
29 Yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not do much more unto you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewith shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things seek the Gentiles) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be ministered unto you.
34 Care not then for the morrow, for the morrow shall care for itself: the day hath enough with his own grief.
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