Book of Common Prayer
140 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man. Preserve me from the cruel man.
2 Who imagine evil things in their heart and make war continually.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the cruel man, who intends 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 traps for me. Selah.
6 I said to the LORD, “You are my God. Hear, O LORD, the voice of my prayers.
7 “O LORD God, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head on the day of battle.
8 “Do not let the wicked have his desire, O LORD. Do not perform his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.
9 “The chief of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10 “Let coals fall upon them. Let him cast them into the fire, into the deep pits, so that they do not rise.
11 “The backbiter shall not be established upon the Earth. Evil shall 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 Your Name; and the just shall dwell in Your presence. A Psalm of David
142 I cried to the LORD with my voice! With my voice I prayed to the LORD.
2 I poured out my meditation before Him, declared my affection in His presence.
3 Though my spirit was overwhelmed in me, You still knew my path. They have secretly laid a snare for me in the way wherein I walk.
4 I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no one who knew me. All refuge failed me. No one cared for my soul.
5 I cried to You, O LORD, and said, “You are my Hope, my portion in the land of the living.
6 “Listen to 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 prison, so that I may praise Your Name. The righteous shall surround me when You are beneficial to me.” A Psalm of David
141 O LORD, I call upon You! Hurry to me! Hear my voice when I cry to You!
2 Let my prayer be directed in Your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to evil, so that I would commit wicked works with those who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me; for that is a benefit. And let him reprove me; it shall be as a precious oil that shall not break my head. For after a while, I shall even pray in their miseries.
6 When their judges are cast down in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7 Our bones lie scattered at the grave’s mouth, as he who hews or digs in the earth.
8 But my eyes look to You, O LORD God. In You is my trust. Do not leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I escape. A Psalm of David, to give instruction; and a prayer when he was in the cave
143 Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my supplication. Answer me in Your truth and in Your righteousness.
2 (And do not enter into judgment with Your servant; for in Your sight shall no one who lives be justified.)
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul. He has stricken my life down to the Earth. He has laid me in the darkness, as those who have long been dead.
4 And my spirit was desolate in me; my heart within me was amazed.
5 I remember the time past. I meditate on all Your works. I meditate on the works of Your hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands to You. My soul desires You, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O LORD! My spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me; or else I shall be like those who go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for in You is my trust. Show me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul to You.
9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies. I have hidden myself with You.
10 Teach me to do Your will; for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me to the Land of Righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O LORD, for Your Name’s sake. Bring my soul out of trouble because of Your righteousness,
12 and slay my enemies because of Your mercy and destroy all those who oppress my soul; for I am Your servant. A Psalm of David
19 Then there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.”
20 Therefore, all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his weeding hook.
21 But they already had a file for the plowshares and for the mattocks and for the pick forks and for the axes and to sharpen the goads.
22 So, when the day of battle had come, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and Jonathan (his son).
23 And the garrison of the Philistines came out to the passage of Michmash.
14 Then, on a day when Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come and let us go over toward the Philistines’ garrison that is yonder, on the other side,” he did not tell his father.
2 And Saul waited on the border of Gibeah, under a pomegranate tree, which was in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men.
3 And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the LORD’s Priest in Shiloh and wore an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.
4 Now, on the road whereby Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. The name of one was called “Bozez” and the name of the other “Seneh”.
5 The one rock stretched from the North toward Michmash, and the other from the South toward Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work with us. For it is not hard for the LORD to save with many or with few.”
7 And he who bore his armor said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go where it pleases you. Behold, I am with you as your heart desires.”
8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we go over to those men and will show ourselves to them.
9 “If they say this to us: ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.
10 “But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.”
11 So they both showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “See, the Hebrews come out of the holes in which they had hidden themselves.”
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, “Come up to us. For we will teach you something.” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me. For the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
13 So Jonathan went up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him. And some fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed them from behind.
14 So the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men, within half an acre of land which two oxen plow.
15 And there was a fear in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Also, the garrison and those who went out to plunder were afraid. And the earth trembled, for it was stricken with fear by God.
9 And Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest,
2 and asked for letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he found any who were of the Way, (either men or women) he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he journeyed, it so happened that as he drew near to Damascus, there suddenly shone around him a light from Heaven.
4 And he fell to the Earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, Whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against goads.”
6 Then, both trembling and astonished, he said, “Lord, what will You have me do?” And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go into the city. And it shall be told to you what you shall do.”
7 The men who journeyed with him also stood amazed - hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8 And Saul arose from the ground and opened his eyes but saw no man. Then, led they him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus,
9 where he was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
26 And as they led Him away, they caught one Simon of Cyrene, coming out of the field. And they laid the cross on him, to bear it after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him; and also women, who mourned and lamented Him.
28 But Jesus turned back to them, and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me. But weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 “For behold, the days will come when it shall be said, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts which never nursed.’
30 “Then they shall begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31 “For if they do these things to a green tree, what shall be done to the dry?”
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