Book of Common Prayer

128 Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say.

² Often have they fought against me from my youth: but they could not prevail over me.

³ The wicked have wrought upon my back: they have lengthened their iniquity.

⁴ The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners:

⁵ Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion.

⁶ Let them be as grass on the tops of houses: which withered before it be plucked up:

⁷ Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom.

⁸ And they that have passed by have not said: The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord.

129 Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord:

² Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

³ If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it.

⁴ For with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word:

⁵ My soul hath hoped in the Lord.

⁶ From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.

⁷ Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption.

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

130 Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.

² If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul.

³ Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.

¹⁵ For the day of the Lord is at hand upon all nations: as thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee: he will turn thy reward upon thy own head.

¹⁶ For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so all nations shall drink continually: and they shall drink, and sup up, and they shall be as though they were not.

¹⁷ And in mount Sion shall be salvation, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess those that possessed them.

¹⁸ And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble: and they shall be kindled in them, and shall devour them: and there shall be no remains of the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it.

¹⁹ And they that are toward the south, shall inherit the mount of Esau, and they that are in the plains, the Philistines: and they shall possess the country of Ephraim, and the country of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Galaad.

²⁰ And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, all the places of the Chanaanites even to Sarepta: and the captivity of Jerusalem that is in Bosphorus, shall possess the cities of the south.

²¹ And saviours shall come up into mount Sion to judge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom shall be for the Lord.

2 Wherefore laying away all malice, and all guile, and dissimulations, and envies, and all detractions,

² As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation:

³ If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet.

⁴ Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen and made honourable by God:

⁵ Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶ Wherefore it is said in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious. And he that shall believe in him, shall not be confounded.

⁷ To you therefore that believe, he is honour: but to them that believe not, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner:

⁸ And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

¹⁰ Who in time past were not a people: but are now the people of God. Who had not obtained mercy; but now have obtained mercy.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

²⁴ And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

²⁵ And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered very much, saying: Who then can be saved?

²⁶ And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.

²⁷ Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have?

²⁸ And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁹ And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.

³⁰ And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first.