Book of Common Prayer
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2 In my life I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises unto my God while I live.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit shall go forth, he shall return to his earth; in that very day all his thoughts shall perish.
5 ¶ Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God;
6 who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is therein; who keeps truth for ever:
7 He who does justice unto the oppressed; who gives bread to the hungry. The LORD looses the prisoners:
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD raises those that are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous:
9 The LORD preserves the strangers; he raises up the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.
10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Halelu-JAH.
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for praise is pleasant and beautiful.
2 The LORD, he who builds up Jerusalem; shall gather together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the broken hearted, and he binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord and of great power; his intelligence is infinite.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked down to the earth.
7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares the rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He who gives the beast his food and to the sons of the ravens which cry unto him.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; nor does he take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The LORD takes pleasure in those that fear him, in those that wait upon his mercy.
12 ¶ Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13 For he has strengthened the bars of thy gates; he has blessed thy sons within thee.
14 He who makes peace to be thy borders shall fill thee with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends forth his word upon earth; his word runs very swiftly.
16 He who gives snow like wool scatters the hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He casts forth his ice like morsels; who can stand before his cold?
18 He shall send forth his word and melt them; his wind shall blow, and the waters shall flow.
19 He declares his words unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20 He has not dealt so with the other nations, which have not known his judgments. Halelu-JAH.
Aleph
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, Beth in the company and in the congregation of the upright.
Gimel
2 The works of the LORD are great, Daleth sought out by all those that have pleasure therein.
He
3 Honor and beauty are his work; Vau and his righteousness endures for ever.
Zain
4 He has made his wonderful works to be remembered;
Cheth
The LORD is gracious and merciful.
Teth
5 He has given sustenance unto those that fear him; Jod He will ever be mindful of his covenant.
Caph
6 ¶ He has shown his people the power of his works,
Lamed
by giving them the inheritance of the Gentiles.
Mem
7 The works of his hands are truth and judgment;
Nun
all his commandments are sure.
Samech
8 They stand fast from age to age
Ain
and are made in truth and uprightness.
Pe
9 He sent redemption unto his people;
Tzaddi
he has commanded his covenant for ever:
Koph
Holy and reverend is his name.
Resh
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
Schin
A good understanding have all those that do his will;
Tau
His praise endures for ever.
Aleph
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH. Blessed is the man that fears the LORD,
Beth
that delights greatly in his commandments.
Gimel
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth;
Daleth
the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
He
3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
Vau
and his righteousness endures for ever.
Zain
4 A light has shined in the darkness upon the upright:
Cheth
Gracious and merciful and righteous.
Teth
5 A good man has mercy and lends;
Jod
He will govern his affairs with good judgment.
Caph
6 ¶ Surely he shall not be moved for ever;
Lamed
the righteous shall be in eternal remembrance.
Mem
7 He shall not be afraid of evil rumours;
Nun
his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Samech
8 His heart is established; he shall not be afraid,
Ain
until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
Pe
9 He has dispersed; he has given to the poor;
Tzaddi
his righteousness endures for ever;
Koph
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
Resh
10 The wicked shall see it and be furious;
Schin
he shall gnash with his teeth and waste away:
Tau
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH. Praise, O ye slaves of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD’s name is to be praised.
4 The LORD is high above all Gentiles and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwells on high,
6 who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!
7 He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts the destitute out of the dunghill;
8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He makes the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of sons. Halelu-JAH.
1 ¶ The words of Amos, who was among the pastors of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the pastors shall be destroyed, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
3 ¶ Thus hath the LORD said: For three transgressions of Damascus and for the fourth, I will not convert her because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.
4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
5 I will also break the bar of Damascus and cut off the inhabitants of the plain of Aven and him that holds the sceptre from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir.
13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for the fourth, I will not convert her because they have ripped off the mountains of Gilead that they might enlarge their border:
14 but I will kindle fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof as with shouting in the day of battle, as with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
15 and their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, said the LORD.
2 ¶ Thus hath the LORD said: For three transgressions of Moab and for the fourth, I will not convert her because she burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;
2 but I will send fire in Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab shall die in tumult, with shouting and with the sound of the shofar:
3 and I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof and will slay all the princes thereof with him, said the LORD.
4 Thus hath the LORD said: For three transgressions of Judah and for the fourth, I will not convert her because they have despised the law of the LORD and have not kept his statutes, and their lies caused them to err after which their fathers have walked:
5 but I will send fire in Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
6 Thus hath the LORD said: For three transgressions of Israel and for the fourth, I will not convert her because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes,
7 desiring that there be dust of the earth upon the head of the poor, and to twist the way of the humble: and the man and his father have gone in unto the same maid, profaning my holy name:
8 and they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by any altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
5 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For ye know well that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should take you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the sons of light, and the sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those that sleep sleep in the night, and those that are drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet, the hope of saving health.
9 For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain saving health by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we watch or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 ¶ Therefore comfort and edify one another, even as ye do.
5 ¶ And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come in which there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall begin to come to pass?
8 Then he said, Take heed that ye not be deceived, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am; and the time draws near; therefore, go ye not after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified; for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet.
10 Then he said unto them, Gentiles shall rise against Gentiles, and kingdom against kingdom;
11 and there shall be great earthquakes in different places and famines and pestilences, and there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
13 And it shall turn out to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what ye shall answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolk and friends, and some of you they shall cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
18 But not a hair of your head shall perish.
19 In your patience ye shall possess your souls.
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