Book of Common Prayer

119 Alleluia. [Aleph]. Blessed be men without wem in the way; that go in the law of the Lord. (Alleluia. Happy be they whose lives be without blemish, or without fault; who walk in the Law of the Lord.)

² Blessed be they, that seek his witnessings; and seek him in all the heart. (Happy be they who obey his teachings, or his commands; and who seek him, or obey him, with all their heart.)

³ For they that work wickedness; went not in his ways. (For they who work wickedness, went not in his ways.)

⁴ Thou hast commanded; that thy behests be kept greatly. (Thou hast commanded, that thy precepts, or thy laws, be diligently kept.)

⁵ I would that my ways were (ad)dressed; to keep thy justifyings. (I desire that my ways be directed; so that I can obey thy statutes.)

⁶ Then I shall not be shamed; when I shall behold perfectly in(to) all thy behests. (Then I shall not be shamed, if I fix my eyes on thy commandments.)

⁷ I shall acknowledge to thee in the (ad)dressing of mine heart; in that that I learned the dooms of thy rightfulnesses. (I shall praise thee with my heart properly directed, when I have learned thy righteous judgements./I shall praise thee with a pure heart, when I have learned thy just decrees.)

⁸ I shall keep thy justifyings; forsake thou not me on each side. (I shall obey thy statutes; do not thou abandon me on any side/never desert thou me.)

⁹ [Beth]. In what thing amendeth a young waxing man his way? in keeping thy words. (How may a young man correct his way? by obeying thy words, or thy commands.)

¹⁰ In all mine heart I sought thee; put thou me not away from thy behests. (With all my heart I have sought thee; let me not stray from thy commandments.)

¹¹ In mine heart I hid thy speeches; that I do not sin against thee. (I hid thy words in my heart; so that I will not sin against thee.)

¹² Lord, thou art blessed; teach thou me thy justifyings. (Lord, blessed art thou; teach thou me thy statutes.)

¹³ In my lips I have pronounced; all the dooms of thy mouth. (With my lips I have declared, all the judgements, or the laws, from thy mouth.)

¹⁴ I delighted in the way of thy witnessings; (as much) as in all riches. (I delighted in the way of thy teachings, or thy commands; as much as in great riches.)

¹⁵ I shall be exercised, either busily occupied, in thy behests; and I shall behold thy ways. (I shall think about thy precepts; and I shall study thy ways.)

¹⁶ I shall bethink in thy justifyings; I shall not forget thy words. (I shall delight myself in thy statutes; I shall not forget thy words, or thy commands.)

¹⁷ [Gimel]. Yield to thy servant; quicken thou me, and I shall keep thy words. (Grant this to thy servant; that thou let me live, and that I obey thy commands.)

¹⁸ Lighten thou mine eyes; and I shall behold the marvels of thy law. (Open thou my eyes; and I shall see the marvels, or the wonders, that come forth from thy Law.)

¹⁹ I am a comeling in earth; hide thou not thy behests from me. (I am a newcomer, or a stranger, here on earth; hide thou not thy commandments from me.)

²⁰ My soul coveted to desire thy justifyings; in all time. (My soul desireth to know thy judgements; at all times.)

²¹ Thou blamedest the proud; they be cursed, that bow away from thy behests. (Thou hast rebuked the proud; cursed be they who turn away from thy commandments.)

²² Do thou away from me shame and despising; for I sought thy witnessings. (Do thou away from me all shame and despising; for I have kept thy commands/for I have obeyed thy laws/for I have followed thy teachings.)

²³ For why princes sat, and spake against me; but thy servant was exercised in thy justifyings. (For the rulers sit, and speak against me; but thy servant studied, and thought about, thy statutes/but thy servant shall study, and shall think about, thy statutes.)

²⁴ For why and thy witnessings is my thinking; and my counsel is thy justifyings. (For thy teachings, or thy commands, be my delight; and they be my counsellors.)

12 To the victory, on the eighth, the song of David. Lord, make thou me safe, for the holy (man) failed; for truths be made little from the sons of men. (To victory, on the eighth, the psalm of David. Lord, save thou me, for there be no more holy people; the faithful be made few, if any, among the sons and daughters of men.)

² They spake vain things, each man to his neighbour; and they having guileful lips, spake in their heart, and with their heart. (They spoke lies, each man to his neighbour; yea, they having deceitful lips, spoke with a double heart.)

³ The Lord destroy all guileful lips; and the great speaking tongue. (May the Lord destroy all deceitful, or lying, lips; and the tongues that speak so proudly, or so boastfully.)

⁴ Which said, We shall magnify (with) our tongue, our lips be of us-selves; who (else) is our lord? (They who say, We shall gain victory with our tongues, for our lips be our own; who else is lord over us?)

⁵ For the wretchedness of needy men, and for the wailing of poor men; now I shall rise up, saith the Lord. I shall set (him) in health; I shall do trustily in him. (Because of the wretchedness of the needy, and the wailing of the poor, I shall now rise up, saith the Lord. I shall place them in safety; I shall do trustily for them.)

⁶ The speeches of the Lord be chaste speeches; (as) silver assayed by fire, proved from the earth, purged sevenfold. (The speeches of the Lord be chaste speeches; like silver assayed in an earthen furnace, purged seven times.)

⁷ Thou, Lord, shalt keep us; and thou shalt keep us from this generation [into] without end. (Thou, Lord, shalt keep us safe; yea, thou shalt keep us safe from this generation forever.)

⁸ Wicked men go in compass; by thine highness thou hast multiplied the sons of men. (Even though the wicked be all around; and the vilest people be exalted.)

13 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. Lord, how long forgettest thou me, into the end? how long turnest thou away thy face from me? (To victory, the song of David. Lord, how long forgettest thou me, forever? how long turnest thou away thy face from me?)

² How long shall I set counsel in my soul; sorrow in my heart by day? How long shall mine enemy be raised up on me? (How long shall I suffer anguish in my soul; and each day have sorrow in my heart? How long shall my enemy be raised up over me?)

³ My Lord God, behold thou, and hear thou me. Lighten thou mine eyes, lest any time I sleep in death; (My Lord God, behold thou, and answer thou me. Give thou light to my eyes, lest any time I sleep in death;)

⁴ lest any time mine enemy say, I had the mastery against him. They, that trouble me, shall have joy, if I shall be stirred; (lest any time my enemy say, I had the mastery over him. For they, who trouble me, shall have joy, if I shall slip, or shall stumble/if I shall fall;)

⁵ but I hoped in thy mercy. Mine heart shall fully have joy in thine health; (but I trusted in thy love. My heart shall make full out joy in thy salvation/My heart shall rejoice in thy deliverance;)

⁶ I shall sing to the Lord, that giveth goods to me, and I shall say psalm to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall sing to the Lord, who giveth good things to me, yea, I shall sing a song to the name of the Most High Lord.)

14 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. The unwise man said in his heart, God is not. They be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their studies; none there is that doeth good, none is till to one. (To victory, the song of David. The fool said in his heart, There is no God. Such men be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their deeds; there is no one who doeth good, no not one.)^[a]

² The Lord beheld from heaven on the sons of men; that he see, if any is understanding, either seeking God. (The Lord looked down from heaven on the sons and daughters of men; to see if there is anyone who hath understanding, or is seeking God.)

³ All bowed away, (al)together they be made unprofitable; none is that doeth good, none is till to one (But they all have turned away, they all be made utterly unredeemable; there is no one who doeth good, no not one). The throat of them is an open sepulchre, they did guilefully with their tongues; the venom of snakes is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet be swift to shed out blood. Sorrow and cursedness is in the ways of them, and they knew not the way of peace; the dread of God is not before their eyes.

⁴ Whether all men that work wickedness shall not know; that devour my people, as (the) meat of bread? They called not the Lord; (Surely all those, who do evil, already know this; yea, they who devour my people, like men eat bread. They do not call on the Lord;)

⁵ they trembled there for dread, where was no dread; for the Lord is in a rightful generation. (but they trembled there in fear, like never before. For the Lord is with the upright generation.)

⁶ Thou hast shamed the counsel of a poor man; for the Lord is his hope. (Ye evil-doers, ye have frustrated the plans of the poor; but the Lord is their hope.)

⁷ Who shall give from Zion health to Israel? When the Lord hath turned away the captivity of his people; Jacob shall fully be joyful/Jacob shall (make) full out joy, and Israel shall be glad. (Who shall give victory/Who shall give salvation, or deliverance, to Israel out of Zion? When the Lord hath returned the prosperity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice; yea, Israel shall be glad.)

4 Forsooth Adam knew Eve his wife, which conceived, and childed Cain, and said, I have gotten a man by God. (And Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived, and bare Cain, and she said, Now, with the Lord’s help, I have begotten a man.)

² And again she childed his brother Abel. Forsooth Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was an earth-tiller. (And then she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer, who worked the soil.)

³ Soothly it was done after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord of the fruits of the earth^[a];

⁴ and Abel offered of the first engendered of his flock, and of the fatness of those. And the Lord beheld to Abel and to the gifts of him;

⁵ soothly he beheld not to Cain and to his gifts. And Cain was wroth greatly, and his cheer felled down (And Cain was greatly angered, and his face fell).

⁶ And the Lord said to him, Why art thou wroth, and why felled down thy face?

⁷ Whether not if thou shalt do well, thou shalt receive well; but if thou doest evil, thy sin shall be present anon in the gates? but the desire thereof, that is, of sin, shall be under thee, and thou shalt be lord thereof. (If thou shalt do well, then thou shalt be accepted; but if thou doest evil, then at once thy sin shall be present at the gates, and the desire of sin shall take thee under, and so thou must be lord of it, or rule over it.)

⁸ And Cain said to Abel, his brother, Go we out (But then Cain said to his brother Abel, Walk with me). And when they were in the field, Cain rose (up) against his brother Abel, and killed him.

⁹ And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? Which answered, I know not; whether I am the keeper of my brother? (And the Lord said to Cain, Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, How do I know; am I my brother’s keeper?)

¹⁰ And God said to Cain, What hast thou done? the voice of the blood of thy brother crieth to me from [the] earth (the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth out to me from the earth).

¹¹ Now therefore thou shalt be cursed on [the] earth, that opened his mouth, and received of thine hand the blood of thy brother. (And so now thou shalt be cursed on the earth, that hath opened its mouth, and received thy brother’s blood from thy hand.)

¹² When thou shalt work the earth, it shall not give his fruits to thee; thou shalt be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about on [the] earth, in all the days of thy life. (When thou shalt work the earth, it shall not give its fruits to thee; thou shalt be of unstable dwelling, and fleeing about on the earth, all the days of thy life.)

¹³ And Cain said to the Lord, My wickedness is more than that I deserve forgiveness (for); (And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is more than that I can bear;)

¹⁴ lo! today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about in (the) earth; therefore each man that shall find me shall slay me. (lo! today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be of unstable dwelling, and fleeing about on the earth; and any man who findeth me shall slay me.)

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, It shall not be done so, but each man that shall slay Cain shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a sign in Cain, that each man that should find him should not slay him. (And the Lord said to him, It shall not be done so, but any man who shall kill Cain shall be punished seven times. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that any man who would find him would not kill him.)

¹⁶ And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelled fleeing about in [the] earth, at the east coast of Eden, that is, of (the) earthly paradise. (And so Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod, to the east of the Garden of Eden, that is, to the east of Paradise on earth.)

¹¹ For he that halloweth, and they that be hallowed, be all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

¹² saying, I shall tell thy name to my brethren; in the middle of the church I shall praise thee.

¹³ And again, I shall be trusting into him; and again, Lo! I and my children, which God gave to me.

¹⁴ Therefore for children communed to flesh and blood, and he also took part of the same, that by death he should destroy him that had lordship of death, that is to say, the devil,

¹⁵ and that he should deliver them that by dread of death [and should deliver them that by dread of death], by all life were bound to servage.

¹⁶ And he took [to] never angels, but he took [to] the seed of Abraham.

¹⁷ Wherefore he ought to be likened to brethren by all things, that he should be made merciful and a faithful bishop to God, that he should be merciful to the trespasses of the people.

¹⁸ For in that thing in which he suffered, and was tempted, he is mighty to help also them that be tempted.

²⁹ Another day John saw Jesus coming to him, and he said, Lo! the lamb of God; lo! he that doeth away the sins of the world.^[a]

³⁰ This is he, that I said of, After me is come a man [This is he, of whom I said, After me cometh a man], which was made before me; for he was rather than I.

³¹ And I knew him not, but that he be showed in Israel, therefore I came baptizing in water.

³² And John bare witnessing, and said, I saw the Spirit coming down as a culver from heaven, and dwelled on him. [And John bare witnessing, saying, For I saw the Spirit coming down, as a culver from heaven, and dwelling upon him.]

³³ And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize in water, said to me, On whom thou seest the Spirit coming down [Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit coming down], and dwelling on him, this is he, that baptizeth in the Holy Ghost.

³⁴ And I saw, and bare witnessing, that this is the Son of God.

³⁵ Another day John stood [Again John stood in another day], and two of his disciples;

³⁶ and he beheld Jesus walking, and saith [and he beholding Jesus walking, saith], Lo! the lamb of God.

³⁷ And two disciples heard him speaking, and [they] followed Jesus.

³⁸ And Jesus turned, and saw them following him, and saith to them, What seek ye? And they said to him, Rabbi, that is to say [that is interpreted], Master, where dwellest thou?

³⁹ And he saith to them, Come ye, and see. And they came, and saw where he dwelled [He saith to them, Come, and see ye. They came, and saw where he dwelt]; and dwelt with him that day. And it was as the tenth hour.

⁴⁰ And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the twain, that heard of John, and had followed him.

⁴¹ This found first his brother Simon, and he said to him, We have found Messias, that is to say, Christ; [This found first his brother Simon, and he saith to him, We have found Messias, that is interpreted Christ;]

⁴² and he led him to Jesus. And Jesus beheld him, and said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas, that is to say [that is interpreted], Peter.