Book of Common Prayer
120 1 The prayer of David being vexed by the false reports of Saul’s flatterers. 5 And therefore he lamenteth his long abode among those infidels, 7 Who were given to all kinds of wickedness and contention.
A song of [a]degrees.
1 I called unto the Lord in my [b]trouble, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What doth thy [c]deceitful tongue bring unto thee? or what doth it avail thee?
4 It is as the [d]sharp arrows of a mighty man, and as the coals of Juniper.
5 Woe is to me that I remain in [e]Meshech, and dwell in the tents of [f]Kedar.
6 My soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I seek [g]peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to war.
121 1 This Psalm teacheth that the faithful ought only to look for help at God, 7 who only doth maintain, preserve and prosper his Church.
A song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes [h]unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come.
2 Mine help cometh from the Lord, which hath made the [i]heaven and the earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to slip: for he that keepeth thee, will not [j]slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel, will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not [k]smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy [l]going out, and thy coming in from henceforth and forever.
122 1 David rejoiceth in the name of the faithful, that God hath accomplished his promise and placed his Ark in Zion. 5 For the which he giveth thanks, 8 And prayeth for the prosperity of the Church.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 I (A)[m]rejoiced when they said to me, We will go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our [n]feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city, that is [o]compact together in itself:
4 Whereunto [p]the Tribes, even the Tribes of the Lord go up according to the testimony to Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord.
5 For there are thrones set for judgment, even the thrones of the house of [q]David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: let them prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy [r]walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my [s]brethren and neighbors’ sakes, I will wish thee now prosperity.
9 Because of the House of the Lord our God, I will procure thy wealth.
123 A prayer of the faithful, which were afflicted either in Babylon or under Antiochus, by the wicked worldlings and contemners of God.
A song of degrees.
1 I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of [t]servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy unto us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have [u]suffered too much contempt.
4 Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.
124 The people of God, escaping a great peril, do acknowledge themselves to be delivered, not by their own force, but by the power of God. 4 They declare the greatness of the peril. 6 And praise the Name of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 If the Lord had not been [v]on our side, (may Israel now say)
2 If the Lord had [not] been on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 They had then swallowed us up [w]quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.
4 Then the [x]waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then had the swelling waters gone over our soul.
6 Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the [y]snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.
125 1 He describeth the assurance of the faithful in their afflictions. 4 And desireth their wealth, 5 And the destruction of the wicked.
A song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, which cannot [z]be removed, but remaineth forever.
2 As the mountains are about Jerusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and forever.
3 For the [aa]rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hand unto wickedness.
4 Do well, O Lord, unto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 [ab]But these that turn aside by their crooked ways, them shall the Lord lead with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
126 1 This Psalm was made after the return of the people from Babylon, and showeth that the means of their deliverance was wonderful after the seventy years of captivity forspoken by Jeremiah, in Jer. 25:12 and 29:10.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that [ac]dream.
2 Then was our mouth [ad]filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: then said they among the [ae]heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the [af]rivers in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried [ag]precious seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves.
127 1 He showeth that the whole estate of the world, both domestical and political, standeth by God’s mere providence and blessing, 3 And that to have children well nurtured, is an especial grace and gift of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of Solomon.
1 Except the Lord [ah]build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the [ai]city, the keeper watcheth in vain.
2 It is in vain for [aj]you to rise early, and to lie down late, and eat the bread [ak]of sorrow: but he will surely give [al]rest to his beloved.
3 Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb his reward.
4 As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man; so are the [am]children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them: for they [an]shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
5 1 Moses and Aaron do their message unto Pharaoh, who oppresseth the people of Israel more and more. 20 They cry out upon Moses and Aaron therefore, and Moses complaineth unto God.
1 Then afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to [a]Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may [b]celebrate a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said, [c]We worship the God of the Hebrews: we pray thee, let us go three days’ journey in the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God, lest [d]he bring upon us the pestilence or sword.
4 Then said the King of Egypt unto them, Moses and Aaron, why cause ye the people to cease from their works? get you to your burdens.
5 Pharaoh said furthermore, Behold, much people is now in the land, and ye [e]make them leave their burdens.
6 Therefore Pharaoh gave commandment the same day unto the taskmasters of the people, and to their [f]officers, saying,
7 Ye shall give the people no more straw, to make brick ([g]as in time past) but let them go and gather them straw themselves.
8 Notwithstanding lay upon them the number of brick, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they cry, saying, Let us go to offer sacrifice unto our God.
9 [h]Lay more work upon the men, and cause them to do it, and let them not regard [i]vain words.
10 ¶ Then went the taskmasters of the people and their officers out, and told the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will give you no more straw.
11 Go yourselves, get ye straw where ye can find it, yet shall nothing of your labor be diminished.
12 Then were the people scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Finish your day’s work [j]every day’s task, as ye did when ye had straw.
14 And the Officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your [task] in making brick yesterday and today, as in times past?
15 ¶ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus thy servants?
16 There is no straw given to thy servants, and they say unto us, Make brick: and lo, thy servants are beaten, and [k]thy people is blamed.
17 But he said, [l]Ye are too much idle: therefore ye say, Let us go to offer sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore now and work: for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the whole tale of brick.
19 Then the officers of the children of Israel [m]saw themselves in an evil case, because it was said, Ye shall diminish nothing of your brick, nor of every day’s task.
20 ¶ And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out from Pharaoh.
21 To whom they said, The Lord look upon you and judge: for ye have made our savor to [n]stink before Pharaoh and before his servants, in that ye have [o]put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord, and said, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath vexed this people, and yet thou hast not delivered thy people.
6 8 God reneweth his promise of deliverance of the Israelites. 9 Moses speaketh to the Israelites, but they believe him not. 10 Moses and Aaron are sent again unto Pharaoh.
1 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see, what I will do unto Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and even [p]be constrained to drive them out of his land.
20 [a]Brethren, be not (A)children in understanding, but as concerning maliciousness be children, but in understanding be of a ripe age.
21 In the [b]Law it is written, (B)By men of other tongues, and by other languages will I speak unto this people: yet so shall they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 [c]Wherefore strange tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 [d]If therefore, when the whole Church is come together in one, and all speak strange tongues, there come in they that are [e]unlearned, or they which believe not, will they not say, that ye are out of your wits?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is rebuked of all men, and is judged of all,
25 And so are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, and say plainly that God is in you indeed.
26 [f]What is to be done then, brethren? when ye come together, according as every one of you hath a Psalm, or hath doctrine, or hath a tongue, or hath revelation, or hath interpretation, let all things be done unto edifying.
27 [g]If any man speak a strange tongue, let it be by two, or at the most, by three, and that by course, and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church, which speaketh languages, and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 [h]Let the Prophets speak, two or three, and let the others judge.
30 And if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may have comfort.
32 And the [i]spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as we see in all the Churches of the Saints.
39 [a]Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak languages.
40 Let all things be done honestly, and by order.
42 (A)[a]And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, that believe in me, it were better for him rather, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea.
43 (B)Wherefore if thine hand cause thee to offend, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched,
44 (C)Where their [b]worm dieth not, and the fire never goeth out.
45 Likewise, if thy foot cause thee to offend, cut it off: it is better for thee to go halt into life, than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched,
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire never goeth out.
47 And if thine eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out: it is better for thee to go into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire,
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire never goeth out.
49 [c]For every man shall be [d]salted with fire: and (D)every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
50 (E)Salt is good: but if the salt be unsavory, wherewith shall it be seasoned? have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.