Book of Common Prayer
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
12 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.
To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.
1 Help Lord, for there is not [a]a godly man left: for the faithful are failed from among the children of men.
2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor, [b]flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.
3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Which have said, [c]With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
5 [d]Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will [e]set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold.
7 Thou wilt keep [f]them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side; when they are exalted, [g]it is a shame for the sons of men.
13 1 David as it were overcome with sundry and new afflictions, fleeth to God as his only refuge, 3 and so at the length being encouraged through God’s promises, he conceiveth most sure confidence against the extreme horrors of death.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, [h]forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take [i]counsel within myself having weariness daily in mine heart? how long shall mine enemy be exalted above me?
3 Behold, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have [j]prevailed against him: and they that afflict me, rejoice, when I slide.
5 But I trust in thy [k]mercy: mine heart shall rejoice in thy salvation; I will sing to the Lord, because he hath [l]dealt lovingly with me.
14 1 He describeth the perverse nature of men, which were so grown to licentiousness, that God was brought to utter contempt. 7 For the which thing, although he was greatly grieved, yet being persuaded that God would send some present remedy, he comforteth himself and others.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 The (A)fool hath said in his heart, [m]There is no God: they have [n]corrupted, and done an abominable work: there is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, and seek God.
3 [o]All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people, as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord.
5 [p]There they shall be taken with fear, because God is in the generation of the just.
6 You have made [q]a mock at the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his trust.
7 Oh give salvation unto [r]Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Note that of Psalm 14:5-7, which are put into the common translation, and may seem unto some to be left out in this, are not in the same Psalm in the Hebrew text, but rather are put in more fully to express the manners of the wicked, and are gathered out of Psalms 5, 10, 36, 140; Isa. 59, and are alleged by S. Paul, and placed together in Romans 3.
22 Then Moses brought Israel from the red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of [a]Shur: and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no waters.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of the place was called [b]Marah.
24 Then the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were sweet: there he made them an ordinance and a law, and there [c]he proved them,
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken, O Israel, unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is [d]right in his sight, and wilt give ear unto his commandments, and keep all his ordinances, then will I put none of these diseases upon thee, which I brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
27 ¶ (A)And they came to Elim, where were twelve fountains of water, and seventy [e]palm trees, and they camped there by the waters.
16 1The Israelites come to the desert of Sin, and murmur against Moses and Aaron. 13 The Lord sendeth Quails and Manna. 23 The Sabbath is sanctified unto the Lord. 27 The seventh day Manna could not be found. 32 It is kept for a remembrance to the posterity.
1 Afterward all the Congregation of the children of Israel departed from Elim, and came to the wilderness of [f]Sin, (which is between Elim and Sinai) the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
2 And the whole Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron in the wilderness.
3 For the children of Israel said to them, Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh [g]pots, when we ate bread our bellies full: for ye have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole company with famine.
4 ¶ Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will cause bread to rain from heaven to you, and the people shall go out, and gather [h]that that is sufficient for every [i]day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no.
5 But the sixth day they shall prepare that, which they shall bring home, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6 Then Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even ye shall know, that the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning ye shall see the glory of the Lord: [j]for he hath heard your grudgings against the Lord: and what are we that ye have murmured against us?
8 Again, Moses said, At even shall the Lord give you flesh to eat, and in the morning your fill of bread: for the Lord hath heard your murmurings, which ye murmur against him: for what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the [k]Lord.
9 ¶ And Moses said to Aaron, Say unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, Draw near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings.
10 Now as Aaron spake unto the whole Congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared (B)in a cloud.
2 He exhorteth the newborn in faith, to lead their lives answerable to the same: 6 and lest their faith should stagger, he bringeth in that which was foretold touching Christ. 11 Then he willeth them to be obedient to Magistrates, 21 and that they patiently bear adversity after Christ’s example.
1 Wherefore, (A)[a]laying aside all maliciousness, and all guile, and dissimulation, and envy, and all evil speaking,
2 [b]As [c]newborn babes desire that sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,
3 [d]Because ye [e]have tasted that the Lord is bountiful.
4 [f]To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious,
5 Ye also as lively stones, be made a spiritual house, [g]an holy (B)Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 [h]Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, (C)Behold, I put in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious, and he that believeth therein, shall not be ashamed.
7 [i]Unto you therefore which believe, it is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the (D)stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a (E)stone to stumble at, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, unto the which thing they were even ordained.
9 [j]But ye are a chosen generation, a royal (F)Priesthood, an holy nation, a people set at liberty, that ye should show forth the virtues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,
10 (G)Which in time past were not a people, yet are now the people of God: which in time past were not under mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
15 1 By the parable of the vine, 2 and the branches, 5, 6 he declareth how the disciples may bear fruit. 12, 17 He commendeth mutual love. 18 He exhorteth them to bear afflictions patiently, 20 by his own example.
1 I [a]am that true vine, and my Father is that husbandman.
2 (A)Every branch that beareth not fruit in me, he taketh away: and everyone that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 (B)Now are ye clean through the word, which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you: as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am that vine: ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me can ye do nothing.
6 (C)If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and withereth: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they burn.
7 (D)[b]If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask what ye will, and it shall be done to you.
8 [c]Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and be made my disciples.
9 [d]As the father hath loved me, so have I loved you: [e]continue in that my love.
10 If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
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