Book of Common Prayer
Maschil of Asaph.
1 ¶ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter enigmas of old,
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and his strength and his wonderful works that he has done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their sons:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the sons which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their sons
7 that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments
8 and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
9 ¶ The sons of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law
11 and forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them.
12 He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking for food according to the desires of their soul.
19 And they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
21 Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth, so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel
22 because they had not believed God, nor had they trusted in his saving health;
23 and he commanded the clouds of above and opened the doors of the heavens
24 and caused manna to rain upon them to eat and gave them wheat of the heavens.
25 Man did eat the food of the strong; he sent them food to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by his power he brought in the south wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire;
30 they were not estranged from their lust. But while their food was yet in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still and did not give him credit for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity and their years in tribulation.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and enquired early after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh: a wind that passes away and does not come again.
40 ¶ How often did they provoke him in the wilderness and grieve him in the desert!
41 And they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he ransomed them from anguish.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan
44 and had turned their rivers into blood and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar and their works unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their wild fig trees with stones.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts of fire.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation and trouble by sending evil angels among them.
50 He made a way to his anger; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to the pestilence
51 and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them into the borders of his holiness, into this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
55 He cast out the Gentiles also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their habitations.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God and did not keep his testimonies:
57 But turned back and rebelled like their fathers; they became like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 God heard this and was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 For this reason he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he dwelt among men
61 and delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their virgins were not honored in marriage songs.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary in preeminence like the earth which he has established for ever.
70 He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,
71 from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.
11 ¶ And it came to pass that the people complained in an evil manner in the ears of the LORD, and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the camp.
2 Then the people cried unto Moses, and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
3 And he called the name of the place Taberah because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
4 ¶ And the vulgar who were mixed in among them returned to their lust; and even the sons of Israel wept and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish, which we freely ate in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,
6 but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.
7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.
8 And the people scattered about and gathered it and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar and baked it in pans and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, each man in the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy slave and why have I not found grace in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all these people upon me?
12 Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that thou should say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child, unto the land which thou hast sworn unto their fathers?
13 Where should I find flesh to give unto all these people? For they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat.
14 I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if thou must deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found grace in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
16 ¶ Then the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people, and their princes; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the testimony that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there, and I will take of the spirit which is in thee and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
18 But thou shalt say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Egypt. Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five days neither ten days nor twenty days,
20 But even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why have we come forth out of Egypt?
21 Then Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month!
22 Shall sheep and oxen be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?
23 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.
16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Christ; for it is the power of God to give saving health to every one that believes: to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in him is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of men, who hold back the truth with injustice;
19 ¶ because that which is known of God is manifest to them; for God has showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him, his eternal power and divinity, are clearly understood by the creation of the world and by the things that are made so that there is no excuse;
21 because having known God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and of fourfooted beasts and of serpents.
24 Therefore God also gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts for uncleanness, to contaminate their own bodies between themselves,
25 who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen.
22 ¶ And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men;
23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
24 ¶ And when they were come to Capernaum, those that received the two drachmas came to Peter and said, Does not your master pay the two drachmas?
25 He said, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus spoke unto him first, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own sons or of strangers?
26 Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, Then the sons are free.
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook and take up the first fish that comes up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a stater, a coin worth four drachmas; take that, and give it unto them for me and thee.
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