Book of Common Prayer

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless the name of his holiness.

² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³ Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases;

⁴ who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with mercy and compassion;

⁵ who satisfies thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ ¶ The LORD executes righteousness and justice unto all that suffer violence.

⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the sons of Israel.

⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

⁹ He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever.

¹⁰ He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth so does he increase his mercy over those that fear him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our rebellions from us.

¹³ Like as a father has mercy upon his children, so the LORD has mercy upon those that fear him.

¹⁴ For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass; as an open flower of the field, so he blossoms.

¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.

¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those that fear him, and his righteousness unto the children’s children,

¹⁸ to such as keep his covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

¹⁹ ¶ The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the LORD, ye his angels, valiant and strong, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

²¹ Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

²² Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

⁵ ¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.

⁷ And they had no child because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well advanced in years.

⁸ And it came to pass that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

⁹ according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense entering into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.

¹¹ And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶ And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the rebellious to the prudence of the just, to make ready a prepared people for the Lord.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.

¹⁹ And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee this gospel.

²⁰ And, behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou didst not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

²¹ And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

²² And when he came out, he could not speak unto them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he communicated with signs and remained speechless.

²³ And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.