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.
21 So Balaam rose up early, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And the wrath of God was kindled, because he [a]went: and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way to be against him, as he rode upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 And (A)when the ass saw the Angel of the Lord stand in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, the ass turned out of the way, and went into the field, but Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way.
24 [b]Again the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, having a wall on the one side, and a wall on the other.
25 And when the ass saw the Angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and dashed Balaam’s foot against the wall: wherefore he smote her again.
26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn, either to the right hand, or to the left.
27 And when the ass saw the Angel of the Lord, she [c]lay down under Balaam: therefore Balaam was very wroth, and smote the ass with a staff.
28 Then the Lord [d]opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me now three times?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, which thou hast ridden upon [e]since thy first time unto this day? have I used at any time, to do thus unto thee? Who said, Nay.
31 And the Lord [f]opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand: then he bowed himself, and fell flat on his face.
32 And the Angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou now smitten thine ass three times? behold, I came out to withstand thee, because thy [g]way is not straight before me.
33 But the ass saw me, and turned from me now three times: for else, if she had not turned from me, surely I had even now slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 Then Balaam said unto the Angel of the Lord, I have sinned: for I wist not that thou stoodest in the way [h]against me: now therefore if it displease thee, I will turn [i]home again.
35 But the Angel said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but [j]what I say unto thee, that shalt thou speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam came, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the [k]border of Arnon, even in the utmost coast.
37 Then Balak said unto Balaam, Did not I send for thee to call thee? Wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee unto honor?
38 And Balaam made answer unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee, and can I now say [l]anything at all? the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak.
7 1 He declareth what it is, to be no more under the Law, 2 by an example taken of the Law of marriage, 7, 12 And lest the Law should seem faulty, 14 he proveth, that our sin is the cause, 2, 5 that the same is an occasion of death, 17 which was given us unto life. 21 He setteth out the battle between the flesh and the spirit.
1 Know [a]ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the Law) that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 (A)For the woman which is in subjection to a man, is bound by the Law to the man, while he liveth: but if the man be dead, she is delivered from the Law of the man.
3 So then, if while the man liveth, she taketh another man, she shall be [b]called an (B)adulteress: but if the man be dead, she is free from the Law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she take another man.
4 [c]So ye, my brethren, are dead also to the Law by the [d]body of Christ, that ye should be unto another, even unto him that is raised up from the dead, that we should bring forth [e]fruit unto [f]God.
5 [g]For when we [h]were in the flesh, the [i]affections of sins, which were by the [j]law, had [k]force in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death,
6 But now we are delivered from the Law, he [l]being dead [m]in whom we were [n]holden, that we should serve in [o]newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the [p]letter.
7 [q]What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? God forbid. Nay, I knew not sin, but by the Law: for I had not known [r]lust, except the Law had said, (C)Thou shalt not lust.
8 But sin took an occasion by the commandment, and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the Law sin is [s]dead.
9 [t]For I once was alive, without the [u]law: but when the commandment [v]came, sin revived,
10 But I [w]died: and the same commandment which was ordained unto life, was found to be unto me unto death.
11 For sin took occasion by the commandment, and deceived me, and thereby slew me.
12 [x]Wherefore the Law is (D)holy, and that [y]commandment is holy, and just, and good.
23 ¶ (A)[a]And when he was come into the Temple, the chief Priests, and the Elders of the people came unto him, as he was teaching, and said, By what [b]authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
24 Then Jesus answered, and said unto them, I also will ask of you [c]a certain thing, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The [d]baptism of John, whence was it? from [e]heaven, or of men? Then they [f]reasoned among themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven, he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
26 And if we say, Of men, we fear the multitude, (B)for all hold John as a Prophet.
27 Then they answered Jesus, and said, We can not tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 ¶ [g]But what think ye? A certain man had two sons, and came to the elder, and said, Son, go and work today in my vineyard.
29 But he answered, and said, I will not: yet afterward he repented himself, and went.
30 Then came he to the second, and said likewise. And he answered, and said, I will, Sir: yet he went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of the father? They said unto him, The first. Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the Publicans and the harlots [h]go before you into the kingdom of God.
32 For John came unto you in the [i]way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the Publicans and the harlots believed him, and ye though ye saw it, were not moved with repentance afterward, that ye might believe him.
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.