Book of Common Prayer
The Lord an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)while I live;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in princes,
In [c]mortal (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [d]the earth;
In that very day his (I)thoughts perish.
5 How (J)blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and all that is in them;
Who (N)keeps [e]faith forever;
7 Who (O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (Q)sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord (R)opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (T)loves the righteous;
9 The Lord [f](U)protects the [g]strangers;
He [h](V)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [i]thwarts (W)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (X)reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
[j]Praise [k]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [l]Praise [m]the Lord!
For (Y)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [n]it is pleasant and praise is (Z)becoming.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
He (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (AC)brokenhearted
And (AD)binds up their [o]wounds.
4 He (AE)counts the number of the stars;
He [p](AF)gives names to all of them.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (AH)understanding is [q]infinite.
6 The Lord [r](AI)supports the afflicted;
He brings down the wicked to the ground.
7 (AJ)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
8 Who (AK)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (AL)provides rain for the earth,
Who (AM)makes grass to [s]grow on the mountains.
9 He (AN)gives to the beast its food,
And to the (AO)young ravens which cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the (AP)horse;
He (AQ)does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord (AR)favors those who fear Him,
(AS)Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (AT)bars of your gates;
He has (AU)blessed your sons within you.
14 He (AV)makes [t]peace in your borders;
He (AW)satisfies you with (AX)the [u]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends forth His (AY)command to the earth;
His (AZ)word runs very swiftly.
16 He gives (BA)snow like wool;
He scatters the (BB)frost like ashes.
17 He casts forth His (BC)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (BD)cold?
18 He (BE)sends forth His word and melts them;
He (BF)causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
19 He (BG)declares His words to Jacob,
His (BH)statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
20 He (BI)has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His ordinances, they have (BJ)not known them.
[v]Praise [w]the Lord!
The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
111 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
I (A)will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the (B)company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 (C)Great are the works of the Lord;
They are [c](D)studied by all who delight in them.
3 [d](E)Splendid and majestic is His work,
And (F)His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His [e]wonders [f]to be remembered;
The Lord is (G)gracious and compassionate.
5 He has (H)given [g]food to those who [h]fear Him;
He will (I)remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are [i](J)truth and justice;
All His precepts (K)are [j]sure.
8 They are (L)upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in [k](M)truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent (N)redemption to His people;
He has [l]ordained His covenant forever;
(O)Holy and [m]awesome is His name.
10 The [n](P)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A (Q)good understanding have all those who [o]do His commandments;
His (R)praise endures forever.
Prosperity of the One Who Fears the Lord.
112 [p]Praise [q]the Lord!
How (S)blessed is the man who [r]fears the Lord,
Who greatly (T)delights in His commandments.
2 His [s](U)descendants will be mighty [t]on earth;
The generation of the (V)upright will be blessed.
3 (W)Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light arises in the darkness (X)for the upright;
He is (Y)gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who (Z)is gracious and lends;
He will [u]maintain his cause in judgment.
6 For he will (AA)never be shaken;
The (AB)righteous will be [v]remembered forever.
7 He will not fear (AC)evil tidings;
His (AD)heart is steadfast, (AE)trusting in the Lord.
8 His (AF)heart is upheld, he (AG)will not fear,
Until he (AH)looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
9 [w]He (AI)has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His (AJ)horn will be exalted in honor.
10 The (AK)wicked will see it and be [x]vexed,
He will (AL)gnash his teeth and (AM)melt away;
The (AN)desire of the wicked will perish.
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [y]Praise [z]the Lord!
(AO)Praise, O (AP)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (AQ)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
3 (AR)From the rising of the sun to its setting
The (AS)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (AT)high above all nations;
His (AU)glory is above the heavens.
5 (AV)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (AW)is enthroned on high,
6 Who [aa](AX)humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
7 He (AY)raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 To make them (AZ)sit with [ab]princes,
With the [ac]princes of His people.
9 He (BA)makes the barren woman abide in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[ad]Praise [ae]the Lord!
Rebellion of God’s People
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning (A)Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the [a]reigns of (B)Uzziah, (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 (F)Listen, O heavens, and hear, O (G)earth;
For the Lord speaks,
“(H)Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have (I)revolted against Me.
3 “An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel (J)does not know,
My people (K)do not understand.”
4 Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
[b](L)Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who (M)act corruptly!
They have (N)abandoned the Lord,
They have (O)despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away [c]from Him.
5 Where will you be stricken again,
As you (P)continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is (Q)sick
And the whole heart is faint.
6 (R)From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is (S)nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,
(T)Not pressed out or bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.
7 Your (U)land is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire,
Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence;
It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
9 (V)Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left us a few (W)survivors,
We would be like (X)Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.
Purpose of This Letter
3 This is now, (A)beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am (B)stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should (C)remember the words spoken beforehand by (D)the holy prophets and (E)the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
The Coming Day of the Lord
3 (F)Know this first of all, that (G)in the last days (H)mockers will come with their mocking, (I)following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “(J)Where is the promise of His (K)coming? For ever since the fathers (L)fell asleep, all continues just as it was (M)from the beginning of creation.” 5 For [a]when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that (N)by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was (O)formed out of water and by water, 6 through which (P)the world at that time was (Q)destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word (R)the present heavens and earth are being reserved for (S)fire, kept for (T)the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, (U)beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and (V)a thousand years like one day. 9 (W)The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but (X)is patient toward you, (Y)not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
A New Heaven and Earth
10 But (Z)the day of the Lord (AA)will come like a thief, in which (AB)the heavens (AC)will pass away with a roar and the (AD)elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and (AE)the earth and [b]its works will be [c]burned up.
Parable of Ten Virgins
25 “Then (A)the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their (B)lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were (C)prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the (D)prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the (E)prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were (F)ready went in with him to (G)the wedding feast; and (H)the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘(I)Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 (J)Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
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