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.
2 2 The Church shall be restored by Christ, and the Gentiles called. 6 The punishment of the rebellious and obstinate.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw upon Judah and Jerusalem,
2 (A)It [a]shall be in the last days, that the mountain of the House of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and [b]shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall [c]flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go, and say, Come, and let us go up to [d]the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths, (B)for the [e]Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from [f]Jerusalem.
4 And [g]he shall judge among the nations, and [h]rebuke many people: they shall [i]break their swords also into mattocks, and their spears into scythes: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn [j]to fight anymore.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us [k]walk in the Law of the Lord.
6 Surely thou [l]hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they are [m]full of the East manners, and are sorcerers as the Philistines, [n]and abound with strange children.
7 Their land also was full of [o]silver and gold, and there was none end of their treasures: and their land was full of horses, and their chariots were infinite.
8 Their land was also full of idols; they worshipped the work of their own hands, which their own fingers have made.
9 And a man bowed himself, and a man [p]humbled himself: therefore [q]spare them not.
10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust from before the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his Majesty.
11 The high look of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men shall be abased, and the Lord only shall be exalted in [r]that day.
13 [a]For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, that when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is indeed the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe.
14 [b]For brethren, ye are become followers of the Churches of God, which in Judea are in [c]Christ Jesus, because ye have also suffered the same things of your own [d]country men, even as they have of the Jews,
15 [e]Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets, and have persecuted us away, [f]and God they please not, and are contrary to [g]all men,
16 And forbid us to preach unto the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to [h]fulfill their sins always: for the [i]wrath of God is come on them to the utmost.
17 [j]Forasmuch, brethren, as we [k]were kept from you for a season, concerning sight, but not in the heart, we enforced the more to see your face with great desire.
18 Therefore we would have come unto you (I Paul, at least once or twice) but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even you it in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20 Yea, ye are our glory and joy.
19 Then the high Priests, and the Scribes the same hour went about to lay hands on him (but they feared the people) for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
20 (A)[a]And they [b]watched him, and sent forth [c]spies, which should feign themselves just men [d]to take him in his talk, and to deliver him unto the power and [e]authority of the governor.
21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest, and teachest right, neither dost thou accept [f]any man’s person, but teachest the way of God truly.
22 Is it lawful for us to give Caesar tribute or no?
23 But he perceived their [g]craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24 Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered, and said, Caesars.
25 Then he said unto them, (B)Give then unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and to God those which are God’s.
26 And they could not reprove his saying before the people: but they marveled at his answer, and held their peace.
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.