Book of Common Prayer

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.

² But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

³ And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

⁴ Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.

⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

2 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?

² The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.

³ Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.

⁴ He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.

⁵ Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.

⁶ But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.

⁷ The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

⁸ Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

⁹ Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

¹⁰ And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.

¹¹ Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.

¹² Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.

¹³ When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

3 The psalm of David when he fled from the face of his son Absalom.

² Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? many are they who rise up against me.

³ Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.

⁴ But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

⁵ I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and he hath heard me from his holy hill.

⁶ I have slept and taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me.

⁷ I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God.

⁸ For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.

⁹ Salvation is of the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people.

4 Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.

² When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

³ O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

⁴ Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

⁵ Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.

⁶ Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?

⁷ The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.

⁸ By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.

⁹ In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:

¹⁰ For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.

7 The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. [2 Kings 16.]

² O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

³ Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save.

⁴ O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands:

⁵ If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.

⁶ Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.

⁷ Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded:

⁸ And a congregation of people shall surround thee. And for their sakes return thou on high.

⁹ The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me.

¹⁰ The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God.

¹¹ Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart.

¹² God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?

¹³ Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.

¹⁴ And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn.

¹⁵ Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.

¹⁶ He hath opened a pit and dug it; and he is fallen into the hole he made.

¹⁷ His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall comedown upon his crown.

¹⁸ I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.

1 In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

² He was named Elimelech, and his wife, Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.

³ And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.

⁴ And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years.

⁵ And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.

⁶ And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.

⁷ Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda,

⁸ She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

⁹ May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands which you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice and began to weep,

¹⁰ And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.

¹¹ But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come ye with me? have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me?

¹² Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children,

¹³ If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man's estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother in law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law.

¹⁵ And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her.

¹⁶ She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

¹⁷ The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee.

¹⁸ Then Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends:

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope:

² To Timothy, his beloved son in faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I desired thee to remain at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some not to teach otherwise,

⁴ Not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies: which furnish questions rather than the edification of God, which is in faith.

⁵ Now the end of the commandment is charity, from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith.

⁶ From which things some going astray, are turned aside unto vain babbling:

⁷ Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things they say, nor whereof they affirm.

⁸ But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully:

⁹ Knowing this, that the law is not made for the just man, but for the unjust and disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sinners, for the wicked and defiled, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

¹⁰ For fornicators, for them who defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and whatever other thing is contrary to sound doctrine,

¹¹ Which is according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which hath been committed to my trust.

¹² I give thanks who hath strengthened me, even to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he hath counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry;

¹³ Who before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contumelious. But I obtained the mercy of God, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

¹⁴ Now the grace of our Lord hath abounded exceedingly with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.

¹⁶ But for this cause have I obtained mercy: that in me first Christ Jesus might shew forth all patience, for the information of them that shall believe in him unto life everlasting.

¹⁷ Now to the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And there were present, at that very time, some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

² And he answering, said to them: Think you that these Galileans were sinners above all the men of Galilee, because they suffered such things?

³ No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.

⁴ Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe, and slew them: think you, that they also were debtors above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

⁵ No, I say to you; but except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish.

⁶ He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.

⁷ And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it done therefore: why cumbereth it the ground?

⁸ But he answering, said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it.

⁹ And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.