Book of Common Prayer
78 1 He showeth how God of his mercy chose his Church of the posterity of Abraham, 8 Reproaching the stubborn rebellion of their fathers, that the children might not only understand. 11 That God of his free mercy made his Covenant with their ancestors, 17 But also seeing them so malicious and perverse, might be ashamed, and so turn wholly to God. In this Psalm the holy Ghost hath comprehended, as it were, the sum of all God’s benefits, to the intent the ignorant and gross people might see in few words the effect of the whole histories of the Bible.
A Psalm to give [a]instruction, committed to Asaph.
1 Hear my [b]doctrine, O my people: incline your ears unto the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare high sentences of old.
3 Which we have heard and known, and our [c]fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but to the generation to come we will show the praise of the Lord, his power also, and his wonderful works that he hath done:
5 How he established a [d]testimony in Jacob, and ordained a Law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should teach their children:
6 That the [e]posterity might know it, and the children, which should be born, should stand up, and declare it to their children.
7 That they might [f]set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And not to be as their [g]fathers, a disobedient and rebellious generation: a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful unto God.
9 The children of [h]Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bow, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They kept not the Covenant of God, but refused to walk in his Law,
11 And forgate his acts, and his wonderful works that he had showed them.
12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their [i]fathers in the land of Egypt; even in the field of Zoan.
13 (A)He divided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heap.
14 (B)In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 (C)He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as of the great depths.
16 (D)He brought floods also out of the stony rock, so that he made the waters to descend like the rivers.
17 Yet they [j]sinned still against him, and provoked the Highest in the wilderness,
18 And tempted God in their hearts in [k]requiring meat for their lust.
19 (E)They spake against God also, saying, Can God [l]prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 (F)Behold, he smote the rock, that the water gushed out, and the streams overflowed: can he give bread also? or prepare flesh for his people?
21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry, and the (G)fire was kindled in Jacob, and also wrath came upon Israel,
22 Because they believed not in God, and [m]trusted not in his help.
23 Yet he had commanded the [n]clouds above, and had opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained down Manna upon them for to eat, and had given them of the wheat of heaven.
25 (H)Man did eat the bread of Angels: he sent them meat enough.
26 He caused the [o]East wind to pass in the heaven: and through his power he brought in the South wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the sea.
28 And he made it fall in the midst of their camp, even round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their desire.
30 They were not turned from their [p]lusts, but the meat was yet in their mouths,
31 When the wrath of God came even upon them, and slew [q]the strongest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this they [r]sinned still, and believed not his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years hastily.
34 And when he [s]slew them, they sought him, and they returned, and sought God early.
35 And they remembered that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
37 For their [t]heart was not upright with him: neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38 Yet he being merciful, [u]forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not, but oft times called back his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a wind that passeth and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness? and grieve him in the desert?
41 Yea, they [v]returned and tempted God, and [w]limited the Holy one of Israel.
42 They [x]remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy,
43 Nor him that set his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent [y]a swarm of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He [z]gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the grasshopper.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their wild fig trees with the hailstone.
48 He gave their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to the thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of [aa]evil angels.
50 He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life to the pestilence,
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, even the [ab]beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of [ac]Ham.
52 But he made his people to go out like sheep, and led them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 Yea, he carried them out safely, and they [ad]feared not, and the Sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them unto the borders of his [ae]Sanctuary: even to this Mountain which his right hand purchased.
55 (I)He cast out the heathen also before them, and caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.
56 Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,
57 But turned back, and dealt [af]falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
58 And they [ag]provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to wrath with their graven images.
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 So that he [ah]forsook the habitation of Shiloh, even the Tabernacle where he dwelt among men,
61 And delivered his [ai]power into captivity, and his beauty into the enemy’s hand.
62 And he gave up his people to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 The fire [aj]devoured their chosen men, and their maids were not [ak]praised.
64 Their Priests fell by the sword, and their [al]widows lamented not.
65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and as a strong man that after his [am]wine crieth out,
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetual shame.
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of [an]Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, and mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he [ao]built his Sanctuary as an high palace, like the earth, which he established forever.
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 Even from behind the ewes with young, brought he him to feed his people in Jacob, and his inheritance in Israel.
72 So [ap]he fed them according to the simplicity of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.
21 ¶ So the man [a]Elkanah and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow:
22 But Hannah went not up: for she said unto her husband, I will tarry until the child be weaned, then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him: only the Lord accomplish his [b]word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 ¶ And when she had weaned him, she took him with her with three bullocks and an Ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was [c]young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my Lord, as thy [d]soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood with thee here praying unto the Lord.
27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord hath given me my desire which I asked of him.
28 Therefore also I have [e]given him unto the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be given unto the Lord: and he [f]worshipped the Lord there.
2 1 The song of Hannah. 12 The sons of Eli, wicked. 13 The new custom of the Priests. 18 Samuel ministereth before the Lord. 20 Eli blesseth Elkanah and his wife. 23 Eli reproveth his sons. 27 God sendeth a Prophet to Eli. 31 Eli is menaced for not chastising his children.
1 And Hannah [g]prayed, and said, Mine heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine [h]horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is [i]enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: yea, there is none besides thee, and there is no god like our God.
3 Speak [j]no more presumptuously: let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him enterprises are established.
4 The bow and the mighty men are broken, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 They that were full, are hired forth for [k]bread, and the hungry are no more hired, so that the barren hath borne [l]seven: and she that had many children is feeble.
6 (A)The Lord killeth and maketh alive: bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: bringeth low, and exalteth.
8 (B)He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among [m]princes, and to make them inherit the seat of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the [n]Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his Saints, and the wicked shall keep silence in darkness: for in his own might shall no man be strong.
10 The Lord’s adversaries shall be destroyed, and out of heaven shall he (C)thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give power unto his [o]King, and exalt the horn of his Anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the child did minister unto the [p]Lord before Eli the Priest.
15 [a]And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said (now the number of [b]names that were in one place were about an hundred and twenty.)
16 [c]Ye men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, Which the (A)holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before of Judas, which was (B)guide to them that took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained fellowship in this ministration.
18 He therefore hath [d]purchased a field with the reward of iniquity: and when (C)he had [e]thrown down himself headlong, he brast asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it is known unto all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, insomuch, that that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, (D)Let his habitation be void, and let no man dwell therein: (E)also, Let another take his [f]charge.
21 [g]Wherefore of these men which have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus was [h]conversant among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that he was taken up [i]from us, must one of them be made a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 [j]And they [k]presented two, Joseph called Barsabas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, saying, Thou Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take the [l]room of this ministration and Apostleship, from which Judas hath [m]gone astray, to go to his own place.
26 Then they gave forth their lots: and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was by a common consent counted with the eleven Apostles.
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.
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