Book of Common Prayer
105 1 He praiseth the singular grace of God, who hath of all the people of the world chosen a peculiar people to himself, and having chosen them, never ceaseth to do them good, even for his promise’s sake.
1 Praise the Lord, and call upon his Name: [a]declare his works among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing praise unto him, and talk of all his wondrous works.
3 Rejoice in his holy Name, let the heart of them that seek the Lord, rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and his [b]strength: seek his face continually.
5 Remember his [c]marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the [d]judgments of his mouth,
6 Ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob, which are his elect.
7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are through all the earth.
8 He hath always remembered his covenant, and promise, that he made to a thousand generations,
9 Even that which he [e]made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac:
10 And since hath confirmed it to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, [f]Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.
12 Albeit they were few in number, yea very few, and strangers in the land,
13 And walked about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 Yet suffered he no man to do them wrong, but reproved [g]Kings for their sakes, saying,
15 Touch not mine [h]anointed, and do my [i]Prophets no harm.
16 Moreover, he called a famine upon the land, and utterly brake the [j]staff of bread.
17 But he sent a man before them: Joseph was sold for a slave.
18 They held his feet in the stocks, and he was laid in irons,
19 Until [k]his appointed time came, and the counsel of the Lord had tried him.
20 The King sent and loosed him: even the Ruler of the people delivered him.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance,
22 That he should bind his [l]princes unto his will, and teach his Ancients wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob was a stranger in the land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people exceedingly, and made them stronger than their oppressors.
25 [m]He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal craftily with his servants.
26 Then sent he Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They showed among them the message of his signs, and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark: and they were not [n]disobedient unto his commission.
29 (A)He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
30 (B)Their land brought forth frogs, even in their King’s chambers.
31 He [o]spake, and there came swarms of flies and lice in all their quarters.
32 He gave them [p]hail for rain, and flames of fire in their land.
33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees, and brake down the trees in their coasts.
34 [q]He spake and the grasshoppers came, and caterpillars innumerable,
35 And did eat up all the grass in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 (C)He smote also all the firstborn in their land, even the beginning of all their strength.
37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was [r]none feeble among their tribes.
38 Egypt was [s]glad at their departing: for the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud to be a covering, and fire to give light in the night.
40 They [t]asked, and he brought quails, and he filled them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the water flowed out, and ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy [u]promise to Abraham his servant,
43 And he brought forth his people with [v]joy, and his chosen with gladness,
44 And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they took the labors of the people in possession,
45 That they might [w]keep his statutes, and observe his Laws. Praise ye the Lord.
8 1 Samuel maketh his sons Judges over Israel, who follow not his steps. 5 The Israelites ask a King. 11 Samuel declareth in what state they should be under the King. 19 Notwithstanding, they ask one still, and the Lord willeth Samuel to grant unto them.
1 When Samuel was now become old, he [a]made his sons Judges over Israel,
2 (And the name of his eldest son was [b]Joel, and the name of the second Abijah) even Judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and (A)took rewards, and perverted the judgment.
4 ¶ Wherefore all the Elders of Israel gathered them together, and came to Samuel unto [c]Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: (B)make us now a King to judge us like all nations.
6 But the thing [d]displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a King to judge us: and Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say unto thee: for they have not cast thee away, but they have cast me away, that I should not reign over them.
8 As they have ever done since I brought them out of Egypt even unto this day, (and have forsaken me, and served other gods) even so do they unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit, yet [e]testify unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 ¶ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked a king of him.
11 And he said, This shall be the [f]manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariot.
12 Also he will make them his captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make instruments of war, and the things that serve for his chariots.
13 He will also take your daughters and make them Apothecaries, and Cooks, and Bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best Olive trees, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give it to his [g]Eunuchs, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and the chief of your young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out at that day, because of your king, whom ye have chosen you, and the Lord will not [h]hear you at that day.
19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but there shall be a king over us.
20 And we also will be like all other nations, and our king shall judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles.
21 Therefore when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, [i]Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go every man unto his city.
15 And as all that sat in the Council looked steadfastly on him, they [a]saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel.
7 1 Stephen pleading his cause, showeth that God chose the Fathers, 20 before Moses was born, 42 and before the Temple was built: 44 And that all outward ceremonies were ordained according to the heavenly Pattern. 54 The Jews gnashing their teeth, 59 stone him.
1 Then [b]said the chief Priest, Are these things so?
2 [c]And he said, Ye men, brethren, and Fathers, hearken, (A)That God of [d]glory appeared unto our father Abraham, while he was in [e]Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3 And said unto him, Come out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran. And after that his father was dead, God brought him from thence into this land, wherein ye now dwell,
5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, [f]no not the breadth of a foot: yet he [g]promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
6 But God spake thus, that his (B)seed should be a sojourner in a strange land: and that they should keep it in bondage, and entreat it evil [h]four hundred years.
7 But the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge, saith God: and after that, they shall come forth and serve me in this place.
8 (C)He gave him also the covenant of circumcision: and to Abraham begat(D)Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day: and Isaac begat (E)Jacob, and Jacob the twelve (F)Patriarchs.
9 [i]And the Patriarchs moved with envy, sold (G)Joseph into Egypt: but God was [j]with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and (H)gave him [k]favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt, and over his whole house.
11 ¶ Then came there a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, that our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when (I)Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first:
13 (J)And at the second time Joseph was known of his brethren, and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph and caused his father to be brought, and all his kindred, even threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So (K)Jacob went down into Egypt, and he (L)died, and our fathers,
16 And were [l]removed into Shechem, and were put in the sepulcher, that Abraham had bought (M)for money of the sons of Hamor, son of Shechem.
24 ¶ (A)[a]And there arose also a strife among them, which of them should seem to be the greatest.
25 But he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles reign over them, and they that bear rule over them, are called [b]bountiful.
26 But ye shall not be so: but let the greatest among you be as the least: and the chiefest as he that serveth.
27 For who is greater, he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at table? And I am among you as he that serveth.
28 [c]And ye are they which have continued with me in my tentations.
29 Therefore I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me,
30 (B)That ye may eat, and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on seats, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
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