Book of Common Prayer
140 1 David complaineth of the cruelty, falsehood and injuries of his enemies. 8 Against the which he prayeth unto the Lord, and assureth himself of his help and succor. 12 Wherefore he provoketh the just to praise the Lord, and to assure themselves of his tuition.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the [a]cruel man:
2 Which imagine evil things in their [b]heart, and make war continually.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: [c]adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep [d]me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the cruel man, which purposeth to cause my steps to slide.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net with cords in my pathway, and set gins for me. Selah.
6 Therefore I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayers.
7 O Lord God the strength of my salvation, thou [e]hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the wicked have his desire, O Lord; [f]perform not his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.
9 As for [g]the chief of them that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10 Let coals fall upon them: let [h]him cast them into the fire, and into the deep pits that they rise not.
11 For the backbiter shall not be established upon the earth, evil shall [i]hunt the cruel man to destruction.
12 I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted, and judge the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall praise thy Name, and the just shall [j]dwell in thy presence.
142 The Prophet neither astonied with fear, nor carried away with anger, nor forced by desperation, would kill Saul: but with a quiet mind directed his earnest prayer to God, who did preserve him.
A Psalm of David, to give instruction, and a prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice I [a]prayed unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my meditation before him, and declared mine affection in his presence.
3 Though my spirit [b]was in perplexity in me, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, but there was none that would know me: all refuge failed me, and [c]none cared for my soul.
5 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art mine [d]hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hearken unto my cry, for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring my soul out of [e]prison, that I may praise thy Name: then shall the righteous [f]come about me, when thou art beneficial unto me.
141 1 David being grievously persecuted under Saul, only fleeth unto God to have succor. 3 Desiring him to bridle his affections, that he may patiently abide till God take vengeance of his enemies.
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I [a]call upon thee: haste thee unto me: hear my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the [b]lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the [c]door of my lips.
4 Incline not mine heart to evil, that I should commit wicked works with them that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their [d]delicates.
5 Let the righteous smite me: for that is a benefit: and let [e]him reprove me, and it shall be a precious oil that shall not break mine head: for within a while I shall even [f]pray in their miseries.
6 When their judges shall be cast down in stony places, they shall [g]hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones lie scattered at the [h]grave’s mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.
8 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust: leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into [i]his nets [j]together, while I escape.
143 1 An earnest prayer for remission of sins, acknowledging that the enemies did thus cruelly persecute him by God’s just judgment. 8 He desireth to be restored to grace, 10 To be governeth by his holy Spirit, that he may spend the remnant of his life in the true fear and service of God.
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my supplication: answer me in thy [a]truth, and in thy [b]righteousness.
2 (And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy [c]sight shall none that liveth, be justified.)
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath smitten my life down to the earth: he hath laid me in the darkness, as they that have been dead [d]long ago:
4 And my spirit was in perplexity in me, and mine [e]heart within me was amazed.
5 Yet do I remember the time [f]past: I meditate in all thy works, yea, I do meditate in the works of thine hands.
6 I stretch forth mine hands unto thee: my soul desireth after thee, as the thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, else I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear thy loving-kindness in the [g]morning, for in thee is my trust; [h]show me the way, that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for [i]I hid me with thee.
10 [j]Teach me to [k]do thy will, for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake, and for thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And for thy mercy [l]slay mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy [m]servant.
19 Then there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears.
20 Wherefore, all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, his mattock, and his axe, and his weeding hook.
21 Yet they had a file for the shares, and for the mattocks, and for the pick forks, and for the axes, and for to sharpen the goads.
22 So when the day of battle was come, there was neither [a]sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people that were with Saul and with Jonathan: but only with Saul and Jonathan his son was there found.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines came out to the passage of Michmash.
14 14 Jonathan and his armor bearer put the Philistines to flight. 24 Saul bindeth the people by an oath, not to eat till evening. 32 The people eat with the blood. 38 Saul would put Jonathan to death. 45 The people deliver him.
1 Then on a day Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, [b]Come and let us go over toward the Philistines garrison, that is yonder on the other side, but he told not his father.
2 And Saul tarried in the border of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, which was in Migron, and the people that were with him, were about six hundred men.
3 And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, (A)Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the Lord’s Priest in Shiloh, and wore an Ephod: and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 ¶ Now in the way whereby Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines garrison, there was a [c]sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one was called Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The one rock stretched from the North toward Michmash, and the other was from the South toward Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these [d]uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work with us: for it is [e]not hard to the Lord (B)to save with many, or with few.
7 And he that bare his armor, said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: go where it pleaseth thee: behold, [f]I am with thee as thine heart desireth.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we go over unto those men, and will show ourselves unto them.
9 [g]If they say on this wise to us, Tarry until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and not go up to them.
10 But if they say, Come up unto us, then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
11 So they both showed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, See, the Hebrews come out of the [h]holes wherein they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, Come up to us: for we will show you a thing. Then Jonathan said unto his armor bearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13 So Jonathan went up upon [i]his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and some fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew others after him.
14 So the [j]first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, as it were within half an acre of land which two oxen plow.
15 And there was a fear in the host, and in the field, and among all the people: the garrison also, and they that went out to spoil, were afraid themselves: and the earth [k]trembled: for it was stricken with fear by God.
9 2 Saul going towards Damascus, 4 is stricken down to the ground of the Lord: 10 Ananias is sent 18 to baptize him. 23 The laying away of the Jews, 25 he escapeth, being let down through the wall. 33 Peter cureth Aeneas of the palsy, 36 and by him Tabitha being dead, 40 is restored to life.
1 And (A)[a]Saul yet [b]breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high Priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the Synagogues, that if he found any that were of that [c]way, (either men or women) he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 Now as he journeyed, it came to pass that as he was come near to Damascus, (B)suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is [d]hard for thee to kick against pricks.
6 He then both trembling and astonied, said, Lord, what wilt thou that I do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou shalt do.
7 The men also which journeyed with him, [e]stood amazed, hearing his [f]voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the ground, and opened his eyes, but saw no man. Then led they him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus,
9 Where he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
26 ¶ (A)[a]And as they led him away, they caught one Simon of Cyrene, coming out of the field, and on him they laid the cross, to bear it after Jesus.
27 [b]And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, which women bewailed and lamented him.
28 But Jesus turned back unto them, and said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 For behold, the days will come, when men shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, (B)Fall on us: and to the hills, Cover us.
31 (C)For if they do these things to a [c]green tree, what shall be done to the dry?
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