Book of Common Prayer
137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.
2 We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cleverness.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!”
8 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed, happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
144 Blessed be the Lord my strength, who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight;
2 my goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man that Thou takest notice of him? Or the son of man that Thou makest account of him?
4 Man is like vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Thine arrows and destroy them.
7 Send Thine hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strangers,
8 whose mouth speaketh vanity and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto Thee, O God; upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee.
10 It is He that giveth salvation unto kings, who delivereth David His servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of strangers, whose mouth speaketh vanity and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood,
12 that our sons may be as plants full grown in their youth, that our daughters may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace;
13 that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store, that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets;
14 that our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no breaking in, nor going out, that there be no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy is that people for whom such is the case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty—
2 who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
3 who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds His chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
4 who maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire;
5 who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should never be removed.
6 Thou covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of Thy thunder they hastened away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which Thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heavens have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from His chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herbs for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth,
15 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted,
17 where the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his time to go down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God.
22 When the sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches.
25 So also is this great and wide sea, wherein are innumerable creeping things, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships; there also is that leviathan, whom Thou hast made to play therein.
27 These all wait upon Thee, that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 What Thou givest them, they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created; and Thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul! Praise ye the Lord!
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
17 Then said Saul unto the people who were with him, “Number now, and see who is gone from us.” And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahijah, “Bring hither the ark of God.” For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the priest, “Withdraw thine hand.”
20 And Saul and all the people who were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves on Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.” So none of the people tasted any food.
25 And all they of the land came to a woods, and there was honey upon the ground.
26 And when the people had come into the woods, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath. Therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.
28 Then answered one of the people and said, “Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eateth any food this day.’” And the people were faint.
29 Then said Jonathan, “My father hath troubled the land. See, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would there not have been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.”
11 And the Lord said unto him, “Arise and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for the one called Saul of Tarsus; for behold, he prayeth
12 and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many of this man, and how much evil he hath done to Thy saints in Jerusalem.
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Thy name.”
15 But the Lord said unto him, “Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him what great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered into the house, and putting his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus who appeared unto thee on the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus.
32 And there were also two others, malefactors, led with Him to be put to death.
33 And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they parted His raiment and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers who were also with them derided Him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he be Christ, the chosen of God.”
36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him vinegar
37 and saying, “If thou art the king of the Jews, save thyself.”
38 And a superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew: This Is The King Of The Jews.
39 And one of the malefactors who was hanged railed against Him, saying, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us!”
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this Man hath done nothing amiss.”
42 And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.”
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.