Book of Common Prayer
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
12 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.
To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.
1 Help Lord, for there is not [a]a godly man left: for the faithful are failed from among the children of men.
2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor, [b]flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.
3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Which have said, [c]With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
5 [d]Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will [e]set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold.
7 Thou wilt keep [f]them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side; when they are exalted, [g]it is a shame for the sons of men.
13 1 David as it were overcome with sundry and new afflictions, fleeth to God as his only refuge, 3 and so at the length being encouraged through God’s promises, he conceiveth most sure confidence against the extreme horrors of death.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, [h]forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take [i]counsel within myself having weariness daily in mine heart? how long shall mine enemy be exalted above me?
3 Behold, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have [j]prevailed against him: and they that afflict me, rejoice, when I slide.
5 But I trust in thy [k]mercy: mine heart shall rejoice in thy salvation; I will sing to the Lord, because he hath [l]dealt lovingly with me.
14 1 He describeth the perverse nature of men, which were so grown to licentiousness, that God was brought to utter contempt. 7 For the which thing, although he was greatly grieved, yet being persuaded that God would send some present remedy, he comforteth himself and others.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 The (A)fool hath said in his heart, [m]There is no God: they have [n]corrupted, and done an abominable work: there is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, and seek God.
3 [o]All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people, as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord.
5 [p]There they shall be taken with fear, because God is in the generation of the just.
6 You have made [q]a mock at the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his trust.
7 Oh give salvation unto [r]Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Note that of Psalm 14:5-7, which are put into the common translation, and may seem unto some to be left out in this, are not in the same Psalm in the Hebrew text, but rather are put in more fully to express the manners of the wicked, and are gathered out of Psalms 5, 10, 36, 140; Isa. 59, and are alleged by S. Paul, and placed together in Romans 3.
16 1 Samuel is reproved of God, and is sent to anoint David. 7 God regardeth the heart. 13 The Spirit of the Lord cometh upon David. 14 The wicked Spirit is sent upon Saul. 19 Saul sendeth for David.
1 The Lord then said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, [a]seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil and come, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a King among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? for if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me. Then the Lord answered, Take an heifer [b]with thee, and say, I am come [c]to do sacrifice to the Lord.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town were [d]astonished at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he answered, Yea: I am come to do sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And when they were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s [e]Anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the (A)heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.
10 Again Jesse made his seven sons to come before Samuel, and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.
11 Finally, Samuel said unto Jesse, [f]Are there no more children but these? And he said, There remaineth yet a little one behind, that keepeth the sheep. Then Samuel said unto Jesse, (B)Send and fet him: for we will not sit down, till he be come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddy, and of a good countenance, and comely visage. And the Lord said, Arise, and anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the (C)Spirit of the Lord [g]came upon David, from that day forward: then Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
10 1 Cornelius 4 at the Angel’s commandment, 5 sendeth for Peter. 11 Who also by a vision, 15, 20 is taught not to despise the Gentiles. 34 He preacheth the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. 45 Who having received the holy Ghost, 47 are baptized.
1 Furthermore [a]there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a captain of the band called the Italian band,
2 A [b]devout man, and one that feared God with [c]all his household, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed God continually.
3 He saw in a vision evidently (about the ninth hour of the day) an Angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 But when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, [d]What is it, Lord? and he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are [e]come up into [f]remembrance before God.
5 Now therefore send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the Angel which spake unto Cornelius, was departed, he called two of his servants, and a soldier that feared God, one of them that waited on him,
8 And told them all things, and sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow as they went on their journey, and drew near unto the city, Peter went up upon the house to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 Then waxed he an hungered, and would have eaten: but while they made something ready, he fell into a [g]trance.
11 And he saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel come down unto him, as it had been a great sheet, knit at the [h]four corners, and was let down to the earth.
12 Wherein were [i]all manner of [j]four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and [k]creeping things, and fowls of the heaven.
13 And there came a voice to him, Arise, Peter: kill, and eat.
14 [l]But Peter said, Not so, Lord: for I have never eaten anything that is polluted, or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, The things that God hath purified, [m]pollute thou not.
16 This was so done thrice: and the vessel was drawn up again into heaven.
12 (A)[a]Then arose Peter and ran unto the sepulcher, and [b]looked in and saw the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13 ¶ (B)[c]And behold two of them went that same day to a town which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs, called Emmaus.
14 And they talked together of all these things that were done.
15 And it came to pass, as they communed together, and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 [d]But their eyes were holden, that they could not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad?
18 And [e]the one (named Cleopas) answered and said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass therein in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Of Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet, mighty indeed and in word before God, and all people,
20 [f]And how the high Priests, and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he that should have delivered Israel, and as touching all these things, today is the third day, that they were done.
22 Yea, and certain women among us made us astonied, which came early unto the sepulcher.
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of Angels, which said, that he was alive.
24 Therefore certain of them which were with us, went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as the women had said, but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken!
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And he began at Moses, and at all the Prophets, and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him.
28 And they drew near unto the town, which they went to, but he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is towards night, and the day is far spent. So he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at table with them, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he was [g]no more seen of them.
32 And they said between themselves, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and when he opened to us the Scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Which said, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 Then they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in [h]breaking of bread.
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