Book of Common Prayer
26 1 David oppressed with many injuries, finding no help in the world, calleth for aid from God: and assured of his integrity towards Saul, desireth God to be his judge, and to defend his innocence. 6 Finally he maketh mention of his sacrifice, which he will offer for his deliverance, and desireth to be in the company of the faithful in the Congregation of God, whence he was banished by Saul, promising integrity of life, and open praises and thanksgiving.
A Psalm of David.
1 Judge me, [a]O Lord, for I have walked in mine innocency: my trust hath been also in the Lord: therefore shall I not slide.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me: examine my [b]reins, and mine heart.
3 For thy [c]lovingkindness is before mine eyes: therefore have I walked in thy truth.
4 I have not [d]haunted with vain persons, neither kept company with the dissemblers.
5 I have hated the assembly of the evil, and have not companied with the wicked.
6 I will [e]wash mine hands in innocency, O Lord, and compass thine altar,
7 That I may declare with the voice of thanksgiving, and set forth all thy wondrous works.
8 O Lord, I have loved the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth.
9 [f]Gather not my soul with the sinners, nor my life with the bloody men:
10 In whose hand is [g]wickedness, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But I will walk in mine innocency: redeem me therefore, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth in [h]uprightness: I will praise thee, O Lord, in the Congregations.
28 1 Being in great fear and heaviness of heart to see God dishonored by the wicked, he desireth to be rid of them. 4 And crieth for vengeance against them: and at length assureth himself, that God hath heard his prayer, 9 Unto whose tuition he commendeth all the faithful.
A Psalm of David.
1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I cry: O my strength, be not deaf toward me, lest if thou answer me not, I be like [a]them that go down into the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry unto thee, when I hold up my hands toward thine [b]holy Oracle.
3 [c]Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity: which speak friendly to their neighbors, when malice is in their hearts.
4 [d]Reward them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their inventions: recompense them after the work of their hands: render them their reward.
5 For they reward not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands: therefore [e]break them down, and build them not up.
6 [f]Praised be the Lord, for he hath heard the voice of my petitions.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield: mine heart trusted in him, and I was helped: therefore mine heart shall rejoice, and with my song will I praise him.
8 The Lord is [g]their strength, and he is the strength of the deliverances of his anointed.
9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and exalt them forever.
36 1 The Prophet grievously vexed by the wicked, doth complain of their malicious wickedness. 6 Then he turneth to consider the unspeakable goodness of God toward all creatures. 9 But specially towards his children, that by the faith thereof he may be comforted and assured of his deliverance by this ordinary course of God’s work. 12 Who in the end destroyeth the wicked, and saveth the just.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 Wickedness saith to the wicked man, [a]even in mine heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he [b]flattereth himself in his own eyes, while his iniquity is found worthy to be hated.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and [c]deceit: he hath left off to understand and to do good.
4 He [d]imagineth mischief upon his bed: he setteth himself upon a way, that is not good, and doth not abhor evil.
5 Thy [e]mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens, and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the [f]mighty mountains: thy judgments are like a great [g]deep: thou Lord, dost save man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy mercy, O God! therefore the children of men trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be [h]satisfied with the fatness of thine house, and thou shalt give them drink out of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the well of life, and in thy light shall we see light.
10 Extend thy loving-kindness unto them that [i]know thee, and thy righteousness unto them that are upright in heart.
11 Let not the [j]foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked men move me.
12 [k]There they are fallen that work iniquity: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
39 1 David uttereth with what great grief and bitterness of mind he was driven to these outrageous complaints of his infirmities. 2 For he confesseth that when he had determined silence, that he brast forth yet into words, that he would not, through the greatness of his grief. 4 Then he rehearseth certain requests which taste of the infirmity of man. 8 And mixeth with them many prayers: but all do show a mind wonderfully trembled, that it may plainly appear how he did strive mightily against death and desperation.
To the excellent Musician [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I thought, [b]I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth bridled, while the wicked is in my sight.
2 I was dumb and spake nothing: I kept silence even from good, [c]and my sorrow was more stirred.
3 Mine heart was hot within me, and while I was musing, the fire kindled, and I [d]spake with my tongue, saying,
4 Lord, let me know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: let me know how long I have to live.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand breadth, and mine age as nothing in respect of thee: surely every man in his best state is altogether [e]vanity. Selah.
6 Doubtless man walketh in a shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
7 And now Lord, what wait I for? mine hope is even in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions, and make me not a rebuke unto the [f]foolish.
9 I should have been dumb, and not have opened my mouth, because [g]thou didst it.
10 Take thy plague away from me: for I am consumed by the stroke of thine hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost chastise man for iniquity, thou as a moth [h]makest his [i]beauty to consume: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my cry: keep not silence at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers.
13 Stay thine anger from me, that I may recover my strength, [j]before I go hence and be not.
19 2 Jonathan declareth to David the wicked purpose of Saul. 11 Michal his wife saveth him. 18 David cometh to Samuel. 23 The Spirit of prophecy cometh on Saul.
1 Then Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should [a]kill David: but Jonathan Saul’s son had a great favor to David.
2 And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed unto thyself unto the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.
3 And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where thou [b]art, and will commune with my father of thee, and I will see what he saith, and will tell thee.
4 ¶ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David: for he hath not sinned against thee, but his works have been to thee very good.
5 For he [c]did (A)put his life in danger, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and thou rejoicedst: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, and slay David without a cause?
6 Then Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul [d]swore, As the Lord liveth, he shall not die.
7 So Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.
8 ¶ Again the war began, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.
9 ¶ And the evil spirit of the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house having his spear in his hand, and David [e]played with his hand.
10 And Saul intended to smite David to the wall with the spear: but he turned aside out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear against the wall: but David fled, and escaped the same night.
11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told it him, saying, If thou save not thyself this night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.
12 So Michal [f]let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13 Then Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow stuffed with goat’s hair under the head of it, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him to me in the [g]bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, an image was in the bed with a pillow of goat’s hair under the head of it.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go, or else I will kill thee.
18 ¶ So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him: and he and Samuel went and dwelt in [h]Naioth.
12 Herod killeth James with the sword, 4 And imprisoneth Peter, 8 whom the Angel delivereth. 20 Herod being offended with them of Tyrus, 21 is pacified: 22 And taking the honor due to God, to himself, 23 he is eaten with worms , and so dieth.
1 Now [a]about that time, [b]Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church,
2 And he [c]killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 [d]And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further, to take Peter also (then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 [e]And when he had caught him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
5 [f]So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer was made of the Church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him out unto the people, the same night slept Peter between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door, kept the prison.
7 (A)And behold the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and a light shined in the [g]house, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the Angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. Then he said unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 So Peter came out and followed him, and knew not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seen a vision.
10 Now when they were past the first and the second watch, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them by its own accord, and they went out, and passed through one street, and by and by the Angel departed from him.
11 ¶ And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know for a truth, that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the waiting for of the people of the Jews.
12 [h]And as he considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together, and prayed.
13 [i]And when Peter knocked at the entry door, a maid [j]came forth to hearken, named Rhoda,
14 But when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the entry door for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the entry.
15 But they said unto her, Thou art mad. Yet she affirmed it constantly, that it was so. Then said they, It is his Angel.
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and saw him, they were astonied.
17 [k]And he beckoned unto them with the hand, to hold their peace, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James and to the brethren: and he departed and went into another place.
2 3 and 4 One sick of the palsy, having his sins forgiven him, is healed. 14 Matthew is called. 19 Fastings and afflictions are foretold. 23 The Disciples pluck the ears of corn. 26 The showbread.
1 After (A)[a]a few days, he entered into Capernaum again, and it was noised that he was in the [b]house.
2 And anon many gathered together, insomuch, that the [c]places about the door could not receive any more: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And there came unto him, that brought one sick of the palsy, borne of four men.
4 And because they could not come near unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof of the house where he was: and when they had broken it open, they [d]let down the [e]bed, wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 Now when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
6 And there were certain of the Scribes sitting there, and [f]reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man speak such blasphemies? (B)who can forgive sins, but God only?
8 And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit, that thus they reasoned with themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath authority in earth to forgive sins, he said unto the sick of the palsy,
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and get thee hence into thine own house.
12 And by and by he arose, and took up his bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they were all [g]amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw such a thing.
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