Book of Common Prayer
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not Thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me and hear me; I mourn in my complaint and moan,
3 because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is sorely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him.
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down alive into hell; for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.
18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many with me.
19 God shall hear and afflict them, even He that abideth of old. Selah Because they have not changed, therefore they fear not God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against those that are at peace with him; he hath broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in Thee.
138 I will praise Thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.
2 I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.
3 In the day when I cried, Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly, but the proud He knoweth afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands.
139 O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,” even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.
13 For Thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and intricately wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuity were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee.
19 Surely, Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against Thee wickedly, and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against Thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts.
1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag—
2 it came even to pass on the third day that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head; and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth and did obeisance.
3 And David said unto him, “From whence comest thou?” And he said unto him, “Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.”
4 And David said unto him, “How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”
5 And David said unto the young man who told him, “How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”
6 And the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called unto me. And I answered, ‘Here am I.’
8 And he said unto me, ‘Who art thou?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
9 And he said unto me again, ‘Stand, I pray thee, upon me and slay me; for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.’
10 So I stood upon him and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after he was fallen. And I took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.”
11 Then David took hold on his clothes and rent them, and likewise all the men who were with him.
12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 And David said unto the young man who told him, “From whence art thou?” And he answered, “I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.”
14 And David said unto him, “How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’S anointed?”
15 And David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and fall upon him.” And he smote him so that he died.
16 And David said unto him, “Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, ‘I have slain the Lord’S anointed.’”
22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
23 And they wrote letters to accompany them in this manner: “The apostles and elders and brethren send greetings unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
24 Inasmuch as we have heard that certain ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ‘Ye must be circumcised and keep the law’ — to whom we gave no such commandment —
25 it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. If ye keep yourselves from these things, ye shall do well. Fare ye well!”
30 So when they were sent off, they went to Antioch. And when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle;
31 and when they had read it, they rejoiced in its consolation.
32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and strengthened them.
33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace by the brethren to return unto the apostles.
34 Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to remain there still.
35 Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, with many others also.
6 And He went out from thence and came into His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
2 And when the Sabbath day had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”
5 And He could do no mighty works there, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages teaching.
7 And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits,
8 and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only — no wallet, no bread, and no money in their purse,
9 but be shod with sandals, and not put on two coats.
10 And He said unto them, “In whatever place ye enter into a house, there abide until ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city.”
12 And they went out and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
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