Book of Common Prayer
The privileges of citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song.
[a]87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah
4 I will make mention of [b]Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me:
Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with [c]Ethiopia:
This one was born there.
5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her;
And the Most High himself will establish her.
6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples,
This one was born there. Selah
7 They that sing as well as [d]they that dance shall say,
All my fountains are in thee.
Book IV
God’s eternity and man’s transitoriness.
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
90 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place
In all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever thou [a]hadst formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to [b]destruction,
And sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight
Are but as yesterday [c]when it is past,
And as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:
In the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;
In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed in thine anger,
And in thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,
Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
We bring our years to an end as [d]a sigh.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten,
Or even by reason of strength fourscore years;
Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow;
For it is soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger,
And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may get us a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Jehovah; how long?
And let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14 Oh satisfy us in the morning with thy lovingkindness,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
And the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants,
And thy glory upon their children.
17 And let the [e]favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And establish thou the work of our hands upon us;
Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Thanks for Jehovah’s goodness to Israel.
136 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
2 Oh give thanks unto the God of gods;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
3 Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
5 To him that by understanding made the heavens;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
6 To him that spread forth the earth above the waters;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
7 To him that made great lights;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
13 To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
15 But [a]overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
16 To him that led his people through the wilderness;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
17 To him that smote great kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
18 And slew famous kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
20 And Og king of Bashan;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
21 And gave their land for a heritage;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
22 Even a heritage unto Israel his servant;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
23 Who remembered us in our low estate;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
24 And hath delivered us from our adversaries;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
25 Who giveth food to all flesh;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
26 Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
15 And Nathan departed unto his house.
And Jehovah struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: [a]how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead! 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Jehovah, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether Jehovah will not be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and [b]he called his name Solomon. And Jehovah loved him; 25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name [c]Jedidiah, for Jehovah’s sake.
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yea, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and [d]it be called after my name. 29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 30 And he took the crown of [e]their king from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much. 31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them [f]under saws, and [g]under harrows of iron, and [h]under axes of iron, and [i]made them pass through the [j]brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
20 And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone through those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece. 3 And when he had spent three months there, and a plot was laid against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4 And there accompanied him [a]as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 But these [b]had gone before, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we tarried seven days.
7 And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered together. 9 And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him. 11 And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the lad alive, and were not a little comforted.
13 But we, going before to the ship, set sail for Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, intending himself to go [c]by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from thence, we came the following day over against Chios; and the next day we touched at Samos; and [d]the day after we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
30 And they went forth from thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is [a]delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise again. 32 But they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? 34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the [b]greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and [c]servant of all. 36 And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, 37 Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38 John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a [d]mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is for us. 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, [e]because ye are Christ’s, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
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