Book of Common Prayer

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.

² But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

³ And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

⁴ Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.

⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

2 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?

² The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.

³ Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.

⁴ He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.

⁵ Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.

⁶ But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.

⁷ The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

⁸ Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

⁹ Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

¹⁰ And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.

¹¹ Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.

¹² Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.

¹³ When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

3 The psalm of David when he fled from the face of his son Absalom.

² Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? many are they who rise up against me.

³ Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.

⁴ But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

⁵ I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and he hath heard me from his holy hill.

⁶ I have slept and taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me.

⁷ I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God.

⁸ For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.

⁹ Salvation is of the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people.

4 Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.

² When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

³ O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

⁴ Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

⁵ Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.

⁶ Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?

⁷ The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.

⁸ By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.

⁹ In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:

¹⁰ For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.

7 The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. [2 Kings 16.]

² O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

³ Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save.

⁴ O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands:

⁵ If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.

⁶ Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.

⁷ Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded:

⁸ And a congregation of people shall surround thee. And for their sakes return thou on high.

⁹ The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me.

¹⁰ The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God.

¹¹ Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart.

¹² God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?

¹³ Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.

¹⁴ And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn.

¹⁵ Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.

¹⁶ He hath opened a pit and dug it; and he is fallen into the hole he made.

¹⁷ His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall comedown upon his crown.

¹⁸ I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.

⁵ And Adonias the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

⁶ Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.

⁷ And he conferred with Joab the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar the priest, who furthered Adonias's side.

⁸ But Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David's army was not with Adonias.

⁹ And Adonias having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Juda, the king's servants:

¹⁰ But Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon his brother, he invited not.

¹¹ And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?

¹² Now then come, take my counsel and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

¹³ Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign?

¹⁴ And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.

¹⁵ So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber: now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him.

¹⁶ Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will?

¹⁷ She answered and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.

¹⁸ And behold now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.

¹⁹ He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the general of the army: but Solomon thy servant he invited not.

²⁰ And now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.

²¹ Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

²² As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.

²³ And they told the king, saying: Nathan the prophet is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground,

²⁴ Nathan said: My lord O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?

²⁵ Because he is gone down to day, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:

²⁶ But me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Solomon thy servant he hath not invited.

²⁷ Is this word come out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

²⁸ And king David answered and said: Call to me Bethsabee. And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him,

²⁹ The king swore and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,

³⁰ Even as I swore to thee by the Lord the God of Israel, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.

³¹ And Bethsabee bowing with her face to the earth worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever.

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching forth his hand, began to make his answer.

² I think myself happy, O king Agrippa, that I am to answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews.

³ Especially as thou knowest all, both customs and questions that are among the Jews: Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴ And my life indeed from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem, all the Jews do know:

⁵ Having known me from the beginning (if they will give testimony) that according to the most sure sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶ And now for the hope of the promise that was made by God to the fathers, do I stand subject to judgment:

⁷ Unto which, our twelve tribes, serving night and day, hope to come. For which hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸ Why should it be thought a thing incredible, that God should raise the dead?

⁹ And I indeed did formerly think, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰ Which also I did at Jerusalem, and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority of the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I brought the sentence.

¹¹ And oftentimes punishing them, in every synagogue, I compelled them to blaspheme: and being yet more mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

¹² Whereupon when I was going to Damascus with authority and permission of the chief priest,

¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them that were in company with me.

¹⁴ And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

¹⁵ And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶ But rise up, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, that I may make thee a minister, and a witness of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things wherein I will appear to thee,

¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the nations, unto which now I send thee:

¹⁸ To open their eyes, that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and a lot among the saints, by the faith that is in me.

¹⁹ Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not incredulous to the heavenly vision:

²⁰ But to them first that are at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and unto all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles did I preach, that they should do penance, and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance.

²¹ For this cause the Jews, when I was in the temple, having apprehended me, went about to kill me.

²² But being aided by the help of God, I stand unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other thing than those which the prophets, and Moses did say should come to pass:

²³ That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

¹⁴ And when you shall see the abomination of desolation, standing where it ought not: he that readeth let him understand: then let them that are in Judea, flee unto the mountains:

¹⁵ And let him that is on the housetop, not go down into the house, nor enter therein to take any thing out of the house:

¹⁶ And let him that shall be in the field, not turn back to take up his garment.

¹⁷ And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.

¹⁸ But pray ye, that these things happen not in winter.

¹⁹ For in those days shall be such tribulations, as were not from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, neither shall be.

²⁰ And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect which he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

²¹ And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; lo, he is here: do not believe.

²² For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and they shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect.

²³ Take you heed therefore; behold I have foretold you all things.

²⁴ But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.

²⁵ And the stars of heaven shall be falling down, and the powers that are in heaven, shall be moved.

²⁶ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.

²⁷ And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.