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.
3 1 Solomon taketh Pharaoh’s daughter to wife. 5 The Lord appeareth to him, and giveth him wisdom. 17 The pleading of the two harlots, and Solomon’s sentence therein.
1 Solomon (A)then made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the [a]city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only the people sacrificed in the [b]high places, because there was no house built unto the Name of the Lord, until those days.
3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the ordinances of David his [c]father: only he sacrificed and offered incense in the high places.
4 And the King went to [d]Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chief high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, [e]when he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee: and thou hast [f]kept for him this great mercy, and hast given him a son, to sit on his throne, as appeareth this day.
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a young child, and know not how to [g]go out and in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people, which thou hast chosen, even a great people, which cannot be told nor numbered for multitude.
9 (B)Give therefore unto thy servant an [h]understanding heart, to judge thy people: that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy [i]mighty people?
10 And this pleased the Lord well, that Solomon had desired this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine [j]enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgment,
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like unto thee.
13 And I have also (C)given thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that among the Kings there [k]shall be none like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep mine ordinances and my commandments, (D)as thy father David did walk, I will prolong thy days.
15 And when Solomon awoke, behold it was [l]a dream, and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings, and made peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
9 [a]So when much time was spent, and sailing was now jeopardous, because also the [b]Fast was now passed, Paul exhorted them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I see that this voyage will be with hurt, and much damage, not of the lading and ship only, but also of our lives.
11 [c]Nevertheless the Centurion believed rather the governor and the master of the ship, than those things which were spoken of Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, many took counsel to depart thence, if by any means they might attain to Phoenix, there to winter, which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the Southwest and by West, and Northwest and by West.
13 And when the Southern wind blew softly, they supposing to attain their purpose, loosed nearer, and sailed by Crete.
14 But anon after, there arose by [d]it a stormy wind called [e]Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not resist the wind, we let her go, and were carried away.
16 And we ran under a little Isle named Clauda, and had much ado to get the boat.
17 Which they took up and used all help, undergirding the ship, fearing lest they should have fallen into Syrtis, and they strake sail, and so were carried.
18 [f]The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship.
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay upon us, all hope that we should be saved, was then taken away.
21 [g]But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened to me, and not have loosed from Candia: so should ye have gained this hurt and loss.
22 But now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, save of the ship only.
23 For there stood by me this night the Angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul: for thou must be brought before Caesar: and lo, God hath given unto thee freely, all that sail with thee.
25 [h]Wherefore, Sirs, be of good courage: for I believe God, that it shall be so as it hath been told me.
26 Howbeit, we must be cast into a certain Island.
14 1 The Priests’ conspiracy against Christ. 3 The woman pouring oil on Christ’s head. 12 The preparing of the Passover. 22 The institution of the Supper. 41 Christ delivered into the hands of men. 43 Judas betrayeth him with a kiss. 53 Christ is before Caiaphas. 66 Peter’s denial.
1 And (A)[a]two days after followed the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread: and the high Priests, and Scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
2 But they said, Not in the feast day, lest there be any tumult among the people.
3 (B)And when he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having a box of ointment of Spikenard, very costly, and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4 [b]Therefore some disdained among themselves, and said, To what end is this waste of ointment?
5 For it might have been sold for more than [c]three hundred pence, and been given unto the poor, and they murmured against her.
6 But Jesus said, Let her alone: Why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 [d]For ye have the poor with you always, and when ye will ye may do them good, but me ye shall not have always.
8 [e]She hath done that she could: she came aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done, shall be spoken of in remembrance of her.
10 ¶ (C)[f]Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away unto the high Priests, to betray him unto them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised that they would give him money: therefore he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
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