Book of Common Prayer
37 1 This Psalm containeth exhortation and consolation for the weak, that are grieved at the prosperity of the wicked, and the affliction of the godly. 7 For how prosperously soever the wicked do live for the time, he doth affirm their felicity to be vain and transitory, because they are not in the favor of God, but in the end they are destroyed as his enemies. 11 And how miserably that the righteous seemeth to live in the world, yet his end is peace, and he is in the favor of God, he is delivered from the wicked, and preserved.
A Psalm of David.
1 Fret not [a]thyself because of the wicked men, neither be envious for the evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be [b]cut down like grass, and shall wither as the green herb.
3 [c]Trust thou in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly:
4 And delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee thine heart’s desire.
5 [d]Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy [e]judgment as the noon day.
7 Wait patiently upon the Lord, and hope in him: fret not thyself for him [f]which prospereth in his way, nor for the man that bringeth his enterprises to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and leave off wrath: fret not thyself [g]also to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off, and they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.
10 [h]Therefore yet a little while and the wicked shall not appear, and thou shalt look after his place, and he shall not be found.
11 But (A)meek men shall possess the earth, and shall have their delight in the multitude of peace.
12 [i]The wicked practiceth against the just, and gnasheth his teeth against him.
13 But the Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn their sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 But their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 [j]A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the just men.
18 The Lord [k]knoweth the days of upright men, and their inheritance shall be perpetual.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the days of famine they shall have [l]enough.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the [m]fat of lambs: even with the smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again: but the righteous is merciful and [n]giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land, and they that be cursed of him, shall be cut off.
23 [o]The paths of man are directed by the Lord: for he loveth his way.
24 Though he [p]fall, he shall not be cast off, for the Lord putteth under his hand.
25 I have been young, and am old: yet I saw never the righteous forsaken, nor his [q]seed begging bread.
26 But he is ever merciful and lendeth, and his seed enjoyeth the blessing.
27 Flee from evil and do good, and dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his Saints: they shall be preserved forevermore: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous men shall inherit the land, and dwell therein [r]forever.
30 The [s]mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom, and his tongue will talk of judgment.
31 For the Law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not slide.
32 The wicked watched the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him, when he is [t]judged.
34 Wait thou on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee, that thou shalt inherit the land: when the wicked men shall perish, thou shalt see.
35 I have seen the wicked strong, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he [u]passed away, and lo, he was gone, and I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 [v]Mark the upright man, and behold the just: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But their transgressors shall be destroyed together, and the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the [w]salvation of the righteous men shall be of the Lord: he shall be their strength in the time of trouble.
40 For the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and shall save them, because they trust in him.
11 3 Solomon hath a thousand wives and concubines, which bring him to idolatry. 14 His God raiseth up adversaries against him. 43 He dieth.
1 But King Solomon loved (A)many [a]outlandish women: both the daughter of Pharaoh, and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and Heth,
2 Of the nations, whereof the Lord had said unto the children of Israel, (B)Go not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Solomon join in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, that were [b]princesses, and three hundred [c]concubines, and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, so that his heart was not [d]perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon followed (C)Ashtoreth the god of the Sidonians, and [e]Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 So Solomon wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to follow the Lord, as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the [f]abomination of Moab, in the mountain that is over against Jerusalem, and unto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And so did he for all his outlandish wives, which burnt incense and offered unto their gods.
9 Therefore the Lord was angry with Solomon, because he had turned his heart from the Lord God of Israel, (D)which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had given him a (E)charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lord had commanded him.
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as [g]this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my Covenant, and my statutes (which I commanded thee) (F)I will surely rent thy kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, because of David thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy son:
13 Howbeit I will not rent all the kingdom, but will give one [h]tribe to thy son, because of David my servant, and because of Jerusalem which I have chosen.
13 [a]Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show by good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, rejoice not, neither be liars against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is sedition, and all manner of evil works.
17 But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of [b]mercy and good fruits, without judging, and without hypocrisy.
18 [c]And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace.
4 1 He reckoneth up the mischiefs that proceed of the works of the flesh. 7 He exhorteth to humility, 8 and to purge the heart 3 from pride, 10 backbiting, 14 and the forgetfulness of our own infirmity.
1 From [d]whence are wars and contentions among you? are they not hence, even of your pleasures, that fight in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye envy, and desire immoderately, and cannot obtain: ye fight, and war, and get nothing, [e]because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye might lay the same on your pleasures.
4 [f]Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the amity of the world is the enmity of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, maketh himself the enemy of God.
5 [g]Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us, lusteth after envy?
6 But the Scripture offereth more grace, and therefore saith, (A)God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
7 (B)[h]Submit yourselves to God: resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purge your hearts, ye double minded.
9 [i]Suffer afflictions, and sorrow ye, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into [j]heaviness.
10 (C)Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 [k]Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, or he that condemneth his brother, speaketh evil of the Law, and condemneth the Law: and if thou condemnest the Law, thou art not an observer of the Law, but a judge.
12 There is one Lawgiver, which is able to save, and to destroy, (D)Who art thou that judgest another man?
12 And Pilate answered, and said again unto them, What will ye then that I do with him, whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, But what evil hath he done? And they cried the more fervently, Crucify him.
15 So Pilate willing to content the people, loosed them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified.
16 Then the soldiers led him away into the hall, which is the common hall, and called together the whole band,
17 [a]And clad him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
18 And began to salute him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews.
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and spat upon him, and bowed the knees, and did him reverence.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21 (A)And they [b]compelled one that passed by, called Simon of Cyrene (which came out of the country, and was father of Alexander and Rufus) to bear his cross.
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