Book of Common Prayer
ZAIN
49 Remember [a]the promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust.
50 It is my comfort in my trouble; for thy promise hath quickened me.
51 The [b]proud have had me exceedingly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy Law.
52 I remembered thy [c]judgments of old, O Lord, and have been comforted.
53 [d]Fear is come upon me for the wicked, that forsake thy Law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my [e]pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the [f]night, and have kept thy Law.
56 [g]This I had because I kept thy precepts.
CHETH
57 O Lord, that art my [h]portion, I have determined to keep thy words.
58 I made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy promise.
59 I have considered my [i]ways, and turned my feet into thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61 The bands of the wicked have [j]robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy Law.
62 At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee, because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am [k]companion of all them that fear thee, and keep thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: [l]teach me thy statutes.
TETH
65 O Lord, thou hast dealt [m]graciously with thy servant, according unto thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
67 Before I was [n]afflicted, I went astray: but now I keep thy word.
68 Thou art good and gracious: teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud have imagined a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 [o]Their heart is fat as grease, but my delight is in thy Law.
71 It is [p]good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes.
72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, than thousands of gold and silver.
49 1 The holy Ghost calleth all men to the consideration of man’s life, 7 showing them not to be most blessed that are most wealthy, and therefore not to be feared: but contrariwise he lifteth up our minds to consider how all things are ruled by God’s providence: 14 Who as he judgeth these worldly misers to everlasting torments, 15 so doth he preserve his, and will reward them in the day of the resurrection, 1 Thess. 1:6.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm committed to the sons of Korah.
1 Hear [a]this all ye people: give ear, all ye that dwell in the world,
2 As well low as high, both rich and poor.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of mine heart is of knowledge.
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable, and utter my grave matter upon the harp.
5 Wherefore should I [b]fear in the evil days, when iniquity shall compass me about, as at mine heels?
6 They trust in their [c]goods, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
7 Yet a man can by no means redeem his brother: he cannot give his ransom to God,
8 (So [d]precious is the redemption of their souls, [e]and the continuance forever)
9 That he may live still forever, and not see the grave.
10 For he seeth that wise men [f]die: and also that the ignorant and foolish perish, and leave their riches for [g]others.
11 Yet they think their houses and their habitations shall continue forever, even from generation to generation, and [h]call their lands by their names.
12 But man shall not continue in honor; he is like the [i]beasts that die.
13 This their way uttereth their foolishness; yet their posterity [j]delight in their talk. Selah.
14 [k]Like sheep they lie in grave; [l]death devoureth them; and the righteous shall have domination over them in the [m]morning; for their beauty shall consume, when they shall go from their house to grave.
15 But God shall deliver my soul from the power of the grave; [n]for he will receive me. Selah.
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, and when the glory of his house is increased.
17 (A)For he shall take nothing away, when he dieth, neither shall his pomp descend after him.
18 For while he lived, [o]he rejoiced himself; and [p]men will praise thee, when thou makest much of thyself.
19 [q][r]He shall enter into the generation of his fathers, [s]and they shall not live forever.
20 Man is in honor; and [t]understandeth not; he is like to beasts that perish.
53 1 He describeth the crooked nature. 4 The cruelty, 5 And punishment of the wicked, when they look not for it, 6 And desireth the deliverance of the godly, that they may rejoice together.
To him that excelleth on [a]Mahalath. A Psalm of David to give instruction.
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is [b]no God, they have corrupted and done abominable wickedness, there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and [c]seek God.
3 (A)Everyone is gone back: they are altogether corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not the [d]workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people as they eat bread? they call not upon God.
5 There they were afraid for fear, where no [e]fear was: for God hath scattered the [f]bones of him that besieged thee: thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath cast them off.
6 Oh give salvation unto Israel out of Zion: when God turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
17 1 Elijah forewarneth of the famine to come. 4 He is fed of Ravens. 9 He is sent to Zarephath, where he restoreth his hostess’s son to life.
1 And Elijah the Tishbite one of the inhabitants of Gilead said unto Ahab, (A)As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I [a]stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, but [b]according to my word.
2 ¶ And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
3 Go hence, and turn thee Eastward, and hide thyself in the [c]river Cherith, that is over against Jordan,
4 And thou shalt drink of the river: and I have commanded the [d]ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the river Cherith that is over against Jordan
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the river.
7 And after a while the river dried up, because there fell no rain upon the earth.
8 ¶ And the [e]word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 (B)Up, and get thee to Zarephath, which is in Sidon, and remain there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow was there [f]gathering sticks: and he called her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but even an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering [g]a few sticks for to go in, and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and [h]die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not, come do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first of all, and bring it unto me, and afterward make for thee and thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [i]The meal in the barrel shall not be wasted, neither shall the oil in the cruse be diminished, unto the time that the Lord send rain upon the earth.
15 So she went, and did as Elijah said, and she did eat: so did he and her house [j]for a certain time.
16 The barrel of the meal wasted not, nor the oil was spent out of the cruse, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of Elijah.
17 ¶ And after these things, the son of the wife of the house fell sick, and his sickness was so sore, [k]that there was no [l]breath left in him.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son: and he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 Then he called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou [m]punished also this widow, with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother, and Elijah said, Behold, thy son liveth.
24 And the woman said unto Elijah, Now [n]I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.
2 1 He exhorteth them above all things, 3 to humility, 6 and that by the example of Christ. 19 He promiseth to send Timothy shortly unto them, 26 and excuseth the long tarrying of Epaphroditus.
1 [a]If there be therefore any consolation in [b]Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [c]compassion and mercy,
2 Fulfill my joy, that ye be like minded, having the [d]same love, being of one accord, and of one judgment,
3 That nothing be done through contention or vainglory, but that in meekness of mind every man esteem others better than himself.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of other men.
5 [e]Let the same mind be in you that was even in Christ Jesus,
6 Who being in the [f]form of God, [g]thought it no robbery to be [h]equal with God:
7 But he made himself of [i]no reputation, and took on him the [j]form of a servant, and was made like unto men, and was found in shape as a man.
8 He humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross.
9 [k]Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and given him a [l]name above every name.
10 That at the Name of Jesus should [m]every knee bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
11 And that [n]every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, unto the glory of God the Father.
2 The wise men, who are the firstfruits of the Gentiles, worship Christ. 14 Joseph fled into Egypt with Jesus and his mother. 16 Herod slayeth the children.
1 When (A)[a]Jesus then was born at Bethlehem in [b]Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came [c]Wise men from the East to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews that is born? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him.
3 When king Herod heard this, he was [d]troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And gathering together all the [e]chief Priests and [f]Scribes of the people, he asked of them, where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, At Bethlehem in Judea: for so it is written by the Prophet,
6 (B)And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the [g]least among the Princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come the governor that [h]shall feed my people Israel.
7 Then Herod privily called the Wise men, and diligently inquired of them the time of the star that appeared,
8 And sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go, and search diligently for the babe: and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come also, and worship him.
9 ¶ So when they had heard the king, they departed: and lo, the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the babe was.
10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy,
11 And went into the house, and found the babe with Mary his mother, and [i]fell down, and worshipped him, and opened their [j]treasures, and presented unto him gifts, even gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And after they were [k]warned of God in a dream, that they should not go again to Herod, they returned into their country another way.
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