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.
6 At the commandment of Darius king of Persia, after the Temple was built and dedicated, the children of Israel keep the feast of unleavened bread.
1 Then king Darius gave commandment, and they made search in the [a]library of the treasures, which were there laid up in Babel.
2 And there was found in a [b]coffer (in the palace that was in the province of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memorial,
3 IN THE FIRST year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be built, even the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the walls thereof be joined together: let the height thereof be threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits,
4 Three [c]orders of [d]great stones, and one order of timber, and let the expenses be given of the king’s house.
5 And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple, which was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babel) and let [e]him go unto the Temple that is in Jerusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tattenai captain beyond the river, and Shethar-Boznai, (and their companions Apharsecai, which are beyond the River) be ye far [f]from thence.
7 Suffer ye the work of this house of God, that the captain of the Jews and the Elders of the Jews may build this house of God in his place.
8 For I have given a commandment what ye shall do to the Elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God, that of the revenues of the King, which is of the tribute beyond the River, there be incontinently expenses given unto these men that they [g]cease not.
9 And that which they shall have need of, let it be given unto them day by day, whether it be young bullocks, or rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the Priests that are in Jerusalem, that there be no fault,
10 That they may have to offer sweet odors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the king’s life, and for his sons.
11 And I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this sentence, the wood shall be pulled down from his house, and shall be set up, and he shall be hanged thereon, and his house shall be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God that hath caused his Name [h]to dwell there, destroy all kings and people that put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree, let it be done with speed.
13 ¶ Then Tattenai the Captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.
14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered by the prophesying of [i]Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, and they built and finished it, by the appointment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished the third day of the month [j]Adar, which was [k]the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 ¶ And the children of Israel, the Priests, and the Levites, and the residue of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the Priests in their order, and the Levites in their courses over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the (A)book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 (For the Priests and the Levites were purified altogether) and they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the Priests, and for themselves.
21 So the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had [l]separated themselves unto them, from the filthiness of the Heathen of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,
22 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them glad, and turned the heart of the king of [m]Assyria unto them, to [n]encourage them in the work of the house of God, even the God of Israel.
5 1 The book sealed with seven seals, 3 which none could open. 6 That Lamb of God, 9 is thought worthy to open, 12 even by the consent of all the company of heaven.
1 [a]And I saw in the [b]right hand of him that sat upon the throne, [c]a book written within, and on the backside sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong Angel which preached with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 [d]And no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 Then I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 [e]And one of the Elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, that (A)[f]Lion which is of the tribe of Judah, that root of David, hath obtained to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 Then I beheld, and lo, [g]in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb, as though he had been killed, which had seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent into all the world.
7 [h]And he came, and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 [i]And when he hath taken the book, the four beasts, and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one [j]harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the [k]prayers of the Saints,
9 And they sung a [l]new [m]song, saying, [n]Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, because thou wast killed, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
10 And hast made us unto our God (B)Kings, and Priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
10 ¶ Then the disciples came, and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?
11 [a]And he answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 (A)For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, do not see: and hearing, they hear not, neither understand.
14 So in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which prophecy saith, (B)By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.
15 For this people’s heart is waxed fat, and their ears are dull of hearing, and with their eyes they have winked, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should return, that I might heal them.
16 [b]But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 (C)For verily I say unto you, that many Prophets, and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.