Book of Common Prayer
38 O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy wrath, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure!
2 For Thine arrows stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sorely.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh, because of Thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities have gone over mine head; as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are foul and corrupt because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and sorely broken; I have groaned because of the disquiet of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desires are known to Thee; and my groaning is not hidden from Thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and devise deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope; Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me; when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.”
17 For I am ready for halting, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are alive and they are strong; and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken Thou me according to Thy word.
26 I have declared my ways, and Thou heardest me; teach me Thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the way of Thy precepts; so shall I talk of Thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth from heaviness; strengthen Thou me according to Thy word.
29 Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Thy law graciously.
30 I have chosen the way of truth; Thy judgments have I laid before me.
31 I have held fast unto Thy testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame.
32 I will run in the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments, for therein do I delight.
36 Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness;
37 turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken Thou me in Thy way.
38 Establish Thy word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to the fear of Thee.
39 Turn away my reproach which I fear, for Thy judgments are good.
40 Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts; quicken me in Thy righteousness.
41 Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even Thy salvation according to Thy word;
42 so shall I have the answer for him that reproacheth me, for I trust in Thy word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Thy judgments.
44 So shall I keep Thy law continually, for ever and ever.
45 And I will walk in liberty, for I seek Thy precepts.
46 I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
47 And I will delight myself in Thy commandments which I have loved.
48 My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate on Thy statutes.
18 And the sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan.
19 These are the three sons of Noah, and from them was the whole earth overspread.
20 And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.
21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren outside.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25 And he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.”
26 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”
28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
6 Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come,
6 if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for those by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.
8 But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, though we thus speak, we are persuaded that there are better things for you, things that accompany salvation.
10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward His name, in that ye have ministeredto the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end,
12 that ye be not slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He tarried with them, and baptized.
23 And John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized,
24 for John had not yet been cast into prison.
25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26 And they came unto John and said unto him, “Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness — behold, the same baptizeth and all men come to Him.”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from Heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but that ‘I am sent before Him.’
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This my joy, therefore, is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “He that cometh from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from Heaven is above all.
32 And what He hath seen and heard, to that He testifieth, and no man receiveth His testimony.
33 He that hath received His testimony hath set his seal to this: that God is true.
34 For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.
35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand.
36 He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
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