Book of Common Prayer
97 O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 Thou, through Thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for Thy commands are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word.
102 I have not departed from Thy judgments, for Thou hast taught me.
103 How sweet are Thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn an oath, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O Lord, according unto Thy word.
108 Accept, I beseech Thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Thy judgments.
109 My soul is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Thy law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I erred not from Thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
113 I hate vain thoughts, but Thy law do I love.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy word.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to Thy word, that I may live, and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe, and I will have regard unto Thy statutes continually.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from Thy statutes, for their deceit is falsehood.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Thy testimonies.
120 My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments.
81 Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow the trumpet in the new moon, at the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This He ordained in Joseph as a testimony, when He went out through the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I understood not:
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were delivered from the pots.
7 Thou called in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. I tested thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O My people, and I will testify unto thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto Me!
9 There shall be no strange god among thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust, and they walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My and against their adversaries.”
15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him, but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat, and, “With honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”
82 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly and accept persons of the wicked? Selah
3 Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, “Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.”
7 But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for Thou shalt inherit all nations.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brethren have come”; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “Say unto thy brethren, ‘This do ye: Load your beasts and go, get you unto the land of Canaan.
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.’
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: ‘Take with you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also, regard not your possessions, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
23 And to his father he sent in this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten sheasses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father on the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, “See that ye fall not out on the way.”
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 and told him, saying, “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive! I will go and see him before I die.”
8 Now concerning things offered unto idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
3 But if any man love God, the same is known by Him.
4 Concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but One.
5 For though there be what are called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many “gods” and many “lords”),
6 yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we in Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and we by Him.
7 However, there is not in every man that knowledge; for some, with conscience of the idol until this hour, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither are we the better if we eat, nor are we the worse if we eat not.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
10 For if any man see thee, who hast knowledge, sitting at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols,
11 and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 For when ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
14 And King Herod heard of Him, for His name was spread abroad. And he said, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore these mighty works show forth themselves in him.”
15 Others said, “It is Elijah,” and others said, “It is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.”
16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead.”
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and had bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.”
19 Therefore Herodias had an inward grudge against him and would have killed him, but she could not;
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 And when a convenient day had come, when Herod on his birthday gave a supper for his lords, high officers, and chief officials of Galilee,
22 and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, “Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it to thee.”
23 And he swore unto her, “Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it to thee, unto the half of my kingdom.”
24 And she went forth and said unto her mother, “What shall I ask?” And Herodias said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25 And she came back straightway with haste unto the king and asked, saying, “I will that thou give me at once on a charger the head of John the Baptist.”
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, yet for his oath’s sake and for their sakes who sat with him, he would not reject her.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded John’s head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,
28 and brought his head on a charger and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother.
29 And when John’s disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
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