Book of Common Prayer
40 For victory, the psalm of David. I abiding abode the Lord; and he gave attention to me. And he heard my prayers; (To victory, the song of David. Patiently waiting, I waited for the Lord; and he gave attention to me. And he heard my prayers;)
2 and he led out me from the pit of wretchedness, and from the filth of dregs. And he ordained my feet on a stone; and he (ad)dressed my goings. (and he led me out of the pit of wretchedness, and out of the filth of dregs. And he ordained my feet upon a stone; and he directed my goings.)
3 And he sent into my mouth a new song; a song to our God. Many men shall see, and dread; and shall hope in the Lord. (And he put a new song in my mouth; a song to our God. And many shall see this, and shall have fear/and shall be in awe; and then they shall put their trust in the Lord.)
4 Blessed is the man, of whom the name of the Lord is his hope; and he beheld not into vanities, and into false vengeances. (Happy is the person, for whom the Lord’s name is his hope; and he looketh not to idols, or to false gods.)
5 My Lord God, thou hast made thy marvels many; and in thy thoughts none is, that is like thee (toward us). I told and I spake; and they be multiplied above number. (My Lord God, thou hast done many marvellous deeds; and there is no one like thee, for all thy thoughts be for our benefit. I have told about them; yea, I have spoken about them, and they be multiplied far above number.)
6 Thou wouldest not sacrifice and offering; but thou madest perfectly ears to me. Thou askedest not burnt sacrifice, and other sacrifice for sin; (Thou desiredest not sacrifices and offerings; but thou hast given me ears to hear thee. Thou askedest not for burnt sacrifices, and other sacrifices for sin;)
7 then I said, Lo! I come. In the head of the book it is written of me, (and so I said, Lo! I am here. From the beginning, the Book of thy Law was written for me,)
8 that I should do thy will; my God, I would/I desired also to do (it); and thy law in the midst of mine heart. (so that I would do thy will; my God, I desire to do it; and thy Law is there in the midst of my heart.)
9 I told thy rightfulness in a great church; lo! I shall not refrain my lips, Lord, thou knewest. (I told of thy righteousness in the great congregation; lo! I shall not refrain my lips, Lord, thou knowest that.)
10 I hid not thy rightfulness in mine heart; I said thy truth and thine health. I hid not thy mercy, and thy truth, from a much council. (I kept not thy righteousness, or thy goodness, hidden in my heart; I spoke about thy faithfulness, and thy salvation, or thy deliverance. I hid not thy love, and thy faithfulness, from the great congregation.)
11 But thou, Lord, make not far thy merciful doings from me; thy mercy and truth ever[more] take me up. (But thou, Lord, make not thy merciful doings to be far away from me; let thy love, and thy faithfulness, keep me safe forevermore.)
12 For why evils, of which is no number, (en)compassed me; my wickednesses have taken me, and I might not, that I should (even) see. Those be multiplied above the hairs of mine head; and mine heart forsook me. (For evils, of which there is no number, surrounded me; my wickednesses have taken hold of me, and I can no longer see. Yea, they be multiplied far above the hairs of my head; and my heart hath deserted me.)
13 Lord, please it to thee, that thou deliver me; Lord, behold thou to help me. (Lord, may it please thee to save me; Lord, look thou to help me.)[a]
14 Be they shamed, and ashamed together; that seek my life, to take away it. Be they turned aback, and be they shamed/and be they ashamed; that will evils to me. (Be they shamed, and ashamed; all who seek to take my life. Be they turned back, and be shamed/and be ashamed; all who desire evil for me.)
15 Bear they their confusion anon; that say to me, Well! well! in scorn. (Bear they their own shame at once/Be they ashamed at once; who scornfully say to me, Well! well!)
16 All men that seek thee, be fully joyful, and be glad in thee; and say they, that love thine health, The Lord be magnified ever[more]. (But let all those who seek thee, be very joyful, and be glad in thee; and let those who love thy salvation, or thy deliverance, say forevermore, The Lord be magnified.)
17 Forsooth I am a beggar and poor; the Lord is busy of me (But I am a poor and needy man, yea, a beggar; Lord, help thou me). Thou art mine helper and my defender; my God, tarry thou not.
54 To victory in organs, either in psalms, the learning of David, when Ziphims came, and said to Saul, Whether David is not hid at us? God, in thy name, make thou me safe; and in thy virtue, deem thou me. (To victory, on instruments, or in songs, the teaching of David, when the Ziphims came, and said to Saul, David is hid with us! God, by the power of thy name, save thou me; and in thy strength, judge thou me.)
2 God, hear thou my prayer; with ears perceive thou the words of my mouth. (God, hear thou my prayer; listen thou to the words of my mouth.)
3 For aliens have risen against me, and strong men sought my life; and they setted not God before their sight. (For foreigners, or strangers, have risen against me, and strong men sought to take my life; and they never have a thought about God.)
4 For, lo! God helpeth me; and the Lord is the up-taker of my soul (and the Lord is my defender).
5 Turn thou away evils to mine enemies; and lose thou them in thy truth. (O Lord, turn thou back their own evil upon my enemies; and destroy thou them by thy truth.)
6 Willfully I shall sacrifice to thee; and, Lord, I shall acknowledge to thy name, for it is good. (I shall willingly sacrifice to thee, Lord; and I shall praise thy name, for it is good.)
7 For thou deliveredest me from all tribulation; and mine eye despised on mine enemies. (For thou hast rescued me from every trouble; and I have seen come to pass what I desire for my enemies/and my eyes have seen the defeat of my enemies.)
51 To victory, the psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, when he entered to Bathsheba. God, have thou mercy on me; by thy great mercy. And by the muchliness of thy merciful doings; do thou away my wickedness. (To victory, the song of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had slept with Bathsheba. God, have thou mercy on me; because of thy great love. And in the multitude of thy merciful doings; do thou away my wickedness.)
2 Moreover wash thou me from my wickedness; and cleanse thou me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my wickedness; and my sin is ever[more] against me. (For I confess my sinfulness; yea, my sin is before me forevermore.)
4 I have sinned to thee alone, and I have done evil before thee; that thou be justified in thy words, and overcome when thou art deemed. (I have sinned against thee alone, and I have done evil before thee; so that thou art justified with thy words, and proved right when thou judgest me.)
5 For lo! I was conceived in wickednesses; and my mother conceived me in sins. (For lo! I was conceived in sinfulness; yea, my mother conceived me in sin.)
6 For lo! thou lovedest truth; thou hast showed to me the uncertain things, and privy things of thy wisdom. (For lo! thou lovedest the truth; and thou hast shown me the uncertain things, and the secret things, of thy wisdom.)
7 Lord, sprinkle thou me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash thou me, and I shall be made white more than snow (wash thou me, and I shall be made more white than snow).
8 Give thou joy, and gladness to mine hearing; and bones made meek shall full out make joy. (Let me hear the sounds of joy, and of gladness; and then the bones, which thou hast broken and bruised, shall make great joy, or rejoice.)
9 Turn away thy face from my sins; and do away all my wickednesses.
10 God, make thou a clean heart in me; and make thou new a rightful spirit in my entrails. (God, make my heart clean in me; and put thou a new and right spirit deep within me.)
11 Cast thou me not away from thy face; and take thou not away from me thine holy spirit. (Do not throw thou me away from before thee; and take thou not away thy holy spirit from me/and take thou not away thy Holy Spirit from me.)
12 Give thou to me the gladness of thine health; and confirm thou me with the principal spirit. (Give thou to me the gladness of thy salvation, or of thy deliverance; and give thou to me a spirit willing to obey thee.)
13 I shall teach wicked men thy ways; and unfaithful men shall be converted to thee. (I shall teach the wicked thy ways; and the unfaithful shall return to thee.)
14 God, the God of mine health, deliver thou me from bloods, or sins; and my tongue shall joyfully sing (of) thy rightfulness. (God, the God of my salvation/the God of my deliverance, save thou me from bloodshed, or from death; and my tongue shall joyfully sing of thy righteousness, or of thy justice.)
15 Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall tell (out) thy praising.
16 For if thou haddest would sacrifice, I had given it; truly thou shalt not delight in burnt sacrifice. (For if thou haddest desired a sacrifice, that is, an offering, I would have given it to thee; but truly thou delightest not in burnt sacrifice.)
17 A sacrifice to God is a spirit troubled, that is, (one made) sorry for sin; God, thou shalt not despise a contrite heart, and made meek. (A sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, that is, one made sorry because of sinning; God, thou shalt not despise a contrite and humble heart.)
18 Lord, do thou benignly in thy good will to Zion; (so) that the walls of Jerusalem (may) be builded.
19 Then thou shalt take pleasantly the sacrifice of rightfulness, (with) offerings, and burnt sacrifices; then they shall put calves on thine altar. (Then thou shalt be pleased with a righteous sacrifice, yea, with offerings, and burnt sacrifices; and then they shall put calves upon thy altar.)
18 Thou shalt keep the solemnity of therf loaves; seven days thou shalt eat therf loaves, as I commanded to thee, in the time of the month of new fruits; for in the month of ver time thou wentest out of Egypt. (Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded to thee, at the time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib thou wentest out of Egypt.)
19 All thing of male kind that (first) openeth the womb shall be mine, of all living beasts, as well of oxen, as of sheep, it shall be mine. (All the males that first openeth the womb shall be mine, yea, of people, and of all living beasts, of oxen, as well as of sheep, they all be mine.)
20 Thou shalt again-buy with a sheep the first engendered of an ass, else if thou givest not [the] price therefore, it shall be slain. Thou shalt again-buy the first begotten of thy sons; neither thou shalt appear void in my sight. (Thou shalt buy back the first-born of a donkey with a sheep, but if thou wilt not buy it back, it shall be killed. Thou shalt buy back the first-born of thy sons; thou shalt not appear empty-handed before me.)
21 Six days thou shalt work, in the seventh day thou shalt cease to ear and to reap. (For six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt cease to plow and to harvest.)
22 Thou shalt make to thee the solemnity of weeks, in the first things of fruits of thy ripe corn of wheat, and the solemnity when all things be gathered into barns, when the time of the year cometh again. (Thou shalt keep the Feast of Weeks, with the first fruits of thy wheat harvest, and also the Feast of Ingathering, when all things be gathered into the barns, when that time of the year cometh again.[a])
23 Each male kind of thee shall appear in three times of the year in the sight of the Lord Almighty, thy God of Israel. (All thy adult males shall appear before the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, three times each year.)
24 For when I shall take away (the) folks from thy face, and I shall alarge thy terms, none shall set treasons to thy land, while thou goest up (when thou goest up), and appearest in the sight of thy Lord God, thrice in the year.
25 Thou shalt not offer on sourdough the blood of my sacrifice, neither anything of the slain sacrifice of the solemnity of pask shall abide unto the morrowtide. (Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything made with yeast, nor shall anything of the slain sacrifice of the Feast of Passover remain until the morning.)
26 (Each year) Thou shalt offer in the house of thy Lord God the first of the fruits of thy land. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in the milk of his mother (Thou shalt not boil a goat-kid in its mother’s milk).
27 And the Lord said to Moses, Write thou (down) these words, by which I smote a bond of peace (by which I make a covenant), both with thee and with Israel.
28 Therefore Moses was there with the Lord by forty days and forty nights, and he ate not bread, and drank not water; and he wrote in [the] tables the ten words of the bond of peace. (And so Moses was there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, and he ate no bread, and drank no water; and he wrote on the tablets the Ten Commandments of the covenant.)
29 And when Moses came down from the hill of Sinai, he held in his hand(s) two tables of witnessing, and he wist not that his face was horned with wonderful shining beams, of the fellowship of God’s word. (And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he held in his hands the two tablets of the Witnessing, and he did not know that his face shone with wonderful shining beams, from his time of fellowship and of speaking with the Lord.)
30 Forsooth Aaron and the sons of Israel saw (that) Moses’ face (was) horned, and they dreaded to nigh nigh, (And Aaron and the Israelites saw that Moses’ face shone, and they were afraid to come near,)
31 and they were called of him, and they turned again, as well Aaron as the princes of the synagogue; and after that Moses spake, (but he called to them, and they came over to him, Aaron as well as the leaders of the congregation; and after that Moses had spoken with these men,)
32 they came to him, yea all the sons of Israel; to which he commanded all things, which he had heard of the Lord in the hill of Sinai. (then all the other Israelites came over to him; to whom he commanded all the things, which he had heard from the Lord on Mount Sinai.)
33 And when the words were fulfilled (And when he had finished speaking), he put a veil on his face;
34 and (when) he entered to the Lord, and spake with him, and he did away that veil, till he went out; and then he spake to the sons of Israel all things that were commanded to him; (but when he went in before the Lord, and spoke with him, he did away the veil, until he went out again; and then he would tell the Israelites all the things that were commanded to him;)
35 which saw that the face of Moses going out was horned, but again he covered his face, if any time he spake to them. (and they saw that Moses’ face shone whenever he went out, and so he covered his face any time that he spoke to them.)
3 For which thing we suffered no longer, and it pleased to us to dwell alone at Athens; [For which thing we sustaining no longer, it pleased to us to dwell at Athens alone;]
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother [and sent Timothy, our brother], and minister of God in the evangel of Christ, to you to be confirmed, and to be taught for your faith,
3 that no man be moved in these tribulations. For [ye] yourselves know, that in this thing we be set [that in this thing we be put].
4 For when we were at you, we before-said to you, that we should suffer tribulations; as [and] it is done, and ye know.
5 Therefore I Paul, no longer abiding [not sustaining more], sent to know your faith, lest peradventure he that tempteth [shall] tempt you, and your travail be made vain [and our travail be made vain].
6 But now, when Timothy shall come to us from you, and tell to us your faith and charity, and that ye have good mind of us, ever desiring to see us, as we also you; [Now forsooth Timothy coming to us from you, and telling to us your faith and charity, and for ye have evermore good mind of us, desiring to see us, as we also you;]
7 therefore, brethren, we be comforted in you, in all our need and tribulation, by your faith.
8 For now we live, if ye stand in the Lord.
9 For what doing of thankings be we able to yield to God for you [For why what doing of thankings may we yield to God for you], in all joy, in which we joy for you before our Lord?
10 night and day more plenteously praying, that we see your face, and fulfill those things that fail to your faith [and fulfill those things that fail of your faith].
11 But God himself and our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you [dress our way to you].
12 And the Lord multiply you, and make your charity to be plenteous of each to other [and make your charity for to abound together], and into all men, as also we in you;
13 that your hearts be confirmed without plaint in holiness, before God and our Father, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Amen.
27 Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not do lechery.
28 But I say to you, that every man that seeth a woman [for] to covet her, hath now done lechery by her in his heart [now he hath done lechery with her in his heart].
29 That if thy right eye cause thee to stumble [That if thy right eye offend thee], pull it out, and cast it from thee; for it speedeth to thee, that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
30 And if thy right hand cause thee to stumble [And if thy right hand offend thee], cut it away, and cast [it] from thee; for it speedeth to thee that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.
31 And it hath been said, Whoever leaveth his wife, give he to her a bill of forsaking. [Forsooth it is said, Whoever shall leave his wife, give he to her a libel, that is, a little book of forsaking.]
32 But I say to you, that every man that leaveth his wife [that every man that shall leave his wife], except (for) [the] cause of fornication, maketh her to do lechery, and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth adultery.
33 Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but thou shalt yield thine oaths to the Lord. [Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not forswear, but to the Lord thou shalt yield thine oaths.]
34 But I say to you, that ye swear not for any thing [Forsooth I say to you, to not swear on all manner]; neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35 neither by the earth, for it is the stool of his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king [for it is the city of the great king];
36 neither thou shalt swear by thine head, for thou mayest not make one hair white, or black;
37 but be your word, Yea, yea; Nay, nay [but your word be Yea, yea; Nay, nay]; and that that is more than these, is of evil.
2001 by Terence P. Noble