Book of Common Prayer
75 To the overcomer, lose thou not the psalm of the song of Asaph. God, we shall acknowledge to thee, we shall acknowledge; and we shall inwardly call thy name. We shall tell thy marvels; (To the overcomer, destroy thou not the psalm of the song of Asaph. God, we shall give thee thanks, we shall give thee thanks; and we shall call on thy name. We shall tell of all thy marvellous deeds.)
2 when I shall take (hold of the) time, I shall deem (with) rightfulnesses. (And God said, I shall take hold of the time; and I shall judge with righteousness/and I shall judge with justice.)
3 The earth is melted, and all that dwell therein; I confirmed the pillars thereof. (The earth was shaken, and all who live on it; but I made its pillars firm.)
4 I said to wicked men (I said to the wicked), Do not ye do wickedly; and to trespassers, Do not ye enhance the horn.
5 Do not ye raise on high your horn (Do not ye raise up your horn on high); do not ye speak wickedness against God.
6 For (promotion cometh) neither from the east, neither from the west, neither from desert hills; (For judgement cometh not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the hills in the wilderness;)
7 for God is the judge. He meeketh this man, and enhanceth him; (for God is the judge. He humbleth this one, and raiseth up that one;)
8 for a cup of clean wine, full of meddling, is in the hand of the Lord (for there is a cup of clear wine, full of mixing, or of mixture, in the Lord’s hand). And he bowed (some) of this into that; nevertheless the dregs thereof is not diminished, either made less, (for) all [the] sinners of [the] earth shall drink thereof.
9 Forsooth I shall tell into the world; I shall sing to God of Jacob. (And I shall tell this out forever; I shall sing to the God of Jacob.)
10 And I shall break all the horns of sinners; and the horns of the just man shall be enhanced. (And I shall break all the horns of the sinners; but the horns of the righteous shall be raised up.)
76 To the victory in organs, the psalm of the song of Asaph. (To victory, on instruments, the psalm of the song of Asaph.) God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.
2 And his place is made in peace; and his dwelling is in Zion. (And his Tabernacle, or his Tent, is pitched in Salem; and his dwelling place is in Zion.)
3 There he brake powers; bow, shield, sword, and battle.
4 And thou, God, lightenest wonderfully (coming back) from everlasting hills; (And thou, O God, wonderfully lightenest, coming back from the everlasting hills;)
5 all unwise men of heart were troubled. They slept their sleep, that is, were dead; and all men found nothing of riches in their hands. (and all who were foolish and ignorant were troubled. But now they have slept their sleep, that is, they be dead; and all their riches be found to be nothing in their hands.)
6 They that ascended on horses; slept for thy blaming, thou God of Jacob. (They who ascended on horses; now be asleep, or dead, after thy rebuke, O God of Jacob.)
7 Thou art fearful, and who shall against-stand thee? from that time (of) thine ire. (Thou art to be feared; and who shall be able to stand against thee, when thou art angry?)
8 From heaven thou madest doom heard; the earth trembled, and rested. (From heaven thou madest thy judgement heard; and the earth trembled, or shook, and kept silent.)
9 When God rose up into doom; to make safe all the mild men of earth. (When God rose up to judge; and to save all the humble of the earth.)
10 For the thought of man shall acknowledge to thee; and the remnants of thought/the leavings of thought shall make a feast day to thee. (For all their anger, people shall still praise thee; and they who be the remnants/who be the survivors shall make a feast day to thee.)
11 Make ye a vow, and yield ye to your Lord God; all that bring gifts in the compass of it. To God fearedful, (Make ye a vow, and pay ye it to the Lord your God; and let those who be all around bring gifts to him. To him who is to be feared,)
12 and to him that taketh away the spirit of princes; to the fearedful at the kings of earth. (to him who breaketh the spirit of princes, or of the leaders; to him who is feared by all the kings of the earth.)
23 The psalm of David. The Lord governeth me, and nothing shall fail to me; (The song of David. The Lord governeth me, and there is nothing that I shall lack;)
2 in the place of pasture there he hath set me. He nourished me on the water of refreshing; (he hath set me in a place of pasture. He nourished me by the waters of refreshing;)
3 he converted my soul. He led me forth on the paths of rightfulness; for his name. (he transformed my soul. He led me forth on the paths of righteousness/on the right paths; for the sake of his name.)
4 For why though I shall go in the midst of shadow of death; I shall not dread evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff; those have comforted me. (For though I go in the midst of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.)
5 Thou hast made ready a board in my sight; against them that trouble me. Thou hast made fat mine head with oil; and my cup, that filleth greatly, is full clear. (Thou hast prepared a table before me; before those who trouble me. Thou hast covered my head with oil; and my cup, which thou greatly filleth, is full, indeed it runneth over.)
6 And thy mercy shall follow me; in all the days of my life. And that I dwell in the house of the Lord; into the length of days. (And thy love shall follow me; all the days of my life. And I shall live in the House of the Lord forever and ever.)
27 The holy prayer of David. The Lord is my lightening, and mine health; whom shall I dread? The Lord is defender of my life; for whom shall I tremble [for whom shall I quake]? (The holy prayer of David. The Lord is my light, and my salvation, or my deliverance; who shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; for who else shall I tremble, or shake over?)
2 The while noisome men nigh on me; for to eat my fleshes. Mine enemies, that troubled me; they were made sick and felled down. (All the while harmful, or dangerous, men come near to me; to eat my flesh. But my enemies, those who trouble me, were made feeble, or weak; they all fell down.)
3 Though castles stand together against me; mine heart shall not dread (Though hosts, or armies, stand together against me; my heart shall not fear). Though battle riseth against me; in this thing I shall have hope.
4 I asked of the Lord one thing; I shall seek this thing; that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I see the will of the Lord; and that I visit his temple. (I asked of the Lord only one thing; and I shall seek this thing; that I live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life. So that I can see the beauty of the Lord; and I can seek his guidance in his Temple.)
5 For he hid me in his tabernacle in the day of evils; he defended me in the hid place of his tabernacle. He enhanced me in a stone; (For he shall hide me in his Temple on the day of evil; he shall defend me in the hidden place of his Temple. He shall put me upon a stone;)
6 and now he enhanced mine head over mine enemies. I compassed, and offered in his tabernacle a sacrifice of crying [out]; I shall sing, and I shall say psalm to the Lord. (and then my head shall be lifted up over my enemies, who be all around me. And I shall offer an offering of acclamation in his Temple; yea, I shall sing a song of praise to the Lord.)
7 Lord, hear thou my voice, by which I cried to thee; have thou mercy on me, and hear me. (Lord, hear thou my voice, when I cry to thee; have thou mercy on me, and answer me.)
8 Mine heart said to thee, My face sought thee; Lord, I shall seek again thy face. (And thou saidest, Seek ye my face; and my heart said to thee, Lord, I shall seek thy face.)
9 Turn thou not away thy face from me; bow thou not away in wrath from thy servant. Lord, be thou mine helper, forsake thou not me; and, God, mine health, despise thou not me (Lord, be thou my helper, abandon thou me not; and, O God, my salvation, or my deliverance, despise thou me not).
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me; but the Lord hath taken me (up). (For even if my father and my mother desert me; the Lord shall still take care of me.)
11 Lord, set thou a law to me in thy way; and (ad)dress thou me in a rightful path, for mine enemies. (Lord, show thou me thy way; and direct thou me on the right path, for I have many enemies./Lord, teach thou me thy way; and direct thou me on the right path, safe from my enemies.)
12 Betake thou not me into the souls of them, that trouble me; for wicked witnesses have risen against me, and wickedness lied to itself. (Deliver thou me not unto those who trouble me; for wicked witnesses have risen up against me, and the wicked lie even to themselves!)
13 I believe to see the goods of the Lord; in the land of living men. (I know that I shall see the goodness of the Lord; in the land of the living.)
14 Abide thou the Lord, do thou manly; and thine heart be comforted, and suffer thou the Lord. (Wait thou for the Lord, be thou encouraged; let thy heart be strengthened, and wait thou for the Lord.)
5 And a man, a Jew, was in the city of Susa, Mordecai by name, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the generation of Benjamin; (And there was a man in the capital city of Susa, a Jew named Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin;)
6 that was translated from Jerusalem in that time, in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had translated Jeconiah, king of Judah; (who had been taken away from Jerusalem into captivity, at that time when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had taken away Jeconiah, the king of Judah;)
7 the which Mordecai was the nourisher of Hadassah, the daughter of his brother, which daughter was called Esther by another name, and she had lost both (her) father and mother; and she was full fair, and seemly of face; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her to him, and he made her his daughter. (and this Mordecai was the foster-father of Hadassah, his uncle’s daughter, who was called Esther by another name, and who had lost both her father and her mother; and she was very beautiful, and comely of face; and after the death of her father and her mother, Mordecai took her unto himself, and made her his daughter.)
8 And when the commandment of the king was oft published, and by his behest many fair virgins were brought to Susa, and were betaken to Hegai, the honest servant and chaste (the honest and chaste servant), also Esther among other damsels was betaken to him, that she should be kept in the number of those women. (And after the king’s command was widely published, and by his order many beautiful virgins were brought to Susa, and taken to Hegai, the eunuch, also Esther, among other young women, was brought to him, to be kept in his care along with those other women.)
15 And when the time was turned about by order, the day nighed, wherein Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the brother of Mordecai, the which Esther Mordecai had taken to him, and made her his daughter, ought to enter to the king; and she asked not (for) women’s ornament(s), but whatever things Hegai, the honest servant and chaste (the honest and chaste servant), and keeper of the virgins, would, he gave these things to Esther to her ornament; for she was full shapely, and of fairness that may not lightly be believed, and she was seen (to be) gracious and amiable to the eyes of all men. (And so the time turned about, and the day nighed, when, by turn, Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, this Esther which Mordecai had taken unto himself, and had made her his own daughter, ought to go in to the king; and she asked not for any women’s ornaments, or adornment, but whatever things the eunuch Hegai, the keeper of the virgins, desired, he gave these things to Esther for her adornment; and certainly she was very shapely, and had a beauty that could not easily be believed, and she was seen to be gracious and amiable in the eyes of all people.)
16 Therefore she was led to the bed of king Ahasuerus, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his realm. (And so she was led to King Ahasuerus’ bed, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, or January, in the seventh year of his reign.)
17 And the king loved Esther more fervently than all women, and she had grace and mercy before him over all other women; and he setted the diadem, or crown, of the realm on her head, and made her to reign in the stead of Vashti. (And the king loved Esther more fervently than all the other women, and she received more favour and love from him than all the other women; and he put a crown of his kingdom on her head, and he made her the queen in place of Vashti.)
18 And he commanded a full worshipful feast to be made ready to all his princes and servants, for the joining together and the weddings of Esther; and he gave rest, that is, (the) releasing of tribute, to all provinces, and gave gifts, after the worshipful doing of a prince. (And he commanded that a large feast be prepared for all his princes, or his leaders, and his servants in honour of Esther, and their joining together by their wedding; and he gave rest, that is, an amnesty from taxation, to all his provinces, and also gifts worthy of a king.)
19 And when (the) virgins were sought also the second time, and were gathered together, Mordecai dwelled at the gate of the king. (And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai sat at the king’s gate./And meanwhile Mordecai was in attendance at the royal court.)
20 And Esther had not yet showed her country and her people, by the behest of Mordecai; for-why whatever thing he commanded, Esther kept, and she did so then all things, as she was wont (to) in that time, in which he nourished her (as) a little child. (And Esther had not yet declared her kindred or her people, by Mordecai’s command; for whatever thing he commanded, Esther did it, as she had always done, from the time in which he nurtured her as a young child.)
21 Then in that time, wherein Mordecai dwelled at the gate of the king, Bigthan(a) and Teresh, two servants of the king, were wroth (against the king), that were porters, and sat in the first threshold of the palace; and they would rise (up) against the king, and slay him. (Now one day, when Mordecai was in attendance at the royal court, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were guards, or doorkeepers, guarding the first threshold of the palace, became hostile toward the king, and plotted to kill him.)
22 Which thing was not hid from Mordecai, and anon Mordecai told this to the queen Esther, and she told it to the king, in the name of Mordecai, that had told that thing to her. (And this thing was not hid from Mordecai, who at once told this to Queen Esther, and she told it to the king, in the name of Mordecai, who had told that thing to her.)
23 And it was sought, and it was found sooth, and either of them was hanged in a gibbet; and this was commanded to be written in [the] stories, and it was betaken to the books of [the] years, before the king. (And it was sought into, and found to be true, and both of the guards were hanged on the gallows; and all of this was commanded to be written down in The Books of the Years, that is, in The Official Annals, in the sight of the king.)
16 And while Paul abode them at Athens, his spirit was moved in him, for he saw the city given to idolatry.
17 Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with men that worshipped God, and in the doom place [Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with Jews, and men worshipping, in the market, or doom place], by all days to them that heard.
18 And some Epicureans, and Stoics, and philosophers disputed with him [disputed, or treated, with him]. And some said, What will this sower of words say? And others said, He seemeth to be a teller of new fiends; for he told to them Jesus, and the again-rising.
19 And they took, and led him to Areopagus, and said, May we know [And they took and led him to Areopagus, that is, a common school, saying, Be we able to know], what is this new doctrine, that is said of thee?
20 For thou bringest in some new things to our ears; therefore we will know, what these things will be.
21 For all men of Athens and comelings harboured gave attention to none other thing, but either to say, either to hear [or to hear], some new thing.
22 And Paul stood in the middle of Areopagus, and said, Men of Athens, by all things I see you as vain worshippers.
23 For I passed, and saw your maumets [and saw your simulacra], and found an altar, in which was written, To the unknown God. Therefore which thing ye unknowing worship, this thing I show to you.
24 God that made the world and all things that be in it, this, for he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hand [made by hand],
25 neither is worshipped by man's hands, neither hath need of any thing [having need of any thing], for he giveth life to all men, and breathing, and all things;
26 and made of one all the kind of men [for] to inhabit on all the face of the earth, determining times ordained, and terms of the dwelling of them [and terms of habitation, or dwelling, of them],
27 to seek God, if peradventure they feel him, either find, though he be not far from each of you.
28 For in him we live, and move, and be. As also some of your poets said, And we be also the kind of him [Soothly we be also the kin of him].
29 Therefore since we be the kind of God, we shall not deem, that godly thing is like gold, and silver, either stone, either to graving of craft and thought of man.[a]
30 For God despiseth the times of this unknowing, and now showeth to men, that all every where do penance;
31 for that he hath ordained a day, in which he shall deem the world in equity, in a man in which he ordained, and gave faith to all men, and raised him from death [raising him from dead].
32 And when they had heard the again-rising of dead men[b], some scorned, and some said, We shall hear thee again of this thing.
33 So Paul went out of the middle of them.
34 But some men drew to him [Forsooth some men cleaved to him], and believed. Among which Dionysius Areopagite was, and a woman, by name Damaris, and other men with them [and others with them].
44 And Jesus cried, and said, He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me.
45 He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me.
46 I light came into the world, that each that believeth in me, dwell not in darknesses.
47 And if any man heareth my words, and keepeth them not, I deem him not [And if any man shall hear my words, and shall not keep, I deem not him]; for I came not, that I deem the world, but that I make the world safe.
48 He that despiseth me, and taketh not my words, hath him that shall judge him; that word that I have spoken, [that] shall deem him in the last day [the word that I have spoken, that shall deem him in the last day].
49 For I have not spoken of myself, but that Father that sent me, [he] gave to me a commandment, what I shall say, and what I shall speak.
50 And I know, that his commandment is everlasting life; therefore those things that I speak, as the Father said to me, so I speak.
2001 by Terence P. Noble