Book of Common Prayer
Prayer of an afflicted one for mercy on himself and on Zion.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he [a]is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.
102 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days consume away [b]like smoke,
And my bones are burned [c]as a firebrand.
4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the house-top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that [d]declineth;
And I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O Jehovah, [e]wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory.
17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise [f]Jehovah.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose [g]those that are appointed to death;
21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23 He [h]weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
And their seed shall be established before thee.
Book V
Jehovah delivers men from manifold troubles.
107 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so,
Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and [a]from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way;
They found no city of habitation.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And he delivered them out of their distresses,
7 He led them also by a straight way,
That they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul,
And the hungry soul he filleth with good.
10 Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Being bound in affliction and iron,
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And contemned the counsel of the Most High:
12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And he saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And brake their bonds in sunder.
15 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For he hath broken the gates of brass,
And cut the bars of iron in sunder.
17 Fools because of [b]their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of food;
And they draw near unto the gates of death.
19 Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And he saveth them out of their distresses.
20 He sendeth his word, and healeth them,
And delivereth them from their [c]destructions.
21 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
22 And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare his works with singing.
23 They that go down to the sea in ships,
That do business in great waters;
24 These see the works of Jehovah,
And his wonders in the deep.
25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,
Which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths:
Their soul melteth away because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And [d]are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble,
And he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm,
So that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they are quiet;
So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise him in the seat of the elders.
3 Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; [a]and the [b]messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. 2 But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 3 and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 6 For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return? 8 Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and [c]offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, until the [a]coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until [b]it receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors. 10 Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the [c]patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but [d]let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
18 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, [a]Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, [b]lest she [c]wear me out by her continual coming. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what [d]the unrighteous judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, [e]and yet he is longsuffering over them? 8 I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find [f]faith on the earth?
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