Book of Common Prayer
1 ¶ Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
4 ¶ The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
1 ¶ Why do the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,
3 let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then he shall speak unto them in his wrath and trouble them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet I have set my king upon Zion, the mountain of my holiness.
7 ¶ I will declare the decree; the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day I have begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and unto the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 ¶ Understand now therefore, O ye kings: receive chastening, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled in a little while. Blessed are all those that put their trust in him.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 ¶ LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
2 There are many who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of my head.
4 ¶ I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he answered me out of the mountain of his holiness. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God, for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the jawbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs unto the LORD; thy blessing shall be upon thy people. Selah.
To the Overcomer in Neginoth, A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness; thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after the lie? Selah.
3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and desist. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 ¶ There are many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart in the time that their grain and their wine multiplied.
8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou only, O LORD, dost make me to be confident.
Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.
1 ¶ O LORD my God, in thee I have put my trust: save me from all those that persecute me, and deliver me
2 Lest they take my soul, as a lion dismembers his prey when there is none to deliver.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this: if there is iniquity in my hands,
4 if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, then let my persecutor escape without retribution.
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay my honour in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger; lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake the judgment in my favour that thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about, for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 Let wickedness consume the wicked; but establish the just: for the righteous God is he who tries the hearts and kidneys.
10 ¶ My shield is in God, he who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is he who judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he does not turn, he will whet his sword; he has bent his bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared for him the weapons of death; he ordains his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travails with iniquity and has conceived of his own work and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and deepened it and shall fall into the ditch which he made.
16 His work shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye princes of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? shall the LORD say. I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; the incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot stand them; iniquity and the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; likewise, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.
16 ¶ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
17 learn to do good; seek judgment; restore unto the oppressed; hear the fatherless in right judgment; protect the widow.
18 Then come, shall the LORD say, and we shall be even; if your sins were as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow; if they were red like crimson, they shall become as wool.
19 If ye are willing and hearken, ye shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.
1 ¶ Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the Thessalonians congregated in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 ¶ We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
3 remembering without ceasing the work of your faith and labour and charity and of waiting with the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
4 being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.
5 For our gospel did not come unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in full assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6 ¶ And ye were made imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit:
7 So that ye have become examples to all that have believed in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For through you the word of the Lord has been divulged not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is in God, has become extended, so that we have no need to say anything.
9 For they themselves tell of us what an entrance we had unto you and in what manner ye were converted to God from idols to serve the living and true God
10 and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
20 ¶ And it came to pass that on one of those days as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, the princes of the priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders
2 and spoke unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing, and answer me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven, he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
6 But and if we say, Of men, all the people will stone us; for they are certain that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered that they knew not from where.
8 Then Jesus said unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
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