Book of Common Prayer
49 Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, for Thy word hath quickened me.
51 The proud have held me greatly in derision, yet have I not departed from Thy law.
52 I remembered Thy judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself.
53 Horror hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake Thy law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered Thy name, O Lord, in the night and have kept Thy law.
56 This I had, because I kept Thy precepts.
57 Thou art my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Thy words.
58 I entreated Thy favor with my whole heart; be merciful unto me according to Thy word.
59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.
60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked have robbed me, but I have not forgotten Thy law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy; teach me Thy statutes.
65 Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed Thy commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept Thy word.
68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me Thy statutes.
69 The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in Thy law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes.
72 The law of Thy mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver.
49 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels shall compass me about?
6 They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,
7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him
8 (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever),
9 that they should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10 For he seeth that wise men die; likewise the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though he be in honor, abideth not; he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave away from their dwelling.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.
17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul (and men will praise thee when thou doest well for thyself),
19 he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
20 Man, though he is in honor but understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
53 The fool hath said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that understood, that had sought God.
3 Every one of them has turned back; they have altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge—those who eat up my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon God.
5 There they were in great fear, where no fear was; for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee; thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
6 O that the salvation of Israel might come out of Zion! When God bringeth back His captive people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.
49 “Listen, O isles, unto Me, and hearken, ye people from afar! The Lord hath called Me from the womb; from the bowels of My mother hath He made mention of My name.
2 And He hath made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft. In His quiver hath He hid Me,
3 and said unto Me, ‘Thou art My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain; I have spent My strength for nought and in vain; yet surely My judgment is with the Lord, and My work with My God.’”
5 “And now saith the Lord that formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, though Israel be not gathered—yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My strength”
6 and He said: ‘It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.’”
7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despiseth, to Him whom the nation abhorreth, to a Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel; and He shall choose Thee.”
8 Thus saith the Lord: “In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee; and I will preserve Thee and give Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages,
9 that Thou mayest say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ to them that are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ “They shall feed on the paths, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them.
11 And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far—and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.”
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before certain ones came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they had come, he withdrew and separated himself from them, fearing those who were of the Circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him, so much that Barnabas also was carried away by their dissimulation.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, “If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid!
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
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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