Book of Common Prayer

68 Unto the end, for them that shall be changed; for David.

² SAVE me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul.

³ I stick fast in the mire of the deep: and there is no sure standing. I am come into the depth of the sea: and a tempest hath overwhelmed me.

⁴ I have laboured with crying; my jaws are become hoarse: my eyes have failed, whilst I hope in my God.

⁵ They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause. My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away.

⁶ O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my offences are not hidden from thee:

⁷ Let not them be ashamed for me, who look for thee, O Lord, the Lord of hosts. Let them not be confounded on my account, who seek thee, O God of Israel.

⁸ Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

⁹ I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to the sons of my mother.

¹⁰ For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

¹¹ And I covered my soul in fasting: and it was made a reproach to me.

¹² And I made haircloth my garment: and I became a byword to them.

¹³ They that sat in the gate spoke against me: and they that drank wine made me their song.

¹⁴ But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Lord; for the time of thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

¹⁵ Draw me out of the mire, that I may not stick fast: deliver me from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

¹⁶ Let not the tempest of water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up: and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

¹⁷ Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind; look upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

¹⁸ And turn not away thy face from thy servant: for I am in trouble, hear me speedily.

¹⁹ Attend to my soul, and deliver it: save me because of my enemies.

²⁰ Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame.

2 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal.

² And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel,

³ The sons of the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace.

⁴ And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho,

⁵ The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace.

⁶ And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; and they two went on together,

⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.

⁸ And Elias took his mantle and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground.

⁹ And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit.

¹⁰ And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it.

¹¹ And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹² And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.

¹³ And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan,

¹⁴ And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.

¹⁵ And the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who were over against him, seeing it said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus. And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground,

5 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.

² And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

³ And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it.

⁴ And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it.

⁵ And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

⁶ And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.

⁷ And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.

⁸ And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints:

⁹ And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

¹⁰ And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

¹¹ And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients; and the number of them was thousands of thousands,

¹² Saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction.

¹³ And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them: I heard all saying: To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, benediction, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever.

¹⁴ And the four living creatures said: Amen. And the four and twenty ancients fell down on their faces, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever.