Book of Common Prayer
To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David, the slave of the LORD, who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,
1 ¶ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The pain of death compassed me, and the rivers of Belial made me afraid.
5 The pain of Sheol compassed me about: the snares of death came before me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains collapsed and were removed because he was wroth.
8 Smoke went up out of his nostrils, and fire devoured out of his mouth; coals were kindled by it.
9 He lowered the heavens and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub and flew: yea, he flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place; in his tabernacle round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the heavens.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows and scattered them; he shot out lightnings and destroyed them.
15 Then the depths of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, even though they were too strong for me.
18 They were ready for me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my staff.
19 He brought me forth also into a wide place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.
20 ¶ The LORD will reward me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he shall recompense me.
21 Because I have kept the ways of the LORD and did not become wicked departing in apostasy from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was perfect before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with a perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
26 with the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself adversary.
27 Therefore thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For thou wilt light my fire: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 ¶ For with thee I have scattered armies; and in my God I have overcome walled defenses.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is precise: a shield to all those that wait in him.
31 For who is God except the LORD? or who is a refuge except our God?
32 It is God that girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon my high places.
34 He trains my hands for the battle, so that a bow of bronze shall be broken by my arms.
35 In the same manner thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand will hold me up, and thy meekness shall multiply me.
36 Thou shall enlarge my steps under me, and my knees shall not tremble.
37 I shall pursue my enemies and overtake them: neither shall I turn again until they are consumed.
38 I shall smite them, and they will not be able to rise: they shall fall under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued my enemies under me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy those that hate me.
41 They cried out, but there was no one to save them: even unto the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them as small as the dust before the wind: I scattered them as the dirt in the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the Gentiles: a people whom I did not know served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me: the sons of strangers submitted themselves unto me even against their will.
45 The strangers fell away and were afraid in their close places.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that avenges me and subdues the peoples under me.
48 He delivers me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the one who would betray me.
49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy name.
50 He gives great deliverance to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
14 ¶ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
15 And Saul’s slaves said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy slaves, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt have relief.
17 And Saul said unto his slaves, Provide me now a man that can play well and bring him to me.
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, that is cunning in playing and a mighty valiant man and a man of war and prudent in speech and handsome, and the LORD is with him.
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, Send me David, thy son, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid and sent them by David, his son, unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was better, and the evil spirit departed from him.
17 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and there was a valley between them.
4 And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and stood between the two camps.
5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a shield of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye slaves to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your slaves, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our slaves and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house and stood before the gate
18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 ¶ While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men who were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek; what is the cause for which ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one that fears God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words of thee.
23 Then he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an abominable thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation; but God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 Therefore I came unto you without doubting, as soon as I was sent for; I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
31 and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call here Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side, who, when he comes, shall speak unto thee.
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast done well to come. Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
36 ¶ And as they spoke these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they were seeing a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 And as they were not believing him yet for joy and wondering, he said unto them, Have ye here any food?
42 So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb.
43 And he took it and ate before them.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures
46 and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day;
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I shall send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye are endued with power from on high.
50 ¶ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy
53 and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
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