Book of Common Prayer
45 1 The majesty of Solomon, his honor, strength, beauty, riches, and power are praised, and also his marriage with the Egyptian being an heathen woman, is blessed. 10 If that she can renounce her people and the love of her country, and gave herself wholly to her husband. Under the which figure, the wonderful majesty and increase of the kingdom of Christ and his Church his spouse, now taken of the Gentiles, is described.
To him that excelleth on [a]Shoshannim, a song of [b]love to give instruction, committed to the sons of Korah.
1 Mine heart will utter forth a good matter: I will entreat in my works of the king: my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer.
2 Thou art [c]fairer than the children of men: grace is poured in thy lips, because God hath blessed thee forever.
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, to wit, thy worship and thy glory:
4 And prosper with thy glory: [d]ride upon the word of truth and of meekness and of righteousness: so thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp to pierce the heart of the King’s enemies: therefore the people shall fall under thee.
6 Thy [e]throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom, is a scepter of righteousness.
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, because God, even thy God, hath [f]anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes, and cassia, when thou comest out of the ivory palaces [g]where they have made thee glad.
9 King’s daughters were among thine honorable wives: upon thy right hand did stand the [h]Queen in a vesture of gold of Ophir.
10 [i]Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear: forget also thine own people and thy father’s house.
11 So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and reverence thou him.
12 And the [j]daughter of [k]Tyre with the rich of the people, shall do homage before thy face with presents.
13 The King’s daughter is all glorious [l]within: her clothing is of broidered gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins that follow after her, and her companions shall be brought unto thee.
15 With joy and gladness shall they be brought, and shall enter into the king’s palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall thy [m]children be: thou shalt make them princes [n]through all the earth.
17 I will make thy [o]Name to be remembered through all generations: therefore shall the people give thanks unto thee, world without end.
47 1 The Prophet exhorteth all people to the worship of the true and everlasting God, commending the mercy of God toward the posterity of Jacob. 9 And after prophesieth of the kingdom of Christ in the time of the Gospel.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm committed to the sons of Korah.
1 All people [a]clap your hands; sing loud unto God with a joyful voice.
2 For the Lord is high, and terrible; a great King over all the earth.
3 He hath [b]subdued the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
4 He hath chosen [c]our inheritance for us: even the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
5 God is gone up with triumph, even the Lord with the [d]sound of the trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the king of all the earth: sing praises everyone that hath [e]understanding.
8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon his holy Throne.
9 The princes of the people are gathered unto the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the world belong to God: he [f]is greatly to be exalted.
48 1 A notable deliverance of Jerusalem from the hands of many kings is mentioned, for the which thanks are given to God, and the state of that city is praised, that hath God so presently at all times ready to defend them. This Psalm seemeth to be made in the time of Ahaz, Jehoshaphat, Asa, or Hezekiah: for in their times chiefly was the city by foreign princes assaulted.
[g]A song or Psalm committed to the sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the [h]City of our God, even upon his holy Mountain.
2 Mount Zion, lying Northward, is fair in situation: it is the [i]joy of the whole earth, and the City of the great king.
3 In the palaces thereof God is known for a [j]refuge.
4 For lo, the kings were [k]gathered, and went together.
5 When they saw [l]it, they marveled: they were astonied, and suddenly driven back.
6 Fear came there upon them, and sorrow, as upon a woman in travail.
7 As with an East wind thou breakest the ships [m]of Tarshish, so were they destroyed.
8 As we have [n]heard, so have we seen in the City of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah.
9 We wait for thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy Temple.
10 O God, according to thy Name, so is thy praise unto the [o]world’s end: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let [p]mount Zion rejoice, and the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
12 [q]Compass about Zion, and go round about it, and tell the towers thereof.
13 Mark well the wall thereof: behold her towers, that ye may tell your posterity.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever, he shall be our guide unto the death.
5 1 Haggai and Zechariah do prophesy. 3 The work of the Temple goeth forward contrary to the mind of Tattenai. 6 His letters to Darius.
1 Then [a](A)Haggai a Prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo a Prophet prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah, and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose, and began to build the house of God at Jerusalem, and with them were the Prophets of God, which [b]helped them.
3 ¶ At the same time came to them Tattenai which was captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath given you commandment to build this house, and to lay the foundations of these walls?
4 [c]Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that build this building?
5 But the [d]eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they answered by letters thereunto.
6 The copy of the letter, that Tattenai captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, Persians, (which were beyond the river) sent unto King Darius.
7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein it was written thus, UNTO DARIUS the king, all peace.
8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is built with [e]great stones, and beams are laid in the walls, and this work is wrought speedily, and prospereth in their hands.
9 Then asked we those Elders, and said unto them thus, Who hath given you commandment to build this house, and to lay the foundation of these walls?
10 We asked their names also that we might certify thee, and that we might write the names of the men that were their rulers.
11 But they answered us thus, and said, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built of old and many years ago, which a [f]great king of Israel (B)built, and founded it.
12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, (C)he gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away captive unto Babel.
13 But in the [g]first year of Cyrus king of Babel, King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
14 And the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple, that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the Temple of Babel, those did Cyrus the king take out of the Temple of Babel, and they gave them unto one [h]Sheshbazzar by his name, whom he had made captain.
15 And he said unto him, Take these vessels and go thy way, and put them in the Temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in his place.
16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar and laid the foundation of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, and since that time even until now, hath it been in building, yet is it not finished.
17 Now therefore if it please the king, let there be search made in the house of the king’s [i]treasures, which is there in Babel, whether a decree hath been made by king Cyrus, to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and let the King send his mind concerning this.
4 1 Another vision containing the glory of God’s Majesty: 3 which is magnified of the four beasts, 10 and the four and twenty Elders.
1 After [a]this I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be done hereafter.
2 And [b]immediately I was ravished [c]in the spirit, [d]and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon the throne.
3 [e]And he that sat, was to look upon, like unto a Jasper stone, and a sardine, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like to an emerald.
4 [f]And round about the throne were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 [g]And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
6 [h]And before the throne there was a Sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle.
8 And the [i]four beasts had each one of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they ceased not [j]day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Which was, and which is, and which is to come.
9 And when those beasts [k]gave glory, and honor, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, which liveth forever and ever,
10 [l]The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth for evermore, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 [m]Thou art (A)worthy, O Lord, [n]to receive glory, and honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy will’s sake they are, and have been created.
13 1 The parable of the Sower. 11 and 34 Why Jesus spake in parables. 18 The exposition of the parable. 24 The parable of the tares. 31 Of the mustard seed. 33 Of the leaven. 44 Of the hidden treasure. 45 Of the pearl. 47 Of the draw net cast into the sea. 53 Christ is not received of his countrymen the Nazarites.
1 The (A)same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 [a]And great multitudes resorted unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat down: and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then he spake many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.
5 And some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth, and anon they sprung up, because they had no depth of earth.
6 And when the sun was up, they were parched, and for lack of rooting withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.
8 And some again fell in good ground, and brought forth fruit, one corn an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and another thirtyfold.
9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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