Book of Common Prayer
140 1 David complaineth of the cruelty, falsehood and injuries of his enemies. 8 Against the which he prayeth unto the Lord, and assureth himself of his help and succor. 12 Wherefore he provoketh the just to praise the Lord, and to assure themselves of his tuition.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the [a]cruel man:
2 Which imagine evil things in their [b]heart, and make war continually.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: [c]adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep [d]me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the cruel man, which purposeth to cause my steps to slide.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net with cords in my pathway, and set gins for me. Selah.
6 Therefore I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayers.
7 O Lord God the strength of my salvation, thou [e]hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the wicked have his desire, O Lord; [f]perform not his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.
9 As for [g]the chief of them that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10 Let coals fall upon them: let [h]him cast them into the fire, and into the deep pits that they rise not.
11 For the backbiter shall not be established upon the earth, evil shall [i]hunt the cruel man to destruction.
12 I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted, and judge the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall praise thy Name, and the just shall [j]dwell in thy presence.
142 The Prophet neither astonied with fear, nor carried away with anger, nor forced by desperation, would kill Saul: but with a quiet mind directed his earnest prayer to God, who did preserve him.
A Psalm of David, to give instruction, and a prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice I [a]prayed unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my meditation before him, and declared mine affection in his presence.
3 Though my spirit [b]was in perplexity in me, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, but there was none that would know me: all refuge failed me, and [c]none cared for my soul.
5 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art mine [d]hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hearken unto my cry, for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring my soul out of [e]prison, that I may praise thy Name: then shall the righteous [f]come about me, when thou art beneficial unto me.
141 1 David being grievously persecuted under Saul, only fleeth unto God to have succor. 3 Desiring him to bridle his affections, that he may patiently abide till God take vengeance of his enemies.
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I [a]call upon thee: haste thee unto me: hear my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the [b]lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the [c]door of my lips.
4 Incline not mine heart to evil, that I should commit wicked works with them that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their [d]delicates.
5 Let the righteous smite me: for that is a benefit: and let [e]him reprove me, and it shall be a precious oil that shall not break mine head: for within a while I shall even [f]pray in their miseries.
6 When their judges shall be cast down in stony places, they shall [g]hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones lie scattered at the [h]grave’s mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.
8 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust: leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into [i]his nets [j]together, while I escape.
143 1 An earnest prayer for remission of sins, acknowledging that the enemies did thus cruelly persecute him by God’s just judgment. 8 He desireth to be restored to grace, 10 To be governeth by his holy Spirit, that he may spend the remnant of his life in the true fear and service of God.
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my supplication: answer me in thy [a]truth, and in thy [b]righteousness.
2 (And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy [c]sight shall none that liveth, be justified.)
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath smitten my life down to the earth: he hath laid me in the darkness, as they that have been dead [d]long ago:
4 And my spirit was in perplexity in me, and mine [e]heart within me was amazed.
5 Yet do I remember the time [f]past: I meditate in all thy works, yea, I do meditate in the works of thine hands.
6 I stretch forth mine hands unto thee: my soul desireth after thee, as the thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, else I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear thy loving-kindness in the [g]morning, for in thee is my trust; [h]show me the way, that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for [i]I hid me with thee.
10 [j]Teach me to [k]do thy will, for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake, and for thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And for thy mercy [l]slay mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy [m]servant.
14 They shall lift up their voice: they shall shout for the magnificence of the Lord: they shall rejoice from [a]the sea.
15 Wherefore praise ye the Lord in the valleys, even the Name of the Lord God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.
16 From the uttermost part of the earth we have heard praises, even glory to the [b]just, and I said, [c]My leanness, my leanness, woe is me: the transgressors have offended: yea, the transgressors have grievously offended.
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And he that fleeth from the noise of the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that cometh up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for the [d]windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down: the earth is clean dissolved: the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man, and shall be removed like a tent, and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it: so that it shall fall, and rise no more.
21 ¶ And in that day shall the Lord [e]visit the host above that is on high, even the kings of the world that are upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together as the prisoners in the pit: and they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be [f]visited.
23 [g]Then the moon shall be abashed, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem: and glory shall be before his ancient men.
13 [a]And who is it that will harm you, if ye follow that which is good?
14 (A)Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake. [b]Yea, (B)fear not their [c]fear, neither be troubled.
15 But [d]sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, [e]and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence.
16 Having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which slander your good conversation in Christ.
17 [f]For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 (C)[g]For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, [h]the just for the unjust, [i]that he might bring us to God, [j]and was put to death concerning the [k]flesh, but was quickened by the spirit.
19 [l]By [m]the which he also went, and preached unto the [n]spirits that are in prison.
20 Which were in time passed disobedient, when [o]once the long suffering of God abode in the days of (D)Noah, while the Ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight [p]souls were saved in the water.
21 [q]Whereof the baptism that now is, answering that figure, (which is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but a confident demanding with a good conscience maketh to [r]God) saveth us also [s]by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
22 Which is at the right hand of God, gone into heaven, to whom the Angels, and Powers, and might are subject.
4 1 He bringeth in Christ’s example, and applieth it, 6 to the mortifying of the flesh, especially commending Charity: 12 And so entreateth of patience. 19 That it is necessary that correction begin at the Church.
1 Forasmuch [t]then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind, which is, that he which hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin,
2 That he hence forward should live (as much time as [u]remaineth in the flesh) not after the lusts of men, but after the will of God.
3 (E)[v]For it is sufficient for us that we have spent the time past of the life, after the lust [w]of the Gentiles walking in wantonness, lusts, drunkenness, in gluttony, drinkings, and in abominable idolatries.
4 [x]Wherein it seemeth to them [y]strange, that ye run not with them unto the same excess of riot: therefore speak they evil of you.
5 Which shall give account to him, that is ready to judge quick and dead.
6 [z]For unto this purpose was the Gospel preached also unto the dead, that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh, but might live according to God in the spirit.
17 (A)[a]And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
18 [b]Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief Priests, and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
19 [c]And (B)shall deliver him to the Gentiles, to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him, but the third day he shall rise again.
20 (C)[d]Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, What wouldest thou? She said to him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one at thy right hand, and the other at thy left hand in thy kingdom.
22 And Jesus answered, and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to [e]drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the [f]baptism that I shall be baptized with? they said to him, We are able.
23 And he said unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and shall be baptized with the baptism, that I am baptized with, but to sit at my right hand, and at my left hand, is [g]not mine to give: but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
24 (D)And when the other ten heard this, they disdained at the two brethren.
25 Therefore Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the lords of the Gentiles have [h]domination over them, and they that are great, exercise authority over them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.
28 (E)Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for the ransom of many.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.