Book of Common Prayer
The Lord, an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)while I live;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I [c]have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in noblemen,
In [d]mortal (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [e]the earth;
On that very day his (I)plans perish.
5 (J)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and everything that is in them;
Who (N)keeps [f]faith forever;
7 Who (O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (Q)frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord (R)opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (T)loves the righteous.
9 The Lord (U)watches over strangers;
He [g](V)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [h]thwarts (W)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (X)reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
[i]Praise [j]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [k]Praise [l]the Lord!
For (Y)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [m]it is pleasant and praise is [n](Z)beautiful.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
He (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (AC)brokenhearted
And (AD)binds up their [o]wounds.
4 He (AE)counts the number of the stars;
He [p](AF)gives names to all of them.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (AH)understanding is [q]infinite.
6 The Lord [r](AI)supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 (AJ)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8 It is He who (AK)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (AL)provides rain for the earth,
Who (AM)makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 It is He who (AN)gives an animal its food,
And feeds (AO)young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in [s]the strength of the (AP)horse;
He (AQ)does not take pleasure in the [t]legs of a man.
11 The Lord (AR)favors those who fear Him,
(AS)Those who wait for His [u]faithfulness.
12 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (AT)bars of your gates;
He has (AU)blessed your sons among you.
14 He (AV)makes [v]peace in your borders;
He (AW)satisfies you with (AX)the [w]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His (AY)command to the earth;
His (AZ)word runs very swiftly.
16 He [x]showers (BA)snow like wool;
He scatters the (BB)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His (BC)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (BD)cold?
18 He (BE)sends His word and makes them melt;
He (BF)makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He (BG)declares His words to Jacob,
His (BH)statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He (BI)has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, [y]they have (BJ)not known them.
[z]Praise [aa]the Lord!
The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
111 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
I (A)will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the (B)company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 (C)Great are the works of the Lord;
They are [c](D)studied by all who delight in them.
3 [d](E)Splendid and majestic is His work,
And (F)His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused His [e]wonders [f]to be remembered;
The Lord is (G)gracious and compassionate.
5 He has (H)given [g]food to those who [h]fear Him;
He will (I)remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are [i](J)truth and justice;
All His precepts (K)are trustworthy.
8 They are (L)upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in [j](M)truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent (N)redemption to His people;
He has [k]ordained His covenant forever;
(O)Holy and [l]awesome is His name.
10 The [m](P)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All those who [n]follow (Q)His commandments have a good understanding;
His (R)praise endures forever.
Prosperity of One Who Fears the Lord.
112 [o]Praise [p]the Lord!
(S)Blessed is a person who [q]fears the Lord,
Who greatly (T)delights in His commandments.
2 His [r](U)descendants will be mighty [s]on the earth;
The generation of the (V)upright will be blessed.
3 (W)Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness (X)for the upright;
He is (Y)gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5 It goes well for a person who (Z)is gracious and lends;
He will [t]maintain his cause in judgment.
6 For he will (AA)never be shaken;
The (AB)righteous will be [u]remembered forever.
7 He will not fear (AC)bad news;
His (AD)heart is steadfast, (AE)trusting in the Lord.
8 His (AF)heart is firm, he (AG)will not fear,
[v]But will (AH)look with satisfaction on his enemies.
9 [w]He (AI)has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His (AJ)horn will be exalted in honor.
10 The (AK)wicked will see it and be [x]vexed,
He will (AL)gnash his teeth and (AM)melt away;
The (AN)desire of the wicked will perish.
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [y]Praise [z]the Lord!
(AO)Praise Him, you (AP)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (AQ)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
3 (AR)From [aa]the rising of the sun to its setting,
The (AS)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (AT)high above all nations;
His (AU)glory is above the heavens.
5 (AV)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (AW)is enthroned on high,
6 Who (AX)looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
7 He (AY)raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8 To (AZ)seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
9 He (BA)has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[ab]Praise [ac]the Lord!
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he saw in visions concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake.
2 And he said,
“The (F)Lord roars from Zion,
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [a](H)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 This is what the Lord says:
“For (I)three offenses of (J)Damascus, and for four,
I will not [b]revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
And it will consume the citadels of (K)Ben-hadad.
5 I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus,
And eliminate every inhabitant from the [c]Valley of Aven,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will be exiled to (M)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of the sons of (A)Ammon, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (B)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (C)enlarge their borders.
14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (D)Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid [a](E)war cries on the day of battle,
And amid a (F)storm on the day of tempest.
15 Their (G)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Moab
2 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (H)Moab, and for four,
I will not [b]revoke its punishment,
Because he (I)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of (J)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid the (K)panic of battle,
Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also eliminate the [c](L)judge from her midst
And slay all her (M)leaders with him,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah
4 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (N)Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (O)rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [d](P)lies also have led them astray,
Those which their (Q)fathers followed.
5 So I will (R)send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (S)Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (T)sell the righteous for [e]money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 These who [f]trample the head of the (U)helpless to the dust of the earth
Also (V)divert the way of the humble;
And a (W)man and his father [g]resort to the same [h]girl
So as to profane My holy name.
8 And on garments (X)seized as pledges they stretch out beside (Y)every altar,
And in the house of their God they (Z)drink the wine of those who have been fined.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now as to the (A)periods and [a]times, brothers and sisters, you (B)have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that (C)the day of the Lord is coming (D)just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “(E)Peace and safety!” then (F)sudden destruction [b]will come upon them like (G)labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in (H)darkness, so that the day would overtake you [c](I)like a thief; 5 for you are all (J)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of (K)darkness; 6 so then, let’s not (L)sleep as [d](M)others do, but let’s be alert and [e](N)sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, (O)get drunk at night. 8 But since (P)we are of the day, let’s (Q)be [f]sober, having put on the (R)breastplate of (S)faith and love, and as a (T)helmet, the (U)hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for (V)wrath, but for (W)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (X)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, [g]encourage one another and (Y)build one another up, just as you also are doing.
5 (A)And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and [a]vowed gifts, He said, 6 “As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when (B)there will not be left one stone upon [b]another, which will not be torn down.”
7 They asked Him questions, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the [c]sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘(C)I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ (D)Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
Things to Come
10 Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be [d]massive earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrible sights and great [e]signs from heaven.
12 “But before all these things, (E)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, [f]bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name. 13 (F)It will lead to [g]an opportunity for your testimony. 14 (G)So [h]make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15 for (H)I will provide you [i]eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute. 16 But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all people because of My name. 18 And yet (I)not a hair of your head will perish. 19 (J)By your endurance you will gain your [j]lives.
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