Book of Common Prayer
37 1 This Psalm containeth exhortation and consolation for the weak, that are grieved at the prosperity of the wicked, and the affliction of the godly. 7 For how prosperously soever the wicked do live for the time, he doth affirm their felicity to be vain and transitory, because they are not in the favor of God, but in the end they are destroyed as his enemies. 11 And how miserably that the righteous seemeth to live in the world, yet his end is peace, and he is in the favor of God, he is delivered from the wicked, and preserved.
A Psalm of David.
1 Fret not [a]thyself because of the wicked men, neither be envious for the evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be [b]cut down like grass, and shall wither as the green herb.
3 [c]Trust thou in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly:
4 And delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee thine heart’s desire.
5 [d]Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy [e]judgment as the noon day.
7 Wait patiently upon the Lord, and hope in him: fret not thyself for him [f]which prospereth in his way, nor for the man that bringeth his enterprises to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and leave off wrath: fret not thyself [g]also to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off, and they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.
10 [h]Therefore yet a little while and the wicked shall not appear, and thou shalt look after his place, and he shall not be found.
11 But (A)meek men shall possess the earth, and shall have their delight in the multitude of peace.
12 [i]The wicked practiceth against the just, and gnasheth his teeth against him.
13 But the Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn their sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 But their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 [j]A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the just men.
18 The Lord [k]knoweth the days of upright men, and their inheritance shall be perpetual.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the days of famine they shall have [l]enough.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the [m]fat of lambs: even with the smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again: but the righteous is merciful and [n]giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land, and they that be cursed of him, shall be cut off.
23 [o]The paths of man are directed by the Lord: for he loveth his way.
24 Though he [p]fall, he shall not be cast off, for the Lord putteth under his hand.
25 I have been young, and am old: yet I saw never the righteous forsaken, nor his [q]seed begging bread.
26 But he is ever merciful and lendeth, and his seed enjoyeth the blessing.
27 Flee from evil and do good, and dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his Saints: they shall be preserved forevermore: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous men shall inherit the land, and dwell therein [r]forever.
30 The [s]mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom, and his tongue will talk of judgment.
31 For the Law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not slide.
32 The wicked watched the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him, when he is [t]judged.
34 Wait thou on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee, that thou shalt inherit the land: when the wicked men shall perish, thou shalt see.
35 I have seen the wicked strong, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he [u]passed away, and lo, he was gone, and I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 [v]Mark the upright man, and behold the just: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But their transgressors shall be destroyed together, and the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the [w]salvation of the righteous men shall be of the Lord: he shall be their strength in the time of trouble.
40 For the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and shall save them, because they trust in him.
9 Threatenings against the Temple, 2 And against Israel. 11 The restoring of the Church.
1 I saw the Lord standing upon the [a]Altar, and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in pieces, even the [b]heads of them all, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them, shall not flee away: and he that escapeth of them, shall not be delivered.
2 Though they dig into the hell, thence shall mine hand take them: though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.
3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence: and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the [c]serpent, and he shall bite them.
4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
5 And the Lord God of hosts shall touch the land, and it shall melt away, and all that dwell therein shall mourn, and it shall rise up wholly like a flood, and shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt.
6 He buildeth his [d]spheres in the heaven, and hath laid the foundation of his globe of elements in the earth: he calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the open earth: the Lord is his Name.
7 Are ye not as the Ethiopians [e]unto me, O children of Israel, saith the Lord? have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from [f]Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it clean out of the earth. Nevertheless I will not utterly [g]destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.
9 For lo, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve: yet shall not the [h]least stone fall upon the earth.
10 But all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not come, nor hasten for us.
8 ¶ [a]And unto the Angel of the Church of the [b]Smyrnians write, These things saith he that is first and last, which was dead and is alive.
9 [c]I know thy works and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things, which thou shalt suffer: behold, it shall come to pass, that the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have [d]tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
11 [e]Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt [f]of the second death.
12 [g]And to the Angel of the Church, which is at [h]Pergamos write, Thus saith he which hath that sharp sword with two edges.
13 [i]I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is, and thou keepest my Name, and hast not denied my faith, even in [j]those days when Antipas my faithful martyr was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that maintain the doctrine of (A)Balaam, which taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, that they should [k]eat of things sacrificed unto idols, and commit fornication.
15 Even so hast thou them that maintain the doctrine of the [l]Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent thyself, or else I will come unto thee shortly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 [m]Let him that hath an ear, hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat [n]of the [o]Manna that is hid, and will give him a [p][q]white stone, and in the stone a new [r]name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
13 ¶ [a]Woe therefore be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, [b]hypocrites, because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: for ye yourselves go not in, neither suffer ye them that would [c]enter, to come in.
14 (A)[d]Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye devour widows’ houses, even [e]under a color of long prayers: wherefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye compass sea and [f]land to make one of your profession: and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell, than you yourselves.
16 Woe be unto you blind guides, which say, Whosoever sweareth by the Temple, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the gold of the Temple, he [g]offendeth.
17 Ye fools and blind, Whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that [h]sanctifieth the gold?
18 And whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that is upon it, offendeth.
19 Ye fools and blind, whether is greater, the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering?
20 Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 (B)And whosoever sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 (C)And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the [i]throne of God, and by him that sitteth theron.
23 ¶ (D)[j]Woe be to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law, as judgment, and mercy and [k]fidelity. These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 ¶ [l]Woe be to you, (E)Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye make clean the utter side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
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