Book of Common Prayer
ZAIN
49 Remember [a]the promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust.
50 It is my comfort in my trouble; for thy promise hath quickened me.
51 The [b]proud have had me exceedingly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy Law.
52 I remembered thy [c]judgments of old, O Lord, and have been comforted.
53 [d]Fear is come upon me for the wicked, that forsake thy Law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my [e]pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the [f]night, and have kept thy Law.
56 [g]This I had because I kept thy precepts.
CHETH
57 O Lord, that art my [h]portion, I have determined to keep thy words.
58 I made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy promise.
59 I have considered my [i]ways, and turned my feet into thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61 The bands of the wicked have [j]robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy Law.
62 At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee, because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am [k]companion of all them that fear thee, and keep thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: [l]teach me thy statutes.
TETH
65 O Lord, thou hast dealt [m]graciously with thy servant, according unto thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
67 Before I was [n]afflicted, I went astray: but now I keep thy word.
68 Thou art good and gracious: teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud have imagined a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 [o]Their heart is fat as grease, but my delight is in thy Law.
71 It is [p]good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes.
72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, than thousands of gold and silver.
49 1 The holy Ghost calleth all men to the consideration of man’s life, 7 showing them not to be most blessed that are most wealthy, and therefore not to be feared: but contrariwise he lifteth up our minds to consider how all things are ruled by God’s providence: 14 Who as he judgeth these worldly misers to everlasting torments, 15 so doth he preserve his, and will reward them in the day of the resurrection, 1 Thess. 1:6.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm committed to the sons of Korah.
1 Hear [a]this all ye people: give ear, all ye that dwell in the world,
2 As well low as high, both rich and poor.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of mine heart is of knowledge.
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable, and utter my grave matter upon the harp.
5 Wherefore should I [b]fear in the evil days, when iniquity shall compass me about, as at mine heels?
6 They trust in their [c]goods, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
7 Yet a man can by no means redeem his brother: he cannot give his ransom to God,
8 (So [d]precious is the redemption of their souls, [e]and the continuance forever)
9 That he may live still forever, and not see the grave.
10 For he seeth that wise men [f]die: and also that the ignorant and foolish perish, and leave their riches for [g]others.
11 Yet they think their houses and their habitations shall continue forever, even from generation to generation, and [h]call their lands by their names.
12 But man shall not continue in honor; he is like the [i]beasts that die.
13 This their way uttereth their foolishness; yet their posterity [j]delight in their talk. Selah.
14 [k]Like sheep they lie in grave; [l]death devoureth them; and the righteous shall have domination over them in the [m]morning; for their beauty shall consume, when they shall go from their house to grave.
15 But God shall deliver my soul from the power of the grave; [n]for he will receive me. Selah.
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, and when the glory of his house is increased.
17 (A)For he shall take nothing away, when he dieth, neither shall his pomp descend after him.
18 For while he lived, [o]he rejoiced himself; and [p]men will praise thee, when thou makest much of thyself.
19 [q][r]He shall enter into the generation of his fathers, [s]and they shall not live forever.
20 Man is in honor; and [t]understandeth not; he is like to beasts that perish.
53 1 He describeth the crooked nature. 4 The cruelty, 5 And punishment of the wicked, when they look not for it, 6 And desireth the deliverance of the godly, that they may rejoice together.
To him that excelleth on [a]Mahalath. A Psalm of David to give instruction.
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is [b]no God, they have corrupted and done abominable wickedness, there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and [c]seek God.
3 (A)Everyone is gone back: they are altogether corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not the [d]workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people as they eat bread? they call not upon God.
5 There they were afraid for fear, where no [e]fear was: for God hath scattered the [f]bones of him that besieged thee: thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath cast them off.
6 Oh give salvation unto Israel out of Zion: when God turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
3 A prophecy of Christ and of his kingdom.
1 And he showed me Joshua the high Priest, [a]standing before the Angel of the Lord, and [b]Satan stood at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the [c]Lord said unto Satan, The Lord reprove thee, O Satan: even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, reprove thee. Is not this a [d][brand] taken out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with [e]filthy garments, and stood before the Angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the [f]filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have [g]caused thine iniquity to depart from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them [h]set a fair diadem upon his head. So they set a fair diadem upon his head, and clothed him with garments, and the Angel of the Lord stood by.
6 And the Angel of the Lord testified unto Joshua, saying,
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my watch, thou shalt also [i]judge mine house, and shalt also keep my [j]courts, and I will give thee place among [k]these that stand by.
8 Hear now, O Joshua the high Priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they [l]are monstrous persons: but behold, I will bring forth the [m]Branch my servant.
9 For lo, the [n]stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I [o]will cut out the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will take [p]away the iniquity of this land in one day.
10 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the [q]vine, and under the fig tree.
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.
45 (A)Who then is a faithful servant and wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he cometh, shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My master doth defer his coming,
49 And begin to smite his fellows, and to eat, and to drink with the drunken,
50 That servant’s master will come in a day, when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And will [a]cut him off, and give him his portion with hypocrites: (B)there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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