Book of Common Prayer
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless (A)the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 (B)Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who (C)heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
(D)Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that (E)your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 (F)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
8 (G)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 (H)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 (I)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (J)removed our transgressions from us.
13 (K)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, (L)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 (M)For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And (N)its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 (O)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And (P)His kingdom rules over all.
20 (Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who (R)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
(S)You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise to the Lord from Creation
148 Praise[a] the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, (A)you heavens of heavens,
And (B)you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For (C)He commanded and they were created.
6 (D)He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
(E)You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9 (F)Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His (G)name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
14 And He (H)has exalted the [b]horn of His people,
The praise of (I)all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
(J)A people near to Him.
[c]Praise the Lord!
Assurance of Zion’s Salvation
62 For Zion’s sake I will not [a]hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 (A)The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all (B)kings your glory.
(C)You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
3 You shall also be (D)a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 (E)You shall no longer be termed (F)Forsaken,[b]
Nor shall your land any more be termed (G)Desolate;[c]
But you shall be called [d]Hephzibah, and your land [e]Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
(H)So shall your God rejoice over you.
10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
(A)Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
(B)Lift up a banner for the peoples!
11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
(C)“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His (D)reward is with Him,
And His [a]work before Him.’ ”
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
Christ on a White Horse
11 (A)Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, (B)a white horse. And He who sat on him was called (C)Faithful and True, and (D)in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 (E)His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. (F)He [a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 (G)He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called (H)The Word of God. 14 (I)And the armies in heaven, (J)clothed in [b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now (K)out of His mouth goes a [c]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And (L)He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. (M)He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And (N)He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
(O)KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
Christ Born of Mary(A)
18 Now the (B)birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child (C)of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being [a]a just man, and not wanting (D)to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, (E)for that which is [b]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 (F)And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name [c]Jesus, (G)for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 (H)“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and [d]did not know her till she had brought forth (I)her[e] firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.