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!
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord (A)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who (B)darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
3 Now [a](C)tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And (D)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
4 Where were you (E)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [b]have understanding,
5 Who set its (F)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 On what (G)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the (H)sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (I)enclosed the sea with doors
When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;
9 When I made a cloud its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling bands,
10 And I [c](J)placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘As far as this point you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?
Job’s Confession
42 Then Job answered the Lord and said,
2 “I know that (A)You can do all things,
And that no plan is impossible for You.
3 ‘Who is this who (B)conceals advice without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (C)too wonderful for me, which I do not know.
4 ‘Please listen, and I will speak;
I will (D)ask You, and You instruct me.’
5 I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (F)eye sees You;
4 And the (A)twenty-four elders and the (B)four living creatures (C)fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “(D)Amen. (E)Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“(F)Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, (G)you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like (H)the voice of a great multitude and like (I)the sound of many waters, and like the (J)sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“(K)Hallelujah! For the (L)Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Marriage of the Lamb
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and (M)give the glory to Him, because (N)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His [a](O)bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in (P)fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the (Q)righteous acts of the [b]saints.
9 Then (R)he *said to me, “(S)Write: ‘(T)Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “(U)These are the true words of God.” 10 Then (V)I fell at his feet to worship him. (W)But he *said to me, “[c]Do not do that; I am a (X)fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who (Y)hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw (Z)heaven opened, and behold, a (AA)white horse, and He who sat on it is called (AB)Faithful and True, and in (AC)righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His (AD)eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many (AE)crowns; and He has a (AF)name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a (AG)robe dipped in blood, and His name is called (AH)The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in (AI)fine linen, (AJ)white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 (AK)From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that (AL)with it He may strike down the nations, and He will [d](AM)rule them with a rod of iron; and (AN)He treads the [e]wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has (AO)a name written: “(AP)KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, (A)the Lamb of God who (B)takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘(C)After me is coming a Man who has proved to be [a]my superior, (D)because He existed before me.’ 31 And I did not recognize [b]Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing [c]in water.” 32 And John (E)testified, saying, “(F)I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 And I did not recognize [d]Him, but He who sent me to baptize [e]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, (G)this is the One who baptizes [f]in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is (H)the [g]Son of God.”
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