Book of Common Prayer
102 A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh.
2 Hide not Thou Thy face from me, In a day of mine adversity, Incline unto me Thine ear, In the day I call, haste, answer me.
3 For consumed in smoke have been my days, And my bones as a fire-brand have burned.
4 Smitten as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.
5 From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh.
6 I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.
7 I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.
8 All the day mine enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.
9 Because ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping have mingled,
10 From Thine indignation and Thy wrath, For Thou hast lifted me up, And dost cast me down.
11 My days as a shadow [are] stretched out, And I -- as the herb I am withered.
12 And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to all generations.
13 Thou -- Thou risest -- Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath come.
14 For Thy servants have been pleased with her stones, And her dust they favour.
15 And nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all kings of the earth Thine honour,
16 For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour,
17 He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised their prayer.
18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Jah.
19 For He hath looked From the high place of His sanctuary. Jehovah from heaven unto earth looked attentively,
20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,
21 To declare in Zion the name of Jehovah, And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms -- to serve Jehovah.
23 He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath shortened my days.
24 I say, `My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,' Through all generations [are] Thine years.
25 Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands [are] the heavens.
26 They -- They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, And they are changed.
27 And Thou [art] the same, and Thine years are not finished.
28 The sons of Thy servants do continue, And their seed before Thee is established!
107 `Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age [is] His kindness:'
2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, Whom He redeemed from the hand of an adversary.
3 And from the lands hath gathered them, From east and from west, From north, and from the sea.
4 They wandered in a wilderness, in a desert by the way, A city of habitation they have not found.
5 Hungry -- yea -- thirsty, Their soul in them becometh feeble,
6 And they cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distress He delivereth them,
7 And causeth them to tread in a right way, To go unto a city of habitation.
8 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men.
9 For He hath satisfied a longing soul, And a hungry soul hath filled [with] goodness.
10 Inhabitants of dark places and death-shade, Prisoners of affliction and of iron,
11 Because they changed the saying of God, And the counsel of the Most High despised.
12 And He humbleth with labour their heart, They have been feeble, and there is no helper.
13 And they cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distresses He saveth them.
14 He bringeth them out from the dark place, And death-shade, And their bands He draweth away.
15 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men.
16 For He hath broken doors of brass, And bars of iron He hath cut.
17 Fools, by means of their transgression, And by their iniquities, afflict themselves.
18 All food doth their soul abominate, And they come nigh unto the gates of death,
19 And cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distresses He saveth them,
20 He sendeth His word and healeth them, And delivereth from their destructions.
21 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men,
22 And they sacrifice sacrifices of thanksgiving, And recount His works with singing.
23 Those going down [to] the sea in ships, Doing business in many waters,
24 They have seen the works of Jehovah, And His wonders in the deep.
25 And He saith, and appointeth a tempest, And it lifteth up its billows,
26 They go up [to] the heavens, they go down [to] the depths, Their soul in evil is melted.
27 They reel to and fro, and move as a drunkard, And all their wisdom is swallowed up.
28 And they cry to Jehovah in their adversity, And from their distresses He bringeth them out.
29 He establisheth a whirlwind to a calm, And hushed are their billows.
30 And they rejoice because they are quiet, And He leadeth them to the haven of their desire.
31 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men,
32 And they exalt Him in the assembly of the people, And in the seat of the elders praise Him.
3 Lo, I am sending My messenger, And he hath prepared a way before Me, And suddenly come in unto his temple Doth the Lord whom ye are seeking, Even the messenger of the covenant, Whom ye are desiring, Lo, he is coming, said Jehovah of Hosts.
2 And who is bearing the day of his coming? And who is standing in his appearing? For he [is] as fire of a refiner, And as soap of a fuller.
3 And he hath sat, a refiner and purifier of silver, And he hath purified the sons of Levi, And hath refined them as gold and as silver, And they have been to Jehovah bringing nigh a present in righteousness.
4 And sweet to Jehovah hath been the present of Judah and Jerusalem, As in days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I have drawn near to you for judgment, And I have been a witness, Making haste against sorcerers, And against adulterers, And against swearers to a falsehood, And against oppressors of the hire of an hireling, Of a widow, and of a fatherless one, And those turning aside a sojourner, And who fear Me not, said Jehovah of Hosts.
6 For I [am] Jehovah, I have not changed, And ye, the sons of Jacob, Ye have not been consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers Ye have turned aside from My statutes, And ye have not taken heed. Turn back unto Me, and I turn back to you, Said Jehovah of Hosts. And ye have said, `In what do we turn back?'
8 Doth man deceive God? but ye are deceiving Me, And ye have said: `In what have we deceived Thee?' The tithe and the heave-offering!
9 With a curse ye are cursed! And Me ye are deceiving -- this nation -- all of it.
10 Bring in all the tithe unto the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When ye have tried Me, now, with this, Said Jehovah of Hosts, Do not I open to you the windows of heaven? Yea, I have emptied on you a blessing till there is no space.
11 And I have pushed for you against the consumer, And He doth not destroy to you the fruit of the ground, Nor miscarry to you doth the vine in the field, Said Jehovah of Hosts.
12 And declared you happy have all the nations, For ye are a delightful land, said Jehovah of Hosts.
7 Be patient, then, brethren, till the presence of the Lord; lo, the husbandman doth expect the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it, till he may receive rain -- early and latter;
8 be patient, ye also; establish your hearts, because the presence of the Lord hath drawn nigh;
9 murmur not against one another, brethren, that ye may not be condemned; lo, the Judge before the door hath stood.
10 An example take ye of the suffering of evil, my brethren, and of the patience, the prophets who did speak in the name of the Lord;
11 lo, we call happy those who are enduring; the endurance of Job ye heard of, and the end of the Lord ye have seen, that very compassionate is the Lord, and pitying.
12 And before all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, and let your Yes be Yes, and the No, No; that under judgment ye may not fall.
18 And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth [us] always to pray, and not to faint,
2 saying, `A certain judge was in a certain city -- God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding --
3 and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent,
4 and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard,
5 yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.'
6 And the Lord said, `Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith:
7 and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night -- bearing long in regard to them?
8 I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?'