Book of Common Prayer

146 Alleluia. My soul, praise thou the Lord;

² I shall praise the Lord in my life (I shall praise the Lord all my life); I shall sing to my God as long as I shall be.

³ Do not ye trust in princes; neither in the sons of men, in whom is no health. (Do not ye trust in princes, or in your leaders; nor in other people, in whom there is no help, or deliverance.)

⁴ The spirit of him shall go out, and he shall turn again into his earth; in that day all the thoughts of them shall perish. (The breath of your prince, or of your leader, shall go out of him, and he shall return to the dust; and on that day all his thoughts shall perish.)

⁵ He is blessed, of whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in his Lord God, (He is blessed, whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in the Lord his God,)

⁶ that made heaven, and earth; the sea, and all things that be in those. Which keepeth truth into the world, (who made heaven, and earth; and the sea, and all the creatures that be in them. Who keepeth the truth safe forever,)

⁷ he maketh doom to them that suffer wrong; he giveth meat to them that be hungry. The Lord unbindeth fettered men; (he maketh justice for those who suffer wrong; he giveth food to those who be hungry. The Lord unbindeth the fettered;)

⁸ the Lord lighteneth blind men. The Lord raiseth men hurtled down; the Lord loveth just men. (the Lord giveth light to the blind/the Lord giveth sight to the blind. The Lord raiseth up those who be hurtled down; the Lord loveth the righteous.)

⁹ The Lord keepeth comelings; he shall take up a motherless child, and a widow; and he shall destroy the ways of sinners. (The Lord keepeth newcomers, or strangers, safe/The Lord keepeth watch over newcomers, or strangers; he taketh up the causes of a motherless child, and of a widow; but he destroyeth the ways of the sinners.)

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign into the worlds; Zion, thy God shall reign in generation and into generation. (The Lord shall reign forever; Zion, thy God shall reign for all generations/thy God shall reign in all generations.)

147 Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for the psalm is good; (let our) praising be merry, and fair to our God. (Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing to him; let our praises be joyful, and pleasing to our God.)

² The Lord shall build [up] Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scatterings of Israel. (The Lord shall rebuild Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scattered people of Israel.)

³ The which Lord maketh whole men contrite in heart; and bindeth together the sorrows of them. (The Lord who maketh whole those who be contrite in heart, or who be broken-hearted; and who bindeth up their wounds.)

⁴ Which numbereth the multitude of stars; and calleth names to all those. (Who numbereth the multitude of the stars; and calleth all of them by their names.)

⁵ Our Lord is great, and his virtue is great; and of his wisdom there is no number. (Our Lord is great, and his power is great; and there is no measure of his wisdom.)

⁶ The Lord taketh up mild men; forsooth he maketh low sinners till to the earth. (The Lord raiseth up the meek, or the humble; but he bringeth the sinners down to the ground.)

⁷ Before sing ye to the Lord in acknowledging; say ye psalm to our God in an harp. (Sing ye to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing ye songs to our God on a harp.)

⁸ Which covereth heaven with clouds; and maketh ready rain to the earth. Which bringeth forth hay in hills; and herb to the service of men. (Who covereth the heavens with clouds; and prepareth rain for the earth. Who bringeth forth hay, or grass, on the hills; and plants for the service of all.)

⁹ Which giveth meat to their work beasts; and to the birds of crows calling him. (Who giveth food to their work beasts; and to the younglings of crows calling to him.)

¹⁰ He shall not have will in the strength of an horse; neither it shall be well pleasant to him in the legs of a man. (He shall not take delight in the strength of a horse; nor shall a man’s fast legs be well pleasing to him.)

¹¹ It is well pleasant to the Lord on men that dread him; and in them that hope in his mercy. (But the Lord is well pleased with those who fear him/with those who revere him; and with those who trust in his love.)

¹² Jerusalem, praise thou the Lord; Zion, praise thou thy God.

¹³ For he hath comforted the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy sons in thee. (For he hath strengthened the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within them.)

¹⁴ Which hath set thy coasts peace (He who hath put thy land at peace); and filleth thee with the fatness of wheat.

¹⁵ Which sendeth out his speech to the earth; his word runneth swiftly. (Who sendeth out his word, or his command, to the earth; yea, his word runneth swiftly about.)

¹⁶ Which giveth snow as wool; he spreadeth abroad a cloud as ashes. (Who giveth the snow like wool; and he spreadeth abroad the hoarfrost like ashes.)

¹⁷ He sendeth his crystal as morsels; who shall be able to suffer before the face of his coldness? (He sendeth out his ice like morsels; yea, who can survive the cold that he sendeth?)

¹⁸ He shall send out his word, and shall melt those; his spirit shall blow, and waters shall flow. (And then he sendeth out his word, and the ice melteth; and his wind bloweth, and the waters flow.)

¹⁹ Which telleth his word to Jacob; and his rightfulnesses and dooms to Israel. (Who telleth his word to Jacob; yea, his statutes and his laws, or his decrees, to Israel.)

²⁰ He did not so to each nation; and he showed not his dooms to them. (He hath not done this for any other nation; he hath not shown his laws, or his decrees, to them.)

111 Alleluia. Lord, I shall acknowledge to thee in all mine heart; in the council, and congregation of just men. (Alleluia. Lord, I shall praise thee with all my heart, in the gathering together of the upright; yea, in the congregation.)

² The works of the Lord be great; sought out into all his wills. (The works of the Lord be great; sought out by all who take delight in them.)

³ His work is acknowledging and great doing; and his rightfulness dwelleth into the world of world. (His works be full of honour and majesty; and his righteousness remaineth forever and ever.)

⁴ The Lord, merciful in will, and a merciful doer, hath made a mind of his marvels; (The Lord, merciful in will, and a giver of mercy, is remembered for his marvellous deeds;)

⁵ he hath given meat to men dreading him. He shall be mindful of his testament into the world; (he hath given food to those who fear him/to those who revere him. He shall always be mindful, or shall always remember, his covenant;)

⁶ he shall tell to his people the strength of his works. That he give to them the heritage of folks; (he hath shown his people his strength in his works. Yea, he hath given them the inheritance of the nations;)

⁷ the works of his hands be truth and doom (the works of his hands be truth and justice). All his commandments be faithful,

⁸ confirmed into the world of world; made in truth and equity. (confirmed forever, and made in truth and goodness.)

⁹ The Lord sent redemption to his people; he commanded his testament [into] without end. His name is holy and dreadful; (The Lord sent and redeemed his people; he commanded that his covenant should endure forever. His name is holy and fearful/His name is holy and worthy to be praised;)

¹⁰ the beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord. Good understanding is to all that do it; his praising dwelleth into the world of world. (the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord/the beginning of wisdom is to revere the Lord. All who obey his commandments grow in wisdom; praise shall be his forever.)

112 Alleluia. Blessed is the man that dreadeth the Lord; he shall delight full much in his commandments. (Alleluia. Happy is the person who feareth the Lord/who hath reverence for the Lord; he shall take great delight, or joy, in his commandments.)

² His seed shall be mighty in [the] earth; the generation of rightful men shall be blessed. (His children shall be mighty in the earth; the descendants of good people shall be blessed/the generations of the upright shall be blessed.)

³ Glory and riches be in his house; and his rightfulness dwelleth into the world of world. (There shall be glory and riches in his house; and his righteousness remaineth forever and ever.)

⁴ Light is risen up in darknesses to rightful men; the Lord is merciful in will, and a merciful doer, and rightful. (Light riseth up in the darkness for the upright; the Lord is merciful in will, a giver of mercy, and fair to all.)

⁵ The man is merry, that doeth mercy, and lendeth; he disposeth his words in doom; (Happy is the person who giveth favour when he lendeth; he disposeth his deeds with justice, or with good judgement;)

⁶ for he shall not be moved [into] without end. A just man shall be in everlasting mind; (and nothing shall shake him. A good person’s deeds shall always be remembered;)

⁷ he shall not dread of an evil hearing. His heart is ready for to hope in the Lord; (he shall not fear to hear bad news. His heart is always ready to trust in the Lord;)

⁸ his heart is confirmed, he shall not be moved, till he despise his enemies. (his heart is firm, he shall not be moved, and he shall gloat over his enemies./his heart is steadfast, he shall not be shaken, and he shall see his enemies defeated.)

⁹ He spreaded abroad, he gave to poor men; his rightwiseness dwelleth into the world of world; his horn shall be raised in glory. (He spreadeth abroad much money, yea, he giveth to the poor; his righteousness remaineth forever and ever, his horn shall be raised up in glory.)

¹⁰ A sinner shall see (it), and shall be wroth; he shall gnash with his teeth, and shall fail, either shall wax rotten; the desire of sinners shall perish.

113 Alleluia. Servants, praise ye the Lord; praise ye the name of the Lord.

² The name of the Lord be blessed; from this time now, and till into the world (and forever).

³ From the rising of the sun till to the going down (From the rising of the sun until the going down of the same); the name of the Lord is worthy to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is high above all folks (The Lord is high above all the nations); and his glory is above (the) heavens.

⁵ Who is as our Lord God, that dwelleth in high things; (Who is like the Lord our God, who liveth in high places/who liveth on high;)

⁶ and beholdeth meek things in heaven and in earth? (and yet who deigneth himself to look upon the things in the heavens, and the things on earth!)

⁷ Raising a needy man from the earth; and enhancing a poor man from drit. (Raising up the needy from the dust; and lifting up the poor out of the dirt.)

⁸ That he set him with princes; with the princes of his people. (So that they may sit with princes; yea, with the leaders of the people.)

⁹ Which maketh a barren woman dwell in the house; a glad mother of sons. (Who maketh a barren woman, who liveth in her home, into a happy mother of sons.)

1 The vision, either prophesy, of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw on Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, of Jotham, of Ahaz, and of Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (The vision, or the prophesy, of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.)

² Ye heavens, hear, and thou earth, perceive with ears, for the Lord spake. I have nourished and I have enhanced sons; soothly they have despised me. (Ye heavens, hear, and thou earth, listen, for the Lord spoke. I have nourished and I have raised up my children; but they have despised me.)

³ An ox knew his lord, and an ass knew the cratch of his lord; but Israel knew not me, and my people understood not. (An ox knew its master, and a donkey knew its master’s stall; but Israel knoweth not, and my people do not understand.)

⁴ Woe to the sinful folk, to the people heavy in wickedness, to the wayward seed, to the cursed sons; they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy of Israel, they be aliened [away] backward. (Woe to this sinful nation, to the people heavy in wickedness, to this depraved generation, to these cursed sons and daughters; they have deserted the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they have turned their backs on him.)

⁵ On what thing shall I smite you more, that increase trespassing? (Over what thing shall I strike you, ye who continue to trespass, or to sin?) Each head is sick, and each heart is mourning.

⁶ From the sole of the foot till to the noll, health is not therein; wound, and wanness, and beating swelling (that) is not bound about (and swelling from a beating that is not bound up), neither cured by medicine, neither nursed with oil.

⁷ Your land is forsaken, your cities be burnt by fire; aliens devour your country before you, and it shall be desolate as in the destroying of enemies. (Your land is deserted, your cities be burned down; foreigners devour your country before you, and it shall be made desolate in its destruction by your enemies.)

⁸ And the daughter of Zion, that is, Jerusalem, shall be forsaken as a shadowing place in a vineyard, and as an hulk in a place where gourds waxed, and as a city which is wasted. (And the daughter of Zion, that is, Jerusalem, shall be deserted like a place of shadow in a vineyard, and like a hut in a place where cucumbers grew, and like a city that is destroyed.)

⁹ If the Lord of hosts had not left seed to us, we had been as Sodom, and we had been like as Gomorrah. (If the Lord of hosts had not left some of us alive, then we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.)

3 Lo! ye most dear-worthy brethren, I write to you this second epistle [Lo! I write to you, most dear, this second epistle], in which I stir your clear soul by admonishing together,

² that ye be mindful of those words [that ye be mindful of the words], that I before-said of the holy prophets, and of the commandments of the holy apostles of the Lord and Saviour.

³ First know ye this thing, that in the last days deceivers shall come in deceit [First knowing this thing, that in the last days scorners shall come in deceit], going after their own covetings,

⁴ saying, Where is the promise, or the coming of him? for since the fathers died, all things last from the beginning of creature [for since fathers slept, either died, so all things last from the beginning of creature].

⁵ But it is hid from them willing this thing, that heavens were before, and the earth of water was standing by water, by God's word [that heavens were first, and the earth of water and by water being, or standing, together by God's word];

⁶ by which [things] that same world cleansed, then by water perished.

⁷ But the heavens that now be, and the earth, be kept by the same word, and be reserved to fire into the day of doom and perdition of wicked men. [Forsooth the heavens that now be, and the earth, by the same word put again, be kept to fire into the day of doom and perdition of unpious men.]

⁸ But, ye most dear, this one thing be not hid to you [be not unknown], that one day with God is as a thousand years, and a thousand years be as one day [and a thousand years as one day].

⁹ The Lord tarrieth not his promise, as some [men] guess, but he doeth patiently for you, and will not that any man perish [not willing any to perish], but that all turn again to penance.

¹⁰ For the day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which heavens with great rush shall pass [in which heavens with great rush, or fierceness, shall pass], and elements shall be dissolved by heat, and the earth, and all the works that be in it, shall be burnt.

25 Then the kingdom of heavens shall be like to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went out to meet the husband and the wife^[a];

² and five of them were fools, and five prudent.

³ But the five fools took their lamps, and took not oil with them;

⁴ but the prudent took oil in their vessels with the lamps.

⁵ And whiles the husband [the spouse, or husband,] tarried, all they napped and slept.

⁶ But at midnight a cry was made, Lo! the spouse cometh, go ye out to meet with him [go ye out to meet him].

⁷ Then all those virgins rose up, and arrayed their lamps [and adorned their lamps].

⁸ And the fools said to the wise, Give ye to us of your oil, for our lamps be quenched.

⁹ The prudent answered, and said [saying], Lest peradventure it suffice not to us and to you, go ye rather to men that sell, and buy to you.

¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the spouse came; and those that were ready, entered [in] with him to the weddings; and the gate was shut.

¹¹ And at the last the other virgins came, and said, Lord, Lord, open to us.^[b]

¹² And he answered, and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not.

¹³ Therefore wake ye, for ye know not the day nor the hour.