Book of Common Prayer
1 O the happiness of that one, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat;
2 But -- in the law of Jehovah [is] his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night:
3 And he hath been as a tree, Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper.
4 Not so the wicked: But -- as chaff that wind driveth away!
5 Therefore the wicked rise not in judgment, Nor sinners in the company of the righteous,
6 For Jehovah is knowing the way of the righteous, And the way of the wicked is lost!
2 Why have nations tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity?
2 Station themselves do kings of the earth, And princes have been united together, Against Jehovah, and against His Messiah:
3 `Let us draw off Their cords, And cast from us Their thick bands.'
4 He who is sitting in the heavens doth laugh, The Lord doth mock at them.
5 Then doth He speak unto them in His anger, And in His wrath He doth trouble them:
6 `And I -- I have anointed My King, Upon Zion -- My holy hill.'
7 I declare concerning a statute: Jehovah said unto me, `My Son Thou [art], I to-day have brought thee forth.
8 Ask of Me and I give nations -- thy inheritance, And thy possession -- the ends of earth.
9 Thou dost rule them with a sceptre of iron, As a vessel of a potter Thou dost crush them.'
10 And now, O kings, act wisely, Be instructed, O judges of earth,
11 Serve ye Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Chosen One, lest He be angry, And ye lose the way, When His anger burneth but a little, O the happiness of all trusting in Him!
3 A Psalm of David, in his fleeing from the face of Absalom his son. Jehovah, how have my distresses multiplied! Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul, `There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah.
3 And Thou, O Jehovah, [art] a shield for me, My honour, and lifter up of my head.
4 My voice [is] unto Jehovah: I call: And He answereth me from his holy hill, Selah.
5 I -- I have lain down, and I sleep, I have waked, for Jehovah sustaineth me.
6 I am not afraid of myriads of people, That round about they have set against me.
7 Rise, O Jehovah! save me, my God. Because Thou hast smitten All mine enemies [on] the cheek. The teeth of the wicked Thou hast broken.
8 Of Jehovah [is] this salvation; On Thy people [is] Thy blessing! Selah.
4 To the Overseer with Stringed Instruments. -- A Psalm of David. In my calling answer Thou me, O God of my righteousness. In adversity Thou gavest enlargement to me; Favour me, and hear my prayer.
2 Sons of men! till when [is] my glory for shame? Ye love a vain thing, ye seek a lie. Selah.
3 And know ye that Jehovah Hath separated a saintly one to Himself. Jehovah heareth in my calling to Him.
4 `Tremble ye, and do not sin;' Say ye [thus] in your heart on your bed, And be ye silent. Selah.
5 Sacrifice ye sacrifices of righteousness, And trust ye unto Jehovah.
6 Many are saying, `Who doth show us good?' Lift on us the light of Thy face, O Jehovah,
7 Thou hast given joy in my heart, From the time their corn and their wine Have been multiplied.
8 In peace together I lie down and sleep, For Thou, O Jehovah, alone, In confidence dost cause me to dwell!
7 `The Erring One,' by David, that he sung to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Jehovah, my God, in Thee I have trusted, Save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me.
2 Lest he tear as a lion my soul, Rending, and there is no deliverer.
3 O Jehovah, my God, if I have done this, If there is iniquity in my hands,
4 If I have done my well-wisher evil, And draw mine adversary without cause,
5 An enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh, And treadeth down to the earth my life, And my honour placeth in the dust. Selah.
6 Rise, O Jehovah, in Thine anger, Be lifted up at the wrath of mine adversaries, And awake Thou for me: Judgment Thou hast commanded:
7 And a company of peoples compass Thee, And over it on high turn Thou back,
8 Jehovah doth judge the peoples; Judge me, O Jehovah, According to my righteousness, And according to mine integrity on me,
9 Let, I pray Thee be ended the evil of the wicked, And establish Thou the righteous, And a trier of hearts and reins is the righteous God.
10 My shield [is] on God, Saviour of the upright in heart!
11 God [is] a righteous judge, And He is not angry at all times.
12 If [one] turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it,
13 Yea, for him He hath prepared Instruments of death, His arrows for burning pursuers He maketh.
14 Lo, he travaileth [with] iniquity, And he hath conceived perverseness, And hath brought forth falsehood.
15 A pit he hath prepared, and he diggeth it, And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.
16 Return doth his perverseness on his head, And on his crown his violence cometh down.
17 I thank Jehovah, According to His righteousness, And praise the name of Jehovah Most High!
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,
11 `Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated [with] burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.
12 When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts?
13 Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense -- an abomination it [is] to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity -- and a restraint!
14 Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.
15 And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full.
16 Wash ye, make ye pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before Mine eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.
17 Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.
18 Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be!
19 If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,
20 And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, [By] the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the assembly of Thessalonians in God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
3 unceasingly remembering of you the work of the faith, and the labour of the love, and the endurance of the hope, of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father,
4 having known, brethren beloved, by God, your election,
5 because our good news did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as ye have known of what sort we became among you because of you,
6 and ye -- ye did become imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 so that ye became patterns to all those believing in Macedonia and Achaia,
8 for from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God did go forth, so that we have no need to say anything,
9 for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God,
10 and to wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He did raise out of the dead -- Jesus, who is rescuing us from the anger that is coming.
20 And it came to pass, on one of those days, as he is teaching the people in the temple, and proclaiming good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came upon [him],
2 and spake unto him, saying, `Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who is he that gave to thee this authority?'
3 And he answering said unto them, `I will question you -- I also -- one thing, and tell me:
4 the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying -- `If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?
6 and if we may say, From men, all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John to be a prophet.'
7 And they answered, that they knew not whence [it was],
8 and Jesus said to them, `Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.'