Book of Common Prayer
49 [Zain.] Remember the word to Thy servant, On which Thou hast caused me to hope.
50 This [is] my comfort in mine affliction, That Thy saying hath quickened me.
51 The proud have utterly scorned me, From Thy law I have not turned aside.
52 I remembered Thy judgments of old, O Jehovah, And I comfort myself.
53 Horror hath seized me, Because of the wicked forsaking Thy law.
54 Songs have been to me Thy statutes, In the house of my sojournings.
55 I have remembered in the night Thy name, O Jehovah, And I do keep Thy law.
56 This hath been to me, That Thy precepts I have kept!
57 [Cheth.] My portion [is] Jehovah; I have said -- to keep Thy words,
58 I appeased Thy face with the whole heart, Favour me according to Thy saying.
59 I have reckoned my ways, And turn back my feet unto Thy testimonies.
60 I have made haste, And delayed not, to keep Thy commands.
61 Cords of the wicked have surrounded me, Thy law I have not forgotten.
62 At midnight I rise to give thanks to Thee, For the judgments of Thy righteousness.
63 A companion I [am] to all who fear Thee, And to those keeping Thy precepts.
64 Of Thy kindness, O Jehovah, the earth is full, Thy statutes teach Thou me!
65 [Teth.] Good Thou didst with Thy servant, O Jehovah, According to Thy word.
66 The goodness of reason and knowledge teach me, For in Thy commands I have believed.
67 Before I am afflicted, I -- I am erring, And now Thy saying I have kept.
68 Good Thou [art], and doing good, Teach me Thy statutes.
69 Forged against me falsehood have the proud, I with the whole heart keep Thy precepts.
70 Insensate as fat hath been their heart, I -- in Thy law I have delighted.
71 Good for me that I have been afflicted, That I might learn Thy statutes.
72 Better to me [is] the law of Thy mouth Than thousands of gold and silver!
49 To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2 Both low and high, together rich and needy.
3 My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
4 I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:
5 Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.
6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.
7 A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.
8 And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased -- to the age.
9 And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.
10 For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.
11 Their heart [is]: Their houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.
12 And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
13 This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. Selah.
14 As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for him.
15 Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah.
16 Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,
17 For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.
18 For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)
19 It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.
20 Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
53 To the Overseer. -- `On a disease.' -- An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, `There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good.
2 God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, [One] seeking God.
3 Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good -- not even one.
4 Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called.
5 There they feared a fear -- there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them.
6 Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back [to] a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice -- Israel is glad!
8 A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel.
9 And the people have known -- all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,
10 `Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'
11 And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,
12 Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.
13 And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.
14 And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed -- the same day,
15 Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail.
16 And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogised ones are consumed.
17 Therefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one [is] profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.
2 And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects, and the Master who bought them denying, bringing to themselves quick destruction,
2 and many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of,
3 and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.
4 For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast [them] down to Tartarus, did deliver [them] to judgment, having been reserved,
5 and the old world did not spare, but the eighth person, Noah, of righteousness a preacher, did keep, a flood on the world of the impious having brought,
6 and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having turned to ashes, with an overthrow did condemn, an example to those about to be impious having set [them];
7 and righteous Lot, worn down by the conduct in lasciviousness of the impious, He did rescue,
8 for in seeing and hearing, the righteous man, dwelling among them, day by day the righteous soul with unlawful works was harassing.
9 The Lord hath known to rescue pious ones out of temptation, and unrighteous ones to a day of judgment, being punished, to keep,
10 and chiefly those going behind the flesh in desire of uncleanness, and lordship despising; presumptuous, self-complacent, dignities they are not afraid to speak evil of,
1 A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
2 As it hath been written in the prophets, `Lo, I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee,' --
3 `A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye his paths,' --
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness, and proclaiming a baptism of reformation -- to remission of sins,
5 and there were going forth to him all the region of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a girdle of skin around his loins, and eating locusts and honey of the field,
7 and he proclaimed, saying, `He doth come -- who is mightier than I -- after me, of whom I am not worthy -- having stooped down -- to loose the latchet of his sandals;
8 I indeed did baptize you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'