Book of Common Prayer

1 Blessed is the man, that goeth not in the counsel of wicked men; and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the chair of pestilence. (Happy is the person who goeth not in the counsel of the wicked; and walketh not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the chair of pestilence.)

² But his will is in the law of the Lord; and he shall bethink in the law of him day and night. (But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and he shall think about his Law day and night.)

³ And he shall be as a tree, which is planted beside the runnings of waters; that shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall down; and all things, whichever he shall do, shall have prosperity. (And he shall be like a tree, which is planted beside the running water; it shall give its fruit at its proper time, and its leaves shall not fall down. Yea, everything, whatever he shall do, shall prosper.)

⁴ Not so wicked men, not so; but they be as dust, which the wind casteth away from the face of the earth. (Not so the wicked, not so; but they be like the dust, which the wind bloweth away from off the face of the earth.)

⁵ Therefore wicked men rise not again in doom; neither sinners in the council of just men. (And so the wicked shall not stand long at the judgement; nor shall the sinners stand with the congregation of the righteous.)

⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of just men; and the way of wicked men shall perish. (For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the wicked shall perish on their own way.)

2 Why gnashed with teeth heathen men; and peoples thought vain things? (Why do the heathen gnash with their teeth? and the peoples think up useless plans?)

² The kings of earth stood together; and princes came together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (The kings of the earth stood together; yea, the rulers came together against the Lord, and against his anointed king.)

³ Break we the bonds of them; and cast we away the yoke of them from us. (And they said, Let us break their bonds, that is, their rule over us; yea, let us throw off their yoke from us.)

⁴ He that dwelleth in heavens shall scorn them; and the Lord shall bemock them. (But he who liveth in heaven shall scorn them; yea, the Lord shall mock them.)

⁵ Then he shall speak to them in his wrath; and he shall trouble them in his strong vengeance. (And then he shall speak to them in his anger; and he shall trouble them with his fury.)

⁶ Soothly I am ordained of him a king upon Zion, his holy hill; (And the Lord saith of me, I have set my king upon Zion; upon my holy hill.)

⁷ preaching his commandment. The Lord said to me, Thou art my son; I have begotten thee today. (And I said, I shall tell out his decree. Then the Lord said to me, Thou art my son; and today I have become thy father.)

⁸ Ask thou of me, and I shall give to thee heathen men (for) thine heritage; and (for) thy possession the terms of earth. (Ask thou of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance; and the ends of the earth for thy possession.)

⁹ Thou shalt govern them in an iron rod; and thou shalt break them together as the vessel of a potter. (Thou shalt govern them with an iron rod; and thou shalt break them in pieces, like a clay pot.)

¹⁰ And now, ye kings, understand; ye that deem the earth, be ye learned. (And so now, ye kings, understand; ye who judge, or who rule, the earth, learn your lesson!)

¹¹ Serve ye the Lord with dread; and make ye full out joy to him with trembling. (Serve ye the Lord in fear/Serve ye the Lord with reverence; and bow down before him with trembling.)

¹² Take ye lore of chastising; lest the Lord be wroth sometime, and ye perish from the just way. When his wrath shall burn out in short time; blessed be all they, that trust in him. (Kiss ye the King, that is, worship and serve him; lest sometime, the Lord be angry. And then, ye perish on the way; when, in a moment of time, his anger flareth up. Happy be all they, who trust in him.)

3 The psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom, his son. Lord, why be they multiplied that trouble me? many men rise against me. (The song of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, why be there so many who trouble me? why be there so many who rise up against me?)

² Many men say of my soul, None health there is to him in his God. (Many say of me, There is no help for him from his God.)

³ But thou, Lord, art mine up-taker; my glory, and enhancing mine head. (But thou, Lord, art my defender; my glory, and the one who lifteth up my head.)

⁴ With my voice I cried to the Lord; and he heard me from his holy hill. (I cried to the Lord with my voice; and he answered me from his holy hill.)

⁵ I slept, and rested, and I rose up; for the Lord received me (for the Lord had protected me).

⁶ I shall not dread thousands of people (en)compassing me; (I shall not fear even thousands of people surrounding me;)

⁷ Lord, arise thou; my God, make me safe. For thou hast smitten all men being adversaries to me without cause; thou hast all-broken the teeth of sinners. (Lord, rise thou up; my God, save me. Thou hast struck down all who be my adversaries; thou hast broken all the teeth of the sinners.)

⁸ Health is of the Lord; and thy blessing is on thy people. (Victory is from the Lord/Salvation, or deliverance, is from the Lord; and thy blessing is upon thy people.)

4 To the victory in organs, the psalm of David. When I inwardly called, God of my rightwiseness heard me; in tribulation thou hast alarged to me. Have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer. (To victory, on instruments, the song of David. Please answer me when I call thee, O God of my righteousness. For when I was in trouble, thou set me free, or at large. So have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer.)

² Sons of men, how long be ye of heavy heart? why love ye vanity, and seek leasing? (Sons and daughters of men, how long shall ye insult me? why love ye empty and futile, or worthless, things, and go after lies?)

³ And know ye, that the Lord hath made marvellous his holy man; the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him. (And know ye, that the Lord hath chosen the holy man for his own/that the Lord hath shown me his wondrous love; and that the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him.)

⁴ Be ye wroth, and do not ye sin; and for those evils to which ye say in your hearts and in your beds, be ye compunct. (Be ye angry, but sin ye not; and have ye remorse for the evils which ye say in your hearts, and in your beds.)

⁵ Sacrifice ye the sacrifice of rightfulness/Offer ye an offering of rightfulness, and hope ye in the Lord; (Offer ye a righteous sacrifice, and trust ye in the Lord;)

⁶ many say, Who showed good things to us? Lord, the light of thy cheer is marked upon us; (many say, Who hath shown us any good thing? Lord, shine the light of thy face upon us!)

⁷ thou hast given gladness in mine heart. They be multiplied of the fruit of wheat, and of wine; and of their oil. (But thou hast put more gladness in my heart, than they have ever had; yea, even when their corn, and their wine, were plentiful.)

⁸ In peace in the same thing; I shall sleep, and take rest. For thou, Lord; hast set me singularly in hope/hast set me only in hope. (And so I shall lie down in peace; and sleep. For thou alone, Lord, hast given me hope/hast made me safe.)

7 For the ignorance of David, which he sang to the Lord, on the words of (the) Ethiopian, the son of Benjamin. My Lord God, I have hoped in thee; make thou me safe from all that pursue me, and deliver thou me. (For the sin of ignorance by David, which he sang to the Lord, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. My Lord God, I put my trust in thee; save thou me from all who persecute me, and rescue thou me.)

² Lest any time he as a lion ravish my soul; while none there is that again-buyeth, neither that maketh safe. (Lest any time they tear me apart like a lion; when there is no one who can save me.)

³ My Lord God, if I did this thing, if wickedness is in mine hands, or works (if there is wickedness, or a stain, upon my hands, or deeds);

⁴ if I yielded to men yielding to me evils, fall I by deserving void from mine enemies; (if I gave back evil to those who first did good to me, let me deservedly fall before my enemies;)

⁵ mine enemy pursue he my soul, and take he, and defoul my life in earth; and bring my glory into dust. (let my enemy persecute me, and take hold of me, and tread me down into the ground; and bring my honour down into the dust, or down into the dirt.)

⁶ Lord, rise thou up in thine ire; and be thou raised (up) in the coasts of mine enemies. And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the commandment, which thou hast commanded (And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the justice, or in the judgement, which thou hast commanded);

⁷ and the synagogue of peoples shall (en)compass thee. And for this go thou again on high; (and the congregation of the people shall surround thee. And for them, go thou again on high;)

⁸ the Lord deemeth peoples. Lord, deem thou me by my rightfulness; and by mine innocence on me. (and then let the Lord judge the people. Lord, judge thou me according to my righteousness; and the innocence which is in me.)

⁹ The wickedness of sinners be ended; and thou, God, seeking the hearts, that is, thoughts, and reins, that is, delightings, shall (ad)dress a just man. (Let the wickedness of the sinners be ended; and thou, O God, who judgeth our thoughts, and our desires, shall direct the righteous.)

¹⁰ My just help is of the Lord; that maketh safe rightful men in heart. (My righteous help is from the Lord; who saveth the upright in heart.)

¹¹ The Lord is a just judge, strong and patient; whether he is wroth by all days? (The Lord is a righteous judge; every day he is angry with the wicked.)

¹² If ye be not converted (If they be not turned from their evil ways), he shall flourish his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

¹³ And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.

¹⁴ Lo! the wicked hath conceived sorrow; he painfully hath brought forth unrightfulness, and he hath childed wickedness. (Lo! he who is wicked hath conceived many ways to bring sorrow; yea, he hath painfully brought forth unrighteousness, and he hath birthed wickedness.)

¹⁵ He opened a pit, and digged it out; and he fell into the ditch which he made. (He opened a pit, and dug it out; but he himself shall fall into the ditch, which he hath made.)

¹⁶ His sorrow shall be turned into his head; and his wickedness shall come down into his neck. (His sorrow shall return onto his own head; and his wickedness shall come down onto his own neck.)

¹⁷ I shall acknowledge to the Lord by his rightfulness; and I shall sing to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall praise the Lord for his righteousness; and I shall sing to the name of the Most High Lord.)

¹² Who meted waters in a fist, and weighed (the) heavens with a span? Who weighed the heaviness of the earth with three fingers, and weighed [the] mountains in a weigh, and [the] little hills in a balance? (Who hath measured the waters with his fist, and weighed the heavens with the span of his hand? Who hath weighed the heaviness of the earth with three fingers, and weighed the mountains on a scale, and the little hills on a balance?)

¹³ Who helped the Spirit of the Lord, either who was his counsellor, and showed to him?

¹⁴ With whom took he counsel, and who learned him, and taught him the path of rightfulness, and learned him in knowing, and showed to him the way of prudence?

¹⁵ Lo! folks be as a drop of a bucket, and be areckoned as the tongue of a balance; lo! isles be as a little dust, (Lo! the nations be like a drop from a bucket, and be reckoned like the tongue of a balance; lo! the islands weigh but like a little dust,)

¹⁶ and the Lebanon shall not suffice to burn his sacrifice, and the beasts thereof shall not suffice to (a) burnt sacrifice. (and even all the mighty trees of Lebanon shall not suffice to burn his sacrifice, and even all its beasts shall not suffice for a burnt sacrifice.)

¹⁷ All folks be so before him, as if they be not; and they be reckoned as nothing and (as a) vain thing to him. (All the nations before him, be as if they be not; and they be reckoned as if they be nothing, yea, but like an empty and futile thing to him.)

¹⁸ To whom therefore made ye God like? either what image shall ye set to him (for comparison)?

¹⁹ Whether a smith shall weld together an image, either a goldsmith shall figure it in gold, and a worker in silver shall dight it with pieces of silver?

²⁰ A wise craftsman choose(th) a strong tree, and unable to be rotten; he seeketh how he shall ordain a simulacrum, that shall not be moved.

²¹ Whether ye know not? whether ye heard not? whether it was not told to you from the beginning? whether ye understood not (from) the foundaments of [the] earth?

²² Which sitteth on the compass of [the] earth, and the dwellers thereof be as locusts; which stretcheth forth heavens as nought, and spreadeth abroad those as a tabernacle to dwell (in). (It is he who sitteth above, or over, the roundness of the earth, and its inhabitants be like grasshoppers; it is he who stretcheth forth the heavens like a curtain, and spreadeth them abroad like a tent to live in.)

²³ Which giveth the searchers of privates, as if they be not, and [he] made the judges of [the] earth as a vain thing. (Who bringeth down the great, as if they be nothing, and who made the judges, or the rulers, of the earth but like an empty and futile thing to him.)

1 Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints that be at Ephesus, and to the faithful men in Jesus Christ [and to the faithful in Christ Jesus],

² grace be to you and peace of God, our Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ [and of the Lord Jesus Christ].

³ Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath blessed us in all spiritual blessing in heavenly things in Christ,

⁴ as he hath chosen us in himself before the making of the world, that we were holy [as he chose us in him before the making of the world, that we should be holy], and without wem in his sight, in charity.

⁵ Which hath before-ordained us into [the] adoption of sons by Jesus Christ into him, by the purpose of his will [after the purpose of his will],

⁶ into the praising of the glory of his grace; in which he hath glorified us in his dear-worthy Son [in which he made us able to his grace in his dear-worthy Son].

⁷ In whom we have redemption by his blood, [and] forgiveness of sins, after the riches of his grace,

⁸ that abounded greatly in us in all wisdom and prudence,

⁹ to make known to us the sacrament of his will, by the good pleasance of him [after the good pleasance of him];

¹⁰ the which sacrament he purposed in him in the dispensation of plenty of times to store up (or include) all things in Christ, which be in heavens, and which be in earth, in him.^[a]

¹¹ In whom [also] we be called by lot, before-ordained by the purpose of him that worketh all things by the counsel of his will;^[b]

¹² that we be into the praising of his glory, we that have hoped before in Christ [which before hoped in Christ].

¹³ In whom also ye were called, when ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your health, in whom ye believing be marked with the Holy Ghost of promise,

¹⁴ which is the earnest of our heritage, into the redemption of purchasing, into [the] praising of his glory.

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in Esaias, the prophet, Lo! I send mine angel before thy face, that shall make thy way ready before thee.

³ The voice of a crier in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths right. [The voice of one crying in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths rightful.]

⁴ John was in desert baptizing, and preaching the baptism of penance, into remission of sins.

⁵ And all the country of Judaea went out to him, and all men of Jerusalem; and they were baptized of him in the flume Jordan [and were baptized of him in the flood of Jordan], acknowledging their sins.

⁶ And John was clothed with hairs of camels, and a girdle of skin was about his loins; and he ate honeysuckles, and wild honey,^[a]

⁷ and preached, and said [saying], A stronger than I shall come after me, and I am not worthy to kneel down, and unloose [the thong of] his shoes.

⁸ I have baptized you in water; but he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost.

⁹ And it was done in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

¹⁰ And at once he went up of the water, and saw heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost coming down as a culver [And anon he ascending up of the water, saw heavens opened, and the Spirit coming down as a culver], and dwelling on him.

¹¹ And a voice was made from heavens, Thou art my loved Son, in thee I am pleased.

¹² And at once the Spirit put him forth into desert. [And anon the Spirit putted out him into desert.]

¹³ And he was in desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted of Satan, and he was with beasts [and was with beasts], and angels ministered to him.