Book of Common Prayer
1 ¶ Halelu-JAH. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can show forth all his praise?
3 Happy are those that keep judgment and he that does righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou dost bear unto thy people; O visit me with thy saving health,
5 that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
6 ¶ We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers did not understand thy wonders in Egypt; they did not remember the multitude of thy mercies but rebelled by the sea, even at the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 He reprehended the Red Sea also, and it was dried up, so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 ¶ They became rash. They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 They gave themselves over to lust in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.
16 Then they envied Moses in the camp and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot the God of their saving health, who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things upon the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them.
24 And they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his word:
25 But murmured in their tents and did not hearken unto the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 to overthrow their seed also among the Gentiles, and to scatter them in the lands.
28 They also joined themselves unto Baalpeor and ate the sacrifices for the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions; and the plague broke in upon them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness from generation to generation for evermore.
32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33 Because they provoked his spirit to rebel, and he spoke it with his lips.
34 ¶ They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:
35 But were mingled among the Gentiles and learned their works.
36 And they served their idols, which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils
38 and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they were defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 And he gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those that hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 He delivered them many times, but they rebelled at his counsel and were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he would look upon their affliction and hear their cry
45 and remember his covenant with them and repent according to the multitude of his mercies.
46 He also caused those that carried them captives to have mercy upon them.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, that we might lift up thy holy name, that we might glory in thy praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, Amen. Halelu-JAH.
1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges governed that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. And they came into the fields of Moab and continued there.
3 And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons,
4 who took wives for themselves of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion both died also; and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 ¶ Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, to return from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the field of Moab how the LORD had visited his people to give them bread.
7 Therefore she went forth out of the place where she had been and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to thy mother’s house; the LORD deal with you in mercy as ye have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi replied, Go back, my daughters; why must ye go with me? Do I have more sons in my womb that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn, my daughters, and go back, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,
13 should ye tarry for them until they are grown? Should ye stay without husbands because of them? No, my daughters, for I have greater bitterness than you because the hand of the LORD has come out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth cleaved unto her.
1 ¶ Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For in the same manner that the sufferings of the Christ abound in us, so also our consolation abounds by Christ.
6 And if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and saving health, which is effected in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and saving health.
7 ¶ And our hope of you is steadfast, being certain, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
8 Because, brothers, we would not have you ignore our tribulation which was done unto us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond our strength, in such a manner that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;
10 who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
11 ye also helping us with prayer, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
5 ¶ And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain; and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him;
2 and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
4 Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International