Book of Common Prayer
120 1 The prayer of David being vexed by the false reports of Saul’s flatterers. 5 And therefore he lamenteth his long abode among those infidels, 7 Who were given to all kinds of wickedness and contention.
A song of [a]degrees.
1 I called unto the Lord in my [b]trouble, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What doth thy [c]deceitful tongue bring unto thee? or what doth it avail thee?
4 It is as the [d]sharp arrows of a mighty man, and as the coals of Juniper.
5 Woe is to me that I remain in [e]Meshech, and dwell in the tents of [f]Kedar.
6 My soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I seek [g]peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to war.
121 1 This Psalm teacheth that the faithful ought only to look for help at God, 7 who only doth maintain, preserve and prosper his Church.
A song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes [h]unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come.
2 Mine help cometh from the Lord, which hath made the [i]heaven and the earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to slip: for he that keepeth thee, will not [j]slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel, will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not [k]smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy [l]going out, and thy coming in from henceforth and forever.
122 1 David rejoiceth in the name of the faithful, that God hath accomplished his promise and placed his Ark in Zion. 5 For the which he giveth thanks, 8 And prayeth for the prosperity of the Church.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 I (A)[m]rejoiced when they said to me, We will go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our [n]feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city, that is [o]compact together in itself:
4 Whereunto [p]the Tribes, even the Tribes of the Lord go up according to the testimony to Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord.
5 For there are thrones set for judgment, even the thrones of the house of [q]David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: let them prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy [r]walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my [s]brethren and neighbors’ sakes, I will wish thee now prosperity.
9 Because of the House of the Lord our God, I will procure thy wealth.
123 A prayer of the faithful, which were afflicted either in Babylon or under Antiochus, by the wicked worldlings and contemners of God.
A song of degrees.
1 I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of [t]servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy unto us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have [u]suffered too much contempt.
4 Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.
124 The people of God, escaping a great peril, do acknowledge themselves to be delivered, not by their own force, but by the power of God. 4 They declare the greatness of the peril. 6 And praise the Name of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 If the Lord had not been [v]on our side, (may Israel now say)
2 If the Lord had [not] been on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 They had then swallowed us up [w]quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.
4 Then the [x]waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then had the swelling waters gone over our soul.
6 Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the [y]snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.
125 1 He describeth the assurance of the faithful in their afflictions. 4 And desireth their wealth, 5 And the destruction of the wicked.
A song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, which cannot [z]be removed, but remaineth forever.
2 As the mountains are about Jerusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and forever.
3 For the [aa]rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hand unto wickedness.
4 Do well, O Lord, unto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 [ab]But these that turn aside by their crooked ways, them shall the Lord lead with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
126 1 This Psalm was made after the return of the people from Babylon, and showeth that the means of their deliverance was wonderful after the seventy years of captivity forspoken by Jeremiah, in Jer. 25:12 and 29:10.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that [ac]dream.
2 Then was our mouth [ad]filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: then said they among the [ae]heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the [af]rivers in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried [ag]precious seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves.
127 1 He showeth that the whole estate of the world, both domestical and political, standeth by God’s mere providence and blessing, 3 And that to have children well nurtured, is an especial grace and gift of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of Solomon.
1 Except the Lord [ah]build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the [ai]city, the keeper watcheth in vain.
2 It is in vain for [aj]you to rise early, and to lie down late, and eat the bread [ak]of sorrow: but he will surely give [al]rest to his beloved.
3 Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb his reward.
4 As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man; so are the [am]children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them: for they [an]shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
15 And Naomi said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: [a]return thou after thy sister-in-law.
16 And Ruth answered, Entreat me not to leave thee, nor to depart from thee: for whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou dwellest, I will dwell: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17 ¶ Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death depart thee and me.
18 ¶ When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left speaking unto her.
19 So they went both until they came to Bethlehem: and when they were come to Bethlehem, it was [b]noised of them through all the city, and they said, Is not this Naomi?
20 And she answered them, Call me not [c]Naomi, but call me [d]Mara: for the Almighty hath given me much bitterness.
21 I went out full, and the Lord hath caused me to return empty: why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath humbled me, and the Almighty hath brought me unto adversity?
22 So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, when she came out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of [e]barley harvest.
12 [a]For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly [b]pureness, and not in fleshly wisdom, but by the [c]grace of God we have had our conversation in the world, and most of all to youwards.
13 For we write [d]none other things unto you, than that ye read or else that ye acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge unto the [e]end.
14 Even as ye have acknowledged us partly, that we are your [f]rejoicing, even as ye are ours, in the [g]day of our Lord Jesus.
15 And in this confidence was I minded first to come unto you, that ye might have had a [h]double grace,
16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia, unto you, and to be led forth toward Judea of you.
17 [i]When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or mind I those things which I mind, according to the [j]flesh, that with me should be, [k]Yea, yea, and Nay, nay?
18 [l]Yea, God is [m]faithful, that our word toward you, was not Yea, and Nay?
19 [n]For the Son of God Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, that is, by me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, [o]was not Yea, and Nay: but in [p]him it was Yea.
20 [q]For all the promises of God in him are Yea, and are in [r]him Amen, unto the glory of God through [s]us.
21 [t]And it is God which established us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us.
22 Who hath also sealed us, and hath given the [u]earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
13 (A)Ye [a]are the salt of the [b]earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be [c]salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the [d]light of the world. A city that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.
15 (B)Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 (C)Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.
17 [e]Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy them, but to [f]fulfill them.
18 (D)For truly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth perish, one jot or one tittle of the Law shall not escape, till all things be fulfilled.
19 (E)[g]Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and teach men so, he shall be called the [h]least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall observe and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, except your righteousness (F)exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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