Book of Common Prayer
68 To victory, the psalm of the song of David. God rise up, and his enemies be scattered; and they that hate him, flee from his face. (May God rise up, and his enemies be scattered; and they who hate him, flee from his face.)
2 As smoke faileth, fail they; as wax floateth (away) from the face of fire, so perish [the] sinners from the face of God. (Like smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; like wax melteth in the fire, so let the sinners perish in the presence of God.)
3 And just men eat, and make they fully joy in the sight of God; and delight they in gladness. (But the righteous be glad, and make full out joy, or rejoice, before God; yea, delight they, and be glad.)
4 Sing ye to God, say ye psalm to his name; make ye [a] way to him, that ascendeth on the going down, the Lord is name of him. Make ye fully joy in his sight, (his) enemies shall be troubled from the face of him, (Sing ye to God, sing ye a song to his name; make ye a way for him, who rideth over the plains of the desert/who rideth upon the clouds, yea, the Lord is his name. Make ye full out joy, or rejoice, before him, but his enemies shall be troubled before him,)
5 which is the father of fatherless and motherless children; and the judge of widows (who is the father of the fatherless and the motherless; and the judge of widows). God is in his holy place;
6 God that maketh men of one will to dwell in the house. Which leadeth out by strength them that be bound; in like manner them that make sharp, that dwell in sepulchres. (yea, God who helpeth people to come and live in a house with others. And who leadeth out those who be bound into freedom; but they who rebel shall live in a dry land.)
7 God, when thou wentest out in the sight of thy people; when thou passedest forth in the desert. (God, when thou wentest out before thy people; yea, when thou wentest forth in the wilderness,)
8 The earth was moved, for heavens dropped down from the face of God of Sinai; from the face of God of Israel. (the earth shook, and the heavens dropped down rain/and the heavens quaked, before the God of Sinai; yea, before the God of Israel.)
9 God, thou shalt (im)part willful rain to thine heritage, and it was sick; but thou madest it perfect. (God, thou imparted abundant rain upon the land of thy inheritance; it was enfeebled, or dry, but thou madest it perfect.)
10 Thy beasts shall dwell therein; God, thou hast made ready in thy sweetness to the poor man. (And thy people shall live there; God, in thy goodness, thou hast prepared it for the poor.)
11 The Lord shall give a word; to them that preach the gospel with much virtue. (The Lord gave the word; and many women preached this good news.)
12 The kings of virtues be made loved of the darling; and to the fairness of the house to part spoils. (The kings and their hosts, or their armies, fled away; and she of the house parted the spoils.)
13 If ye sleep among the midst of sorts, either heritages, (yet ye shall be as) the feathers of the culver (that) be (covered) of silver; and the hinder things of the back thereof be in the shining of gold. (Though ye have slept among the pots, yet ye shall be like the wings of the dove that be covered with silver; and the feathers on its back that be covered with shining gold.)
14 While the king of heaven deemeth kings thereon, they shall be made whiter than snow in Salmon; (When the King of heaven scattered the kings there; they fell like the snow in Salmon.)
15 the hill of God is a fat hill. The crudded hill is a fat hill; (The hill of God is like Mount Bashan; yea, the curdled hill is like Mount Bashan, with many peaks.)
16 whereto believe ye falsely, (ye) crudded hills? The hill in which it pleaseth well God to dwell therein; for the Lord shall dwell (there) into the end. (But why, ye curdled hills, gaze ye with envy at the hill where it well pleaseth God to live? for the Lord shall live there forever!)
17 The chariot of God is manyfold with ten thousand, a thousand of them that be glad; the Lord was in them, in Sinai, in the holy (place). (The chariots of God be twice ten thousand, yea, many thousands; the Lord came with them, from Sinai, to the holy place.)
18 Thou ascendedest on high, thou tookest captivity (captive); thou receivedest gifts among men. For why thou tookest (also from) them that believed not; for to dwell in the Lord God. (Thou ascendedest on high, thou tookest the captivity captive; thou receivedest gifts, or tribute, from people. But thou also receivedest gifts from those who believed not/from those who were rebellious; so that the Lord God might live among them.)
19 Blessed be the Lord each day; the God of our healths shall make an easy way to us. (Blessed be the Lord; each day the God of our salvation shall make our way easier for us.)
20 Our God is God to make men safe; and out-going from death is of the Lord God. (Our God is the God who saveth people; and our escape from death is by the Lord God.)
2 Forsooth it was done, when the Lord would raise (up) Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me till into Bethel. To whom Elisha said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee (To whom Elisha said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I shall not desert thee). And when they had come down to Bethel,
3 the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Bethel, went out to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) Which answered, And I know; be ye still.
4 Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me into Jericho. And he said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. And when they had come to Jericho,
5 the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Jericho, nighed to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) And he said, I know; be ye still.
6 Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me to (the) Jordan (River). Which said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. Therefore (they) both went together;
7 and fifty men of the sons of (the) prophets followed, which also stood far even against; soothly they both stood over (the) Jordan. (and fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed, and stood looking from afar; and they both stood by the Jordan River.)
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it, and smote the waters; which were parted into ever either part, and both went by the dry. (And Elijah took his mantle, or his cloak, and rolled it up, and struck the water; which was divided into two parts, and they went across on dry ground.)
9 And when they had passed [over], Elijah said to Elisha, Ask thou that, that thou wilt that I do to thee, before that I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I beseech, that thy double spirit be made in me/I beseech, that thy double spirit be with me[a]. (And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask thou what thou wilt that I can do for thee, before that I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I beseech thee, that a double portion of thy spirit be given to me/be upon me.)
10 Which Elijah answered, Thou askest an hard thing; nevertheless if thou shalt see me, when I shall be taken away from thee, that that thou askest shall be (so); soothly if thou shalt not see (me), (then) it shall not be (so).
11 And when they went, and spake going (And as they went forth, speaking as they went), lo! a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, parted ever either; and Elijah ascended by a whirlwind into heaven[b].
12 Forsooth Elisha saw, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof. And he saw no more Elijah. And he took his clothes, and rent those into two parts. (And Elisha saw it, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and its charioteer. And then he saw Elijah no more. And he took his own mantle, or his own cloak, and tore it in two.)
13 And he raised the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him; and he turned again, and stood over the river of Jordan (And he picked up Elijah’s mantle, that fell down to him; and he returned, and stood by the Jordan River.)
14 And with the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him, he smote the waters, which were not parted. And he said, Where is [the] God of Elijah also now? And (so) he smote the waters, and those were parted hither and thither; and Elisha passed [over]. (And using Elijah’s mantle, that fell down to him, he struck the water, for it was not parted. And he said, Where is the God of Elijah? And after that he struck the water, it was again parted here and there; and Elisha crossed over again.)
15 Soothly the sons of [the] prophets, that were in Jericho even against, saw, and said, The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. And they came into the meeting of him, and worshipped him lowly to [the] earth. (And the sons of the prophets from Jericho, were watching, and when they saw this, they said, The spirit of Elijah now resteth upon Elisha. And they came to meet him, and honoured him/and bowed low before him, down to the ground.)
5 And I saw in the right hand of the sitter on the throne, a book written within and without, and sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel, preaching with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to undo the seals of it?
3 And none [And no man] in heaven, neither in earth, neither under earth, might open the book, neither behold it.
4 And I wept much, for none [for no man] was found worthy to open the book, neither to see it.
5 And one of the elder men said to me [And one of the elders said to me], Weep thou not; lo! a lion of the lineage of Juda, the root of David, hath overcome to open the book, and to undo the seven seals of it.
6 And I saw, and lo! in the middle of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the middle of the elder men, a lamb standing as slain, that had seven horns, and seven eyes [and in the middle of the elders, a lamb standing as slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes], which be [the] seven spirits of God, sent into all the earth.
7 And he came, and took of the right hand of the sitter in the throne the book.
8 And when he had opened the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elder men fell down before the lamb; and had each of them harps [And when he had opened the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb; having each of them harps], and golden vials full of odours, which be the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, and said [saying], Lord our God, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals of it; for thou were slain, and again-boughtest us to God in thy blood, of each lineage [of all lineage], and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 and madest us a kingdom, and priests to our God; and we shall reign on earth.[a]
11 And I saw, and heard the voice of many angels all about the throne, and of the beasts, and of the elder men.[b] And the number of them was thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a great voice, The lamb that was slain, is worthy to take virtue, and Godhead [and divinity, or Godhead], and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And each creature that is in heaven, and that is on [the] earth, and under earth, and the sea, and which things be in it, I heard all saying, To him that sat in the throne, and to the lamb, blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, into worlds of worlds.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elder men [And the four and twenty elders] fell down on their faces, and worshipped him that liveth into worlds of worlds.
2001 by Terence P. Noble