Book of Common Prayer

72 To Solomon. God, give thy doom to the king; and thy rightfulness to the son of the king. (A psalm, or a song, for Solomon. God, give thy judgement to the king; yea, thy righteousness to the king’s son.)

² To deem thy people in rightfulness; and thy poor men in doom. (To judge thy people with righteousness; and thy poor with justice.)

³ Mountains receive peace to the people; and little hills receive rightfulness. (May the mountains and the little hills, bring peace and prosperity to the people; in righteousness.)

⁴ He shall deem the poor men of the people, and he shall make safe the sons of poor men; and he shall make low the false challenger. (He shall judge the poor, and he shall save the sons and the daughters of the poor; and he shall bring down their oppressors.)

⁵ And he shall dwell with the sun, and before the moon, that is, without beginning, and (without) end; in generation and into generation (in all generations).

⁶ He shall come down as rain into a fleece; and as gutters dropping on the earth. (He shall come down like rain onto a field; and like showers dropping upon the earth.)

⁷ Rightfulness shall come forth in his days (Righteousness shall come forth in his days); and the abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.

⁸ And he shall be lord from the sea till to the sea; and from the flood till to the ends of the world. (And he shall be lord from sea to sea; and from the Euphrates River unto the ends of the earth.)

⁹ Ethiopians shall fall down before him; and his enemies shall lick the earth. (Those who live in the desert shall bow down before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.)

¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and of Seba shall bring gifts. (The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall offer gifts, or tribute; the kings of Sheba and of Seba shall also bring him gifts, or tribute.)

¹¹ And all kings shall worship him; all folks shall serve him (all nations shall serve him).

¹² For he shall deliver a poor man from the mighty; and a poor man to whom there was none helper. (For he shall rescue the poor from the mighty; yea, the poor for whom there was no helper.)

¹³ He shall spare a poor man and needy; and he shall make safe the souls of poor men. (He shall spare the poor and the needy; yea, he shall save the souls, or the lives, of the poor.)

¹⁴ He shall again-buy the souls of them from usuries, and wickedness; and the name of them is honourable before him.

¹⁵ And he shall live, and men shall give to him of the gold of Arabia; and they shall ever worship of him, all day they shall bless him. (And long may he live, and may men give to him the gold of Sheba; they shall worship him forever, yea, all day long they shall bless him.)

¹⁶ Steadfastness shall be in the earth, in the highest place of mountains; the fruit thereof shall be enhanced above the Lebanon; and they shall blossom from the city, as the hay of earth doeth. (May corn grow in all the earth, even on the highest places of the mountains; may the crops there be numbered above that of Lebanon; and may the people in the city increase like the hay, or the grass, in the fields.)

¹⁷ His name be blessed into worlds; his name dwell before the sun. And all the lineages of earth shall be blessed in him; all folks shall magnify him. (May the king’s name be blessed forever; and his name remain as long as the sun. And may all the peoples of the earth ask to be blessed as he was; may all the nations magnify him.)

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; which alone maketh marvels. (Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; who alone doeth these marvellous deeds.)

¹⁹ And blessed be the name of his majesty [into] without end; and all earth shall be filled with his majesty; be it done, be it done. (And blessed be his majestic name forever; let all the earth be filled with his majesty, or his glory; be it done, be it done.)

²⁰ The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, be ended.

1 There was a man of Ramathaim in Zophim, of the hill (country) of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihi, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.

² And Elkanah had two wives; the name to the one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and sons were to Peninnah; but Hannah had none free children. (And Elkanah had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.)

³ And that man went up from his city in the days that were ordained, to worship and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And [the] two sons of Eli were there, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord.

⁴ Then the day came, and Elkanah offered, and he gave parts to Peninnah, his wife (and he gave portions to his wife Peninnah), and to all his sons and daughters;

⁵ forsooth he gave sorrowfully one part, either double, to Hannah, for he loved Hannah; forsooth the Lord had closed her womb. (and sorrowfully he gave only one special portion to Hannah; for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed up her womb.)

⁶ And (Peninnah,) her enemy tormented her, and anguished (her) greatly, in so much that she upbraided her, that the Lord had closed (up) her womb.

⁷ And so Peninnah did each year, when the time came that they went up into the house of the Lord; and so she stirred Hannah. And then she wept, and took no meat. (And Peninnah did so each year, when the time came that they went up to the House of the Lord; and so she tormented Hannah. And then Hannah wept, and ate no food.)

⁸ Therefore Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and why is thine heart tormented? Whether I am not better to thee than be ten sons? (Am I not better to thee than ten sons?)

⁹ Soothly Hannah rose, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And the while Eli [the priest] was on his great seat before the posts of the house of the Lord, (And Hannah rose up, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And while Eli the priest was on his great throne, beside the door of the House of the Lord,)

¹⁰ and when she was in bitter sorrow of soul, she prayed (to) the Lord, and wept largely (and greatly wept);

¹¹ and she made a vow to the Lord, and said, Lord God of hosts, if thou beholdest, and seest the torment of thy servantess, and if thou hast mind of me, and forgettest not thine handmaid, and givest a son to thy servantess, I shall give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come upon his head.

¹² And it was done, when she multiplied her prayers before the Lord, that Eli espied her mouth.

¹³ Forsooth Hannah spake in her heart, and only her lips were moved, and utterly her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli guessed her drunken, (And Hannah spoke in her heart, so that only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And so Eli guessed that she was drunk.)

¹⁴ and he said to her, How long shalt thou be drunken? Avoid thou a little the wine, by which thou art moist (Be thou done with the wine, by which thou art made drunk).

¹⁵ Hannah answered, and said, Nay, my lord, for I am an unhappy woman; I have not drunk wine, neither anything that may make drunken, but I have poured out my soul in the Lord’s sight (but I have poured out my soul before the Lord);

¹⁶ guess thou not thine handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial, for of the multitude of my sorrow and of my mourning I have spoken unto this present time. (think thou not that thy servantess is one of the daughters of Belial, for until this present time I have spoken out of the multitude of my sorrow, and of my mourning.)

¹⁷ Then Eli said to her, Go thou in peace, and (the) God of Israel give to thee the asking that thou hast prayed him (for).

¹⁸ And she said, I would that thine handmaid find grace in thine eyes. And the woman went into her way, and ate, and her cheers were no more changed diversely. (And she said, I desire that thy servantess find favour in thine eyes. And the woman went her way, and ate, and her face was no longer sad.)

¹⁹ And they rised (up) early, and worshipped before the Lord; and they turned again, and came into their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife; and the Lord thought on her (and the Lord remembered her).

²⁰ And it was done after the compass of days, Hannah conceived, and childed a son, and called his name Samuel; for she had asked him of the Lord (for she had asked for him from the Lord).

3 Therefore [Wherefore], holy brethren, and partners of heavenly calling, behold ye the apostle and the bishop of our confession, Jesus,

² which is true to him that made him, as also Moses in all the house of him.

³ But this bishop [Forsooth this bishop] is had worthy of more glory than Moses, by as much as he hath more honour of the house, that made the house.

⁴ For each house is made of some man; [forsooth] he that made all things of nought is God.

⁵ And [soothly] Moses was true in all his house, as a servant, into witnessing of those things that were to be said;

⁶ but Christ as a son in his house. Which house we be, if we hold firm trust and glory of hope into [unto] the end.

146 Alleluia. My soul, praise thou the Lord;

² I shall praise the Lord in my life (I shall praise the Lord all my life); I shall sing to my God as long as I shall be.

³ Do not ye trust in princes; neither in the sons of men, in whom is no health. (Do not ye trust in princes, or in your leaders; nor in other people, in whom there is no help, or deliverance.)

⁴ The spirit of him shall go out, and he shall turn again into his earth; in that day all the thoughts of them shall perish. (The breath of your prince, or of your leader, shall go out of him, and he shall return to the dust; and on that day all his thoughts shall perish.)

⁵ He is blessed, of whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in his Lord God, (He is blessed, whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in the Lord his God,)

⁶ that made heaven, and earth; the sea, and all things that be in those. Which keepeth truth into the world, (who made heaven, and earth; and the sea, and all the creatures that be in them. Who keepeth the truth safe forever,)

⁷ he maketh doom to them that suffer wrong; he giveth meat to them that be hungry. The Lord unbindeth fettered men; (he maketh justice for those who suffer wrong; he giveth food to those who be hungry. The Lord unbindeth the fettered;)

⁸ the Lord lighteneth blind men. The Lord raiseth men hurtled down; the Lord loveth just men. (the Lord giveth light to the blind/the Lord giveth sight to the blind. The Lord raiseth up those who be hurtled down; the Lord loveth the righteous.)

⁹ The Lord keepeth comelings; he shall take up a motherless child, and a widow; and he shall destroy the ways of sinners. (The Lord keepeth newcomers, or strangers, safe/The Lord keepeth watch over newcomers, or strangers; he taketh up the causes of a motherless child, and of a widow; but he destroyeth the ways of the sinners.)

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign into the worlds; Zion, thy God shall reign in generation and into generation. (The Lord shall reign forever; Zion, thy God shall reign for all generations/thy God shall reign in all generations.)

147 Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for the psalm is good; (let our) praising be merry, and fair to our God. (Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing to him; let our praises be joyful, and pleasing to our God.)

² The Lord shall build [up] Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scatterings of Israel. (The Lord shall rebuild Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scattered people of Israel.)

³ The which Lord maketh whole men contrite in heart; and bindeth together the sorrows of them. (The Lord who maketh whole those who be contrite in heart, or who be broken-hearted; and who bindeth up their wounds.)

⁴ Which numbereth the multitude of stars; and calleth names to all those. (Who numbereth the multitude of the stars; and calleth all of them by their names.)

⁵ Our Lord is great, and his virtue is great; and of his wisdom there is no number. (Our Lord is great, and his power is great; and there is no measure of his wisdom.)

⁶ The Lord taketh up mild men; forsooth he maketh low sinners till to the earth. (The Lord raiseth up the meek, or the humble; but he bringeth the sinners down to the ground.)

⁷ Before sing ye to the Lord in acknowledging; say ye psalm to our God in an harp. (Sing ye to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing ye songs to our God on a harp.)

⁸ Which covereth heaven with clouds; and maketh ready rain to the earth. Which bringeth forth hay in hills; and herb to the service of men. (Who covereth the heavens with clouds; and prepareth rain for the earth. Who bringeth forth hay, or grass, on the hills; and plants for the service of all.)

⁹ Which giveth meat to their work beasts; and to the birds of crows calling him. (Who giveth food to their work beasts; and to the younglings of crows calling to him.)

¹⁰ He shall not have will in the strength of an horse; neither it shall be well pleasant to him in the legs of a man. (He shall not take delight in the strength of a horse; nor shall a man’s fast legs be well pleasing to him.)

¹¹ It is well pleasant to the Lord on men that dread him; and in them that hope in his mercy. (But the Lord is well pleased with those who fear him/with those who revere him; and with those who trust in his love.)

¹² Jerusalem, praise thou the Lord; Zion, praise thou thy God.

¹³ For he hath comforted the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy sons in thee. (For he hath strengthened the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within them.)

¹⁴ Which hath set thy coasts peace (He who hath put thy land at peace); and filleth thee with the fatness of wheat.

¹⁵ Which sendeth out his speech to the earth; his word runneth swiftly. (Who sendeth out his word, or his command, to the earth; yea, his word runneth swiftly about.)

¹⁶ Which giveth snow as wool; he spreadeth abroad a cloud as ashes. (Who giveth the snow like wool; and he spreadeth abroad the hoarfrost like ashes.)

¹⁷ He sendeth his crystal as morsels; who shall be able to suffer before the face of his coldness? (He sendeth out his ice like morsels; yea, who can survive the cold that he sendeth?)

¹⁸ He shall send out his word, and shall melt those; his spirit shall blow, and waters shall flow. (And then he sendeth out his word, and the ice melteth; and his wind bloweth, and the waters flow.)

¹⁹ Which telleth his word to Jacob; and his rightfulnesses and dooms to Israel. (Who telleth his word to Jacob; yea, his statutes and his laws, or his decrees, to Israel.)

²⁰ He did not so to each nation; and he showed not his dooms to them. (He hath not done this for any other nation; he hath not shown his laws, or his decrees, to them.)

²⁵ Therefore a question was made of John's disciples with the Jews, of the purification [of the purification, or cleansing].

²⁶ And they came to John, and said to him, Master [Rabbi, or Master], he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witnessing, lo! he baptizeth, and all men come to him.

²⁷ John answered, and said, A man may not take any thing, but it be given to him from heaven.

²⁸ Ye yourselves bear witnessing to me, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.

²⁹ He that hath a wife, is the husband^[a]; but the friend of the spouse that standeth, and heareth him, joyeth with joy, for the voice of the spouse. Therefore in this thing my joy is fulfilled.

³⁰ It behooveth him to wax, but me to be made less. [It behooveth him to wax, forsooth me to be diminished, or made less.]