Book of Common Prayer

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.)

111 Alleluia. Lord, I shall acknowledge to thee in all mine heart; in the council, and congregation of just men. (Alleluia. Lord, I shall praise thee with all my heart, in the gathering together of the upright; yea, in the congregation.)

² The works of the Lord be great; sought out into all his wills. (The works of the Lord be great; sought out by all who take delight in them.)

³ His work is acknowledging and great doing; and his rightfulness dwelleth into the world of world. (His works be full of honour and majesty; and his righteousness remaineth forever and ever.)

⁴ The Lord, merciful in will, and a merciful doer, hath made a mind of his marvels; (The Lord, merciful in will, and a giver of mercy, is remembered for his marvellous deeds;)

⁵ he hath given meat to men dreading him. He shall be mindful of his testament into the world; (he hath given food to those who fear him/to those who revere him. He shall always be mindful, or shall always remember, his covenant;)

⁶ he shall tell to his people the strength of his works. That he give to them the heritage of folks; (he hath shown his people his strength in his works. Yea, he hath given them the inheritance of the nations;)

⁷ the works of his hands be truth and doom (the works of his hands be truth and justice). All his commandments be faithful,

⁸ confirmed into the world of world; made in truth and equity. (confirmed forever, and made in truth and goodness.)

⁹ The Lord sent redemption to his people; he commanded his testament [into] without end. His name is holy and dreadful; (The Lord sent and redeemed his people; he commanded that his covenant should endure forever. His name is holy and fearful/His name is holy and worthy to be praised;)

¹⁰ the beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord. Good understanding is to all that do it; his praising dwelleth into the world of world. (the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord/the beginning of wisdom is to revere the Lord. All who obey his commandments grow in wisdom; praise shall be his forever.)

112 Alleluia. Blessed is the man that dreadeth the Lord; he shall delight full much in his commandments. (Alleluia. Happy is the person who feareth the Lord/who hath reverence for the Lord; he shall take great delight, or joy, in his commandments.)

² His seed shall be mighty in [the] earth; the generation of rightful men shall be blessed. (His children shall be mighty in the earth; the descendants of good people shall be blessed/the generations of the upright shall be blessed.)

³ Glory and riches be in his house; and his rightfulness dwelleth into the world of world. (There shall be glory and riches in his house; and his righteousness remaineth forever and ever.)

⁴ Light is risen up in darknesses to rightful men; the Lord is merciful in will, and a merciful doer, and rightful. (Light riseth up in the darkness for the upright; the Lord is merciful in will, a giver of mercy, and fair to all.)

⁵ The man is merry, that doeth mercy, and lendeth; he disposeth his words in doom; (Happy is the person who giveth favour when he lendeth; he disposeth his deeds with justice, or with good judgement;)

⁶ for he shall not be moved [into] without end. A just man shall be in everlasting mind; (and nothing shall shake him. A good person’s deeds shall always be remembered;)

⁷ he shall not dread of an evil hearing. His heart is ready for to hope in the Lord; (he shall not fear to hear bad news. His heart is always ready to trust in the Lord;)

⁸ his heart is confirmed, he shall not be moved, till he despise his enemies. (his heart is firm, he shall not be moved, and he shall gloat over his enemies./his heart is steadfast, he shall not be shaken, and he shall see his enemies defeated.)

⁹ He spreaded abroad, he gave to poor men; his rightwiseness dwelleth into the world of world; his horn shall be raised in glory. (He spreadeth abroad much money, yea, he giveth to the poor; his righteousness remaineth forever and ever, his horn shall be raised up in glory.)

¹⁰ A sinner shall see (it), and shall be wroth; he shall gnash with his teeth, and shall fail, either shall wax rotten; the desire of sinners shall perish.

113 Alleluia. Servants, praise ye the Lord; praise ye the name of the Lord.

² The name of the Lord be blessed; from this time now, and till into the world (and forever).

³ From the rising of the sun till to the going down (From the rising of the sun until the going down of the same); the name of the Lord is worthy to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is high above all folks (The Lord is high above all the nations); and his glory is above (the) heavens.

⁵ Who is as our Lord God, that dwelleth in high things; (Who is like the Lord our God, who liveth in high places/who liveth on high;)

⁶ and beholdeth meek things in heaven and in earth? (and yet who deigneth himself to look upon the things in the heavens, and the things on earth!)

⁷ Raising a needy man from the earth; and enhancing a poor man from drit. (Raising up the needy from the dust; and lifting up the poor out of the dirt.)

⁸ That he set him with princes; with the princes of his people. (So that they may sit with princes; yea, with the leaders of the people.)

⁹ Which maketh a barren woman dwell in the house; a glad mother of sons. (Who maketh a barren woman, who liveth in her home, into a happy mother of sons.)

43 The firmament of highness is the fairness thereof; the fairness of heaven in the sight of glory. [The firmament of the height is the fairness of him; and the fairness of heaven in the sight of glory.]

² The sun in beholding, telling in going out, is a wonderful vessel, the work of (the) high God. [The sun in the sight, showing out in the issue, a marvellous vessel, the work of the (Most) High.]

³ In the time of midday it burneth the earth; and who shall be able to suffer (or to endure) in the sight of his (or its) heat?

⁴ Keeping a furnace in the works of heat; the sun burning hills in three manners, sending out beams of fire [or blasting out fiery beams], and shining again with his (or its) beams, blindeth (the) eyes.

⁵ The Lord is great, that made it; and in the words of him it hast(en)ed (its) journey. [Great is the Lord, that made it; and in the words of it he hied the way.]

⁶ And the moon in all men in his (or its) time is (a) showing of time, and a sign of the world. [And the moon in all things in his time showing of time, and token of the spiritual world.]

⁷ A sign of the feast day is taken of (or from) the moon; the light which is made little in the end. [Of (or From) the moon the sign of the holy day; a light-giver that is less(en)ed in the ending.]

⁸ The month is increasing by the name thereof, wonderfully into the ending. A vessel of castles (or of the hosts) in high things, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven. [The month after his name is waxing, marvellously into the full ending. A vessel of tents (or the hosts) in high things, in the firmament of heaven shining gloriously.]

⁹ The fairness of heaven is the glory of stars; the Lord on high lighteneth the world. [The fairness of heaven, glory of stars; the Lord lightening the world in heights.]

¹⁰ In (or At) the words of the Holy (One), those (or they) shall stand at the doom; and those shall not fail in their wakings. [In words holy men shall stand at the doom; and they shall not fail in their watches.]

¹¹ See thou the rainbow, and bless thou him that made it; it is full fair in his (or its) shining.

¹² It went about heaven in the compass of his (or its) glory; the hands of (the) high God opened it. [He compassed heaven in the circuit of his glory (or It compassed heaven in the circuit of its glory); the hands of the (Most) High opened it.]

²⁷ We say many things, and (yet) we fail in words; forsooth he is the (full) ending of words. [Many things we say, and fail in words; full ending forsooth of words he is.]

²⁸ To what thing shall we be mighty, that have (or who hath) glory in all things? for he is all-mighty above all his works. [In all things glorying, to what shall we be mighty? he forsooth is all-mighty over all his works.]

²⁹ The Lord is fearedful, and full great; and his power is wonderful. [Fearful the Lord, and great hugely; and marvellous the power of him.]

³⁰ Glorify ye the Lord as much as ever ye may (or as ye be able to), yet he shall be mightier; and his great doing is wonderful. Ye blessing the Lord, enhance (or exalt) him as much as ye may (or as ye be able to); for he is more than all praising. Ye enhancing him shall be filled with virtue; travail ye not to know God perfectly in this life, for ye shall not take (or shall not receive) (it) perfectly, that is, for it is unpossible. [Glorifying the Lord how much ever ye shall be able to, he shall be over-worthy yet; and full marvellous the great doing of him. Blessing the Lord, enhance ye him as much as ye be able to; more forsooth he is than all praising. Enhancing him ye shall be fulfilled with virtue; nor travail ye, forsooth ye shall not full come.]

³¹ Who saw him, and shall tell (it) out? and who shall magnify him, as he is from the beginning?

³² Many things greater than these be hid from us; for we have seen (only a) few things of his works. [Many hid things be more than these; forsooth few things we have seen of his works.]

³³ Forsooth the Lord made all things; and he gave wisdom to men doing faithfully. [All things forsooth the Lord made; and to men piously doing he gave wisdom.]

4 Therefore I bound for the Lord beseech you, that ye walk worthily in the calling, in which ye be called,

² with all meekness and mildness, with patience supporting each other in charity [with patience supporting, or up-bearing, together in charity],

³ busy to keep unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴ One body and one Spirit, as ye be called in one hope of your calling;

⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ one God and Father of all, which is above all men, and by all things, and in us all.

⁷ But to each of us grace is given by the measure of the giving of Christ [after the measure of the giving of Christ];

⁸ for which thing he saith, He ascending on high, led captivity captive, he gave gifts to men.

⁹ But what is it, that he ascended up, no but that also he came down first into the lower parts of the earth? [Forsooth that he ascended, what is it, no but for he descended first into the lower parts of the earth?]

¹⁰ He it is that came down, and that ascended [up] on all heavens, that he should fill all things.

¹¹ And he gave some apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers,

¹² to the full ending of saints, into the work of ministry, into [the] edification of Christ's body,

¹³ till we run all, into unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, after the measure of the age of the plenty of Christ; [till we run all, in unity of faith and of knowing of God's Son, into a perfect man, into the measure of age of the plenty of Christ;]

¹⁴ that we be not now little children, moving as waves, and be not borne about with each wind of teaching [and be borne about with all wind of teaching], in the waywardness of men, in subtle wit, to the deceiving of error.

¹⁵ But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head; [Forsooth we doing truth in charity, wax in him by all things, that is Christ the head;]

¹⁶ of whom all the body set together, and bound together by each jointure of under-serving, by working into the measure of each member [after working into the measure of each member], maketh increasing of the body, into [the] edification of itself in charity.

1 In the beginning was the word, and the word was at God, and God was the word. [In the beginning was the word, that is, God's Son, and the word was at God, and God was the word.]

² This was in the beginning at God.

³ All things were made by him, and without him was made nothing [nought], that thing that was made.

⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men;

⁵ and the light shineth in darknesses, and [the] darknesses comprehended not it.

⁶ A man was sent from God, to whom the name was John.

⁷ This man came into witnessing, that he should bear witnessing of the light, that all men should believe by him.

⁸ He was not that light, but that he should bear witnessing of the light.

⁹ There was a very light, which lighteneth each man that cometh into this world [that lighteth each man coming into this world].

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came into his own things, and his received him not.

¹² But how many ever received him, he gave to them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name;

¹³ the which not of bloods [which not of bloods], neither of the will of flesh, neither of the will of man, but be born of God.

¹⁴ And the word was made man, and dwelled among us, and we have seen the glory of him, as the glory of the one begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and of truth. [And the word, that is, God's Son, is made flesh, or man, and hath dwelled in us, and we have seen the glory of him, the glory as of the one begotten of the Father, the Son full of grace and truth.]

¹⁵ John beareth witnessing of him, and crieth, and saith, This is he of whom I said, He that shall come after me, is made before me [saying, This it was, whom I said, He that cometh after me, is made before me], for he was before me;

¹⁶ and of the plenty of him we all have taken, and grace for grace.

¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses; but grace and truth is made by Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ No man saw ever God [No man ever saw God], but the one begotten Son, that is in the bosom of the Father, he hath told out.