Book of Common Prayer
Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Of David.
103 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 (B)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and (C)forget not all his benefits,
3 who (D)forgives all your iniquity,
who (E)heals all your diseases,
4 who (F)redeems your life from the pit,
who (G)crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who (H)satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like (I)the eagle's.
6 The Lord works (J)righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his (K)ways to Moses,
his (L)acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is (M)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 (N)He will not always chide,
nor will he (O)keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us (P)according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For (Q)as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his (R)steadfast love toward (S)those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he (T)remove our transgressions from us.
13 As (U)a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion (V)to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
he (W)remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like (X)grass;
he flourishes like (Y)a flower of the field;
16 for (Z)the wind passes over it, and (AA)it is gone,
and (AB)its place knows it no more.
17 But (AC)the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on (AD)those who fear him,
and his righteousness to (AE)children's children,
18 to those who (AF)keep his covenant
and (AG)remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has (AH)established his throne in the heavens,
and his (AI)kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Name of the Lord
148 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord (B)from the heavens;
praise him (C)in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his (D)hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you (E)highest heavens,
and you (F)waters above the heavens!
5 (G)Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For (H)he commanded and they were created.
6 And he (I)established them forever and ever;
he gave (J)a decree, and it shall not (K)pass away.[a]
7 Praise the Lord (L)from the earth,
you (M)great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 (N)fire and hail, (O)snow and mist,
(P)stormy wind (Q)fulfilling his word!
9 (R)Mountains and all hills,
(S)fruit trees and all (T)cedars!
10 (U)Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and (V)flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and (W)all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
Zion's Coming Salvation
62 (A)For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
(B)until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 (C)The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
(D)and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3 You shall be (E)a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 (F)You shall no more be termed (G)Forsaken,[a]
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,[b]
(H)but you shall be called (I)My Delight Is in Her,[c]
and your land Married;[d]
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so (J)shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so (K)shall your God rejoice over you.
10 Go through, go through the gates;
(A)prepare the way for the people;
(B)build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
(C)lift up a signal over the peoples.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
(D)Say to the daughter of Zion,
(E)“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
12 (F)And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
(G)and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
The Rider on a White Horse
11 Then I saw (A)heaven opened, and behold, (B)a white horse! The one sitting on it is called (C)Faithful and True, and (D)in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 (E)His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are (F)many diadems, and he has (G)a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in (H)a robe dipped in[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is (I)The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, (J)arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, (K)were following him on white horses. 15 (L)From his mouth comes a sharp sword (M)with which to strike down the nations, and (N)he will rule[b] them with a rod of iron. (O)He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh (P)he has a name written, (Q)King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 Now the birth of (A)Jesus Christ[a] took place in this way. (B)When his mother Mary had been betrothed[b] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child (C)from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling (D)to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, (E)an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and (F)you shall call his name Jesus, (G)for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 (H)All this took place (I)to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
(which means, God (L)with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And (M)he called his name Jesus.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.