Book of Common Prayer
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
12 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.
To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.
1 Help Lord, for there is not [a]a godly man left: for the faithful are failed from among the children of men.
2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor, [b]flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.
3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Which have said, [c]With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
5 [d]Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will [e]set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold.
7 Thou wilt keep [f]them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side; when they are exalted, [g]it is a shame for the sons of men.
13 1 David as it were overcome with sundry and new afflictions, fleeth to God as his only refuge, 3 and so at the length being encouraged through God’s promises, he conceiveth most sure confidence against the extreme horrors of death.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, [h]forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take [i]counsel within myself having weariness daily in mine heart? how long shall mine enemy be exalted above me?
3 Behold, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have [j]prevailed against him: and they that afflict me, rejoice, when I slide.
5 But I trust in thy [k]mercy: mine heart shall rejoice in thy salvation; I will sing to the Lord, because he hath [l]dealt lovingly with me.
14 1 He describeth the perverse nature of men, which were so grown to licentiousness, that God was brought to utter contempt. 7 For the which thing, although he was greatly grieved, yet being persuaded that God would send some present remedy, he comforteth himself and others.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 The (A)fool hath said in his heart, [m]There is no God: they have [n]corrupted, and done an abominable work: there is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, and seek God.
3 [o]All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people, as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord.
5 [p]There they shall be taken with fear, because God is in the generation of the just.
6 You have made [q]a mock at the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his trust.
7 Oh give salvation unto [r]Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Note that of Psalm 14:5-7, which are put into the common translation, and may seem unto some to be left out in this, are not in the same Psalm in the Hebrew text, but rather are put in more fully to express the manners of the wicked, and are gathered out of Psalms 5, 10, 36, 140; Isa. 59, and are alleged by S. Paul, and placed together in Romans 3.
6 1 Instruction for sureties. 6 The slothful and sluggish is stirred to work. 12 He describeth the nature of the wicked. 16 The things that God hateth. 20 To observe the word of God. 24 To flee adultery.
1 My son, if thou be surety for thy neighbor, and hast stricken hands with the stranger,
2 Thou art [a]snared with the words of thy mouth: thou art even taken with the words of thine own mouth.
3 Do this now, my Son, and deliver thyself: seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor, go, and humble thyself, and solicit thy friends.
4 Give no sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a Doe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 ¶ Go to [b]the pismire, O sluggard: behold her ways, and be wise.
7 For she having no guide, governor, nor ruler,
8 Prepareth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of the sleep?
10 (A)Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, [c]a little folding of the hands to sleep.
11 Therefore thy poverty cometh as one that [d]traveleth by the way, and thy necessity like [e]an armed man.
12 The unthrifty man [f]and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He maketh a sign with his eyes: he [g]signifieth with his feet: he [h]instructeth with his fingers.
14 Lewd things are in his heart: he imagineth evil at all times, and raiseth up contentions.
15 Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: he shall be destroyed suddenly without recovery.
16 ¶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, his soul abhorreth seven:
17 The haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, [i]feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and him that raiseth up contentions among [j]brethren.
5 1 He showeth that brotherly love and faith are things inseparable: 10 And that there is no faith towards God, but by believing in Christ: 14 Hence proceedeth calling upon God with assurance: 16 and also that our prayers be available for our brethren.
1 Whosoever [a]believeth that Jesus is that [b]Christ, is born of God: and everyone that loveth him, which begat, loveth [c]him also which is begotten of him.
2 [d]In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his [e]commandments.
3 [f]For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: [g]and his (A)commandments are not [h]burdenous.
4 [i]For all that is born of God, overcometh this world: [j]and this is that victory that [k]hath overcome this world even our [l]faith.
5 (B)[m]Who is it that overcometh this world, but he which believeth that Jesus is that Son of God?
6 [n]This is that Jesus Christ that came by water and blood: [o]not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is that [p]Spirit that beareth witness: for that Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three, which bear record in heaven, the Father, the [q]Word, and the holy Ghost: and these three are [r]one.
8 And there are three, which bear record in the earth, the Spirit, and the Water and the Blood: and these three agree in one.
9 [s]If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for [t]this is the witness of God, which he testified of his Son.
10 (C)[u]He that believeth in that Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believed not the record, that God witnessed of that his Son.
11 [v]And this is that record, to wit, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in that his Son.
12 He that hath that Son, hath that life: and he that hath not that Son of God, hath not that life.
16 (A)[a]But whereunto shall I liken this generation? [b]It is like unto little children which sit in the markets, and call unto their fellows,
17 And say, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced, we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of men came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend unto Publicans and sinners: [c]but [d]wisdom is justified of her children.
20 ¶ (B)[e]Then began he to upbraid the cities, wherein most of his great works were done, because they repented not.
21 Woe be to thee Chorazin: Woe be to thee Bethsaida: for if the great works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say to you, It shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou Capernaum, which art lifted up unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the great works, which have been done in thee, had been done among them of Sodom, they had remained to this day.
24 But I say unto you, that it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
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