Book of Common Prayer
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man,
2 who imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man, who has purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and with cords they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set traps for me. Selah
6 I said unto the Lord, “Thou art my God; hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah
9 “As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker be established on the earth; evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name; the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.
142 I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaint before Him; I laid before Him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, “Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name; the righteous shall compass me about, for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”
141 Lord, I cry unto Thee! Make haste unto me! Give ear unto my voice when I cry unto Thee.
2 Let my prayer be set before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me: it shall be as an excellent oil, which shall not break my head; for yet my prayer shall be with them in their calamities.
6 When their judges are overthrown onto stony places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
8 But mine eyes are unto Thee, O God the Lord; in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst I thereupon escape.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications; in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land. Selah
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit faileth. Hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning, for in Thee do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto Thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies; I flee unto Thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake; for Thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul; for I am Thy servant.
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment and pervert all equity:
11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us.”
12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, “Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient occasion I will call for thee.”
26 He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’s position; and Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
25 Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,
3 desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
5 “Let those therefore,” he said, “who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.”
6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8 while Paul answered for himself: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all.”
9 But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?”
10 Then said Paul, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!”
8 And it came to pass afterward that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,
2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who ministered unto Him from their substance.
4 And when many people had gathered together and had come to Him out of every city, He spoke by a parable:
5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it had sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold.” And when He had said these things, He cried, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!”
9 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “What might this parable mean?”
10 And He said, “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but to others in parables, that ‘seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.’
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
12 Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 The seed on the rock are they that, when they hear, receive the Word with joy, but they have no root: they for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they that, when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they that, in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.
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