Book of Common Prayer
ZAIN
49 Remember [a]the promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust.
50 It is my comfort in my trouble; for thy promise hath quickened me.
51 The [b]proud have had me exceedingly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy Law.
52 I remembered thy [c]judgments of old, O Lord, and have been comforted.
53 [d]Fear is come upon me for the wicked, that forsake thy Law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my [e]pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the [f]night, and have kept thy Law.
56 [g]This I had because I kept thy precepts.
CHETH
57 O Lord, that art my [h]portion, I have determined to keep thy words.
58 I made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy promise.
59 I have considered my [i]ways, and turned my feet into thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61 The bands of the wicked have [j]robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy Law.
62 At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee, because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am [k]companion of all them that fear thee, and keep thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: [l]teach me thy statutes.
TETH
65 O Lord, thou hast dealt [m]graciously with thy servant, according unto thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
67 Before I was [n]afflicted, I went astray: but now I keep thy word.
68 Thou art good and gracious: teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud have imagined a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 [o]Their heart is fat as grease, but my delight is in thy Law.
71 It is [p]good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes.
72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, than thousands of gold and silver.
49 1 The holy Ghost calleth all men to the consideration of man’s life, 7 showing them not to be most blessed that are most wealthy, and therefore not to be feared: but contrariwise he lifteth up our minds to consider how all things are ruled by God’s providence: 14 Who as he judgeth these worldly misers to everlasting torments, 15 so doth he preserve his, and will reward them in the day of the resurrection, 1 Thess. 1:6.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm committed to the sons of Korah.
1 Hear [a]this all ye people: give ear, all ye that dwell in the world,
2 As well low as high, both rich and poor.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of mine heart is of knowledge.
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable, and utter my grave matter upon the harp.
5 Wherefore should I [b]fear in the evil days, when iniquity shall compass me about, as at mine heels?
6 They trust in their [c]goods, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
7 Yet a man can by no means redeem his brother: he cannot give his ransom to God,
8 (So [d]precious is the redemption of their souls, [e]and the continuance forever)
9 That he may live still forever, and not see the grave.
10 For he seeth that wise men [f]die: and also that the ignorant and foolish perish, and leave their riches for [g]others.
11 Yet they think their houses and their habitations shall continue forever, even from generation to generation, and [h]call their lands by their names.
12 But man shall not continue in honor; he is like the [i]beasts that die.
13 This their way uttereth their foolishness; yet their posterity [j]delight in their talk. Selah.
14 [k]Like sheep they lie in grave; [l]death devoureth them; and the righteous shall have domination over them in the [m]morning; for their beauty shall consume, when they shall go from their house to grave.
15 But God shall deliver my soul from the power of the grave; [n]for he will receive me. Selah.
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, and when the glory of his house is increased.
17 (A)For he shall take nothing away, when he dieth, neither shall his pomp descend after him.
18 For while he lived, [o]he rejoiced himself; and [p]men will praise thee, when thou makest much of thyself.
19 [q][r]He shall enter into the generation of his fathers, [s]and they shall not live forever.
20 Man is in honor; and [t]understandeth not; he is like to beasts that perish.
53 1 He describeth the crooked nature. 4 The cruelty, 5 And punishment of the wicked, when they look not for it, 6 And desireth the deliverance of the godly, that they may rejoice together.
To him that excelleth on [a]Mahalath. A Psalm of David to give instruction.
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is [b]no God, they have corrupted and done abominable wickedness, there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and [c]seek God.
3 (A)Everyone is gone back: they are altogether corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not the [d]workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people as they eat bread? they call not upon God.
5 There they were afraid for fear, where no [e]fear was: for God hath scattered the [f]bones of him that besieged thee: thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath cast them off.
6 Oh give salvation unto Israel out of Zion: when God turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
49 1 The Lord God exhorteth all nations to believe his promises. 6 Christ is the salvation of all that believe, and will deliver them from the tyranny of their enemies.
1 Hear ye me, O isles, and hearken, ye people from far. The Lord hath called [a]me from [b]the womb, and made mention of my name from my mother’s belly.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp [c]sword: under the shadow of his hand hath he [d]hid me, and made me a chosen shaft, and hid me in his quiver,
3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant [e]Israel, for I will be glorious in thee.
4 And I said, I have [f]labored in vain: I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing; but my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
5 And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, that I may bring Jacob again to him (though Israel be not gathered, [g]yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord; and my God shall be my strength.)
6 And he said, It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the desolations of Israel: I will also give [h]thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the world.
7 Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel, and his holy One, to him that is despised in soul, to a nation that is abhorred, to a [i]servant of rulers, Kings shall see, and [j]arise, and princes shall worship, because of the Lord, that is faithful: and the holy One of Israel, which hath chosen thee.
8 Thus saith the Lord, [k]In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and will give [l]thee for a covenant of the people, that thou mayest raise up the [m]earth, and obtain the inheritance of the desolate heritages:
9 That thou mayest say to the [n]prisoners, Go forth; and to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves; they shall feed in the ways, and their [o]pastures shall be in all the tops of the hills.
10 They shall not be hungry, neither shall they be thirsty, neither shall the heat smite them, nor the sun, for he that hath compassion [p]on them, shall lead them; even to the springs of water shall he drive them.
11 And I will make all my mountains, as a way, and my paths shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and lo, these from the North and from the West, and these from the land of [q]Sinim.
11 ¶ And when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to his [a]face: for he was to be condemned.
12 [b]For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews played the hypocrites likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas was [c]led away with them by that their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw, that they went not the [d]right way to the [e]truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before all men, If thou being a Jew, livest as the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, why [f]constrainest thou the Gentiles to do like the Jews?
15 [g]We which are Jews [h]by nature, and not [i]sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Know that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith [j]of Jesus Christ, even we, I say, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law, because that by the works of the Law, [k]no flesh shall be justified.
17 (A)[l]If then while [m]we seek to be made righteous by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things that I have destroyed, I make myself a trespasser.
19 For I through the Law am dead to the [n]Law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ, but I live, yet not [o]I anymore, but Christ liveth in me: and in that I now live in the [p]flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God, who hath loved me, and given himself for me.
21 [q]I do not abrogate the grace of God: for if righteousness be by the Law, then Christ died without a [r]cause.
13 And they cast out many devils: and they (A)[a]anointed many that were sick, with oil, and healed them.
14 ¶ (B)[b]Then King Herod heard of him (for his Name was made manifest) and said, John Baptist is risen again from the dead, and therefore great [c]works are wrought by him.
15 Others said, It is Elijah, and some said, It is a Prophet, or as one of [d]those Prophets.
16 (C)So when Herod heard it, he said, It is John whom [e]I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent forth, and had taken John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, which was his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.
18 For John said unto Herod, (D)It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
19 Therefore Herodias [f]laid wait against him: and would have killed him, but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and reverenced him, and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him [g]gladly.
21 But the time being convenient, when Herod on his birthday made a banquet to his princes and captains, and chief estates of Galilee:
22 And the daughter [h]of the same Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod, and them that sat at table together, the King said unto the maid, Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23 And he swore unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, even unto the half of my kingdom.
24 (E)So [i]she went forth, and said to her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, John Baptist’s head.
25 Then she came in straightway with haste unto the King, and asked, saying, I would that thou shouldest give me even now in a charger the head of John Baptist.
26 Then the King was very sorry: yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat at table with him, he would not refuse her.
27 And immediately the King sent the [j]hangman, and gave charge that his head should be brought in. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the maid, and the maid gave it to her mother.
29 And when his disciples heard it, they came and took up his body, and put it in a tomb.
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