Book of Common Prayer
The privileges of citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song.
[a]87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah
4 I will make mention of [b]Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me:
Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with [c]Ethiopia:
This one was born there.
5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her;
And the Most High himself will establish her.
6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples,
This one was born there. Selah
7 They that sing as well as [d]they that dance shall say,
All my fountains are in thee.
Book IV
God’s eternity and man’s transitoriness.
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
90 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place
In all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever thou [a]hadst formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to [b]destruction,
And sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight
Are but as yesterday [c]when it is past,
And as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:
In the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;
In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed in thine anger,
And in thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,
Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
We bring our years to an end as [d]a sigh.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten,
Or even by reason of strength fourscore years;
Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow;
For it is soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger,
And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may get us a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Jehovah; how long?
And let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14 Oh satisfy us in the morning with thy lovingkindness,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
And the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants,
And thy glory upon their children.
17 And let the [e]favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And establish thou the work of our hands upon us;
Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Thanks for Jehovah’s goodness to Israel.
136 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
2 Oh give thanks unto the God of gods;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
3 Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
5 To him that by understanding made the heavens;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
6 To him that spread forth the earth above the waters;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
7 To him that made great lights;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
13 To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
15 But [a]overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
16 To him that led his people through the wilderness;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
17 To him that smote great kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
18 And slew famous kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
20 And Og king of Bashan;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
21 And gave their land for a heritage;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
22 Even a heritage unto Israel his servant;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
23 Who remembered us in our low estate;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
24 And hath delivered us from our adversaries;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
25 Who giveth food to all flesh;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
26 Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
4 1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when [a]they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the [b]army in the field about four thousand men. 3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Jehovah smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of hosts, who [c]sitteth above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah was come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of [d]plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. 10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: [a]and great grace was upon them all. 34 For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
36 And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of [b]exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to [c]lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. 6 And the [d]young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out. 10 And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
20 But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand. 21 Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. 22 For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the [a]land, and wrath unto this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 26 men [b]fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on [c]the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.
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