Book of Common Prayer
1 O the happiness of that one, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat;
2 But -- in the law of Jehovah [is] his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night:
3 And he hath been as a tree, Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper.
4 Not so the wicked: But -- as chaff that wind driveth away!
5 Therefore the wicked rise not in judgment, Nor sinners in the company of the righteous,
6 For Jehovah is knowing the way of the righteous, And the way of the wicked is lost!
2 Why have nations tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity?
2 Station themselves do kings of the earth, And princes have been united together, Against Jehovah, and against His Messiah:
3 `Let us draw off Their cords, And cast from us Their thick bands.'
4 He who is sitting in the heavens doth laugh, The Lord doth mock at them.
5 Then doth He speak unto them in His anger, And in His wrath He doth trouble them:
6 `And I -- I have anointed My King, Upon Zion -- My holy hill.'
7 I declare concerning a statute: Jehovah said unto me, `My Son Thou [art], I to-day have brought thee forth.
8 Ask of Me and I give nations -- thy inheritance, And thy possession -- the ends of earth.
9 Thou dost rule them with a sceptre of iron, As a vessel of a potter Thou dost crush them.'
10 And now, O kings, act wisely, Be instructed, O judges of earth,
11 Serve ye Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Chosen One, lest He be angry, And ye lose the way, When His anger burneth but a little, O the happiness of all trusting in Him!
3 A Psalm of David, in his fleeing from the face of Absalom his son. Jehovah, how have my distresses multiplied! Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul, `There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah.
3 And Thou, O Jehovah, [art] a shield for me, My honour, and lifter up of my head.
4 My voice [is] unto Jehovah: I call: And He answereth me from his holy hill, Selah.
5 I -- I have lain down, and I sleep, I have waked, for Jehovah sustaineth me.
6 I am not afraid of myriads of people, That round about they have set against me.
7 Rise, O Jehovah! save me, my God. Because Thou hast smitten All mine enemies [on] the cheek. The teeth of the wicked Thou hast broken.
8 Of Jehovah [is] this salvation; On Thy people [is] Thy blessing! Selah.
4 To the Overseer with Stringed Instruments. -- A Psalm of David. In my calling answer Thou me, O God of my righteousness. In adversity Thou gavest enlargement to me; Favour me, and hear my prayer.
2 Sons of men! till when [is] my glory for shame? Ye love a vain thing, ye seek a lie. Selah.
3 And know ye that Jehovah Hath separated a saintly one to Himself. Jehovah heareth in my calling to Him.
4 `Tremble ye, and do not sin;' Say ye [thus] in your heart on your bed, And be ye silent. Selah.
5 Sacrifice ye sacrifices of righteousness, And trust ye unto Jehovah.
6 Many are saying, `Who doth show us good?' Lift on us the light of Thy face, O Jehovah,
7 Thou hast given joy in my heart, From the time their corn and their wine Have been multiplied.
8 In peace together I lie down and sleep, For Thou, O Jehovah, alone, In confidence dost cause me to dwell!
7 `The Erring One,' by David, that he sung to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Jehovah, my God, in Thee I have trusted, Save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me.
2 Lest he tear as a lion my soul, Rending, and there is no deliverer.
3 O Jehovah, my God, if I have done this, If there is iniquity in my hands,
4 If I have done my well-wisher evil, And draw mine adversary without cause,
5 An enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh, And treadeth down to the earth my life, And my honour placeth in the dust. Selah.
6 Rise, O Jehovah, in Thine anger, Be lifted up at the wrath of mine adversaries, And awake Thou for me: Judgment Thou hast commanded:
7 And a company of peoples compass Thee, And over it on high turn Thou back,
8 Jehovah doth judge the peoples; Judge me, O Jehovah, According to my righteousness, And according to mine integrity on me,
9 Let, I pray Thee be ended the evil of the wicked, And establish Thou the righteous, And a trier of hearts and reins is the righteous God.
10 My shield [is] on God, Saviour of the upright in heart!
11 God [is] a righteous judge, And He is not angry at all times.
12 If [one] turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it,
13 Yea, for him He hath prepared Instruments of death, His arrows for burning pursuers He maketh.
14 Lo, he travaileth [with] iniquity, And he hath conceived perverseness, And hath brought forth falsehood.
15 A pit he hath prepared, and he diggeth it, And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.
16 Return doth his perverseness on his head, And on his crown his violence cometh down.
17 I thank Jehovah, According to His righteousness, And praise the name of Jehovah Most High!
5 And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, `I do reign;' and he prepareth for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,
6 and his father hath not grieved him [all] his days, saying, `Wherefore thus hast thou done?' and he also [is] of a very good form, and [his mother] bare him after Absalom.
7 And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;
8 and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David hath, have not been with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificeth sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth, that [is] by En-Rogel, and calleth all his brethren, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;
10 and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and Solomon his brother, he hath not called.
11 And Nathan speaketh unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, saying, `Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath reigned, and our lord David hath not known?
12 and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon;
13 go and enter in unto king David, and thou hast said unto him, Hast thou not, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne? and wherefore hath Adonijah reigned?
14 Lo, thou are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after thee, and have completed thy words.'
15 And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto the king, to the inner chamber, and the king [is] very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king:
16 and Bath-Sheba boweth and doth obeisance to the king, and the king saith, `What -- to thee?'
17 And she saith to him, `My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid: Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;
18 and now, lo, Adonijah hath reigned, and now, my lord, O king, thou hast not known;
19 and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host -- and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called.
20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] on thee, to declare to them who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;
21 and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon -- [reckoned] sinners.'
22 And lo, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet hath come in;
23 and they declare to the king, saying, `Lo, Nathan the prophet;' and he cometh in before the king, and boweth himself to the king, on his face to the earth.
24 And Nathan saith, `My lord, O king, thou hast said, Adonijah doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;
25 for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live!
26 `And for me -- me, thy servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon thy servant, he hath not called;
27 if from my lord the king this thing hath been, then thou hast not caused thy servant to know who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.'
28 And king David answereth and saith, `Call for me for Bath-Sheba;' and she cometh in before the king, and standeth before the king.
29 And the king sweareth and saith, `Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity;
30 surely as I sware to thee by Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.'
31 And Bath-Sheba boweth -- face to the earth -- and doth obeisance to the king, and saith, `Let my lord, king David, live to the age.'
26 And Agrippa said unto Paul, `It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:
2 `Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,
3 especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things -- both customs and questions -- among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.
4 `The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth -- which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem -- know do all the Jews,
5 knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
6 and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
7 to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;
8 why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
9 `I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,
10 which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
11 and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.
12 `In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests --
13 at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me;
14 and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
15 `And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;
16 but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to thee,
17 delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,
18 to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.
19 `Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;
21 because of these things the Jews -- having caught me in the temple -- were endeavouring to kill [me].
22 `Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,
23 that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'
14 `And when ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (whoever is reading let him understand), then those in Judea, let them flee to the mountains;
15 and he upon the house-top, let him not come down to the house, nor come in to take anything out of his house;
16 and he who is in the field, let him not turn to the things behind, to take up his garment.
17 `And wo to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days;
18 and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter,
19 for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be;
20 and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days.
21 `And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here [is] the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe;
22 for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall give signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, also the chosen;
23 and ye, take heed; lo, I have foretold you all things.
24 `But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.
26 `And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory,
27 and then he shall send his messengers, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven.