Book of Common Prayer
Give the King Your Justice
Of (A)Solomon.
72 Give the king your (B)justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he (C)judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear (D)prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you[a] while (E)the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, (F)throughout all generations!
6 May he be like (G)rain that falls on (H)the mown grass,
like (I)showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may (J)the righteous flourish,
and (K)peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from (L)sea to sea,
and from (M)the River[b] to the (N)ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes (O)bow down before him,
and his enemies (P)lick the dust!
10 May the kings of (Q)Tarshish and of (R)the coastlands
render him (S)tribute;
may the kings of (T)Sheba and (U)Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings (V)fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers (W)the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and (X)precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may (Y)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made (Z)for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people (AA)blossom in the cities
like the (AB)grass of the field!
17 (AC)May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
(AD)May people be blessed in him,
(AE)all nations call him blessed!
Great Are the Lord's Works
111 [a] (A)Praise the Lord!
I (B)will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of (C)the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the (D)works of the Lord,
(E)studied by all who delight in them.
3 (F)Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his (G)righteousness endures forever.
4 He has (H)caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he (I)remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are (J)trustworthy;
8 they are (K)established forever and ever,
to be performed with (L)faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent (M)redemption to his people;
he has (N)commanded his covenant forever.
(O)Holy and awesome is his name!
10 (P)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have (Q)a good understanding.
His (R)praise endures forever!
Who Is like the Lord Our God?
2 (D)Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 (E)From the rising of the sun to its setting,
(F)the name of the Lord is (G)to be praised!
4 The Lord is (H)high above all nations,
and his (I)glory above the heavens!
5 (J)Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who (K)looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He (L)raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them (M)sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He (N)gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
(O)Praise the Lord!
The Lord's Covenant with David
7 (A)Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord (B)had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to (C)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell (D)in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells (E)in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, (F)“Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: (G)Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house (H)since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about (I)in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where (J)I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with (K)any of the judges[a] of Israel, whom I commanded (L)to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, (M)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince[b] over my people Israel. 9 (N)And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel (O)and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place (P)and be disturbed no more. (Q)And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 (R)from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And (S)I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that (T)the Lord will make you a house. 12 (U)When your days are fulfilled and (V)you lie down with your fathers, (W)I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 (X)He shall build a house for my name, and (Y)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 (Z)I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, (AA)I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 (AB)but my steadfast love will not depart from him, (AC)as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 (AD)And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[c] (AE)Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
11 For (A)the grace of God (B)has appeared, bringing salvation (C)for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and (D)worldly passions, and (E)to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in (F)the present age, 13 (G)waiting for our blessed (H)hope, the (I)appearing of the glory of our great (J)God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 (K)who gave himself for us to (L)redeem us from all lawlessness and (M)to purify for himself (N)a people for his own possession who are (O)zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and (P)rebuke with all authority. (Q)Let no one disregard you.
Be Ready for Every Good Work
3 Remind them (R)to be submissive to rulers and authorities, (S)to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 (T)to speak evil of no one, (U)to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and (V)to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For (W)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when (X)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, (Y)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but (Z)according to his own mercy, by (AA)the washing of regeneration and (AB)renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he (AC)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that (AD)being justified by his grace we might become (AE)heirs (AF)according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is (AG)trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful (AH)to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into (A)the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth (B)was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, (C)“Blessed are you among women, and (D)blessed is (E)the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of (F)my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And (G)blessed is she who believed that there would be[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
48 for (A)he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations (B)will call me blessed;
49 for (C)he who is mighty (D)has done great things for me,
and (E)holy is his name.
50 And (F)his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 (G)He has shown strength with his arm;
(H)he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 (I)he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
(J)and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled (K)the hungry with good things,
and the rich (L)he has sent away empty.
54 He has (M)helped (N)his servant Israel,
(O)in remembrance of his mercy,
55 (P)as he spoke to our fathers,
(Q)to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.