Book of Common Prayer
1 ¶ The LORD reigns; he has clothed himself with majesty; the LORD has clothed himself with strength; he has girded himself: he has established the world also, that it cannot be moved.
2 From this time on, thy throne shall never be moved; thou art eternal.
3 The rivers have lifted up, O LORD; the rivers have lifted up their voice; the rivers lift up their waves.
4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becomes thy house, O LORD, for ever.
1 ¶ O sing unto the LORD a new song; sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his saving health from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the Gentiles, his wonders among all peoples.
4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the peoples, give unto the LORD the glory and the strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; bring offerings, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; fear before him, all the earth.
10 ¶ Say among the Gentiles that the LORD reigns; he also has established the world, it shall not be moved; he shall judge the peoples righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar and the fullness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 before the LORD; for he has come, for he has come to judge the earth; he shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth.
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.
Aleph
1 ¶ I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Beth
2 My soul shall glory in the LORD; the meek shall hear of this, and be glad.
Gimel
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Daleth
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.
He
5 They looked unto him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.
Vau
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
Zain
7 The angel of the LORD encamps round about those that fear him and delivers them.
Cheth
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man that shall trust in him.
Teth
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints; for those that fear him lack nothing.
Jod
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but those that seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
Caph
11 ¶ Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Lamed
12 Who is the man that desires life and loves many days that he may see good?
Mem
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Nun
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Samech
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Ain
16 The anger of the LORD is against those that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Pe
17 The righteous cried out, and the LORD heard and delivered them out of all their troubles.
Tzaddi
18 The LORD is near unto those that are of a broken heart and saves such as are of a contrite spirit.
Koph
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD shall deliver him out of them all,
Resh
20 keeping all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.
Schin
21 Evil shall slay the wicked; and those that hate the righteous shall be declared guilty.
Tau
22 The LORD ransoms the soul of his slaves, and none of those that trust in him shall be declared guilty.
1 ¶ Now there was a certain man of Ramath of Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
7 And this would happen year by year when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she would provoke her; therefore, she would weep and not eat.
8 Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why dost thou weep? And why dost thou not eat? And why is thy heart grieved? Am I not better to thee than ten sons?
9 ¶ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore;
11 and she vowed a vow and said, O LORD of the hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid and remember me and not forget thy handmaid but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass as she continued praying before the LORD that Eli was observing her mouth.
13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 Do not count thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have waited until now to speak.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.
19 ¶ And they rose up in the morning early and worshipped before the LORD and returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20 Therefore, it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, she bore a son and called his name Samuel, {Heb. heard of God} saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
21 And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the LORD the accustomed sacrifice and his vow.
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him that he may be presented before the LORD and abide there for ever.
23 And Elkanah, her husband, said unto her, Do what seems good unto thee; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only let the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks and one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh; and the child was young.
25 And they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
27 For this child I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.
28 Therefore, I also have given him back to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall belong to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.
9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing him in everything, being fruitful in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God,
11 strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness,
12 ¶ giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us worthy to participate in the inheritance of the saints in light,
13 who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,
14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the remission of sins,
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature;
16 for by him were all things created, that are in the heavens and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and in him;
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the congregation, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell
20 and by him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, {Gr. stauro – stake} whether they are the things in the earth or the things in the heavens.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord)
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
25 ¶ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he should see the Christ of the Lord.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 then he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 Lord, now let thy slave depart in peace, according to thy word,
30 for mine eyes have seen thy saving health,
31 which thou hast prepared before the face of all the peoples:
32 a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against
35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was of a great age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,
37 and she was a widow eighty-four years, who departed not from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spoke of him to all those that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had completed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and was comforted of the Spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.
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