Book of Common Prayer
1 ¶ Why do the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,
3 let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then he shall speak unto them in his wrath and trouble them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet I have set my king upon Zion, the mountain of my holiness.
7 ¶ I will declare the decree; the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day I have begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and unto the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 ¶ Understand now therefore, O ye kings: receive chastening, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled in a little while. Blessed are all those that put their trust in him.
A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity; I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2 Examine me, O LORD and prove me; melt my kidneys and my heart.
3 For thy mercy is before my eyes, and I walk in thy truth.
4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked.
6 ¶ I will wash my hands in innocency, so I will walk near unto thine altar, O LORD:
7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works.
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory.
9 Gather not my soul with the sinners, nor my life with those who have blood on their hands:
10 In whose hands are wicked devices, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; ransom me and be merciful unto me.
12 I have walked uprightly; in the congregations I will bless the LORD.
13 ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even though they may forget, I will not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17 Thy builders shall come in haste; thy destroyers and those that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
18 ¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thyself with them all, as with a garment of honour and shalt be girded by them as a bride.
19 For thy waste and thy desolate places and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and those that destroyed thee shall be separated far away.
20 Even thy sons which were fatherless, shall say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.
21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who has begotten me these, seeing I had lost my children and was desolate, a stranger removed from my land? and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
22 Thus has the Lord GOD said, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and raise up my banner as an example to the peoples: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their princesses thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for those that wait for me shall not be ashamed.
18 ¶ At the same time the disciples came unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them
3 and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.
5 And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me.
6 But whosoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to fall, it would be better for him that a millstone such as is turned by an ass be hanged about his neck and that he be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7 ¶ Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 Therefore if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to fall, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire.
9 And if thine eye causes thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.
10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in the heavens their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens.
11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a man had a hundred sheep and one of them went astray, would he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains and seek that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he finds it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that one than of the ninety-nine who did not go astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones should perish.
To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows the work of his hands.
2 One day provides a word for the next day, and one night declares wisdom unto the next night.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 ¶ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the rights of the LORD are true, they are all just.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy slave warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy slave also from pride and arrogance; let them not have dominion over me; then I shall be perfect, and I shall be innocent of the great rebellion.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
A Song of degrees.
1 ¶ When the LORD shall turn again the captivity of Zion, we shall be like those that dream.
2 Then our mouth shall be filled with laughter and our tongue with singing; then they shall say among the Gentiles, The LORD has done great things with them.
3 The LORD has done great things with us, of which we shall be glad.
4 ¶ Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
5 Those that sow with tears shall reap with joy.
6 He that goes forth and weeps, bearing the precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
13 ¶ And they brought young children to him that he should touch them, and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 And Jesus seeing it, became angry and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me and hinder them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And taking them up in his arms and putting his hands upon them, he blessed them.
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