Book of Common Prayer
Book Four
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A (A)Prayer of Moses, the (B)man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our (C)dwelling place[a]
in all generations.
2 (D)Before the (E)mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
(F)from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust
and say, (G)“Return, (H)O children of man!”[b]
4 For (I)a thousand years in your sight
are but as (J)yesterday when it is past,
or as (K)a watch in the night.
5 You (L)sweep them away as with a flood; they are like (M)a dream,
like (N)grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in (O)the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it (P)fades and (Q)withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have (R)set our iniquities before you,
our (S)secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span[c] is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 (T)So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 (U)Return, O Lord! (V)How long?
Have (W)pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the (X)morning with your steadfast love,
that we may (Y)rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have (Z)afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your (AA)work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the (AB)favor[d] of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish (AC)the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
15 You shall leave your name to (A)my chosen (B)for a curse,
and the Lord God will put you to death,
but his servants (C)he will call by another name,
16 so that he who (D)blesses himself in the land
shall bless himself by (E)the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
shall swear by (F)the God of truth;
(G)because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “For behold, (H)I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, (I)I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19 (J)I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
(K)no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for (L)the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and (M)the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 (N)They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 (O)They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
(P)for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy[a] the work of their hands.
23 (Q)They shall not labor in vain
(R)or bear children for calamity,[b]
for (S)they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
and their descendants with them.
24 (T)Before they call I will answer;
(U)while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 (V)The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and (W)dust shall be the serpent's food.
(X)They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
The New Heaven and the New Earth
21 Then I saw (A)a new heaven and a new earth, for (B)the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw (C)the holy city, (D)new Jerusalem, (E)coming down out of heaven from God, (F)prepared (G)as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, (H)the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will (I)dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 (J)He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and (K)death shall be no more, (L)neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And (M)he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I (N)am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for (O)these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, (P)“It is done! (Q)I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (R)To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.