Book of Common Prayer
Prayer for protection against persecutors.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
140 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil man;
Preserve me from the violent man:
2 Who devise mischiefs in their heart;
Continually do they [a]gather themselves together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent;
Adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah
4 Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from the violent man:
Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set gins for me. Selah
6 I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God:
Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
7 O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked;
Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah
9 As for the head of those that compass me about,
Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them:
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into [b]deep pits, whence they shall not rise.
11 [c]An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth:
Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name:
The upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Prayer for help in trouble.
Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.
142 I cry with my voice unto Jehovah;
With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I show before him my trouble.
3 When my spirit [a]was overwhelmed within me,
Thou knewest my path.
In the way wherein I walk
Have they hidden a snare for me.
4 Look on my right hand, and see;
For there is no man that knoweth me:
Refuge hath failed me;
No man careth for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O Jehovah;
I said, Thou art my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry;
For I am brought very low:
Deliver me from my persecutors;
For they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may give thanks unto thy name:
The righteous shall [b]compass me about;
For thou wilt deal bountifully with me.
An evening prayer for sanctification and protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 Jehovah, I have called upon thee; make haste unto me:
Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening [a]sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth;
Keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing,
To practise deeds of wickedness
With men that work iniquity:
And let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness;
And let him reprove me, it shall be as oil upon the head;
Let not my head refuse it:
For [b]even in their [c]wickedness shall my prayer continue.
6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock;
And they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7 As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth,
Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For mine eyes are unto thee, O Jehovah the Lord:
In thee do I take refuge; [d]leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me,
And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
Whilst that I withal [e]escape.
Prayer for deliverance and guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications:
In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant;
For in thy sight no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul;
He hath smitten my life down to the ground:
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore [a]is my spirit overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all thy doings;
I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I spread forth my hands unto thee:
My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. Selah
7 Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth:
Hide not thy face from me,
Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
For in thee do I trust:
Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
For I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies:
[b]I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will;
For thou art my God:
[c]Thy Spirit is good;
Lead me in [d]the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name’s sake:
In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies,
And destroy all them that afflict my soul;
For I am thy servant.
24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25 And it came to pass, [a]when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? 26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go [b]with the king; because thy servant is lame. 27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as [c]an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28 For all my father’s house were but [d]dead men before my lord the king; yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more unto the king? 29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.
31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan. 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. 33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old: can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? 36 Thy servant would but just go over the Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? 37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold, thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt [e]require of me, that will I do for thee. 39 And all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
40 So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him: and all the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel. 41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him? 42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all at the king’s cost? or hath he given us any gift? 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, [f]that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
24 But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, [a]his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me. 26 He hoped withal that money would be given him of Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
25 Festus therefore, [b]having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way. 4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart thither shortly. 5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.
6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove; 8 while Paul said in his defence, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all. 9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 10 But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar’s judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest. 11 If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true whereof these accuse me, no man can [c]give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
35 And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit,
[a]The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou on my right hand,
Till I make thine enemies [b]the footstool of thy feet.
37 David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And [c]the common people heard him gladly.
38 And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to have salutations in the marketplaces, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts: 40 they that devour widows’ houses, [d]and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.
41 And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast [e]money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came [f]a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury: 44 for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
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