Book of Common Prayer
To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man; preserve me from the man of violence.
2 Who devise evil in their heart; they are continually gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the man of violence, who have purposed to overthrow my steps.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me and cords; they have spread a net; on the path they have set snares for me. Selah.
6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my saving health, cover thou my head in the day of battle.
8 ¶ Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further his wicked thought lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the perversion of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they not rise up again.
11 The man with an evil tongue shall not be established in the earth; evil shall hunt the man of violence to overthrow him.
12 I know that the LORD will effect the judgment of the poor and the judgment of the destitute.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.
1 ¶ I shall cry unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice shall I ask the LORD for mercy.
2 I shall pour out my complaint before him; before him I shall tell of my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou didst know my path. In the way in which I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.
4 ¶ I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no one that would know me; I had no refuge; no one cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD; I said, Thou art my hope and 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 praise thy name; the righteous shall feast with me; when thou shalt have weaned me.
A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ LORD, I have called unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the gift of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O LORD, upon my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to do works with ungodliness with the men that work iniquity, and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 ¶ Let the righteous smite me in mercy, and let him reprove me: and let not a flattering evil prince anoint my head, for my prayer shall ever be against his evil.
6 Their judges shall be thrown down from strong places; they shall hearken unto my words; for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth.
8 Therefore mine eyes look unto thee, O GOD the Lord; in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the hands of the snare which they have laid for me, and from the snares of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, whilst I pass on ahead forever.
A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my supplications for the sake of thy truth; answer me for the sake of thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy slave; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit has become overwhelmed within me; my heart within me has become desolate.
5 I remembered the days of old; I meditated on all thy works; I mused on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretched forth my hands unto thee; my soul thirsted after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 ¶ Hear me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails; hide not thy face from me lest I be like those that go down into the grave.
8 Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning, for in thee do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I flee unto thee.
10 Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 By thy name, O LORD, thou shalt give me life; by thy righteousness thou shalt bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And by thy mercy thou shalt scatter my enemies and destroy all the adversaries of my soul; for I am thy slave.
24 ¶ Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, also came down to meet the king and had neither washed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.
25 And after he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said unto him, Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?
26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my slave deceived me, for thy slave said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride upon it and go to the king because thy slave is lame.
27 And he has slandered thy slave unto my lord the king, but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
28 For all of my father’s house were worthy of death before my lord the king; yet thou didst set thy slave among those that eat at thy own table. What righteousness, therefore, have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more words? I have determined, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Let him even take it all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
31 ¶ Barzillai, the Gileadite, also came down from Rogelim and went over the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan.
32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, of eighty years, who had provided the king with sustenance while he was at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
35 I am this day eighty years old, and shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy slave enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy slave be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
36 Thy slave will go a little way over the Jordan with the king, and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
37 Let thy slave, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in my own city and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy slave 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 with him that which shall seem good unto thee, and whatever thou shalt ask of me, that will I do for thee.
39 And all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had also come over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place.
40 ¶ Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah conducted the king, 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 have brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him, over the Jordan?
42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten anything at the king’s cost? Or has he given us any gift?
43 Then 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 not take us into account? Did we not speak first about bringing back our king? But in the end words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
24 And after certain days when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard of him the faith which is in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go away for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
26 He hoped also that money should have been given him from Paul, that he might loose him; therefore he sent for him many times and communed with him.
27 But after two years Felix received Porcius Festus as successor; and Felix, wanting to win the grace of the Jews, left Paul bound.
25 ¶ Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the prince of the priests and the principals of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,
3 asking for grace against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, they placing an ambush in the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart shortly there.
5 Let them, therefore, said he, who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is anything in him.
6 And when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I sinned in anything at all.
9 But Festus, willing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged; to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no one may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
35 ¶ And answering, Jesus said, while he taught in the temple, How do the scribes say that the Christ is Son of David?
36 For David himself said by the Holy Spirit, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
37 David therefore himself calls him Lord, and where then is he his son? And the many people heard him gladly.
38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing and love the salutations in the marketplaces
39 and the first chairs in the synagogues and the first seats at the suppers,
40 which devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater judgment.
41 ¶ And with Jesus sitting in front of the ark of the offering, he beheld how the people cast money into the ark and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And as there came a certain poor widow, she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 Then calling his disciples, he said unto them, Verily I say unto you that this poor widow has cast more in than all those who have cast into the treasury,
44 for they all did cast in of their abundance, but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International