Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 34[a]
Thanksgiving to God Who Delivers the Just
1 Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech,[b] who drove him out and he went away.
I
2 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be always in my mouth.(A)
3 My soul will glory in the Lord;
let the poor hear and be glad.
4 Magnify the Lord with me;
and let us exalt his name together.
II
5 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.
6 Look to him and be radiant,
and your faces may not blush for shame.
7 This poor one cried out and the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
8 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and he saves them.(B)
9 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.(C)
10 Fear the Lord, you his holy ones;
nothing is lacking to those who fear him.(D)
11 The rich grow poor and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
III
12 Come, children,[c] listen to me;(E)
I will teach you fear of the Lord.
13 Who is the man who delights in life,(F)
who loves to see the good days?
14 Keep your tongue from evil,
your lips from speaking lies.
15 Turn from evil and do good;(G)
seek peace and pursue it.
16 The eyes of the Lord are directed toward the righteous(H)
and his ears toward their cry.
17 The Lord’s face is against evildoers
to wipe out their memory from the earth.
18 The righteous cry out, the Lord hears
and he rescues them from all their afflictions.
19 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,
saves those whose spirit is crushed.
20 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.
21 He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.(I)
22 Evil will slay the wicked;
those who hate the righteous are condemned.
23 The Lord is the redeemer of the souls of his servants;
and none are condemned who take refuge in him.
Chapter 3
The Hidden Counsels of God[a]
A. On Suffering[b]
1 The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,(A)
and no torment shall touch them.
2 They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
3 and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.(B)
4 For if to others, indeed, they seem punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.(C)
6 As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings[c] he took them to himself.(D)
7 In the time of their judgment[d] they shall shine
and dart about as sparks through stubble;(E)
8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.(F)
9 Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,(G)
and his care is with the elect.
Chapter 19
1 After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
“Alleluia![a]
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen. Alleluia.”
The Victory Song.[a] 5 A voice coming from the throne said:
“Praise our God, all you his servants,
[and] you who revere him, small and great.”(A)
6 Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder, as they said:
“Alleluia!
The Lord has established his reign,
[our] God, the almighty.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory.
For the wedding day of the Lamb[b] has come,
his bride has made herself ready.(B)
8 She was allowed to wear
a bright, clean linen garment.”(C)
(The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.)[c]
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed[d] are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words are true; they come from God.”(D) 10 I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t! I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers who bear witness to Jesus. Worship God.(E) Witness to Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”[e]
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