Book of Common Prayer
120 1 The prayer of David being vexed by the false reports of Saul’s flatterers. 5 And therefore he lamenteth his long abode among those infidels, 7 Who were given to all kinds of wickedness and contention.
A song of [a]degrees.
1 I called unto the Lord in my [b]trouble, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What doth thy [c]deceitful tongue bring unto thee? or what doth it avail thee?
4 It is as the [d]sharp arrows of a mighty man, and as the coals of Juniper.
5 Woe is to me that I remain in [e]Meshech, and dwell in the tents of [f]Kedar.
6 My soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I seek [g]peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to war.
121 1 This Psalm teacheth that the faithful ought only to look for help at God, 7 who only doth maintain, preserve and prosper his Church.
A song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes [h]unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come.
2 Mine help cometh from the Lord, which hath made the [i]heaven and the earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to slip: for he that keepeth thee, will not [j]slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel, will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not [k]smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy [l]going out, and thy coming in from henceforth and forever.
122 1 David rejoiceth in the name of the faithful, that God hath accomplished his promise and placed his Ark in Zion. 5 For the which he giveth thanks, 8 And prayeth for the prosperity of the Church.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 I (A)[m]rejoiced when they said to me, We will go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our [n]feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city, that is [o]compact together in itself:
4 Whereunto [p]the Tribes, even the Tribes of the Lord go up according to the testimony to Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord.
5 For there are thrones set for judgment, even the thrones of the house of [q]David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: let them prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy [r]walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my [s]brethren and neighbors’ sakes, I will wish thee now prosperity.
9 Because of the House of the Lord our God, I will procure thy wealth.
123 A prayer of the faithful, which were afflicted either in Babylon or under Antiochus, by the wicked worldlings and contemners of God.
A song of degrees.
1 I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of [t]servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy unto us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have [u]suffered too much contempt.
4 Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.
124 The people of God, escaping a great peril, do acknowledge themselves to be delivered, not by their own force, but by the power of God. 4 They declare the greatness of the peril. 6 And praise the Name of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 If the Lord had not been [v]on our side, (may Israel now say)
2 If the Lord had [not] been on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 They had then swallowed us up [w]quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.
4 Then the [x]waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then had the swelling waters gone over our soul.
6 Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the [y]snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.
125 1 He describeth the assurance of the faithful in their afflictions. 4 And desireth their wealth, 5 And the destruction of the wicked.
A song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, which cannot [z]be removed, but remaineth forever.
2 As the mountains are about Jerusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and forever.
3 For the [aa]rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hand unto wickedness.
4 Do well, O Lord, unto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 [ab]But these that turn aside by their crooked ways, them shall the Lord lead with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
126 1 This Psalm was made after the return of the people from Babylon, and showeth that the means of their deliverance was wonderful after the seventy years of captivity forspoken by Jeremiah, in Jer. 25:12 and 29:10.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that [ac]dream.
2 Then was our mouth [ad]filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: then said they among the [ae]heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the [af]rivers in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried [ag]precious seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves.
127 1 He showeth that the whole estate of the world, both domestical and political, standeth by God’s mere providence and blessing, 3 And that to have children well nurtured, is an especial grace and gift of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of Solomon.
1 Except the Lord [ah]build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the [ai]city, the keeper watcheth in vain.
2 It is in vain for [aj]you to rise early, and to lie down late, and eat the bread [ak]of sorrow: but he will surely give [al]rest to his beloved.
3 Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb his reward.
4 As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man; so are the [am]children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them: for they [an]shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
18 2 The children of Dan send men to search the land. 11 Then come the six hundred and take the gods, and the Priest of Micah away. 27 They destroy Laish, 28 They build it again. 30 And set up Idolatry.
1 In those days there was no [a]king in Israel, and at the same time the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto that time all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Therefore the children of Dan sent of their family, five men out of their coasts, even men expert in war, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, to view the land and search it out, and said unto them, [b]Go, and search out the land. Then they came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah and lodged there.
3 When they were in the house of Micah, they knew the [c]voice of the young man the Levite: and being turned in thither, they said unto him, Who brought thee hither? or what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou to do here?
4 And he answered them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his Priest.
5 Again they said unto him, Ask counsel now of God, that we may know whether the way which we go, shall be prosperous.
6 And the Priest said unto them, [d]Go in peace: for the Lord guideth your way which ye go.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, which dwelt careless, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and sure, because no man [e]made any trouble in the land, or usurped any dominion: also they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with other men.
8 ¶ So they came again unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What have ye done?
9 And they answered, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and surely it is very good, and [f]do ye sit still? be not slothful to go and enter to possess the land:
10 (If ye will go, ye shall come unto a careless people, and the country is large) for God hath given it into your hand. It is a place which doth lack nothing that is in the world.
11 ¶ Then there departed thence of the family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with instruments of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath Jearim in Judah: wherefore they called that place [g]Mahaneh Dan unto this day: and it is behind Kirjath Jearim.
13 And they went thence unto mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, [h]Know ye not, that there is in these houses an Ephod, and Teraphim, and a graven and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him peaceably.
8 2 The godly make lamentation for Stephen. 3 Saul maketh havoc of the Church. 5 Philip preacheth Christ at Samaria. 9 Simon Magus, 13 his covetousness reproved. 26 Philip 27 cometh to the Ethiopian Eunuch, 38 and baptizeth him.
1 And [a]Saul consented to his death. And at that time, there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and of Samaria, except the Apostles.
2 [b]Then certain men fearing God, [c]carried Stephen among them, to be buried, and made great lamentation for him.
3 [d]But Saul made havoc of the Church, and entered into every house, and drew out both men and women, and put them into prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad, went to and fro preaching the word.
5 ¶ [e]Then came Philip into the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, with one accord, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits crying with a loud voice, came out of many that were possessed of them: and many taken with palsies, and that halted, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 [f]And there was before in the city, a certain man called Simon, which used [g]witchcraft, and [h]bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was some great man,
10 To whom they gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that great power of God.
11 And they gave heed unto him, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But as soon as they believed Philip, which preached the things that concerned the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.
13 [i]Then Simon himself believed also, and was baptized, and continued with Philip, and wondered, when he saw the signs and great miracles which were done.
30 [a]I can [b]do nothing of mine own self: [c]as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.
31 If I (A)should bear witness of myself, my witness were not [d]true.
32 (B)There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness, which he beareth of me, is true.
33 (C)[e]Ye sent unto John, and he bore witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not the record of man: nevertheless these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining candle: and ye would for [f]a season have rejoiced in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than the witness of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.
37 And the (D)Father himself, which hath sent me, beareth witness of me. Ye have not heard his voice at any time, (E)neither have ye seen his shape.
38 And his word have you not abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believed not.
39 (F)Search the Scriptures: for in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.
40 But ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not the praise of men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the [g]love of God in you.
43 I am come in my Father’s Name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive (G)honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh of God alone?
45 [h]Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he (H)wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words.
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