Book of Common Prayer
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
12 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.
To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.
1 Help Lord, for there is not [a]a godly man left: for the faithful are failed from among the children of men.
2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor, [b]flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.
3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Which have said, [c]With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
5 [d]Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will [e]set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold.
7 Thou wilt keep [f]them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side; when they are exalted, [g]it is a shame for the sons of men.
13 1 David as it were overcome with sundry and new afflictions, fleeth to God as his only refuge, 3 and so at the length being encouraged through God’s promises, he conceiveth most sure confidence against the extreme horrors of death.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, [h]forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take [i]counsel within myself having weariness daily in mine heart? how long shall mine enemy be exalted above me?
3 Behold, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have [j]prevailed against him: and they that afflict me, rejoice, when I slide.
5 But I trust in thy [k]mercy: mine heart shall rejoice in thy salvation; I will sing to the Lord, because he hath [l]dealt lovingly with me.
14 1 He describeth the perverse nature of men, which were so grown to licentiousness, that God was brought to utter contempt. 7 For the which thing, although he was greatly grieved, yet being persuaded that God would send some present remedy, he comforteth himself and others.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 The (A)fool hath said in his heart, [m]There is no God: they have [n]corrupted, and done an abominable work: there is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, and seek God.
3 [o]All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.
4 Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people, as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord.
5 [p]There they shall be taken with fear, because God is in the generation of the just.
6 You have made [q]a mock at the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his trust.
7 Oh give salvation unto [r]Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captivity of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Note that of Psalm 14:5-7, which are put into the common translation, and may seem unto some to be left out in this, are not in the same Psalm in the Hebrew text, but rather are put in more fully to express the manners of the wicked, and are gathered out of Psalms 5, 10, 36, 140; Isa. 59, and are alleged by S. Paul, and placed together in Romans 3.
6 1 Job answereth, that his pain is more grievous than his fault. 8 He wisheth death. 14 He complaineth of his friends.
1 But Job answered and said,
7 1 Job showeth the shortness and misery of man’s life.
1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? and are not his days as the days of an [a]hireling?
2 As a servant longeth for the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the end of his work,
3 So have I had as an inheritance the [b]months of vanity, and painful nights have been appointed unto me.
4 If I laid me down, I said, When shall I arise? and measuring the evening, I am even full with tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is [c]clothed with worms and filthiness of the dust: my skin is rent, and become horrible.
6 My days are swifter than [d]a weaver’s shuttle, and they are spent without hope.
7 Remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall not return to see pleasure.
8 The eye that hath seen me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I shall be no longer.
9 [e]As the cloud vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth down to the grave, shall [f]come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.
11 Therefore I will not [g]spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit, and muse in the bitterness of my mind.
12 Am I a sea [h]or a whalefish, that thou keepest me in ward?
13 When I say, My couch shall relieve me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation,
14 Then fearest thou me [i]with dreams, and astonishest me with visions.
15 Therefore my soul [j]chooseth rather to be strangled and to die, than to be in my bones.
16 I abhor it: I shall not live always: [k]spare me then, for my days are but vanity.
17 What is man, that thou [l]dost magnify him, and that thou settest thine heart upon him?
18 And dost visit him every morning, and triest him every moment?
19 How long will it be ere thou depart from me? thou wilt not let me alone while I may swallow my spittle.
20 I have [m]sinned, what shall I do unto thee? O thou preserver of men, why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden unto myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my trespass? and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust, and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall [n]not be found.
10 1 Cornelius 4 at the Angel’s commandment, 5 sendeth for Peter. 11 Who also by a vision, 15, 20 is taught not to despise the Gentiles. 34 He preacheth the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. 45 Who having received the holy Ghost, 47 are baptized.
1 Furthermore [a]there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a captain of the band called the Italian band,
2 A [b]devout man, and one that feared God with [c]all his household, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed God continually.
3 He saw in a vision evidently (about the ninth hour of the day) an Angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 But when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, [d]What is it, Lord? and he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are [e]come up into [f]remembrance before God.
5 Now therefore send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the Angel which spake unto Cornelius, was departed, he called two of his servants, and a soldier that feared God, one of them that waited on him,
8 And told them all things, and sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow as they went on their journey, and drew near unto the city, Peter went up upon the house to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 Then waxed he an hungered, and would have eaten: but while they made something ready, he fell into a [g]trance.
11 And he saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel come down unto him, as it had been a great sheet, knit at the [h]four corners, and was let down to the earth.
12 Wherein were [i]all manner of [j]four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and [k]creeping things, and fowls of the heaven.
13 And there came a voice to him, Arise, Peter: kill, and eat.
14 [l]But Peter said, Not so, Lord: for I have never eaten anything that is polluted, or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, The things that God hath purified, [m]pollute thou not.
16 This was so done thrice: and the vessel was drawn up again into heaven.
7 2 Christ, after his cousins were gone up to the feast of Tabernacles, 10 goeth thither privily. 12 The people’s sundry opinions of him. 14 He teacheth in the Temple. 32 The Priests command to take him. 41 Strife among the multitude about him, 47 and between the Pharisees and the officers that were sent to take him, 50 and Nicodemus.
1 After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, and would not walk in Judea: for the Jews sought to kill him.
2 Now the Jews’ (A)[a]feast of the Tabernacles was at hand.
3 [b]His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples may see thy works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth anything secretly, and he himself seeketh to be famous. If thou doest these things, show thyself to the world.
5 For as yet his [c]brethren believed not in him.
6 [d]Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready.
7 The world cannot hate you: but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I will not go up yet unto this feast: (B)for my time is not yet fulfilled.
9 ¶ These things he said unto them, and abode still in Galilee.
10 [e]But as soon as his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were privily.
11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
12 And much murmuring was there of him among the people. Some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay: but he deceiveth the people.
13 Howbeit no man spake [f]openly of him for fear of the Jews.
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