Book of Common Prayer
140 1 David complaineth of the cruelty, falsehood and injuries of his enemies. 8 Against the which he prayeth unto the Lord, and assureth himself of his help and succor. 12 Wherefore he provoketh the just to praise the Lord, and to assure themselves of his tuition.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the [a]cruel man:
2 Which imagine evil things in their [b]heart, and make war continually.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: [c]adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep [d]me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the cruel man, which purposeth to cause my steps to slide.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net with cords in my pathway, and set gins for me. Selah.
6 Therefore I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayers.
7 O Lord God the strength of my salvation, thou [e]hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the wicked have his desire, O Lord; [f]perform not his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.
9 As for [g]the chief of them that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10 Let coals fall upon them: let [h]him cast them into the fire, and into the deep pits that they rise not.
11 For the backbiter shall not be established upon the earth, evil shall [i]hunt the cruel man to destruction.
12 I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted, and judge the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall praise thy Name, and the just shall [j]dwell in thy presence.
142 The Prophet neither astonied with fear, nor carried away with anger, nor forced by desperation, would kill Saul: but with a quiet mind directed his earnest prayer to God, who did preserve him.
A Psalm of David, to give instruction, and a prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice I [a]prayed unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my meditation before him, and declared mine affection in his presence.
3 Though my spirit [b]was in perplexity in me, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, but there was none that would know me: all refuge failed me, and [c]none cared for my soul.
5 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art mine [d]hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hearken unto my cry, for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring my soul out of [e]prison, that I may praise thy Name: then shall the righteous [f]come about me, when thou art beneficial unto me.
141 1 David being grievously persecuted under Saul, only fleeth unto God to have succor. 3 Desiring him to bridle his affections, that he may patiently abide till God take vengeance of his enemies.
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I [a]call upon thee: haste thee unto me: hear my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the [b]lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the [c]door of my lips.
4 Incline not mine heart to evil, that I should commit wicked works with them that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their [d]delicates.
5 Let the righteous smite me: for that is a benefit: and let [e]him reprove me, and it shall be a precious oil that shall not break mine head: for within a while I shall even [f]pray in their miseries.
6 When their judges shall be cast down in stony places, they shall [g]hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones lie scattered at the [h]grave’s mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.
8 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust: 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 [i]his nets [j]together, while I escape.
143 1 An earnest prayer for remission of sins, acknowledging that the enemies did thus cruelly persecute him by God’s just judgment. 8 He desireth to be restored to grace, 10 To be governeth by his holy Spirit, that he may spend the remnant of his life in the true fear and service of God.
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my supplication: answer me in thy [a]truth, and in thy [b]righteousness.
2 (And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy [c]sight shall none that liveth, be justified.)
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath smitten my life down to the earth: he hath laid me in the darkness, as they that have been dead [d]long ago:
4 And my spirit was in perplexity in me, and mine [e]heart within me was amazed.
5 Yet do I remember the time [f]past: I meditate in all thy works, yea, I do meditate in the works of thine hands.
6 I stretch forth mine hands unto thee: my soul desireth after thee, as the thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, else I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear thy loving-kindness in the [g]morning, for in thee is my trust; [h]show me the way, that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for [i]I hid me with thee.
10 [j]Teach me to [k]do thy will, for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake, and for thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And for thy mercy [l]slay mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy [m]servant.
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel: they abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
10 They build up Zion with [a]blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity,
11 The heads thereof judge for rewards, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof prophesy for money: yet will they [b]lean upon the Lord and say, Is not the Lord among us? no evil can come upon us.
12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be [c]plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be an heap, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest.
4 1 Of the kingdom of Christ, and felicity of his Church.
1 But in the [d]last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the House of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the [e]hills, and people shall flow unto it.
2 Yea, many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob, and he will [f]teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he shall judge among many people, and [g]rebuke mighty nations afar off, and they shall break their swords into mattocks, and their spears into [h]scythes: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they [i]learn to fight anymore.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk [j]everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God, forever and ever.
24 ¶ And after certain days, came Felix with his wife [a]Drusilla, which was a Jewess, and he called forth Paul, and heard him of the faith in Christ.
25 And as he disputed of righteousness and temperance, and of the judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time, and when I have convenient time, I will call for thee.
26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
27 [b]When two years were expired, Porcius Festus came into Felix’s room, and Felix willing to [c]get favor of the Jews, left Paul bound.
25 1 Festus succeeding Felix, 6 commandeth Paul to be brought forth. 11 Paul appealeth unto Caesar. 14 Festus openeth Paul’s matter to king Agrippa, 23 and bringeth him before him, 27 that he may understand his cause.
1 When [d]Festus was then come into the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea unto Jerusalem.
2 Then the high Priest, and the chief of the Jews appeared before him against Paul: and they besought him,
3 And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem: and they laid wait to kill him by the way.
4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would shortly depart thither.
5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, come down with us: and if there be any wickedness in the man, let them accuse him.
6 ¶ [e]Now when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day sat in the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which were come from Jerusalem, stood about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, whereof [f]they could make no plain proof,
8 Forasmuch as he answered, that he had neither offended anything against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor against Caesar.
9 [g]Yet Festus willing to get favor of 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 have done wrong, or committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things, whereof they accuse me, no man, to pleasure them, can deliver me to them: I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then when Festus had spoken with the Council, he answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
8 1 Women that minister unto Christ of their substance. 4 The parable of the sower. 16 The candle. 19 Christ’s mother and brethren. 22 He rebuked the winds. 26 Of Legion. 37 The Gadarenes reject Christ. 41 Jairus’s daughter healed. 43 The woman delivered from the issue of blood. 52 Weeping for the dead.
1 And it came to pass afterward, that he himself went through every city and town, preaching and publishing the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him,
2 And certain women, which were healed of evil spirits, and infirmities, as (A)Mary which was called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered unto him of their substance.
4 (B)[a]Now when much people were gathered together, and were come unto him out of all cities, he spake by a parable.
5 A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of heaven devoured it up.
6 And some fell on the stones, and when it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moistness.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit, an hundredfold. And as he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 Then his disciples asked him, demanding what parable that was.
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the [b]secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables, that when (C)they see, they should not see, and when they hear, they should not understand.
11 (D)The parable is this, The seed is the word of God.
12 And they that are beside the way, are they that hear: afterward cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved.
13 But they that are on the stones, are they which when they have heard, receive the word with joy: but they have no roots: which for a while believe, but in the time of temptation go away.
14 And that which fell among thorns, are they which have heard, and after [c]their departure are choked with cares and with riches, and voluptuous living, and [d]bring forth no fruit.
15 But that which fell in good ground, are they which with an [e]honest and good heart hear the word, [f]and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
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