Book of Common Prayer
137 We sat by the rivers of Babel; and there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2 We hung our harps upon the willows, in the midst thereof.
3 Those who led us into captivity required songs and glee from us when we had hung up our harps, saying, “Sing us the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing a song of the LORD in a strange land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget,
6 if I do not remember you. Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not prefer Jerusalem to my chief joy.
7 Remember the children of Edom, O LORD, on the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it to the foundation thereof!”
8 O Daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed. Blessed is he who rewards you as you have served us.
9 Blessed is he who takes and dashes your children against the stones. A Psalm of David
144 Blessed be the LORD, my strength; Who teaches my hands to fight and my fingers to battle,
2 my goodness and my fortress, my tower and my deliverer, my shield. I trust in Him Who subdues my people under me.
3 LORD, what is man that You regard him, the son of man that You think upon him?
4 Man is like vanity, his days like a shadow that vanishes.
5 Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth the lightning and scatter them. Shoot out Your arrows and consume them.
7 Send Your hand from above. Deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, and from the hand of strangers,
8 whose mouth talks vanity. And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to You, O God—sing to You upon a viol, an instrument of ten strings—
10 Who gives deliverance to kings, rescues David, His servant, from the hurtful sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of strangers, whose mouth talks vanity; and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood,
12 so that our sons may be as the plants (growing up in their youth) and our daughters as the cornerstones (sculpted in the likeness of a palace);
13 so that our corners may be full—abounding with diverse sorts — and that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousand in our streets;
14 so that our oxen may be strong to labor; so that there is no invasion nor going out nor crying in our streets.
15 Blessed are the people who are so. Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. A Psalm of David, of praise
104 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, You are exceedingly great. You are clothed with Glory and honor.
2 The One Who covers Himself with light, as with a garment, and spread the heavens like a curtain.
3 The One Who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters, and makes the clouds His chariot, and walks upon the wings of the wind.
4 The One Who makes the spirits His messengers, and a flaming fire His ministers.
5 The One Who sets the Earth upon her foundations, so that it shall never move.
6 You cover it with the deep, as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they flee; at the voice of Your thunder they hurry away.
8 The mountains ascend. The valleys descend to the place which You have established for them.
9 You have set them a boundary which they shall not pass. They shall not return to cover the Earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys, which run between the mountains.
11 They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field, and the wild asses shall quench their thirst.
12 By these springs shall the birds of the heaven dwell and sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from His chambers. The Earth is filled with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes grass to grow for the cattle and herbs for the use of man; so that he may bring forth bread out of the Earth
15 and wine that makes the heart of man glad and oil to make his face shine and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
16 The high trees are satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon which He has planted,
17 so that the birds may make their nests there. The stork dwells in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the Moon for certain seasons; the Sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.
22 When the Sun rises, they retire and lie down in their dens.
23 Then man goes forth to his work, and to his labor, until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom, You have made them all. The Earth is full of Your riches!
25 So great and wide is the sea; in which are innumerable creeping things, both small beasts and great.
26 Thereupon go the ships, and therein plays that Leviathan, whom You have made.
27 All these wait upon You, so that You may give them food in due season.
28 You give it to them, and they gather it. You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things.
29 If You hide Your face, they are troubled. If You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your spirit, and they are created; You renew the face of the Earth.
31 Glory be to the LORD forever. Let the LORD rejoice in His works!
32 He looks on the Earth and it trembles. He touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life. I will praise my God while I live.
34 Let my words be acceptable to Him. I will rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth, and the wicked, until there are no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
5 Now assemble your garrisons, O daughter of garrisons. He has laid siege against us. They shall strike the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 “And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are small among the thousands of Judah. Yet out of you shall He come forth to Me Who shall be the Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from the beginning, from everlasting.”
3 Therefore, He will give them up until the time that she who shall bear has given birth. Then the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.
4 And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the Name of the LORD his God. And they shall abide. For now shall He be magnified to the ends of the world.
10 “And it shall happen at that time,” says the LORD, “that I will cut off your horses from your midst. And I will destroy your chariots.
11 “And I will cut off the cities of your land and overthrow all your strongholds.
12 “And I will cut off your sorceries from your hand. And you shall have no more soothsayers.
13 “I will also cut off your idols, and your images from your midst. And you shall no longer worship the work of your hands.
14 “And I will uproot your asherim from your midst. So will I destroy your enemies.
15 “And I will execute a vengeance in wrath and indignation upon the heathen which they have not heard.”
13 And after some days, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 And when they had stayed there many days, Festus stated Paul’s cause to the king, saying, “There is a certain man left in prison by Felix.
15 “When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews informed me of him and asked for a judgment against him.
16 “To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to the death before the accused has faced his accusers and has a place to defend himself concerning the crime.
17 “Therefore, when they had come here, I sat on the judgment seat the following day (without delay) and commanded the man to be brought forth.
18 “When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such crimes as I suspected.
19 “But they had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about a certain Jesus (Who was dead, but Whom Paul affirmed to be alive).
20 “And because I was perplexed by such questions, I asked him if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these things.
21 “But because Paul had appealed to be put under guard until the examination of Augustus, I commanded that he be jailed until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”
23 And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come (with great pomp) and had entered into the Common Hall with the chief captains and chief men of the city, Paul was brought forth at Festus’ commandment.
24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have petitioned me (both at Jerusalem and here) crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25 “But, I have found nothing he has done to be worthy of death. And seeing that he has appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him.
26 “I have no certain thing to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore, I have brought him forth to you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that after examination, I might have something to write.
27 “For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not signify the charges against him.”
16 “No one, when he lights a candle, hides it under a vessel, or puts it under the bed. But he sets it on a candlestick, so that those who enter may see the light.
17 “For nothing is secret that shall not be evident. Nor is anything hidden that shall not be known, and come to light.
18 “Therefore, watch how you hear. For whoever has, to him shall be given. And whoever has not, even that which he seems to have shall be taken from him.
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to Him. And they could not come near to Him because of the crowd.
20 And someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, and wish see You.”
21 But He answered, and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it.”
22 And it happened that on a certain day, He went into a ship with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched forth.
23 And as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake. And they were filling with water and were in danger.
24 Then they went to Him, and awoke Him, saying, “Master! Master! We are going to die!” And He arose and rebuked the wind and the waves. And they ceased. And it was calm.
25 Then He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they feared, and wondered among themselves, saying, “Who is this Who commands both the winds and water? And they obey Him!”
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