Book of Common Prayer
102 1 It seemeth that this prayer was appointeth to the faithful to pray in the captivity of Babylon. 16 A consolation for the building of the Church: 18 whereof followeth the praise of God to be published unto all posterity. 22 The conversion of the Gentiles, 28 and the stability of the Church.
A prayer [a]of the afflicted, when he shall be in distress, and pour forth his meditation before the Lord.
1 O Lord hear my prayer, and let my [b]cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble: incline thine ears unto me, when I call, make haste to hear me.
3 For my days are [c]consumed like smoke, and my bones are burnt like an hearth.
4 Mine heart is smitten, and withered like grass, because I forgat [d]to eat my bread.
5 For the voice of my groaning, my bones do cleave to my skin.
6 I am like a [e]pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the deserts.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies revile me daily, and they that rage against me, have [f]sworn against me.
9 Surely I have [g]eaten ashes as bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine [h]indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast heaved me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that fadeth, and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O Lord, dost [i]remain forever, and thy remembrance from generation to generation.
13 Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to have mercy thereon, for the [j]appointed time is come.
14 For thy servants delight in the [k]stones thereof, and have pity on the dust thereof.
15 Then the heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory,
16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, and shall appear [l]in his glory,
17 And shall turn unto the prayer of the desolate, and not despise their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be [m]created, shall praise the Lord.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary: out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth,
20 That he might hear the mourning of the prisoner, and deliver the [n]children of death.
21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the people shall be gathered [o]together, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord.
23 He [p]abated my strength in the way, and shortened my days.
24 And I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years endure from generation to generation.
25 Thou hast aforetime laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands.
26 [q]They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: even they all shall wax old as doth a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall stand [r]fast in thy sight.
107 1 The Prophet exhorteth all those that are redeemed by the Lord and gathered unto him, to give thanks, 9 for this merciful providence of God governing all things at his good pleasures, 20 sending good and evil, prosperity and adversity to bring men unto him. 42 Therefore as the righteous thereat rejoice, so shall the wicked have their mouth stopped.
1 Praise [a]the Lord, because he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
2 Let them, [b]which have been redeemed of the Lord, show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor,
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the [c]South.
4 When they wandered in the desert and wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in,
5 [d]Both hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress,
7 And led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Let them therefore confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men.
9 For he satisfied the thirsty soul, and filled the hungry soul with goodness.
10 They that dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in misery and iron,
11 Because they [e]rebelled against the words of the Lord, and despised the counsel of the most High,
12 When he humbled their heart with heaviness, then they fell down, and there was no helper.
13 Then they [f]cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death, and brake their bands asunder.
15 Let them therefore confess before the Lord his loving-kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men.
16 For he hath broken the [g]gates of brass, and burst the bars of iron asunder,
17 [h]Fools by reason of their transgression, and because of their iniquities are afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorreth all meat, and they are brought to death’s door.
19 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivereth them from their distress.
20 [i]He sendeth his word and healeth them, and delivereth them from their [j]graves.
21 Let them therefore confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men,
22 And let them offer sacrifices of [k]praise, and declare his works with rejoicing.
23 They that go down to the [l]sea in ships, and occupy by the great waters,
24 They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25 For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, and it lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, and descend to the deep, so that their soul [m]melteth for trouble.
27 They are tossed to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and all their [n]cunning is gone.
28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distress.
29 He turneth the storm to calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 When they are [o]quieted, they are glad, and he bringeth them unto the haven, where they would be.
31 Let them therefore confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men.
32 And let them exalt him in the [p]congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the Elders.
3 1 Of the messenger of the Lord, John Baptist, and of Christ’s office.
1 Behold, I will send my [a]messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the [b]Lord whom ye seek, shall speedily come to his Temple: even the [c]messenger of the Covenant, whom ye desire: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who [d]may abide the day of his coming? and who shall endure, when he appeareth? for he is like a purging fire, and like fuller’s soap.
3 And he shall sit down to try and fine the silver: he shall even fine the sons of [e]Levi and purify them as gold and silver, that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be acceptable unto the Lord, as in old time and in the years afore.
5 And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the soothsayers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that wrongfully keep back the hireling’s wages, and vex the widow, and the fatherless, and oppress the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
6 For I am the Lord: I change not, and ye sons of Jacob [f]are not consumed.
7 From the days of your fathers, ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them: [g]return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts: but ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a [h]man spoil his gods? yet have ye spoiled me: but ye say, Wherein have we spoiled thee? In [i]tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have spoiled me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you, and pour you out a blessing [j]without measure.
11 And I will rebuke the [k]devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine be barren in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a pleasant land, saith the Lord of hosts.
7 [a]Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. [b]Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the former, and the latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient therefore, and settle your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth near.
9 [c][d]Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: [e]behold, the judge standeth before the door.
10 [f]Take, my brethren, the Prophets for an example of suffering adversity, and of long patience, which have spoken in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we count them blessed which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have known what [g]end the Lord made. For the Lord is very pitiful and merciful.
12 [h]But before all things, my brethren, (A)swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath: but let [i]your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.
18 2 The parable of the unrighteous Judge and the widow. 10 Of the Pharisee and the Publican. 15 Children are of the kingdom of heaven. 22 To sell all and give to the poor. 28 The Apostles forsake all. 31 Christ foretelleth his death. 35 The blind man receiveth sight.
1 And [a]he spake also a parable unto them, to this end, that they (A)ought always to pray, and not to [b]wax faint,
2 [c]Saying, there was a judge in a certain city, which feared not God, neither reverenced man.
3 And there was a widow in that city, which came unto him, saying, Do me justice against mine adversary.
4 And he would not of a long time: but afterward he said with himself, Though I fear not God, nor reverence man,
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will do her right, lest at the last she come and [d]make me weary.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.
7 Now shall not God avenge his elect, which cry day and night unto him, yea, though [e]he suffer long for them?
8 I tell you he will avenge them quickly: but when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
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