Book of Common Prayer
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people devise a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds asunder, and cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure:
6 “Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto Me, ‘Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.
8 Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
3 Lord, how they have increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me!
2 Many there be that say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah
3 But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Selah
4 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call unto Him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many that say, “Who will show us any good?” Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for Thou Lord only, makest me dwell in safety.
7 O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me; and deliver me,
2 lest they tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity on my hands,
4 if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy),
5 let the enemy persecute my soul and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger; lift up Thyself against the rage of mine enemies, and awaken for me the judgment that Thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about; for their sakes, therefore, return Thou on high.
8 The Lord shall judge the people: Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, the wicked travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and dug it, and has fallen into the ditch which he hath made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head; and his violent dealings shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.
6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why hast thou done so?” And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bore him after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they, following Adonijah, helped him.
8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants;
10 but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
11 Therefore Nathan spoke unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life and the life of thy son Solomon.
13 Go and get thee in unto King David and say unto him, ‘Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, “Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne”? Why then doth Adonijah reign?’
14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee and confirm thy words.”
15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
16 And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, “What wouldest thou?”
17 And she said unto him, “My lord, thou swore by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.’
18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not.
19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.”
22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 And they told the king, saying, “Behold Nathan the prophet.” And when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, hast thou said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne’?
25 For he has gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons and the captains of the host and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him and say, ‘God save King Adonijah!’
26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon hath he not called.
27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shown unto thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call to me Bathsheba.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 And the king swore, and said, “As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30 even as I swore unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead,’ even so will I certainly do this day.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king and said, “Let my lord King David live for ever.”
26 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.” Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself:
2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews,
3 especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was from the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.
5 They knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand and am judged because of the hope of the promise made by God unto our fathers,
7 unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to come. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why should it be thought an incredible thing by you that God should raise the dead?
9 “I myself verily thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth,
10 which things I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly maddened against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
12 “Thereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, brighter than the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me.
14 And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.’
15 And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose: to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee,
17 delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee,
18 to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Me.’
19 “Thereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,
20 but showed first unto those at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple and went about to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained the help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said should come:
23 that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first who should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.”
14 “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not be” (let him that readeth understand), “then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.
15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his house.
16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again to take up his garment.
17 But woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For in those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
21 And then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo, here is Christ!’ or, ‘Lo, He is there!’ believe him not;
22 for false christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed; behold, I have foretold you all things.
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, ‘the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.’
26 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall He send His angels and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.