Morning Prayer
Psalm 147. Laudate Dominum.
1 PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; * yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, * and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth those that are broken in heart, * and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
4 He telleth the number of the stars, * and calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and great is his power; * yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
6 The LORD setteth up the meek, * and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.
7 O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; * sing praises upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; * and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
9 Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, * and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
10 He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse; * neither delighteth he in any man’s legs.
11 But the LORD’S delight is in them that fear him, * and put their trust in his mercy. ~
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; * praise thy God, O Sion.
13 For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, * and hath blessed thy children within thee.
14 He maketh peace in thy borders, * and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, * and his word runneth very swiftly.
16 He giveth snow like wool, * and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: * who is able to abide his frost?
18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: * he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
19 He showeth his word unto Jacob, * his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any nation; * neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.
First Lesson:
Ruth 1:15
15)And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16)And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17)Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18)When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 19)So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20)And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21)I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22)So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
Second Lesson:
Luke 9:28-45
28)And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29)And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30)And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31)Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32)But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33)And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34)While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35)And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36)And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. 37)And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38)And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39)And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40)And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. 41)And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42)And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. 43)And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44)Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45)But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
Evening Prayer
Psalm 148. Laudate Dominum.
1 O PRAISE the LORD from the heavens: * praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all ye angels of his: * praise him, all his host.
3 Praise him, sun and moon: * praise him, all ye stars and light.
4 Praise him, all ye heavens, * and ye waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the Name of the LORD: * for he spake the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
6 He hath made them fast for ever and ever: * he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, * ye dragons and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and vapours, * wind and storm, fulfilling his word;
9 Mountains and all hills; * fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle; * creeping things and flying fowls;
11 Kings of the earth, and all peoples; * princes, and all judges of the world;
12 Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the Name of the LORD: * for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.
13 He shall exalt the horn of his people: all his saints shall praise him; * even the children of Israel, even the people that serveth him.
Psalm 150.
Laudate Dominum.
1 O PRAISE God in his sanctuary: * praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him in his noble acts: * praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet: * praise him upon the lute and harp.
4 Praise him in the timbrels and dances: * praise him upon the strings and pipe.
5 Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals: * praise him upon the loud cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath * praise the LORD.
First Lesson:
1 Macc. 2:49-52,61-70
49)Now when the time drew near that Mattathias should die, he said unto his sons, Now hath pride and rebuke gotten strength, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation: 50)Now therefore, my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. 51)Call to remembrance what acts our fathers did in their time; so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name. 52)Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness? 61)And thus consider ye throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in him shall be overcome. 62)Fear not then the words of a sinful man: for his glory shall be dung and worms. 63)To day he shall be lifted up and to morrow he shall not be found, because he is returned into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing. 64)Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant and shew yourselves men in the behalf of the law; for by it shall ye obtain glory. 65)And behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsel, give ear unto him alway: he shall be a father unto you. 66)As for Judas Maccabeus, he hath been mighty and strong, even from his youth up: let him be your captain, and fight the battle of the people. 67)Take also unto you all those that observe the law, and avenge ye the wrong of your people. 68)Recompense fully the heathen, and take heed to the commandments of the law. 69)So he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers. 70)And he died in the hundred forty and sixth year, and his sons buried him in the sepulchres of his fathers at Modin, and all Israel made great lamentation for him.
Second Lesson:
Acts 17:16
16)Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17)Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18)Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19)And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20)For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21)(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22)Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23)For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24)God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25)Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26)And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27)That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28)For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29)Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30)And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31)Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32)And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33)So Paul departed from among them. 34)Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.