Morning Prayer
Psalm 17. Exaudi, Domine.
1 HEAR the right, O LORD, consider my complaint, * and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; * and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
3 Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me; * for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.
4 As for the works of men, * by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.
5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths, * that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me: * incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
7 Show thy marvellous loving-kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee, * from such as resist thy right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of an eye; * hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the ungodly, that trouble me; * mine enemies compass me round about, to take away my soul.
10 They are inclosed in their own fat, * and their mouth speaketh proud things.
11 They lie waiting in our way on every side, * watching to cast us down to the ground;
12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, * and as it were a lion’s whelp lurking in secret places.
13 Up, LORD, disappoint him, and cast him down; * deliver my soul from the ungodly, by thine own sword;
14 Yea, by thy hand, O LORD; from the men of the evil world; * which have their portion in this life, whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
15 They have children at their desire, * and leave the rest of their substance for their babes.
16 But as for me, I shall behold thy presence in righteousness; * and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied
First Lesson:
Ruth 2:14
14)And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15)And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 16)And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. 17)So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18)And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 19)And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20)And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21)And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22)And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 23)So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
Second Lesson:
Luke 10:1-24
1)After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2)Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3)Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4)Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 5)And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6)And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 7)And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. 8)And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 9)And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10)But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11)Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 12)But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 13)Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14)But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. 15)And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. 16)He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 17)And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18)And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19)Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20)Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 21)In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22)All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 23)And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24)For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Evening Prayer
Psalm 13. Usquequo, Domine?
1 HOW long wilt thou forget me, O LORD; for ever? * how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I seek counsel in my soul, and be so vexed in my heart? * how long shall mine enemy triumph over me?
3 Consider, and hear me, O LORD my God; * lighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death;
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him: * for if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it.
5 But my trust is in thy mercy, * and my heart is joyful in thy salvation.
6 I will sing of the LORD, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me; * yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord Most Highest.
Psalm 14. Dixit insipiens.
1 THE fool hath said in his heart, * There is no God.
2 They are corrupt, and become abominable in their doings; * there is none that doeth good, no not one.
3 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, * to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.
4 But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable; * there is none that doeth good, no not one.
5 Have they no knowledge, that they are all such workers of mischief, * eating up my people as it were bread, and call not upon the LORD?
6 There were they brought in great fear, even where no fear was; * for God is in the generation of the righteous.
7 As for you, ye have made a mock at the counsel of the poor; * because he putteth his trust in the LORD.
8 Who shall give salvation unto Israel out of Sion? * When the LORD turneth the captivity of his people, then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
First Lesson:
1 Macc. 3:42-54
42)Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders: for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them; 43)They said one to another, Let us restore the decayed fortune of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary. 44)Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. 45)Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased. 46)Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. 47)Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes, 48)And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images. 49)They brought also the priests’ garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their days. 50)Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away? 51)For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low. 52)And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest. 53)How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help? 54)Then sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.
Second Lesson:
Acts 18:12-23
12)And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, 13)Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14)And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: 15)But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. 16)And he drave them from the judgment seat. 17)Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. 18)And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. 19)And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20)When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; 21)But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. 22)And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23)And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.