HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire; * hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake.
 
And enter not into judgment with thy servant; * for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
 
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; * he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.
 
Therefore is my spirit vexed within me, * and my heart within me is desolate.
 
Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works; * yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
 
I stretch forth my hands unto thee; * my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
 
Hear me, O LORD, and that soon; for my spirit waxeth faint: * hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
 
O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust: * show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
 
Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies; * for I flee unto thee to hide me.
 
Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee; for thou art my God: * let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.
 
Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Name's sake; * and for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
 
And of thy goodness slay mine enemies, * and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.

O SING unto the LORD a new song; * let the congregation of saints praise him.
 
Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, * and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King.
 
Let them praise his Name in the dance: * let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp.
 
For the LORD hath pleasure in his people, * and helpeth the meek-hearted.
 
Let the saints be joyful with glory; * let them rejoice in their beds.
 
Let the praises of God be in their mouth; * and a two-edged sword in their hands;
 
To be avenged of the nations, * and to rebuke the peoples;
 
To bind their kings in chains, * and their nobles with links of iron;
 
To execute judgment upon them; as it is written, * Such honour have all his saints.

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Copyright © 2000-2023 , CommonPrayer.org See our home page for further information

Privacy Policy

(Alternate/Backup Site) For information about this web page, please contact the Webmaster at: