I CRIED unto the LORD with my voice; * yea, even unto the LORD did I make my supplication.
 
I poured out my complaints before him, * and showed him of my trouble.
 
When my spirit was in heaviness, thou knewest my path; * in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
 
I looked also upon my right hand, * and saw there was no man that would know me.
 
I had no place to flee unto, * and no man cared for my soul.
 
I cried unto thee, O LORD, and said, * Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
 
Consider my complaint; * for I am brought very low.
 
O deliver me from my persecutors; * for they are too strong for me.
 
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy Name; * which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company.

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.

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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