Book of Common Prayer

Praise the Lord,^(A) my soul.

² I will praise the Lord all my life;^(B)
    I will sing praise^(C) to my God as long as I live.^(D)
3 Do not put your trust in princes,^(E)
    in human beings,^(F) who cannot save.
⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;^(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.^(H)
5 Blessed are those^(I) whose help^(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

⁶ He is the Maker of heaven^(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful^(L) forever.
⁷ He upholds^(M) the cause of the oppressed^(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.^(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,^(P)
8     the Lord gives sight^(Q) to the blind,^(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,^(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.^(T)
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner^(U)
    and sustains the fatherless^(V) and the widow,^(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

¹⁰ The Lord reigns^(X) forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant^(Y) and fitting to praise him!^(Z)

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;^(AA)
    he gathers the exiles^(AB) of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted^(AC)
    and binds up their wounds.^(AD)
4 He determines the number of the stars^(AE)
    and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord^(AF) and mighty in power;^(AG)
    his understanding has no limit.^(AH)
6 The Lord sustains the humble^(AI)
    but casts the wicked^(AJ) to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord^(AK) with grateful praise;^(AL)
    make music^(AM) to our God on the harp.^(AN)

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;^(AO)
    he supplies the earth with rain^(AP)
    and makes grass grow^(AQ) on the hills.
⁹ He provides food^(AR) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens^(AS) when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength^(AT) of the horse,^(AU)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the Lord delights^(AV) in those who fear him,^(AW)
    who put their hope^(AX) in his unfailing love.^(AY)

¹² Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;^(AZ)
    praise your God, Zion.

¹³ He strengthens the bars of your gates^(BA)
    and blesses your people^(BB) within you.
¹⁴ He grants peace^(BC) to your borders
    and satisfies you^(BD) with the finest of wheat.^(BE)

¹⁵ He sends his command^(BF) to the earth;
    his word runs^(BG) swiftly.
¹⁶ He spreads the snow^(BH) like wool
    and scatters the frost^(BI) like ashes.
¹⁷ He hurls down his hail^(BJ) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
¹⁸ He sends his word^(BK) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,^(BL) and the waters flow.

¹⁹ He has revealed his word^(BM) to Jacob,^(BN)
    his laws and decrees^(BO) to Israel.
²⁰ He has done this for no other nation;^(BP)
    they do not know^(BQ) his laws.^[c]

Praise the Lord.^(BR)

I will extol the Lord^(A) with all my heart^(B)
    in the council^(C) of the upright and in the assembly.^(D)

² Great are the works^(E) of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all^(F) who delight in them.
³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures^(G) forever.
⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.^(H)
5 He provides food^(I) for those who fear him;^(J)
    he remembers his covenant^(K) forever.

⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,^(L)
    giving them the lands of other nations.^(M)
7 The works of his hands^(N) are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.^(O)
8 They are established for ever^(P) and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹ He provided redemption^(Q) for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome^(R) is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord^(S) is the beginning of wisdom;^(T)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.^(U)
    To him belongs eternal praise.^(V)

Blessed are those^(X) who fear the Lord,^(Y)
    who find great delight^(Z) in his commands.

² Their children^(AA) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches^(AB) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures^(AC) forever.
⁴ Even in darkness light dawns^(AD) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.^(AE)
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,^(AF)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;^(AG)
    they will be remembered^(AH) forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,^(AI) trusting in the Lord.^(AJ)
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;^(AK)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.^(AL)
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,^(AM)
    their righteousness endures^(AN) forever;
    their horn^[e] will be lifted^(AO) high in honor.

¹⁰ The wicked will see^(AP) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth^(AQ) and waste away;^(AR)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.^(AS)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;^(AU)
    praise the name of the Lord.
² Let the name of the Lord be praised,^(AV)
    both now and forevermore.^(AW)
3 From the rising of the sun^(AX) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is exalted^(AY) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.^(AZ)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,^(BA)
    the One who sits enthroned^(BB) on high,^(BC)
6 who stoops down to look^(BD)
    on the heavens and the earth?

⁷ He raises the poor^(BE) from the dust
    and lifts the needy^(BF) from the ash heap;
⁸ he seats them^(BG) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹ He settles the childless^(BH) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    But who can keep from speaking?^(B)
3 Think how you have instructed many,^(C)
    how you have strengthened feeble hands.^(D)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;^(E)
    you have strengthened faltering knees.^(F)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;^(G)
    it strikes^(H) you, and you are dismayed.^(I)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence^(J)
    and your blameless^(K) ways your hope?

¹² “A word^(A) was secretly brought to me,
    my ears caught a whisper^(B) of it.^(C)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people,^(D)
14 fear and trembling^(E) seized me
    and made all my bones shake.^(F)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
    and the hair on my body stood on end.^(G)
16 It stopped,
    but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
    and I heard a hushed voice:^(H)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?^(I)
    Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?^(J)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,^(K)
    if he charges his angels with error,^(L)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,^(M)
    whose foundations^(N) are in the dust,^(O)
    who are crushed^(P) more readily than a moth!^(Q)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
    unnoticed, they perish forever.^(R)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,^(S)
    so that they die^(T) without wisdom?’^(U)

¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,^(AE)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”^(AF)