O HEAR ye this, all ye people; * ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world;
High and low, rich and poor, * one with another.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom, * and my heart shall muse of understanding.
I will incline mine ear to the parable, * and show my dark speech upon the harp.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, * when wickedness at my heels compasseth me round about?
There be some that put their trust in their goods, * and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
But no man may deliver his brother, * nor give a ransom unto God for him,
(For it cost more to redeem their souls, * so that he must let that alone for ever;)
That he shall live alway, * and not see the grave.
For he seeth that wise men also die and perish together, * as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.
And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever, and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; * and call the lands after their own names.
Nevertheless, man being in honour abideth not, * seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish;
This their way is very foolishness; * yet their posterity praise their saying.
They lie in the grave like sheep; death is their shepherd; and the righteous shall have dominion over them in the morning: * their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre, and have no abiding.
But God hath delivered my soul from the power of the grave; * for he shall receive me.
Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich, * or if the glory of his house be increased;
For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth, * neither shall his pomp follow him.
For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man; * and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.
He shall follow the generation of his fathers, * and shall never see light.
Man that is in honour but hath no understanding * is compared unto the beasts that perish.

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Copyright © 2000-2024, CommonPrayer.org See our home page for further information

Privacy Policy

For information about this web page, please contact the Webmaster at: