Morning Prayer

¹ O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

³ And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

⁴ They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

⁵ Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

⁶ Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

⁷ And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

⁸ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

⁹ For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

¹⁰ Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

¹² Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

¹³ Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

¹⁵ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

¹⁶ For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

¹⁷ Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

¹⁸ Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

¹⁹ Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

²⁰ He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

²¹ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

²² And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

²³ They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

²⁴ These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

²⁵ For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

²⁶ They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

²⁷ They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

²⁸ Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

²⁹ He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

³⁰ Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

³¹ Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

³² Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

³³ He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

³⁴ A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

³⁵ He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

³⁶ And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

³⁷ And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

³⁸ He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

³⁹ Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

⁴⁰ He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

⁴¹ Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

⁴² The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

⁴³ Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

¹ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

² Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

³ Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

⁴ Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

⁵ Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

⁶ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

¹² For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

¹ Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

² (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

³ I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

⁴ And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

⁵ As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

⁶ And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁷ And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁸ And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

⁹ And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

¹⁰ And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

¹¹ And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹² And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

¹³ Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

¹⁴ And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

¹⁵ For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

¹⁷ And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

¹⁸ And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

¹⁹ And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

²⁰ And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

²¹ And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

²² And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

²³ And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

²⁴ The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

²⁷ Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

²⁸ And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

²⁹ Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰ On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.