LORD, thou hast been our refuge, * from one generation to another.
 
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, * thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
 
Thou turnest man to destruction; * again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.
 
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, * and as a watch in the night.
 
As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep; * and fade away suddenly like the grass.
 
In the morning it is green, and groweth up; * but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.
 
For we consume away in thy displeasure, * and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
 
Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee; * and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
 
For when thou art angry all our days are gone: * we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
 
The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, * yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
 
But who regardeth the power of thy wrath? * or feareth aright thy indignation?
 
So teach us to number our days, * that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
 
Turn thee again, O LORD, at the last, * and be gracious unto thy servants.
 
O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon: * so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
 
Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us; * and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
 
Show thy servants thy work, * and their children thy glory.
 
And the glorious majesty of the LORD our God be upon us: * prosper thou the work of our hands upon us; O prosper thou our handy-work.

And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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