Evening Prayer Readings
Thursday after Trinity 21

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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An Independent Traditional 1928 BCP Ministry

The Psalter


Psalm 16


The Sixteenth Psalm

Conserva me, Domine.


PRESERVE me, O God; * for in thee have I put my trust.
 
O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, * Thou art my God; I have no good like unto thee.
 
All my delight is upon the saints that are in the earth, * and upon such as excel in virtue.
 
But they that run after another god * shall have great trouble.
 
Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, * neither make mention of their names within my lips.
 
The LORD himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; * thou shalt maintain my lot.
 
The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground; * yea, I have a goodly heritage.
 
I will thank the LORD for giving me warning; * my reins also chasten me in the night season.
 
I have set the LORD alway before me; * for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall.
 
Wherefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: * my flesh also shall rest in hope.
 
For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell; * neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
 
Thou shalt show me the path of life: in thy presence is the fulness of joy, * and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.


Psalm 17


The Seventeenth Psalm

Exaudi, Domine.


HEAR the right, O LORD, consider my complaint, * and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
 
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; * and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
 
Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me; * for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.
 
As for the works of men, * by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.
 
O hold thou up my goings in thy paths, * that my footsteps slip not.
 
I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me: * incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
 
Show thy marvellous loving-kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee, * from such as resist thy right hand.
 
Keep me as the apple of an eye; * hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
 
From the ungodly, that trouble me; * mine enemies compass me round about, to take away my soul.
 
They are inclosed in their own fat, * and their mouth speaketh proud things.
 
They lie waiting in our way on every side, * watching to cast us down to the ground;
 
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, * and as it were a lion's whelp lurking in secret places.
 
Up, LORD, disappoint him, and cast him down; * deliver my soul from the ungodly, by thine own sword;
 
Yea, by thy hand, O LORD; from the men of the evil world; * which have their portion in this life, whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
 
They have children at their desire, * and leave the rest of their substance for their babes.
 
But as for me, I shall behold thy presence in righteousness; * and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied.



 

The First Lesson


Ecclesiastes 9:11


I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.



 

The Second Lesson

St. Matthew 23:13-23

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.



 

The Collect

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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