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.

All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

O GOD, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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