Evening Prayer Readings
Monday after Advent 4

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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The Psalter


Psalm 104


The One Hundred Fourth Psalm

Benedic, anima mea.


PRAISE the LORD, O my soul: * O LORD my God, thou art become exceeding glorious; thou art clothed with majesty and honour.
 
Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment, * and spreadest out the heavens like a curtain.
 
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, * and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.
 
He maketh his angels winds, * and his ministers a flaming fire.
 
He laid the foundations of the earth, * that it never should move at any time.
 
Thou coveredst it with the deep like as with a garment; * the waters stand above the hills.
 
At thy rebuke they flee; * at the voice of thy thunder they haste away.
 
They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath; * even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.
 
Thou hast set them their bounds, which they shall not pass, * neither turn again to cover the earth.
 
He sendeth the springs into the rivers, * which run among the hills.
 
All beasts of the field drink thereof, * and the wild asses quench their thirst.
 
Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation, * and sing among the branches.
 
He watereth the hills from above; * the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
 
He bringeth forth grass for the cattle, * and green herb for the service of men;
 
That he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man; * and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen man's heart.
 
The trees of the LORD also are full of sap; * even the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted;
 
Wherein the birds make their nests; * and the firtrees are a dwelling for the stork.
 
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; * and so are the stony rocks for the conies.
 
He appointed the moon for certain seasons, * and the sun knoweth his going down.
 
Thou makest darkness that it may be night; * wherein all the beasts of the forest do move.
 
The lions, roaring after their prey, * do seek their meat from God.
 
The sun ariseth, and they get them away together, * and lay them down in their dens.
 
Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour, * until the evening.
 
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! * in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
 
So is the great and wide sea also; * wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
 
There go the ships, and there is that leviathan, * whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.
 
These wait all upon thee, * that thou mayest give them meat in due season.
 
When thou givest it them, they gather it; * and when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.
 
When thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: * when thou takest away their breath, they die, and are turned again to their dust.
 
When thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall be made; * and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
 
The glorious majesty of the LORD shall endure for ever; * the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
 
The earth shall tremble at the look of him; * if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke.
 
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; * I will praise my God while I have my being.
 
And so shall my words please him: * my joy shall be in the LORD.
 
As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth, * and the ungodly shall come to an end.
 
Praise thou the LORD, O my soul. * Praise the LORD.



 

The First Lesson


Isaiah 35


The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.



 

The Second Lesson

Revelation 20:7

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.



 

The Collect

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

The First Sunday in Advent
(to be said throughout Advent)

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.



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