First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Sunday
1st Lesson
Malachi 3:1-6 &
4:4-6
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way
before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his
temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold,
he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of
his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a
refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge
them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering
in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be
pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness
against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false
swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the
widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his
right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. 6 For I am the Lord, I
change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him
in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers
to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I
come and smite the earth with a curse.
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2nd Lesson
Luke 1:5-25
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain
priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was
barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to
pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order
of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot
was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the
whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of
incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on
the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him,
he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him,
Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou
shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For
he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine
nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from
his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn
to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and
power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby
shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in
years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that
stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to
shew thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and
not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed,
because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their
season. 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he
tarried so long in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not
speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the
temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23 And it
came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were
accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24 And after those days his
wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus
hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take
away my reproach among men.
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1st Lesson
Isaiah 28:14-22
14 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule
this people which is in Jerusalem. 15 Because ye have said, We have made
a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the
overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for
we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a
foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure
foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17 Judgment also
will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail
shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the
hiding place. 18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and
your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge
shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19 From the
time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall
it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to
understand the report. 20 For the bed is shorter than that a man can
stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap
himself in it. 21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he
shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his
strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22 Now
therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have
heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the
whole earth.
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2nd Lesson
Hebrews 12:14
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace
of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and
thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane
person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For
ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing,
he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought
it carefully with tears. 18 For ye are not come unto the mount that
might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and
darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of
words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be
spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was
commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be
stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight,
that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto
mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and
church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the
Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not
him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on
earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that
speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he
hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but
also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of
those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve
God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a
consuming fire.
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First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Sunday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 62
1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake
I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness,
and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles
shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be
called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. 3 Thou
shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal
diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be
called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee,
and thy land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin,
so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the
bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 6 I have set watchmen upon
thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor
night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, 7 And give
him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in
the earth. 8 The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of
his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine
enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the
which thou has laboured: 9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it,
and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink
it in the courts of my holiness. 10 Go through, go through the gates;
prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather
out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. 11 Behold, the Lord
hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of
Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and
his work before him. 12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The
redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not
forsaken.
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2nd Lesson
Matthew 25:1-13
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of
them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took
their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all
slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise
answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but
go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while
they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in
with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for
ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
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1st Lesson
Isaiah 13:6-13
6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and
every man's heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and
sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that
travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as
flames. 9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and
fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations
thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I
will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity;
and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low
the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than
fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I
will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in
the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce
anger.
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2nd Lesson
1 Thessalonians
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I
write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord
so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and
safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not
in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all
the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but
let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and
they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of
the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for
an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for
us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as
also ye do. 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour
among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to
esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace
among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are
unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward
all men. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever
follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16
Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give
thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19
Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do
it. 25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with an holy
kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the
holy brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Monday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 1:1-9
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings
of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath
spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled
against me. 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib:
but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4 Ah sinful
nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that
are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy
One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye
be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is
sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto
the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and
putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither
mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are
burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and
it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion
is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,
as a besieged city. 9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very
small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been
like unto Gomorrah.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 1:1-13
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As
it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy
face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3 The voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight. 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism
of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 And there went out unto him
all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of
him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 And John was
clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins;
and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 7 And preached, saying, There
cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not
worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 I indeed have baptized you with
water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 9 And it came to
pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was
baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the
water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending
upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit
driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness
forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the
angels ministered unto him.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Monday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 1:10-20
10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the
law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11 To what purpose is the
multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the
burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in
the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to
appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my
courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto
me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away
with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and
your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am
weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide
mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear:
your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the
evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to
do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be
willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye
refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of
the Lord hath spoken it.
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 3:14
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These
things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of
the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor
hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in
the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I
love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as
I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Tuesday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 1:21-28
21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of
judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22 Thy silver
is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 23 Thy princes are
rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and
followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the
cause of the widow come unto them. 24 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord
of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine
adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: 25 And I will turn my hand
upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as
at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of
righteousness, the faithful city. 27 Zion shall be redeemed with
judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 28 And the destruction of
the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that
forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 1:14-28
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel. 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and
Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to
become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and
followed him. 19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw
James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the
ship mending their nets. 20 And straightway he called them: and they
left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went
after him. 21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the
sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were
astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had
authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And there was in their synagogue a
man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone;
what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to
destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus
rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when
the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came
out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this?
for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do
obey him. 28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the
region round about Galilee.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Tuesday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 2:1-5
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall
flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more. 5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us
walk in the light of the Lord.
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 4
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and
the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with
me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must
be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a
throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat
was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a
rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And
round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I
saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they
had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of
fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in
the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts
full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a
man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts
had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within:
and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts
give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who
liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before
him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and
ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art
worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Wednesday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 2:6-19
6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because
they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the
Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. 7
Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of
their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any
end of their chariots: 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship
the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself:
therefore forgive them not. 10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the
dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. 11 The
lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be
bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the
day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and
lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought
low: 13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up,
and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14 And upon all the high mountains, and
upon all the hills that are lifted up, 15 And upon every high tower, and
upon every fenced wall, 16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon
all pleasant pictures. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall
be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19
And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the
earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he
ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 1:29-39
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they
entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But
Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of
her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and
immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 32 And at
even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were
diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city
was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many that were sick
of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the
devils to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, rising up
a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary
place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him
followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him,
All men seek for thee. 38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next
towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39 And
he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out
devils.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Wednesday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 3:1-3, 8-15
1 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from
Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of
bread, and the whole stay of water, 2 The mighty man, and the man of
war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The
captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the
cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue
and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they
declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for
they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 10 Say ye to the righteous,
that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their
doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward
of his hands shall be given him. 12 As for my people, children are their
oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee
cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. 13 The Lord
standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 14 The Lord will
enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes
thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in
your houses. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind
the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 5
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book
written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw
a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the
book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in
earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to
look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open
and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders
saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root
of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been
slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of
God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out
of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had
taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down
before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full
of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:
for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us
unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And
I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne
and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I
saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the
four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and
worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Thursday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 4:2
2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious,
and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that
are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left
in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even
every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord
shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall
have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit
of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the Lord will create
upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a
cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for
upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle
for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge,
and for a covert from storm and from rain.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 1:40
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down
to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him,
and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 42 And as soon as he had
spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 And
saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew
thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which
Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and
began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that
Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in
desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Thursday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 5:1-7
1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his
vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And
he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with
the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a
winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and
it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What
could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?
wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it
forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my
vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up;
and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I
will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall
come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain
no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of
Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for
judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a
cry.
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 6:1-11
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it
were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow;
and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to
conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second
beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was
red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the
earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto
him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the
third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and
he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a
voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a
penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not
the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard
the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and
behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of
the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with
the beasts of the earth. 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw
under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God,
and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud
voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and
avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes
were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be
fulfilled.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Friday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 5:8-29
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field,
till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of
the earth! 9 In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses
shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. 10 Yea, ten
acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall
yield an ephah. 11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that
they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine
inflame them! 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and
wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord,
neither consider the operation of his hands. 13 Therefore my people are
gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their
honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without
measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he
that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. 15 And the mean man shall be
brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the
lofty shall be humbled: 16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in
judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. 17
Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of
the fat ones shall strangers eat. 18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity
with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: 19 That say,
Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the
counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know
it! 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to
drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify
the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous
from him! 24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame
consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their
blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the
Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25
Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he
hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and
the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the
streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still. 26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations
from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and,
behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27 None shall be weary nor
stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the
girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be
broken: 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their
horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a
whirlwind. 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like
young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall
carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 2:1-12
1 And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was
noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered
together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so
much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they
come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they
uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they
let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw
their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there,
and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak
blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when
Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves,
he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether
is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee;
or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know
that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to
the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed,
and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up
the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all
amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Friday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 6:1-11
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon
a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above
it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered
his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of
hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door
moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the
seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken
with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and
said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away,
and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand
not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this
people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And
he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the
houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 7:1-4, 9-17
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four
corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind
should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I
saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our
God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were
sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of
all the tribes of the children of Israel.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation
to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all
the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the
four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped
God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving,
and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these
which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said
unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the
throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that
sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor
any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Morning
Prayer
Saturday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 7:1-9
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son
of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the
son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against
it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told the house of
David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was
moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved
with the wind. 3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet
Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the
upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; 4 And say unto him,
Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two
tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with
Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son
of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, 6 Let us go
up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us,
and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: 7 Thus saith
the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. 8 For
the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and
within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not
a people. 9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria
is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be
established.
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2nd Lesson
Mark 2:13-22
13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude
resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw
Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto
him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. 15 And it came to pass,
that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat
also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and
they followed him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat
with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that
he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard
it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the
physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance. 18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees
used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of
John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus
said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the
bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them,
they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall
be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. 21 No
man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new
piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made
worse. 22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new
wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles
will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
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The First Sunday in Advent
Evening
Prayer
Saturday
1st Lesson
Isaiah 7:10-20
10 Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask thee a
sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height
above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for
you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear
a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he
eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For
before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the
land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. 17 The
Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's
house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from
Judah; even the king of Assyria. 18 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part
of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate
valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon
all bushes. 20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is
hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the
head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
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2nd Lesson
Revelation 10
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with
a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were
the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a
little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left
foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion
roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to
write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those
things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the
angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his
hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who
created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the
things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of
the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God
should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. 8
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said,
Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which
standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel,
and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take
it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be
in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the
angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and
as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me,
Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues,
and kings.
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