22nd August 2025 Morning Prayer

The Psalter

Psalm 22

Deus, Deus meus

MY God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me? * and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?

O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; * and in the night season also I take no rest.

And thou continuest holy, * O thou Worship of Israel.

Our fathers hoped in thee; * they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.

They called upon thee, and were holpen; * they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.

But as for me, I am a worm, and no man; * a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn; * they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying,

He trusted in the LORD, that he would deliver him; * let him deliver him, if he will have him.

But thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; * thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother's breasts.

I have been left unto thee ever since I was born; * thou art my God even from my mother's womb.

O go not from me; for trouble is hard at hand, * and there is none to help me.

Many oxen are come about me; * fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.

They gape upon me with their mouths, * as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; * my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my gums, * and thou bringest me into the dust of death.

For many dogs are come about me, * and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.

They pierced my hands and my feet: I may tell all my bones: * they stand staring and looking upon me.

They part my garments among them, * and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me, O LORD; * thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.

Deliver my soul from the sword, * my darling from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth; * thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.

I will declare thy Name unto my brethren; * in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

O praise the LORD, ye that fear him: * magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob; and fear him, all ye seed of Israel.

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor; * he hath not hid his face from him; but when he called unto him he heard him.

My praise is of thee in the great congregation; * my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.

The poor shall eat, and be satisfied; they that seek after the LORD shall praise him: * your heart shall live for ever.

All the ends of the world shall remember themselves, and be turned unto the LORD; * and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.

For the kingdom is the LORD'S, * and he is the Governor among the nations.

All such as be fat upon earth * have eaten, and worshipped.

All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him; * and no man hath quickened his own soul.

My seed shall serve him: * they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.

They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness * unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.

The First Lesson

1Sam26

26 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.

Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?

David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed.

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

The Second Lesson

Luke19:1-10

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.