Morning Prayer (Matins) | Evening Prayer (Vespers) | Prayer at the Close of Day (Compline)

Isaiah 52:7–10 (Listen)

7   How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
  who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8   The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
    together they sing for joy;
  for eye to eye they see
    the return of the LORD to Zion.
9   Break forth together into singing,
    you waste places of Jerusalem,
  for the LORD has comforted his people;
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10   The LORD has bared his holy arm
    before the eyes of all the nations,
  and all the ends of the earth shall see
    the salvation of our God.

Mark 1:1–15 (Listen)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

  “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3   the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 16:15–20 (Listen)

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]

Morning Psalms

Psalm 2 (Listen)

The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed

2:1   Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
2   The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3   “Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”
4   He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
5   Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6   “As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”
7   I will tell of the decree:
  The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
8   Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
9   You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10   Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11   Serve the LORD with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
12   Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 57 (Listen)

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

57:1   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
  in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
2   I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3   He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
  God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4   My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
  the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.
5   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
6   They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
  They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7   My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
  I will sing and make melody!
8     Awake, my glory!
  Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
9   I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10   For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
11   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 147:13–20 (Listen)

13   For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
14   He makes peace in your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15   He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16   He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
17   He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
18   He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19   He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
20   He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.
  Praise the LORD!

Evening Psalms

Psalm 68 (Listen)

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68:1   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3   But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!
4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
  his name is the LORD;
    exult before him!
5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6   God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7   O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10   your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11   The Lord gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
  The women at home divide the spoil—
13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
  the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.
15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?
17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18   You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
19   Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20   Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22   The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24   Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25   the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26   “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28   Summon your power, O God,
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall bear gifts to you.
30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31   Nobles shall come from Egypt;
    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34   Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35   Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
  Blessed be God!

Psalm 113 (Listen)

Who Is like the Lord Our God?

113:1   Praise the LORD!
  Praise, O servants of the LORD,
    praise the name of the LORD!
2   Blessed be the name of the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore!
3   From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the LORD is to be praised!
4   The LORD is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
5   Who is like the LORD our God,
    who is seated on high,
6   who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
7   He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8   to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
9   He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
  Praise the LORD!