Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer
from All Saints’ Day until
the day before the First Sunday of Advent
Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.

Your faithful servants bless you.
AllThey make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Now, as darkness is falling,
wash away our transgressions,
cleanse us by your refining fire
and make us temples of your Holy Spirit.
By the light of Christ,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
and make us ready to enter your kingdom,
where songs of praise for ever sound.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

A Song of Tobit (page 596), the following or another suitable hymn

Give me the wings of faith to rise
within the veil, and see
the saints above, how great their joys,
how bright their glories be.

Once they were mourning here below,
and wet their couch with tears;
they wrestled hard, as we do now,
with sins and doubts and fears.

I ask them whence their victory came:
they, with united breath,
ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
their triumph to his death.

They marked the footsteps that he trod,
his zeal inspired their breast,
and, following their incarnate God,
possess the promised rest.

Our glorious Leader claims our praise
for his own pattern given;
while the long cloud of witnesses
show the same path to heaven.

Isaac Watts
(Tune: CM)

This opening prayer may be said

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 111

Refrain: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

1 Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, ♦
in the company of the faithful and in the congregation.

2 The works of the Lord are great, ♦
sought out by all who delight in them.

3 His work is full of majesty and honour ♦
and his righteousness endures for ever.

4 He appointed a memorial for his marvellous deeds; ♦
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. R

5 He gave food to those who feared him; ♦
he is ever mindful of his covenant.

6 He showed his people the power of his works ♦
in giving them the heritage of the nations.

7 The works of his hands are truth and justice; ♦
all his commandments are sure. R

8 They stand fast for ever and ever; ♦
they are done in truth and equity.

9 He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever; ♦
holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
a good understanding have those who live by it; ♦
his praise endures for ever.

Refrain: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Gracious God, you are full of compassion;
may we who long for your kingdom to come
rejoice to do your will
and acknowledge your power alone to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 112

Refrain: The righteous will be held in everlasting remembrance.

1 Alleluia.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord ♦
and have great delight in his commandments.

2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land, ♦
a generation of the faithful that will be blest.

3 Wealth and riches will be in their house, ♦
and their righteousness endures for ever.

4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; ♦
gracious and full of compassion are the righteous. R

5 It goes well with those who are generous in lending ♦
and order their affairs with justice,

6 For they will never be shaken; ♦
the righteous will be held in everlasting remembrance.

7 They will not be afraid of any evil tidings; ♦
their heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. R

8 Their heart is sustained and will not fear, ♦
until they see the downfall of their foes.

9 They have given freely to the poor;
their righteousness stands fast for ever; ♦
their head will be exalted with honour.

10 The wicked shall see it and be angry;
they shall gnash their teeth in despair; ♦
the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Refrain: The righteous will be held in everlasting remembrance.

Generous God,
save us from the meanness
that calculates its interest and hoards its earthly gain;
as we have freely received,
so may we freely give;
in the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 116

Refrain: Gracious is the Lord and righteous.

1 I love the Lord,
for he has heard the voice of my supplication; ♦
because he inclined his ear to me
on the day I called to him.

2 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pains of hell took hold of me; ♦
by grief and sorrow was I held.

3 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ♦
‘O Lord, I beg you, deliver my soul.’

4 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; ♦
our God is full of compassion. R

5 The Lord watches over the simple; ♦
I was brought very low and he saved me.

6 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, ♦
for the Lord has been gracious to you.

7 For you have delivered my soul from death, ♦
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.

8 I will walk before the Lord ♦
in the land of the living. R

9 I believed that I should perish
for I was sorely troubled; ♦
and I said in my alarm,
‘Everyone is a liar.’

10 How shall I repay the Lord ♦
for all the benefits he has given to me?

11 I will lift up the cup of salvation ♦
and call upon the name of the Lord.

12 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord ♦
in the presence of all his people. R

13 Precious in the sight of the Lord ♦
is the death of his faithful servants.

14 O Lord, I am your servant, ♦
your servant, the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.

15 I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving ♦
and call upon the name of the Lord.

16 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord ♦
in the presence of all his people,

17 In the courts of the house of the Lord, ♦
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Alleluia.

Refrain: Gracious is the Lord and righteous.

As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
may we call upon your name,
raise the cup of salvation,
and so proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come in glory.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Isaiah 2.1-11

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob,
   come, let us walk
   in the light of the Lord!
For you have forsaken the ways of your people,
   O house of Jacob.
Indeed they are full of diviners from the east
   and of soothsayers like the Philistines,
   and they clasp hands with foreigners.
Their land is filled with silver and gold,
   and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is filled with horses,
   and there is no end to their chariots.
Their land is filled with idols;
   they bow down to the work of their hands,
   to what their own fingers have made.
And so people are humbled,
   and everyone is brought low—
   do not forgive them!
Enter into the rock,
   and hide in the dust
from the terror of the Lord,
   and from the glory of his majesty.
The haughty eyes of people shall be brought low,
   and the pride of everyone shall be humbled;
and the Lord alone will be exalted
   on that day.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Assembled, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 70 (page 628) or number 73 (page 631), may be said

Refrain:

AllWe have come before the throne of God
to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

1We have come before God’s holy mountain, ♦
to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

2We have come before countless angels making festival, ♦
before the assembly of the firstborn citizens of heaven.

3We have come before God, who is judge of all, ♦
before the spirits of the just made perfect.

4We have come before Jesus, ♦
the mediator of the new covenant.

5We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken: ♦
so let us give thanks and offer to God acceptable worship,

6Full of reverence and awe; ♦
for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12.22-24a, 28, 29

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

AllWe have come before the throne of God
to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Matthew 2.16-end

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
   wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
   she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Lord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
AllLord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.
For I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
AllAnd afterwards receive me with glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllLord, you will guide me with your counsel
and afterwards receive me with glory.

from Psalm 73

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of the Simeon) (page 613) may be said

Refrain:

AllThe righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.

1My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

2From this day all generations will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.

3He has mercy on those who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.

4He has shown strength with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

5Casting down the mighty from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.

6He has filled the hungry with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.

7He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,

8The promise made to our ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke 1.46-55

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Refrain:

AllThe righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.

Prayers

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365

¶ The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven
¶ All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God
¶ All who fear the winter months
¶ All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
¶ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

Almighty and eternal God,
you have kindled the flame of love
      in the hearts of the saints:
grant to us the same faith and power of love,
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs,
we may be sustained by their example and fellowship;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

(or)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

AllOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.