Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer on Friday
Friday, 2 October 2026

Preparation

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

The Blessing of Light (page 110) may replace the Preparation at Evening Prayer on any occasion.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

A prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),

Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
AllBlessed be God for ever.

or a suitable hymn,

or A Song of Entreaty

1Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and in your faithfulness give ear to my supplications; ♦
answer me in your righteousness.

2Enter not into judgement with your servant, ♦
for in your sight shall no one living be justified.

3My spirit faints within me; ♦
my heart within me is desolate.

4I stretch out my hands to you; ♦
my soul gasps for you like a thirsty land.

5O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; ♦
hide not your face from me
lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.

6Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,
for in you I put my trust; ♦
show me the way I should walk in,
for I lift up my soul to you.

7Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; ♦
let your kindly spirit lead me on a level path.

8Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; ♦
for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.

Psalm 143.1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10, 11

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.

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 69

Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.

1 Save me, O God, ♦
for the waters have come up, even to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire where there is no foothold; ♦
I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me.

3 I have grown weary with crying; my throat is raw; ♦
my eyes have failed from looking so long for my God. R

4 Those who hate me without any cause ♦
are more than the hairs of my head;

5 Those who would destroy me are mighty; ♦
my enemies accuse me falsely:
must I now give back what I never stole?

6 O God, you know my foolishness, ♦
and my faults are not hidden from you.

7 Let not those who hope in you
be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; ♦
let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
O God of Israel. R

8 For your sake have I suffered reproach; ♦
shame has covered my face.

9 I have become a stranger to my kindred, ♦
an alien to my mother’s children.

10 Zeal for your house has eaten me up; ♦
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me. R

11 I humbled myself with fasting, ♦
but that was turned to my reproach.

12 I put on sackcloth also ♦
and became a byword among them.

13 Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, ♦
and the drunkards make songs about me. R

14 But as for me, I make my prayer to you, O Lord; ♦
at an acceptable time, O God.

15 Answer me, O God, in the abundance of your mercy ♦
and with your sure salvation.

16 Draw me out of the mire, that I sink not; ♦
let me be rescued from those who hate me
and out of the deep waters. R

17 Let not the water flood drown me,
neither the deep swallow me up; ♦
let not the Pit shut its mouth upon me.

18 Answer me, Lord, for your loving-kindness is good; ♦
turn to me in the multitude of your mercies.

19 Hide not your face from your servant; ♦
be swift to answer me, for I am in trouble. R

20 Draw near to my soul and redeem me; ♦
deliver me because of my enemies.

21 You know my reproach, my shame and my dishonour; ♦
my adversaries are all in your sight.

22 Reproach has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness. ♦
I looked for some to have pity, but there was no one,
neither found I any to comfort me.

23 They gave me gall to eat, ♦
and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. R

24 Let the table before them be a trap ♦
and their sacred feasts a snare.

25 Let their eyes be darkened, that they cannot see, ♦
and give them continual trembling in their loins.

26 Pour out your indignation upon them, ♦
and let the heat of your anger overtake them.

27 Let their camp be desolate, ♦
and let there be no one to dwell in their tents. R

28 For they persecute the one whom you have stricken, ♦
and increase the sorrows of him whom you have pierced.

29 Lay to their charge guilt upon guilt, ♦
and let them not receive your vindication.

30 Let them be wiped out of the book of the living ♦
and not be written among the righteous. R

31 As for me, I am poor and in misery; ♦
your saving help, O God, will lift me up.

32 I will praise the name of God with a song; ♦
I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.

33 This will please the Lord more than an offering of oxen, ♦
more than bulls with horns and hooves.

34 The humble shall see and be glad; ♦
you who seek God, your heart shall live. R

35 For the Lord listens to the needy, ♦
and his own who are imprisoned he does not despise.

36 Let the heavens and the earth praise him, ♦
the seas and all that moves in them;

37 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; ♦
they shall live there and have it in possession.

38 The children of his servants shall inherit it ♦
and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Refrain: Hide not your face from your servant, O Lord.

Thirsting on the cross,
your Son shared the reproach of the oppressed
and carried the sins of all;
in him, O God, may the despairing find you,
the afflicted gain life
and the whole creation know its true king,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

Ecclesiasticus 14.20 - 15.10

Happy is the person who meditates on wisdom
   and reasons intelligently,
who reflects in his heart on her ways
   and ponders her secrets,
pursuing her like a hunter,
   and lying in wait on her paths;
who peers through her windows
   and listens at her doors;
who camps near her house
   and fastens his tent-peg to her walls;
who pitches his tent near her,
   and so occupies an excellent lodging-place;
who places his children under her shelter,
   and lodges under her boughs;
who is sheltered by her from the heat,
   and dwells in the midst of her glory.

Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
   and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
She will come to meet him like a mother,
   and like a young bride she will welcome him.
She will feed him with the bread of learning,
   and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
He will lean on her and not fall,
   and he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
She will exalt him above his neighbours,
   and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing,
   and will inherit an everlasting name.
The foolish will not obtain her,
   and sinners will not see her.
She is far from arrogance,
   and liars will never think of her.
Praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner,
   for it has not been sent from the Lord.
For in wisdom must praise be uttered,
   and the Lord will make it prosper.

or Ezekiel 13.1-16

Canticle

A Song of the Justified, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 61 (page 619), may be said

Refrain:

AllOur hope is not in vain,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. Alleluia.

1God reckons as righteous those who believe, ♦
who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead;

2For Christ was handed over to death for our sins, ♦
and raised to life for our justification.

3Since we are justified by faith, ♦
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

4Through Christ we have gained access
to the grace in which we stand, ♦
and rejoice in our hope of the glory of God.

5We even exult in our sufferings, ♦
for suffering produces endurance,

6And endurance brings hope, ♦
and our hope is not in vain,

7Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts, ♦
through the Holy Spirit, given to us.

8God proves his love for us: ♦
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

9Since we have been justified by his death, ♦
how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath.

10Therefore, we exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ♦
in whom we have now received our reconciliation.

Romans 4.24, 25; 5.1-5, 8, 9, 11

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.

AllOur hope is not in vain,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Mark 14.53-65

They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.” ’ But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?’ But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am; and
“you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power”,
and “coming with the clouds of heaven.” ’
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?’ All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, ‘Prophesy!’ The guards also took him over and beat him.

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

Forsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord of my salvation.
AllBe not far from me, O my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllForsake me not, O Lord;
be not far from me, O my God.

from Psalm 38

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or Saviour of the World (page 644) may be said

Refrain:

AllYou have scattered the proud in their conceit,
and lifted up the lowly.

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:

AllYou have scattered the proud in their conceit,
and lifted up the lowly.

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 362–363

¶ The King, members of parliament and the armed forces
¶ Peace and justice in the world
¶ Those who work for reconciliation
¶ All whose lives are devastated by war and civil strife
¶ Prisoners, refugees and homeless people

One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 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 God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
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

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)

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

All The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.

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