Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer on Tuesday
Tuesday, 25 August 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 Mercy and Truth

1O God, will you not give us life again, ♦
that your people may rejoice in you?

2Show us your mercy, O Lord, ♦
and grant us your salvation.

3Truly, his salvation is near to those who fear him, ♦
that his glory may dwell in our land.

4Mercy and truth are met together, ♦
righteousness and peace have kissed each other;

5Truth shall spring up from the earth ♦
and righteousness look down from heaven.

6Righteousness shall go before him ♦
and direct his steps in the way.

Psalm 85.6, 7, 9-11, 13

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 107*

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, ♦
for his steadfast love endures for ever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, ♦
those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3 And gathered out of the lands
from the east and from the west, ♦
from the north and from the south.

4 Some went astray in desert wastes ♦
and found no path to a city to dwell in.

5 Hungry and thirsty, ♦
their soul was fainting within them.

6 So they cried to the Lord in their trouble ♦
and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He set their feet on the right way ♦
till they came to a city to dwell in.

8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦
and the wonders he does for his children.

9 For he satisfies the longing soul ♦
and fills the hungry soul with good.

10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, ♦
bound fast in misery and iron,

11 For they had rebelled against the words of God ♦
and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12 So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; ♦
they stumbled and there was none to help them.

13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦
and he delivered them from their distress.

14 He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, ♦
and broke their bonds asunder.

15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦
and the wonders he does for his children.

16 For he has broken the doors of bronze ♦
and breaks the bars of iron in pieces.

17 Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, ♦
and were plagued because of their wrongdoing.

18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food ♦
and drew near to the gates of death.

19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦
and he delivered them from their distress.

20 He sent forth his word and healed them, ♦
and saved them from destruction.

21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦
and the wonders he does for his children.

22 Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving ♦
and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships ♦
and ply their trade in great waters,

24 These have seen the works of the Lord ♦
and his wonders in the deep.

25 For at his word the stormy wind arose ♦
and lifted up the waves of the sea.

26 They were carried up to the heavens
and down again to the deep; ♦
their soul melted away in their peril.

27 They reeled and staggered like a drunkard ♦
and were at their wits’ end.

28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦
and he brought them out of their distress.

29 He made the storm be still ♦
and the waves of the sea were calmed.

30 Then were they glad because they were at rest, ♦
and he brought them to the haven they desired.

31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦
and the wonders he does for his children.

32 Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people ♦
and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 The Lord turns rivers into wilderness ♦
and water springs into thirsty ground;

34 A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, ♦
because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.

35 He makes the wilderness a pool of water ♦
and water springs out of a thirsty land.

36 There he settles the hungry ♦
and they build a city to dwell in.

37 They sow fields and plant vineyards ♦
and bring in a fruitful harvest.

38 He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; ♦
he does not let their herds of cattle decrease.

39 He pours contempt on princes ♦
and makes them wander in trackless wastes.

40 They are diminished and brought low, ♦
through stress of misfortune and sorrow,

41 But he raises the poor from their misery ♦
and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep.

42 The upright will see this and rejoice, ♦
but all wickedness will shut its mouth.

43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things ♦
and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord.

O living Christ,
rescue us from foolish passion
and still the storms of our self-will;
and, as you are our anchor in this life,
so bring us to the haven you have prepared for us;
for your mercy’s sake.

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.

Micah 7.8-end

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy;
   when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
   the Lord will be a light to me.
I must bear the indignation of the Lord,
   because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
   and executes judgement for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
   I shall see his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
   and shame will cover her who said to me,
   ‘Where is the Lord your God?’
My eyes will see her downfall;
   now she will be trodden down
   like the mire of the streets.

A day for the building of your walls!
   In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
In that day they will come to you
   from Assyria to Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
   from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
But the earth will be desolate
   because of its inhabitants,
   for the fruit of their doings.

Shepherd your people with your staff,
   the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
   in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
   as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
   show us marvellous things.
The nations shall see and be ashamed
   of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
   their ears shall be deaf;
they shall lick dust like a snake,
   like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;
   they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
   and they shall stand in fear of you.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
   and passing over the transgression
   of the remnant of your possession?
He does not retain his anger for ever,
   because he delights in showing clemency.
He will again have compassion upon us;
   he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our sins
   into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
   and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
   from the days of old.

Canticle

A Song of the Holy City, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 72 (page 630), may be said

Refrain:

AllI saw the holy city
coming down out of heaven from God. Alleluia.

1I saw a new heaven and a new earth, ♦
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away
and the sea was no more.

2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, ♦
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, ♦
‘Behold, the dwelling of God is among mortals.

4‘He will dwell with them and they shall be his peoples, ♦
and God himself will be with them.

5‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes, ♦
and death shall be no more.

6‘Neither shall there be mourning,
nor crying, nor pain any more, ♦
for the former things have passed away.’

7And the One who sat upon the throne said, ♦
‘Behold, I make all things new.’

Revelation 21.1-5a

AllTo the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb ♦
be blessing and honour and glory and might,
for ever and ever. Amen.

AllI saw the holy city
coming down out of heaven from God. 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 7.1-13

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honours me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
   teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’

Then he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, “Honour your father and your mother”; and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, “Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban” (that is, an offering to God)—then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.’

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

Open my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
Lead me in the path of your commandments
Allthat I may see the wonders of your law.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.

from Psalm 119

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or Great and Wonderful (page 629) may be said

Refrain:

AllYou have mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.

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 mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.

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

¶ All who are sick in body, mind or spirit
¶ Those in the midst of famine or disaster
¶ Victims of abuse and violence, intolerance and prejudice
¶ Those who are bereaved
¶ All who work in the medical and healing professions

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 and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray
and to give more than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid
and giving us those good things
      which we are not worthy to ask
but through the merits and mediation
of 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.