Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer on Friday
Friday, 12 June 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 35

Refrain: Give me justice, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness.

1 Contend, O Lord, with those that contend with me; ♦
fight against those that fight against me.

2 Take up shield and buckler ♦
and rise up to help me.

3 Draw the spear and bar the way
against those who pursue me; ♦
say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’

4 Let those who seek after my life be shamed and disgraced; ♦
let those who plot my ruin fall back and be put to confusion.

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, ♦
with the angel of the Lord thrusting them down.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, ♦
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. R

7 For they have secretly spread a net for me without a cause; ♦
without any cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

8 Let ruin come upon them unawares; ♦
let them be caught in the net they laid;
let them fall in it to their destruction.

9 Then will my soul be joyful in the Lord ♦
and glory in his salvation.

10 My very bones will say, ‘Lord, who is like you? ♦
You deliver the poor from those that are too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who would despoil them.’ R

11 False witnesses rose up against me; ♦
they charged me with things I knew not.

12 They rewarded me evil for good, ♦
to the desolation of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick I put on sackcloth ♦
and humbled myself with fasting;

14 When my prayer returned empty to my bosom, ♦
it was as though I grieved for my friend or brother;

15 I behaved as one who mourns for his mother, ♦
bowed down and brought very low. R

16 But when I stumbled, they gathered in delight;
they gathered together against me; ♦
as if they were strangers I did not know
they tore at me without ceasing.

17 When I fell they mocked me; ♦
they gnashed at me with their teeth.

18 O Lord, how long will you look on? ♦
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
and my poor life from the young lions.

19 I will give you thanks in the great congregation; ♦
I will praise you in the mighty throng. R

20 Do not let my treacherous foes rejoice over me, ♦
or those who hate me without a cause
mock me with their glances.

21 For they do not speak of peace, ♦
but invent deceitful schemes against those
that are quiet in the land.

22 They opened wide their mouths and derided me, saying ♦
‘We have seen it with our very eyes.’

23 This you have seen, O Lord; do not keep silent; ♦
go not far from me, O Lord.

24 Awake, arise, to my cause, ♦
to my defence, my God and my Lord!

25 Give me justice, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness; ♦
let them not triumph over me. R

26 Let them not say to themselves,
‘Our heart’s desire!’ ♦
Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’

27 Let all who rejoice at my trouble be put to shame and confusion; ♦
let those who boast against me
be clothed with shame and dishonour.

28 Let those who favour my cause rejoice and be glad; ♦
let them say always,
‘Great is the Lord, who delights in his servant’s well-being.’

29 So shall my tongue be talking of your righteousness ♦
and of your praise all the day long.

Refrain: Give me justice, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness.

Free us, righteous God, from all oppression,
and bring justice to the nations,
that all the world may know you
as King of kings and Lord of lords,
now and for ever.

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.

2 Chronicles 35.20 - 36.10

After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, King Neco of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him. But Neco sent envoys to him, saying, ‘What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, so that he will not destroy you.’ But Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but joined battle in the plain of Megiddo. The archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, ‘Take me away, for I am badly wounded.’ So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. There he died, and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah, and all the singing-men and singing-women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a custom in Israel; they are recorded in the Laments. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his faithful deeds in accordance with what is written in the law of the Lord, and his acts, first and last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king to succeed his father in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. The king of Egypt made his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but Neco took his brother Jehoahaz and carried him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Against him King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up, and bound him with fetters to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah; and his son Jehoiachin succeeded him.

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, along with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

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.

Romans 8.18-30

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

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

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
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.