Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 56[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(A) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(B)
all day long they press their attack.(C)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(D)
in their pride many are attacking me.(E)
3 When I am afraid,(F) I put my trust in you.(G)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(I)
What can mere mortals do to me?(J)
5 All day long they twist my words;(K)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(L) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(M)
hoping to take my life.(N)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;(O)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(P)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[d](Q)—
are they not in your record?(R)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(S)
when I call for help.(T)
By this I will know that God is for me.(U)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(V) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(W)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(X)
Psalm 57[e](Y)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(Z)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(AA)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(AB)
until the disaster has passed.(AC)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(AD)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(AE)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[g](AF)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(AG)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(AH)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(AI)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(AJ)
6 They spread a net for my feet(AK)—
I was bowed down(AL) in distress.
They dug a pit(AM) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(AN)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(AO)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(AP)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(AQ)
Psalm 58[h]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(AT)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(AU)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(AV)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(AW)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(AX) the tune of the charmer,(AY)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(AZ)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(BA)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(BB)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(BC)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(BD)
like a stillborn child(BE) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(BF)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[j](BG)
10 The righteous will be glad(BH) when they are avenged,(BI)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(BJ)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(BK)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(BL)
Psalm 64[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy(C) of the wicked,(D)
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords(E)
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(F)
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(G)
they shoot suddenly, without fear.(H)
5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;(I)
they say, “Who will see it[b]?”(J)
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them(K)
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads(L) in scorn.(M)
9 All people will fear;(N)
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.(O)
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(P)
and take refuge in him;(Q)
all the upright in heart will glory in him!(R)
Psalm 65[c]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[d] you, our God, in Zion;(S)
to you our vows will be fulfilled.(T)
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.(U)
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,(V)
you forgave[e] our transgressions.(W)
4 Blessed are those you choose(X)
and bring near(Y) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(Z)
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(AA)
God our Savior,(AB)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(AC)
and of the farthest seas,(AD)
6 who formed the mountains(AE) by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,(AF)
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,(AG)
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.(AH)
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.(AI)
9 You care for the land and water it;(AJ)
you enrich it abundantly.(AK)
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,(AL)
for so you have ordained it.[f]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers(AM) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(AN)
and your carts overflow with abundance.(AO)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(AP)
the hills are clothed with gladness.(AQ)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(AR)
and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AS)
they shout for joy and sing.(AT)
David Anointed King Over Judah
2 In the course of time, David inquired(A) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.
The Lord said, “Go up.”
David asked, “Where shall I go?”
“To Hebron,”(B) the Lord answered.
2 So David went up there with his two wives,(C) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,(D) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were with him,(E) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron(F) and its towns. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,(G) and there they anointed(H) David king over the tribe of Judah.
When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead(I) who had buried Saul, 5 he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless(J) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. 6 May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,(K) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. 7 Now then, be strong(L) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
War Between the Houses of David and Saul(M)
8 Meanwhile, Abner(N) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth(O) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.(P) 9 He made him king over Gilead,(Q) Ashuri(R) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.(S)
10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. 11 The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.(T)
Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns(A) where we preached the word of the Lord(B) and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,(C) with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them(D) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas(E) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.(F) 41 He went through Syria(G) and Cilicia,(H) strengthening the churches.(I)
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(J) where a disciple named Timothy(K) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(L) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(M) at Lystra and Iconium(N) spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(O) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(P) in Jerusalem(Q) for the people to obey.(R) 5 So the churches were strengthened(S) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(T)
John the Baptist Beheaded(A)(B)
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[a] “John the Baptist(C) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”(D)
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,(E) like one of the prophets of long ago.”(F)
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.(G) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(H) 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.(I) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[b]; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet(J) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.(K) 22 When the daughter of[c] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”(L)
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
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