Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 104
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.(A)
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(B)
2 The Lord wraps(C) himself in light(D) as with a garment;
he stretches(E) out the heavens(F) like a tent(G)
3 and lays the beams(H) of his upper chambers on their waters.(I)
He makes the clouds(J) his chariot(K)
and rides on the wings of the wind.(L)
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a](M)
flames of fire(N) his servants.
5 He set the earth(O) on its foundations;(P)
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it(Q) with the watery depths(R) as with a garment;
the waters stood(S) above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke(T) the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder(U) they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned(V) for them.
9 You set a boundary(W) they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs(X) pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(Y) to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys(Z) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(AA) nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.(AB)
13 He waters the mountains(AC) from his upper chambers;(AD)
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(AE)
14 He makes grass grow(AF) for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food(AG) from the earth:
15 wine(AH) that gladdens human hearts,
oil(AI) to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains(AJ) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(AK) are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon(AL) that he planted.
17 There the birds(AM) make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(AN)
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(AO)
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(AP)
and the sun(AQ) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(AR) it becomes night,(AS)
and all the beasts of the forest(AT) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(AU)
and seek their food from God.(AV)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.(AW)
23 Then people go out to their work,(AX)
to their labor until evening.(AY)
24 How many are your works,(AZ) Lord!
In wisdom you made(BA) them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.(BB)
25 There is the sea,(BC) vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(BD)
26 There the ships(BE) go to and fro,
and Leviathan,(BF) which you formed to frolic(BG) there.(BH)
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food(BI) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied(BJ) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(BK)
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(BL)
30 When you send your Spirit,(BM)
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord(BN) endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works(BO)—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(BP)
who touches the mountains,(BQ) and they smoke.(BR)
33 I will sing(BS) to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice(BT) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(BU) from the earth
and the wicked be no more.(BV)
Praise the Lord, my soul.
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(C) me
to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(I)
and the day of vengeance(J) of our God,
to comfort(K) all who mourn,(L)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(M) of beauty
instead of ashes,(N)
the oil(O) of joy
instead of mourning,(P)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(Q) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(R)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(S)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(T) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(U) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(V) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(W)
you will receive a double(X) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(Y) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(Z) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(AA)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(AB) with them.
9 Their descendants(AC) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(AD)
Children of God
23 Before the coming of this faith,[a] we were held in custody(A) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.(B) 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came(C) that we might be justified by faith.(D) 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.(E)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God(F) through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ(G) have clothed yourselves with Christ.(H) 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,(I) nor is there male and female,(J) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(K) 29 If you belong to Christ,(L) then you are Abraham’s seed,(M) and heirs(N) according to the promise.(O)
4 But when the set time had fully come,(A) God sent his Son,(B) born of a woman,(C) born under the law,(D) 5 to redeem(E) those under the law, that we might receive adoption(F) to sonship.[a](G) 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son(H) into our hearts,(I) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[b] Father.”(J) 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.(K)
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