Book of Common Prayer
Give the King Your Justice
Of (A)Solomon.
72 Give the king your (B)justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he (C)judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear (D)prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you[a] while (E)the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, (F)throughout all generations!
6 May he be like (G)rain that falls on (H)the mown grass,
like (I)showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may (J)the righteous flourish,
and (K)peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from (L)sea to sea,
and from (M)the River[b] to the (N)ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes (O)bow down before him,
and his enemies (P)lick the dust!
10 May the kings of (Q)Tarshish and of (R)the coastlands
render him (S)tribute;
may the kings of (T)Sheba and (U)Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings (V)fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers (W)the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and (X)precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may (Y)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made (Z)for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people (AA)blossom in the cities
like the (AB)grass of the field!
17 (AC)May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
(AD)May people be blessed in him,
(AE)all nations call him blessed!
Yodh
73 (A)Your hands have made and fashioned me;
(B)give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and (C)rejoice,
because I have (D)hoped in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are (E)righteous,
and that in (F)faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your (G)mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my (H)delight.
78 Let (I)the insolent be put to (J)shame,
because they have (K)wronged me with falsehood;
as for me, I will (L)meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you (M)turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be (N)blameless in your statutes,
(O)that I may not be put to shame!
Kaph
81 My soul (P)longs for your salvation;
I (Q)hope in your word.
82 My (R)eyes long for your promise;
I ask, (S)“When will you comfort me?”
83 For I have (T)become like a (U)wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 (V)How long must your servant endure?[a]
(W)When will you judge those who persecute me?
85 (X)The insolent have (Y)dug pitfalls for me;
they do not live according to your law.
86 All your commandments are (Z)sure;
they persecute me (AA)with falsehood; (AB)help me!
87 They have almost made an end of me on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your steadfast love (AC)give me life,
that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.
Lamedh
89 Forever, O Lord, your (AD)word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90 Your (AE)faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have (AF)established the earth, and it (AG)stands fast.
91 By your (AH)appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my (AI)delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have (AJ)given me life.
94 I am yours; save me,
(AK)for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
but I consider your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly (AL)broad.
The Eternal Covenant of Peace
54 (A)“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of (B)the desolate one (C)will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 (D)“Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 (E)For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, (F)for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 (G)For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
(H)and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
(I)the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 (J)For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 (K)For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 (L)In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
(M)but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “This is like (N)the days of Noah[a] to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and (O)my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 (P)“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, (Q)I will set your stones in antimony,
(R)and lay your foundations with sapphires.[b]
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,[c]
your gates of carbuncles,[d]
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 (S)All your children (T)shall be taught by the Lord,
(U)and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 (V)If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
(W)and their vindication[e] from me, declares the Lord.”
Example of Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (A)one by a slave woman and (B)one by a free woman. 23 But (C)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while (D)the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two (E)covenants. (F)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;[a] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But (G)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
(H)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you,[b] brothers, (I)like Isaac, (J)are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh (K)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, (L)so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? (M)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but (N)of the free woman.
The Pharisees Demand a Sign
11 (A)The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, (B)seeking from him (C)a sign from heaven (D)to test him. 12 And (E)he sighed deeply (F)in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And (G)he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; (H)beware of (I)the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of (J)Herod.”[a] 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And (K)Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? (L)Do you not yet perceive (M)or understand? (N)Are your hearts hardened? 18 (O)Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke (P)the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And (Q)the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 And they came (R)to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And (S)he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when (T)he had (U)spit on his eyes and (V)laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus[b] laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, (W)“Do not even enter the village.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.