Book of Common Prayer
The Lord, an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)while I live;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I [c]have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in noblemen,
In [d]mortal (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [e]the earth;
On that very day his (I)plans perish.
5 (J)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and everything that is in them;
Who (N)keeps [f]faith forever;
7 Who (O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (Q)frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord (R)opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (T)loves the righteous.
9 The Lord (U)watches over strangers;
He [g](V)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [h]thwarts (W)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (X)reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
[i]Praise [j]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [k]Praise [l]the Lord!
For (Y)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [m]it is pleasant and praise is [n](Z)beautiful.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
He (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (AC)brokenhearted
And (AD)binds up their [o]wounds.
4 He (AE)counts the number of the stars;
He [p](AF)gives names to all of them.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (AH)understanding is [q]infinite.
6 The Lord [r](AI)supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 (AJ)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8 It is He who (AK)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (AL)provides rain for the earth,
Who (AM)makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 It is He who (AN)gives an animal its food,
And feeds (AO)young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in [s]the strength of the (AP)horse;
He (AQ)does not take pleasure in the [t]legs of a man.
11 The Lord (AR)favors those who fear Him,
(AS)Those who wait for His [u]faithfulness.
12 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (AT)bars of your gates;
He has (AU)blessed your sons among you.
14 He (AV)makes [v]peace in your borders;
He (AW)satisfies you with (AX)the [w]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His (AY)command to the earth;
His (AZ)word runs very swiftly.
16 He [x]showers (BA)snow like wool;
He scatters the (BB)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His (BC)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (BD)cold?
18 He (BE)sends His word and makes them melt;
He (BF)makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He (BG)declares His words to Jacob,
His (BH)statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He (BI)has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, [y]they have (BJ)not known them.
[z]Praise [aa]the Lord!
The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
111 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
I (A)will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the (B)company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 (C)Great are the works of the Lord;
They are [c](D)studied by all who delight in them.
3 [d](E)Splendid and majestic is His work,
And (F)His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused His [e]wonders [f]to be remembered;
The Lord is (G)gracious and compassionate.
5 He has (H)given [g]food to those who [h]fear Him;
He will (I)remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are [i](J)truth and justice;
All His precepts (K)are trustworthy.
8 They are (L)upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in [j](M)truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent (N)redemption to His people;
He has [k]ordained His covenant forever;
(O)Holy and [l]awesome is His name.
10 The [m](P)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All those who [n]follow (Q)His commandments have a good understanding;
His (R)praise endures forever.
Prosperity of One Who Fears the Lord.
112 [o]Praise [p]the Lord!
(S)Blessed is a person who [q]fears the Lord,
Who greatly (T)delights in His commandments.
2 His [r](U)descendants will be mighty [s]on the earth;
The generation of the (V)upright will be blessed.
3 (W)Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness (X)for the upright;
He is (Y)gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5 It goes well for a person who (Z)is gracious and lends;
He will [t]maintain his cause in judgment.
6 For he will (AA)never be shaken;
The (AB)righteous will be [u]remembered forever.
7 He will not fear (AC)bad news;
His (AD)heart is steadfast, (AE)trusting in the Lord.
8 His (AF)heart is firm, he (AG)will not fear,
[v]But will (AH)look with satisfaction on his enemies.
9 [w]He (AI)has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His (AJ)horn will be exalted in honor.
10 The (AK)wicked will see it and be [x]vexed,
He will (AL)gnash his teeth and (AM)melt away;
The (AN)desire of the wicked will perish.
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [y]Praise [z]the Lord!
(AO)Praise Him, you (AP)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (AQ)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
3 (AR)From [aa]the rising of the sun to its setting,
The (AS)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (AT)high above all nations;
His (AU)glory is above the heavens.
5 (AV)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (AW)is enthroned on high,
6 Who (AX)looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
7 He (AY)raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8 To (AZ)seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
9 He (BA)has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[ab]Praise [ac]the Lord!
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [a](B)prepared her food, she has (C)mixed her wine;
She has also (D)set her table;
3 She has (E)sent out her attendants, she (F)calls out
From the (G)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(H)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (I)lacks [b]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (J)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [c]Abandon your foolishness and (K)live,
And (L)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who (M)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets [d]insults for himself.
8 (N)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(O)Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will (P)increase his insight.
10 The (Q)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (R)by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (S)for yourself,
And if you (T)scoff, you alone will [e]suffer from it.
6 Now I say this: (A)the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows [a]generously will also reap [b]generously. 7 Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not (B)reluctantly or under compulsion, for (C)God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And (D)God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written:
10 Now He who supplies (F)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and (G)increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be (H)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing (I)thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying (J)the needs of the [d]saints, but is also overflowing (K)through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this (L)ministry, they will (M)glorify God for your obedience to your (N)confession of the (O)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your [e]contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 (P)Thanks be to God for His indescribable (Q)gift!
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 (A)Then they *came to Jericho. And later, (B)as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus the (C)Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, (D)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “(E)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the man who was blind, saying to him, “(F)Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And replying to him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man who was blind said to Him, “[a](G)Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; (H)your faith has [b]made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
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