Book of Common Prayer
Book 1 (Psalms 1-41)
Psalm 1[a]
1 How blessed[b] is the one[c] who does not follow[d] the advice[e] of the wicked,[f]
or stand in the pathway[g] with sinners,
or sit in the assembly[h] of scoffers.[i]
2 Instead[j] he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands;[k]
he meditates on[l] his commands[m] day and night.
3 He is like[n] a tree planted by flowing streams;[o]
it[p] yields[q] its fruit at the proper time,[r]
and its leaves never fall off.[s]
He succeeds in everything he attempts.[t]
4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead[u] they are like wind-driven chaff.[v]
5 For this reason[w] the wicked cannot withstand[x] judgment,[y]
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.[z]
6 Certainly[aa] the Lord guards the way of the godly,[ab]
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.[ac]
Psalm 2[ad]
2 Why[ae] do the nations rebel?[af]
Why[ag] are the countries[ah] devising[ai] plots that will fail?[aj]
2 The kings of the earth[ak] form a united front;[al]
the rulers collaborate[am]
against the Lord and his anointed king.[an]
3 They say,[ao] “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us.[ap]
Let’s free ourselves from[aq] their ropes.”
4 The one enthroned[ar] in heaven laughs in disgust;[as]
the Lord taunts[at] them.
5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage,[au] saying,[av]
6 “I myself[aw] have installed[ax] my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 The king says,[ay] “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me:[az]
‘You are my son.[ba] This very day I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,[bb]
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
9 You will break them[bc] with an iron scepter;[bd]
you will smash them like a potter’s jar.’”[be]
10 So now, you kings, do what is wise;[bf]
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction.[bg]
11 Serve[bh] the Lord in fear.
Repent in terror.[bi]
12 Give sincere homage.[bj]
Otherwise he[bk] will be angry,[bl]
and you will die because of your behavior,[bm]
when his anger quickly ignites.[bn]
How blessed[bo] are all who take shelter in him![bp]
Psalm 3[bq]
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom.[br]
3 Lord, how[bs] numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me.[bt]
2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.”[bu] (Selah)[bv]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me;[bw]
you are my glory[bx] and the one who restores me.[by]
4 To the Lord I cried out,[bz]
and he answered me from his holy hill.[ca] (Selah)
5 I rested and slept;
I awoke,[cb] for the Lord protects[cc] me.
6 I am not afraid[cd] of the multitude of people[ce]
who attack me from all directions.[cf]
7 Rise up,[cg] Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Yes,[ch] you will strike[ci] all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth[cj] of the wicked.[ck]
8 The Lord delivers;[cl]
you show favor to your people.[cm] (Selah)
Psalm 4[cn]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me.[co]
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place.[cp]
Have mercy on me[cq] and respond to[cr] my prayer.
2 You men,[cs] how long will you try to turn my honor into shame?[ct]
How long[cu] will you love what is worthless[cv]
and search for what is deceptive?[cw] (Selah)
3 Realize that[cx] the Lord shows the godly special favor;[cy]
the Lord responds[cz] when I cry out to him.
4 Tremble with fear and do not sin.[da]
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways.[db] (Selah)
5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices[dc]
and trust in the Lord.[dd]
6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord![de]
7 You make me happier[df]
than those who have abundant grain and wine.[dg]
8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully,[dh]
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure.[di]
Psalm 7[a]
A musical composition[b] by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning[c] a Benjaminite named Cush.[d]
7 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter.[e]
Deliver me from all who chase me. Rescue me!
2 Otherwise they will rip[f] me[g] to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me.[h]
3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say,[i]
or am guilty of unjust actions,[j]
4 or have wronged my ally,[k]
or helped his lawless enemy,[l]
5 may an enemy relentlessly chase[m] me[n] and catch me;[o]
may he trample me to death[p]
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust.[q] (Selah)
6 Stand up angrily,[r] Lord.
Rise up with raging fury against my enemies.[s]
Wake up for my sake, and execute the judgment you have decreed for them.[t]
7 The countries are assembled all around you;[u]
take once more your rightful place over them.[v]
8 The Lord judges the nations.[w]
Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent,[x]
because I am blameless,[y] O Exalted One.[z]
9 May the evil deeds of the wicked[aa] come to an end.[ab]
But make the innocent[ac] secure,[ad]
O righteous God,
you who examine[ae] inner thoughts and motives.[af]
10 The Exalted God is my shield,[ag]
the one who delivers the morally upright.[ah]
11 God is a just judge;
he is angry throughout the day.[ai]
12 If a person[aj] does not repent, God will wield his sword.[ak]
He has prepared to shoot his bow.[al]
13 He has prepared deadly weapons to use against him;[am]
he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows.[an]
14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans,
and gives birth to harmful lies—
15 he digs a pit[ao]
and then falls into the hole he has made.[ap]
16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans[aq]—
and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.[ar]
17 I will thank the Lord for[as] his justice;
I will sing praises to the Lord Most High![at]
The First Collection of Solomonic Proverbs[a]
but a foolish child[d] is a grief to his mother.[e]
2 Treasures gained by wickedness[f] do not profit,
but righteousness[g] delivers from death.[h]
3 The Lord satisfies[i] the appetite[j] of the righteous,
but he thwarts[k] the craving[l] of the wicked.
4 The one who is lazy[m] becomes poor,[n]
but the one who works diligently[o] becomes wealthy.[p]
5 The one who gathers crops[q] in the summer is a wise[r] son,
but the one who sleeps[s] during harvest is a shameful son.[t]
6 Blessings[u] are on the head of the righteous,
but the speech[v] of the wicked conceals[w] violence.[x]
7 The memory[y] of the righteous is a blessing,
but the reputation[z] of the wicked will rot.[aa]
8 The wise person[ab] accepts instructions,[ac]
but the one who speaks foolishness[ad] will come to ruin.[ae]
9 The one who conducts himself[af] in integrity[ag] will live[ah] securely,
but the one who behaves perversely[ai] will be found out.
10 The one who winks[aj] his[ak] eye causes[al] trouble,
and the one who speaks foolishness[am] will come to ruin.
11 The speech[an] of the righteous is a fountain of life,[ao]
but the speech[ap] of the wicked conceals[aq] violence.[ar]
12 Hatred[as] stirs up dissension,
but love covers all transgressions.[at]
15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia[a] deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment.[b] 17 But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day![c] And you know very well all the ways he served me in Ephesus.[d]
Serving Faithfully Despite Hardship
2 So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And what you heard me say[e] in the presence of many witnesses[f] entrust to faithful people[g] who will be competent[h] to teach others as well. 3 Take your share of suffering[i] as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please[j] the one who recruited him. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner[k] unless he competes according to the rules.[l] 6 The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think about what I am saying and[m] the Lord will give you understanding of all this.[n]
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David;[o] such is my gospel,[p] 9 for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment[q] as a criminal, but God’s message[r] is not imprisoned![s] 10 So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God,[t] that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.[u] 11 This saying[v] is trustworthy:[w]
27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me[a] from this hour’?[b] No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.[c] 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven,[d] “I have glorified it,[e] and I will glorify it[f] again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice[g] said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him.[h] 30 Jesus said,[i] “This voice has not come for my benefit[j] but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world[k] will be driven out.[l] 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[m] to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)[n]
34 Then the crowd responded,[o] “We have heard from the law that the Christ[p] will remain forever.[q] How[r] can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus replied,[s] “The light is with you for a little while longer.[t] Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.[u] The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”[v] When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.
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