Book of Common Prayer
For the Chief Musician, with the flutes. A Psalm by David.
5 Give ear to my words, Yahweh.
Consider my meditation.
2 Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God,
for I pray to you.
3 Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness.
Evil can’t live with you.
5 The arrogant will not stand in your sight.
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You will destroy those who speak lies.
Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house.
I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
8 Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies.
Make your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth.
Their heart is destruction.
Their throat is an open tomb.
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Hold them guilty, God.
Let them fall by their own counsels.
Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.
Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them.
Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.
12 For you will bless the righteous.
Yahweh, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, upon the eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm by David.
6 Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your anger,
neither discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint.
Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul is also in great anguish.
But you, Yahweh—how long?
4 Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul,
and save me for your loving kindness’ sake.
5 For in death there is no memory of you.
In Sheol,[a] who shall give you thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning.
Every night I flood my bed.
I drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief.
It grows old because of all my adversaries.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity,
for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 Yahweh has heard my supplication.
Yahweh accepts my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed.
They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.
10 Why do you stand far off, Yahweh?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak.
They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings.
He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.
4 The wicked, in the pride of his face,
has no room in his thoughts for God.
5 His ways are prosperous at all times.
He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight.
As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken.
For generations I shall have no trouble.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression.
Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
8 He lies in wait near the villages.
From ambushes, he murders the innocent.
His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
9 He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless.
He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.
10 The helpless are crushed.
They collapse.
They fall under his strength.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
He hides his face.
He will never see it.”
12 Arise, Yahweh!
God, lift up your hand!
Don’t forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked person condemn God,
and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”?
14 But you do see trouble and grief.
You consider it to take it into your hand.
You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked.
As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
16 Yahweh is King forever and ever!
The nations will perish out of his land.
17 Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble.
You will prepare their heart.
You will cause your ear to hear,
18 to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.
For the Chief Musician. By David.
11 In Yahweh, I take refuge.
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2 For, behold, the wicked bend their bows.
They set their arrows on the strings,
that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
4 Yahweh is in his holy temple.
Yahweh is on his throne in heaven.
His eyes observe.
His eyes examine the children of men.
5 Yahweh examines the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain blazing coals;
fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For Yahweh is righteous.
He loves righteousness.
The upright shall see his face.
16 Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh,
than great treasure with trouble.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,
than a fattened calf with hatred.
18 A wrathful man stirs up contention,
but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son makes a father glad,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom,
but a man of understanding keeps his way straight.
22 Where there is no counsel, plans fail;
but in a multitude of counselors they are established.
23 Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth.
How good is a word at the right time!
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise,
to keep him from going downward to Sheol.[a]
25 Yahweh will uproot the house of the proud,
but he will keep the widow’s borders intact.
26 Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.
27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous weighs answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.
29 Yahweh is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart.
Good news gives health to the bones.
31 The ear that listens to reproof lives,
and will be at home among the wise.
32 He who refuses correction despises his own soul,
but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.
33 The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom.
Before honor is humility.
14 Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord that they don’t argue about words to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.
15 Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. 16 But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, 17 and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus: 18 men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. 19 However, God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,”(A) and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord[a] depart from unrighteousness.”
20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor and some for dishonor. 21 If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife. 24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, 25 in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. 37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:
“Lord, who has believed our report?
To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”(A)
39 For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart,
lest they should see with their eyes,
and perceive with their heart,
and would turn,
and I would heal them.”(B)
41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. (C) 42 Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, 43 for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.
44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 He who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. 47 If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day. 49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
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