Book of Common Prayer
1 [a]Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in accord with the law[b] of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who observe his statutes
and seek him with their whole heart.[c]
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.[d]
4 [e]You have ordained
that your commands be diligently observed.
5 May my ways be steadfast
in the observance of your decrees.
6 Then I will never be put to shame
when I take note of all your precepts.
7 I will praise you in sincerity of heart
as I ponder your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your decrees;
do not forsake me completely.
Beth
9 [f]How can a young man lead a spotless life?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;[g]
do not let me stray from your precepts.
11 I treasure your word in my heart[h]
for fear that I may sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recite
all the judgments you have announced.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
more than I would rejoice in endless riches.
15 I will meditate on your commands
and respect your ways.
16 I find my delight in your decrees;
I will never forget your word.
Gimel
17 [i]Be good to your servant
so that I may live[j] and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes so that I may clearly see
the wonders to be found in your law.
19 I am only a wayfarer on earth,
but do not hide your precepts from me.[k]
20 My soul is ever consumed
with longing for your judgments.
21 You rebuke the arrogant,[l] the accursed,
who stray from your precepts.
22 Set me free from scorn and contempt,
for I have observed your statutes.
23 Even though princes assemble and slander me,
your servant meditates on your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight,
for they offer me counsel.
Daleth
Psalm 12[a]
Prayer against the Arrogance of Sinners
1 For the director.[b] “Upon the eighth.” A psalm of David.
2 Help, O Lord, for there are no godly left;
the faithful have vanished from the human race.
3 Neighbors utter lies to each other;
they speak with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.[c]
4 May the Lord destroy all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue,
5 those who say, “We will prevail by our tongues;
with our lips as our ally,
who can lord it over us?”
6 “The poor have been oppressed,
and those who are needy groan.
Therefore, I will rise up now,” says the Lord;
“I will grant them the safety
for which they long.”
7 And the promises of the Lord are certain;
they are like silver refined in a furnace
and purified seven times.[d]
8 [e]You, O Lord, will watch over us
and preserve us from this generation forever.
9 For the wicked prowl on every side,
and what is vile is exalted by mankind.
Psalm 13[f]
Prayer of One in Sorrow
1 For the director.[g] A psalm of David.
2 How long,[h] O Lord—will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 How long must I suffer anguish in my soul
and sorrow in my heart[i] day and night?
How long will my enemy lord it over me?
4 Look upon me, O Lord, my God, and answer me;
enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
5 lest my enemy say, “I have defeated him,”
and my foes exult in my collapse.
6 As for me, I trust in your kindness;[j]
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
7 I will sing to the Lord
because he has been good to me.[k]
Psalm 14[l]
Corruption and Punishment of the Godless
1 For the director.[m] Of David.
The fool says in his heart,[n]
“There is no God.”
People are depraved and their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does what is right.
2 The Lord[o] looks down from heaven
upon the entire human race,
to see if there are any who act with wisdom,
if even a single one seeks God.
3 But they have all left the right path;
all alike are corrupt.
There is no one who does what is right,
not even one.[p]
4 Have all these evildoers[q] no understanding?
They devour my people as they eat bread,
and they never call upon the Lord.
5 But later they will be filled with terror,
for God is on the side of the righteous.[r]
6 They sought to crush the hopes of the poor,[s]
but the Lord is their refuge.
7 Who will accomplish the salvation of Israel
that is to come out of Zion?[t]
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will exult.
Chapter 17
1 It is better to have a dry crust to eat in peace
than to feast in a house that is filled with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over an unworthy son
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
but it is the Lord who tests the heart.
4 An evildoer listens eagerly to wicked lips,
and a liar pays heed to a slanderous tongue.
5 Anyone who mocks the poor insults their Creator;[a]
whoever gloats at another’s distress will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their parents.
7 Fine words are not becoming to a fool,
and much less are false words to a noble.
8 A bribe is like a magic stone to one who offers it;
wherever he turns, he meets with success.[b]
9 One who forgives a misdeed fosters friendship,
but he who divulges it separates good friends.
10 A reproof makes a far greater impression upon a discerning person
than a hundred blows will upon a fool.
11 A wicked man is only interested in fomenting rebellion;
hence a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 It is better to come upon a bear robbed of her cubs
rather than confronting a fool in his folly.
13 One who returns evil for good
will forever have misfortune in his house.
14 To begin a quarrel is like unleashing a flood;
so desist before the quarreling begins.
15 Absolving the wicked and condemning the innocent
are both equally abominable to the Lord.
16 Of what advantage is money in the hands of a fool?
Can he purchase wisdom if he has no desire to learn?
17 A true friend is one at all times,
and a brother is born to render help in time of need.
18 A man without sense gives a pledge
to become surety for a neighbor.[c]
19 One who sows discord enjoys strife,
and one who constructs a high threshold invites disaster.
20 One whose heart is perverse will never prosper,
and one whose tongue is evil will come to trouble.
The Tasks of a Man of God[a]
Chapter 3
Repulse the Onslaughts of False Teachers. 1 You must realize that there will be great distress in the last days. 2 People will love nothing but themselves and money. They will be boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreligious, 3 and devoid of natural affection. They will be implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, and haters of everything that is good. 4 They will be treacherous, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 as they maintain the appearance of godliness[b] but deny its power. Avoid persons like that!
6 They are the type who insinuate themselves into households and gain control of the women there who are burdened by their sins and obsessed with their desires, 7 and who are always seeking to be taught but unable to ever arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men, with their depraved minds and their deceitful pretense of faith, also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not succeed in their efforts. As was the case with those men, their folly will become obvious to everyone.
10 Remain Faithful in Persecution. As for you, however, you have followed my teaching, my way of life, my aims, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, 11 my persecutions, my sufferings—the things that I faced in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra and that I endured. Yet the Lord brought me out safely from all of them.[c]
12 Indeed, persecution will afflict all who want to lead a godly life in Christ Jesus, 13 while wicked people and impostors will grow ever worse, deceiving others and being themselves deceived. 14 But as for you, stand by what you have learned and firmly believed, because you know from whom you have learned it.[d]
15 Gain Wisdom from the Inspired Scriptures. Also remember that from the time you were a child you have known the sacred Scriptures. From these you can acquire the wisdom that will lead you to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in uprightness,[e] 17 so that the man of God may be proficient and equipped for good work of every kind.
The Testament of the Lord[a]
Chapter 13
Jesus Washes the Feet of the Disciples.[b] 1 As the feast of Passover drew near, Jesus was aware that his hour had come to depart from this world and to go to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end.
2 The devil had already put it into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. During supper, 3 Jesus, fully aware that the Father had entrusted all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 4 got up from the table, removed his outer garments, and took a towel that he tied around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wrapped around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you will have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
10 Jesus then said, “Anyone who has bathed has no need to wash further, except for his feet, for he is clean all over. You also are clean, although not every one of you is clean.” 11 He knew the one who was going to betray him. That is why he added the words, “Not every one of you is clean.”
12 After he had finished washing their feet and had once again put on his outer garments, he reclined at table and said to them,
“Do you understand
what I have done for you?
13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’
and rightly so,
for that is what I am.
14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 “I have given you an example.
What I have done for you,
you should also do.
16 Amen, amen, I say to you,
a servant is not greater than his master,
nor is a messenger greater
than the one who sent him.
17 “Now that you know these things,
you will be blessed
if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal[c]
18 “I am not speaking about all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
However, what the Scripture says
must be fulfilled,
‘The one who ate bread with me
has raised his heel against me.’
19 “I tell you this now,
before it occurs,
so that when it does occur,
you may believe that I am.[d]
20 Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever receives the one I send
receives me,
and whoever receives me
receives the one who sent me.”
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