Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 119[a]
א (Alef)
119 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,[b]
who obey[c] the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.[d]
4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.[e]
5 If only I were predisposed[f]
to keep your statutes.
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if[g] I were focused on[h] all your commands.
7 I will give you sincere thanks,[i]
when I learn your just regulations.
8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me.[j]
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young person[k] maintain a pure life?[l]
By guarding it according to your instructions.[m]
10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
11 In my heart I store up[n] your words,[o]
so I might not sin against you.
12 You deserve praise,[p] O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.[q]
14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules[r]
as if[s] they were riches of all kinds.[t]
15 I will meditate on[u] your precepts
and focus on[v] your behavior.[w]
16 I find delight[x] in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.[y]
ג (Gimel)
17 Be kind to your servant.
Then I will live[z] and keep[aa] your instructions.[ab]
18 Open[ac] my eyes so I can truly see[ad]
the marvelous things in your law.
19 I am a resident foreigner in this land.[ae]
Do not hide your commands from me.
20 I desperately long to know[af]
your regulations at all times.
21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.[ag]
22 Spare me[ah] shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
23 Though rulers plot and slander me,[ai]
your servant meditates on your statutes.
24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.[aj]
Psalm 12[a]
For the music director, according to the sheminith style;[b] a psalm of David.
12 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly[c] have disappeared;[d]
people of integrity[e] have vanished.[f]
2 People lie to one another;[g]
they flatter and deceive.[h]
3 May the Lord cut off[i] all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts![j]
4 They say,[k] “We speak persuasively;[l]
we know how to flatter and boast.[m]
Who is our master?”[n]
5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed,[o]
because of the painful cries[p] of the needy,
I will spring into action,”[q] says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”[r]
6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable.[s]
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined.[t]
7 You, Lord, will protect them;[u]
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people,[v]
8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere,[w]
when people promote evil.[x]
Psalm 13[y]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
13 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?[z]
How long will you pay no attention to me?[aa]
2 How long must I worry,[ab]
and suffer in broad daylight?[ac]
How long will my enemy gloat over me?[ad]
3 Look at me![ae] Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,[af] or else I will die.[ag]
4 Then[ah] my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.”
Then[ai] my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I[aj] trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance.[ak]
6 I will sing praises[al] to the Lord
when he vindicates me.[am]
Psalm 14[an]
For the music director, by David.
14 Fools say to themselves,[ao] “There is no God.”[ap]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[aq]
none of them does what is right.[ar]
2 The Lord looks down from heaven[as] at the human race,[at]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[au] and seeks God.[av]
3 Everyone rejects God;[aw]
they are all morally corrupt.[ax]
None of them does what is right,[ay]
not even one.
4 All those who behave wickedly[az] do not understand—[ba]
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to the Lord.
5 They are absolutely terrified,[bb]
for God defends the godly.[bc]
6 You want to humiliate the oppressed,[bd]
even though[be] the Lord is their[bf] shelter.
7 I wish the deliverance[bg] of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people,[bh]
may Jacob rejoice,[bi]
may Israel be happy![bj]
17 Better is a dry crust of bread[a] where there is quietness[b]
than a house full of feasting with strife.[c]
2 A servant who acts wisely[d] will rule
over[e] an heir[f] who behaves shamefully,[g]
and will share the inheritance along with the relatives.[h]
3 The crucible[i] is for refining[j] silver and the furnace[k] is for gold,
likewise[l] the Lord tests[m] hearts.
4 One who acts wickedly[n] pays attention to evil counsel;[o]
a liar listens[p] to a malicious tongue.[q]
5 The one who mocks the poor[r] has insulted[s] his Creator;
whoever rejoices over disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren[t] are like[u] a crown[v] to the elderly,
and the glory[w] of children is their parents.[x]
7 Excessive[y] speech[z] is not becoming for a fool;[aa]
how much less are lies[ab] for a ruler![ac]
8 A bribe works like[ad] a charm[ae] for the one who offers it;[af]
in whatever he does[ag] he succeeds.[ah]
9 The one who forgives[ai] an offense seeks[aj] love,
but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.[ak]
10 A rebuke makes a greater impression on[al] a discerning person
than a hundred blows on a fool.[am]
11 An evil person seeks only rebellion,[an]
and so[ao] a cruel messenger[ap] will be sent against him.
12 It is better for a person to meet[aq] a mother bear being robbed of her cubs,
than[ar] to encounter[as] a fool in his folly.[at]
13 As for the one who repays[au] evil for good,
evil will not leave[av] his house.[aw]
14 Starting a quarrel[ax] is like letting out water;[ay]
abandon strife before it breaks out![az]
15 The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent[ba]—
both of them are an abomination to the Lord.[bb]
16 What’s the point[bc] of a fool having money[bd] in hand
to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?[be]
17 A friend[bf] loves at all times,
and a relative[bg] is born to help in adversity.[bh]
18 The one who lacks sense[bi] strikes hands in pledge,[bj]
and puts up financial security[bk] for his neighbor.[bl]
19 The one who loves a quarrel loves transgression;[bm]
whoever builds his gate high seeks destruction.[bn]
20 The one who has a perverse heart[bo] does not find good,[bp]
and the one who is deceitful in speech[bq] falls into trouble.
Ministry in the Last Days
3 But understand this, that in the last days difficult[a] times will come. 2 For people[b] will be lovers of themselves,[c] lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance[d] of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.[e] 6 For some of these insinuate themselves[f] into households and captivate weak women[g] who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 7 Such women are always seeking instruction,[h] yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres[i] opposed Moses, so these people—who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith[j]—also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not go much further,[k] for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres.[l]
Continue in What You Have Learned
10 You, however,[m] have followed my teaching, my[n] way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings[o] that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra.[p] I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,[q] deceiving others and being deceived themselves.[r] 14 You, however, must continue[s] in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know[t] who taught you[u] 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture[v] is inspired by God[w] and useful for teaching, for reproof,[x] for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God[y] may be capable[z] and equipped for every good work.
Washing the Disciples’ Feet
13 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time[a] had come to depart[b] from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.[c] 2 The evening meal[d] was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart[e] of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray[f] Jesus.[g] 3 Because Jesus[h] knew that the Father had handed all things over to him,[i] and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed[j] his outer clothes,[k] took a towel and tied it around himself.[l] 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.[m]
6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter[n] said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash[o] my feet?” 7 Jesus replied,[p] “You do not understand[q] what I am doing now, but you will understand[r] after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”[s] Jesus replied,[t] “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”[u] 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash[v] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied,[w] “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,[x] but is completely[y] clean.[z] And you disciples[aa] are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus[ab] knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is[ac] clean.”)[ad]
12 So when Jesus[ae] had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table[af] again and said to them, “Do you understand[ag] what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,[ah] for that is what I am.[ai] 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example[aj]—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth,[ak] the slave[al] is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger[am] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand[an] these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal
18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture,[ao] ‘The one who eats my bread[ap] has turned against me.’[aq] 19 I am telling you this now,[ar] before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe[as] that I am he.[at] 20 I tell you the solemn truth,[au] whoever accepts[av] the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”[aw]
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