Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer of Someone Far from Home
A psalm ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
120 When I was in ·trouble [distress], I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Lord, ·save [protect] me from ·liars [L false lips]
and from ·those who plan evil [L a deceptive tongue].
3 ·You who plan evil [L O deceptive tongue], what will ·God do [L he give] to you?
·How will he punish [L What will he add to] you?
4 ·He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior
and with burning coals of wood [L The sharp arrows of a warrior and the burning coals of a broom tree; C the broom tree produces excellent charcoal].
5 ·How terrible it is for [L Woe to] me to ·live in the land of [L sojourn/wander in] Meshech [C by the Black Sea in Asia Minor; Gen. 10:2; Ezek. 38:2],
to ·live [dwell; reside] among the ·people [L tents] of Kedar [C in the Arabian desert; Is. 21:16–17; Jer. 2:10; 49:28; Ezek. 27:21].
6 I have ·lived [dwelt; resided] too long
with people who hate peace.
7 When I talk peace,
they want war.
The Lord Guards His People
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
121 I ·look up [L raise my eyes] to the hills [C the hills surrounding Zion, the location of the Temple],
but where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].
3 He will not let ·you be defeated [L your feet be moved/slip].
He who ·guards [watches] you never sleeps.
4 He who ·guards [watches] Israel
never ·rests [sleeps] or ·sleeps [slumbers].
5 The Lord ·guards [watches] you.
The Lord is the shade ·that protects you from the sun [L at your hand, your right hand; 91:1].
6 The sun cannot ·hurt [L strike] you during the day,
and the moon cannot ·hurt [L strike] you at night.
7 The Lord will ·protect [guard; watch] you from all ·dangers [trouble; evil];
he will ·guard [watch] your life.
8 The Lord will ·guard [watch] you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Happy People in Jerusalem
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.
122 I ·was happy [rejoiced] when they said to me,
“Let’s ·go [walk] to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.”
2 Jerusalem, ·we [L our feet] are standing
at your gates.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city
·with the buildings close together [L that is closely tied together].
4 The tribes [C the twelve tribes of Israel] go up there,
the tribes who belong to the Lord.
It is the ·rule [decree; testimony] in Israel
to ·praise [L thank the name of] the Lord at Jerusalem.
5 There ·are set thrones to judge the people [L dwell thrones of judgment],
the thrones of the ·descendants [dynasty; L house] of David.
6 ·Pray [L Ask] for peace in Jerusalem:
“May those who love her ·be safe [prosper].
7 May there be peace within her ·walls [ramparts]
and ·safety [security] within her strong towers.”
8 To help my ·relatives [brothers] and ·friends [neighbors],
I say, “Let ·Jerusalem have peace [L peace be within you].”
9 For the sake of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord our God,
I ·wish [L seek] ·good [prosperity] for her.
A Prayer for Mercy
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
123 Lord, I ·look upward [L lift up my eyes] to you,
you who ·live [are enthroned; L sit] in heaven.
2 ·Slaves depend on their masters [L Like the eyes of servants/slaves to the hand of their master],
and ·a female servant depends on her mistress [L like the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress].
·In the same way, we depend on the Lord our God [L …thus our eyes are to the Lord our God as…];
we wait for him to show us ·mercy [grace].
3 ·Have mercy on [Be gracious to] us, Lord. ·Have mercy on [Be gracious to] us,
because we have been insulted.
4 We ·have suffered [are filled with the] ·many insults [much ridicule] from ·lazy [untroubled; unworried] people
and much ·cruelty [scorn] from the proud.
The Lord Saves His People
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.
124 What if the Lord had not been on our side?
(Let Israel ·repeat this [L say].)
2 What if the Lord had not been on our side
when ·we were attacked [L people rose against us]?
3 When they were angry with us,
they would have swallowed us alive.
4 They would have been like ·a flood [L water] ·drowning [overflowing] us;
they would have ·poured [passed] over us like a ·river [torrent].
5 They would have ·swept us away [passed over us] like ·a mighty stream [raging waters].
6 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord,
who did not ·let them chew us up [L give us as prey to their teeth].
7 We escaped like a bird
from the ·hunter’s [fowler’s] trap.
The trap broke,
and we escaped.
8 Our help ·comes from [L is in the name of] the Lord,
who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].
God Protects Those Who Trust Him
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
125 Those who ·trust [have confidence in] the Lord are like Mount Zion [C the location of the Temple],
which sits unmoved forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
the Lord surrounds his people
now and forever.
3 The ·wicked will not rule
over [L scepter of the wicked will not rest on; C the scepter is a symbol of rule] ·those who do right [L the allotment of the righteous].
·If they did, the people who do right
might use their power to do evil [L …so the righteous do not send forth their hands in evil].
4 Lord, ·be [or do] good to those who are good,
whose hearts are ·honest [virtuous; filled with integrity].
5 But, Lord, when you ·remove [turn aside] those who ·do evil [are twisted/perverted],
also ·remove [L make go away] those who ·stop following you [L do evil].
Let there be peace in Israel.
Lord, Bring Your People Back
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
126 When the Lord ·brought the prisoners back to [brought back those who returned to; or restored the fortunes of] Jerusalem [L Zion; C probably the return from the exile; 2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1],
it seemed as if we were dreaming [C so surprised and happy that it did not seem real].
2 Then ·we [L our mouths] were filled with laughter,
and ·we [L our tongues] ·sang happy songs [shouted joyfully].
Then the other nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we ·are very glad [rejoice].
4 Lord, ·return our prisoners [bring back those who return; or restore our fortunes] again,
as you bring streams to the ·desert [L Negev; C an arid area in the south of Israel].
5 Those who cry as they ·plant crops [sow; plant seed]
will ·sing [shout for joy] at harvest time.
6 Those who ·cry [L go out weeping]
as they carry out the ·seeds [L bag with seeds]
will return singing
and carrying ·bundles of grain [sheaves].
All Good Things Come from God
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of Solomon.
127 If the Lord doesn’t build the house,
the builders are working ·for nothing [in vain; without purpose].
If the Lord doesn’t guard the city,
the guards are watching ·for nothing [in vain; without purpose].
2 It is ·no use [in vain; without purpose] for you to get up early
and stay up late,
·working for a living [L eating the bread of hardship/pain].
The Lord ·gives sleep to those he loves [or provides for those he loves while they sleep].
3 Children are ·a gift [an inheritance] from the Lord;
·babies [L the fruit of the womb] are a reward.
4 Children ·who are born to a young man [L of one’s youth]
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior [C they help in the challenges and conflicts of life].
5 ·Happy [Blessed] is the man
who has his ·bag [quiver] full of ·arrows [L them].
They will not be ·defeated [L humiliated]
when they ·fight [L speak to] their enemies at the city gate [C the central place of commerce and government].
The Fall of Jerusalem Explained
21 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], on the fifth day of the tenth month [C January 19, 585 bc]. A ·person who had escaped [survivor; refugee; fugitive] from Jerusalem came to me and said, “Jerusalem has been ·captured [struck down].” 22 Now ·I had felt the power of the Lord [L the hand of the Lord was] on me the evening before. He had ·made me able to talk again [L opened my mouth] before this person came to me. ·I could speak [L He opened my mouth]; I was not without speech anymore [C see 3:24–27].
23 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 24 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], people who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was only one person, yet he was given the land as his own. Surely the land has been given to us, who are many, as our ·very own [possession].’ 25 So say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it [C forbidden in the law; Lev. 19:26], you ·ask your idols for help [L raise your eyes to your idols], and you ·murder people [L shed blood]. Should you then ·have the land as your very own [possess the land]? 26 You depend on your sword and do ·terrible things that I hate [detestable/abominable things]. Each of you ·has sexual relations with [defiles] his neighbor’s wife. So should you ·have [possess] the land?’
27 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are among the city ruins in Israel will ·be killed in war [L fall by the sword]. I will cause those who live in the ·country [open field] to be eaten by wild animals. People ·hiding in [L in] the strongholds and caves will die of ·disease [plague; pestilence]. 28 I will make the land an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland]. ·The people’s pride in the land’s power [L …and her confident pride] will end. The mountains of Israel will become ·empty [desolate] so that no one will pass through them. 29 They will know that I am the Lord when I make the land an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland] because of the things they have done that ·I hate [are detestable/abominable].’
30 “But as for you, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each other: ‘Come now, and hear the message from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you in crowds as ·if they were really ready to listen [or they usually do; or people do]. They sit in front of you as if they were my people and hear your words, but they will not ·obey [do] them. With their mouths they ·tell me they love me [or talk lustfully], ·but [or and] their hearts ·desire [pursue] their selfish profits. 32 [L Look; T Behold] To your people you are nothing more than a singer who sings ·love [or sensual; lustful] songs and has a beautiful voice and plays a musical instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not ·obey [do] them.
33 “When this comes true, and it surely will happen, then the people will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Jesus Is Our Helper
2 My ·dear children [L little children; C a term of endearment], I write ·this letter [L these things] to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a ·helper [counselor; advocate; Rom. 8:34] in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, ·the One who does what is right [or the Righteous One]. 2 He ·died in our place to take away [is the atoning sacrifice/T propitiation for] our sins [C his death pays the penalty and removes God’s anger from us; 4:10; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17], and not only our sins but the sins of ·all people [L the whole world].
3 We ·can be sure [know] that we know ·God [L him] if we ·obey [keep] his commands. 4 Anyone who says, “I know ·God [L him],” but does not ·obey [keep] ·God’s [L his] commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if someone ·obeys [keeps] ·God’s teaching [L his word], then in that person ·God’s love [or love for God] has ·truly reached its goal [been fulfilled/perfected/completed]. This is how we can be sure we are ·living in God [L in him]: 6 Whoever says that he ·lives [abides; remains] in God must ·live [L walk] as ·Jesus lived [L he walked].
The Command to Love Others
7 ·My dear friends [L Beloved], I am not writing a new command to you but an old command you have had from the beginning [3:23; John 13:34]. It is the ·teaching [L word] you have already heard. 8 But also I am writing a new command to you, ·and you can see its truth in Jesus [L which is true in him] and in you, ·because [or that] the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who ·says [claims; C as do the false teachers; see 2:18–19], “I am in the light,” [C following God’s goodness and truthfulness] but hates a brother or sister [C fellow Christian], is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister ·lives [abides; remains] in the light and ·will not cause anyone to stumble in his faith [or he will not stumble in his faith; L there is no cause of stumbling in him; C the “stumbling” may be either by apostasy or sin; John 6:61; 16:1; Rom. 14:13; Rev. 2:14]. 11 But whoever hates a brother or sister is in darkness, ·lives [L walks] in darkness, and does not know where to go, because the darkness has ·made that person blind [L blinded his eyes].
The Harvest Is Great(A)
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·Good News [Gospel] about the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 36 When he saw the crowds, he ·felt sorry [had compassion] for them because they were ·hurting [distressed; confused; harassed] and ·helpless [discouraged; dejected], like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “·There are many people to harvest [L The harvest is great/large] but ·there are only a few workers [the workers/laborers are few]. 38 So pray to the Lord ·who owns [who is in charge of; L of] the harvest, that he will send more ·workers [laborers] ·to gather [L into] his harvest.”
Jesus Sends Out His Apostles(B)
10 Jesus called his twelve ·followers [disciples] together and gave them authority to drive [force; cast] out ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who ·turned against [betrayed] Jesus.
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