Book of Common Prayer
Qoph
145 With my (A)whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
I will (B)keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before (C)dawn and cry for help;
I (D)hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before (E)the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O Lord, (F)according to your justice (G)give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
151 But (H)you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are (I)true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have (J)founded them forever.
Resh
153 Look on my (K)affliction and deliver me,
for (L)I do not forget your law.
154 (M)Plead my cause and redeem me;
(N)give me life according to your promise!
155 (O)Salvation is far from the wicked,
(P)for they do not seek your statutes.
156 (Q)Great is your mercy, O Lord;
(R)give me life according to your rules.
157 (S)Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not (T)swerve from your testimonies.
158 I look at (U)the faithless with (V)disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
159 Consider how I (W)love your precepts!
(X)Give me life according to your steadfast love.
160 (Y)The sum of your word is (Z)truth,
and every one of your (AA)righteous rules endures forever.
Sin and Shin
161 (AB)Princes persecute me (AC)without cause,
but my heart (AD)stands in awe of your words.
162 I (AE)rejoice at your word
like one who (AF)finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love (AG)your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your (AH)righteous rules.
165 Great (AI)peace have those who love your law;
(AJ)nothing can make them stumble.
166 I (AK)hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I (AL)love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
(AM)for all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my (AN)cry come before you, O Lord;
(AO)give me understanding (AP)according to your word!
170 Let my plea come before you;
(AQ)deliver me according to your word.
171 My lips will (AR)pour forth praise,
for you (AS)teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your word,
for (AT)all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have (AU)chosen your precepts.
174 I (AV)long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my (AW)delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.
176 I have (AX)gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
for I do not (AY)forget your commandments.
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord
A Song of (A)Ascents.
128 (B)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who (C)walks in his ways!
2 You (D)shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like (E)a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like (F)olive shoots
around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 (G)The Lord bless you (H)from Zion!
May you see (I)the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
6 May you see your (J)children's children!
(K)Peace be upon Israel!
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of (L)Ascents.
129 “Greatly[a] have they (M)afflicted me (N)from my youth”—
(O)let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they (P)afflicted me (Q)from my youth,
(R)yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 (S)The plowers plowed (T)upon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut (U)the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
be (V)put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like (W)the grass on the housetops,
which (X)withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
(Y)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We (Z)bless you in the name of the Lord!”
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of (AA)Ascents.
130 Out of (AB)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
(AC)Let your ears be attentive
to (AD)the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should (AE)mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could (AF)stand?
4 But with you there is (AG)forgiveness,
(AH)that you may be feared.
Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel
34 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 (A)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: (B)Ah, shepherds of Israel (C)who have been feeding yourselves! (D)Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 (E)You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, (F)you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 (G)The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, (H)the injured you have not bound up, (I)the strayed you have not brought back, (J)the lost you have not sought, and with force and (K)harshness you have ruled them. 5 (L)So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and (M)they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, (N)with none to search or seek for them.
7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 (O)As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because (P)my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, (Q)Behold, I am against the shepherds, and (R)I will require my sheep at their hand and (S)put a stop to their feeding the sheep. (T)No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. (U)I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
The Lord God Will Seek Them Out
11 “For thus says the Lord God: (V)Behold, I, I (W)myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on (X)a day of clouds and (Y)thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples (Z)and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on (AA)the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (AB)I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. (AC)There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 (AD)I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, (AE)and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 (AF)I will seek the lost, (AG)and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and (AH)the fat and the strong I will destroy.[a] I will feed them in justice.
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because (A)your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know (B)him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because (C)you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because (D)you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know (E)him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because (F)you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 (G)Do not love the world or the things in the world. (H)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—(I)the desires of the flesh and (J)the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And (K)the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5 (A)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of (B)the Samaritans, 6 (C)but go rather to (D)the lost sheep of (E)the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, (F)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[a] 8 (G)Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[b] cast out demons. (H)You received without paying; give without pay. 9 (I)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics[c] or sandals or a staff, for (J)the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, (K)greet it. 13 And if the house is (L)worthy, let (M)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let (N)your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, (O)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, (P)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for (Q)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.