Book of Common Prayer
ק Qoph
145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord,
I will keep Your statutes.
146 I cried unto You; deliver me,
and I shall keep Your testimonies.
147 I arose before the dawn of the morning and cried for help;
I hope in Your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the night watches,
that I might meditate on Your word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness, O Lord;
revive me according to Your judgment.
150 They draw close, those who persecute me with evil;
they are far from Your law.
151 But You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commandments are true.
152 I have known of old
that You have established Your testimonies forever.
ר Resh
153 Consider my affliction, and deliver me,
for I do not forget Your law.
154 Plead my cause, and defend me;
revive me according to Your word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek Your statutes.
156 Great are Your compassions, O Lord;
revive me according to Your judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
158 I behold the transgressors with disgust,
because they have not kept Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 Your word is true from the beginning,
and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
ש Sin and Shin
161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause,
but my heart stands in awe of Your words.
162 I rejoice at Your word,
as one who finds great plunder.
163 I hate and abhor lying,
but I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Those who love Your law have great peace,
and nothing shall cause them to stumble.
166 Lord, I have hoped for Your deliverance,
and I carry out Your commandments.
167 My soul has kept Your testimonies,
and I love them greatly.
168 I have kept Your precepts and Your testimonies,
for all my ways are before You.
ת Taw
169 Let my cry come near before You, O Lord;
give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You;
deliver me according to Your word.
171 My lips shall declare praise,
for You have taught me Your statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word,
for all Your commandments are right.
173 Let Your hand help me,
for I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I have longed for Your salvation, O Lord,
and Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise You,
and let Your judgments come to my aid.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep;
seek Your servant,
for I do not forget Your commandments.
Psalm 128
A Song of Ascents.
1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in His ways.
2 For you shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you will be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine
in your house,
your children like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Behold, this man shall be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord shall bless you from Zion,
and may you see the welfare of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace upon Israel!
Psalm 129
A Song of Ascents.
1 “Often they have afflicted me from my youth,”
may Israel now say,
2 “often they have afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowmen plowed upon my back;
they made their furrows long.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all those be shamed
and turned back who hate Zion.
6 Let them be as the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it even grows,
7 where the reaper is unable to fill his hand,
or he who binds sheaves, his arms.
8 Neither do they who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
we bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.
1 From the depths I call on You, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to the sound of my supplications.
3 If you, O Lord, should keep track of iniquities,
O Lord, who shall stand?
4 For there is forgiveness with You,
that You may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, with bated breath I wait;
I long for His Word!
6 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 Let Israel wait for the Lord!
For mercy is found with the Lord;
with Him is great redemption.
8 He shall redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
A Prophecy Against Israel’s Shepherds
34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourself with the wool; you kill those who are fed without feeding the flock. 4 The diseased you have not strengthened, nor have you healed that which was sick, nor have you bound up that which was broken, nor have you brought back that which was driven away, nor have you sought that which was lost. But with force and with cruelty you have subjugated them. 5 They were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became meat to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill. Indeed, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and no one searched or sought after them.
7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, says the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock even became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock; but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 10 Thus says the Lord God: I am against the shepherds. And I will require My flock from their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Nor shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore, for I will deliver My flock from their mouth so that they may not be meat for them.
The True Shepherd
11 For thus says the Lord God: I, even I, will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so I will seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in a cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel their grazing ground shall be. There they shall lie on good grazing ground, and in a rich pasture they shall feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away and bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with judgment.
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I am writing to you, little children,
because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
The Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles(A)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, and commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9 “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper for your purses, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor even staffs. For the workman is worthy of his keep.
11 “In whatever city or town you enter, inquire in it who is worthy. And live there until you leave. 12 When you come into a house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.