Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 87
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 His foundation is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C)
4 “I will mention those who know Me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High Himself will establish her.(E)
6 When He registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.”(F)
7 Singers and dancers alike will say,
“My whole source of joy is[a] in you.”(G)
BOOK IV
(Psalms 90–106)
Psalm 90
Eternal God and Mortal Man
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, You have been our refuge[a]
in every generation.(A)
2 Before the mountains were born,
before You gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, You are God.(B)
3 You return mankind to the dust,
saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”(C)
4 For in Your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.(D)
5 You end their lives;[b] they sleep.(E)
They are like grass that grows in the morning—
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;
by evening it withers and dries up.(F)
7 For we are consumed by Your anger;
we are terrified by Your wrath.(G)
8 You have set our unjust ways before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your presence.(H)
9 For all our days ebb away under Your wrath;
we end our years like a sigh.(I)
10 Our lives last[c] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
Even the best of them are[d] struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.(J)
11 Who understands the power of Your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due You.(K)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.[e](L)
13 Lord—how long?
Turn and have compassion on Your servants.(M)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.(N)
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.(O)
16 Let Your work be seen by Your servants,
and Your splendor by their children.(P)
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
establish the work of our hands!(Q)
Psalm 136
God’s Love Is Eternal
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.(A)
His love is eternal.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love is eternal.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.(B)
His love is eternal.
4 He alone does great wonders.(C)
His love is eternal.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.(D)
His love is eternal.
6 He spread the land on the waters.(E)
His love is eternal.
7 He made the great lights:(F)
His love is eternal.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His love is eternal.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.(G)
His love is eternal.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians(H)
His love is eternal.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love is eternal.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.(I)
His love is eternal.
13 He divided the Red Sea(J)
His love is eternal.
14 and led Israel through,(K)
His love is eternal.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.(L)
His love is eternal.
16 He led His people in the wilderness.(M)
His love is eternal.
17 He struck down great kings
His love is eternal.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His love is eternal.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love is eternal.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love is eternal.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love is eternal.
22 an inheritance to Israel His servant.(N)
His love is eternal.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation(O)
His love is eternal.
24 and rescued us from our foes.(P)
His love is eternal.
25 He gives food to every creature.(Q)
His love is eternal.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!(R)
His love is eternal.
10 I greatly rejoice in the Lord,
I exult in my God;
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation
and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness,(A)
as a groom wears a turban
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.(B)
11 For as the earth produces its growth,
and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.(C)
Zion’s Restoration
62 I will not keep silent because of Zion,
and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem,(D)
until her righteousness shines like a bright light(E)
and her salvation, like a flaming torch.
2 Nations will see your righteousness(F)
and all kings, your glory.
You will be called by a new name
that the Lord’s mouth will announce.(G)
3 You will be a glorious crown in the Lord’s hand,
and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.(H)
4 You will no longer be called Deserted,(I)
and your land will not be called Desolate;
instead, you will be called My Delight is in Her,[a]
and your land Married;[b](J)
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land will be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so your sons will marry you;
and as a groom rejoices[c] over his bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.(K)
Fulfill Your Ministry
4 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge(A) the living and the dead,(B) and because of His appearing and His kingdom:(C) 2 Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine,(D) but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.[a] 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.(E) 5 But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,(F) fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,(G) and the time for my departure is close. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 There is reserved for me in the future the crown(H) of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,(I) will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.(J)
A Blind Man Healed
46 They(A) came to Jericho.(B) And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind(C) beggar,(D) was sitting by the road.(E) 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene,(F) he began to cry out, “Son of David,(G) Jesus, have mercy(H) on me!”(I) 48 Many people told him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me,(J) Son of David!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage!(K) Get up; He’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat,(L) jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want(M) Me to do for you?”
“Rabbouni,”[a](N) the blind man told Him, “I want to see!”
52 “Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.”(O) Immediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road.
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