Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.(A)
1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.(B)
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b](C)
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,(D)
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.(E)
5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.(F)
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.(G)
7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me(H)—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d](I)
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.(J)
9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.(K)
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;(L)
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.(M)
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;(N)
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.(O)
Psalm 17
A Prayer for Protection
A prayer of David.
1 Lord, hear a just cause;(P)
pay attention to my cry;
listen to my prayer—
from lips free of deceit.(Q)
2 Let my vindication come from you,
for you see what is right.(R)
3 You have tested my heart;(S)
you have examined me at night.
You have tried me and found nothing evil;(T)
I have determined that my mouth will not sin.[f]
4 Concerning what people do:
by the words from your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.(U)
5 My steps are on your paths;
my feet have not slipped.(V)
6 I call on you, God,
because you will answer me;(W)
listen closely to me; hear what I say.
7 Display the wonders of your faithful love,(X)
Savior of all who seek refuge(Y)
from those who rebel against your right hand.[g]
8 Protect me as the pupil of your eye;(Z)
hide me in the shadow of your wings(AA)
9 from[h] the wicked who treat me violently,[i]
my deadly enemies who surround me.(AB)
10 They are uncaring;[j](AC)
their mouths speak arrogantly.(AD)
11 They advance against me;[k] now they surround me.(AE)
They are determined[l]
to throw me to the ground.(AF)
12 They are[m] like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.(AG)
13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him; bring him down.(AH)
With your sword, save me from the wicked.(AI)
14 With your hand, Lord, save me from men,
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life:
You fill their bellies with what you have in store;
their sons are satisfied,
and they leave their surplus to their children.(AJ)
Psalm 22
From Suffering to Praise
For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?(A)
Why are you so far from my deliverance(B)
and from my words of groaning?(C)
2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest.(D)
3 But you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.(E)
4 Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted, and you rescued them.(F)
5 They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.(G)
6 But I am a worm and not a man,(H)
scorned by mankind and despised by people.(I)
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they sneer[a] and shake their heads:(J)
8 “He relies on[b] the Lord;
let him save him;
let the Lord[c] rescue him,
since he takes pleasure in him.”(K)
9 It was you who brought me out of the womb,
making me secure at my mother’s breast.(L)
10 I was given over to you at birth;[d]
you have been my God from my mother’s womb.(M)
11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near
and there’s no one to help.(N)
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong ones of Bashan encircle me.(O)
13 They open their mouths against me—
lions, mauling and roaring.(P)
14 I am poured out like water,(Q)
and all my bones are disjointed;(R)
my heart is like wax,
melting within me.(S)
15 My strength is dried up like baked clay;(T)
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.(U)
You put me into the dust of death.(V)
16 For dogs have surrounded me;(W)
a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;
they pierced[e] my hands and my feet.(X)
17 I can count all my bones;
people[f] look and stare at me.(Y)
18 They divided my garments among themselves,
and they cast lots for my clothing.(Z)
19 But you, Lord, don’t be far away.(AA)
My strength, come quickly to help me.(AB)
20 Rescue my life from the sword,(AC)
my only life[g] from the power of these dogs.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth,(AD)
from the horns of wild oxen.
You answered me![h]
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly.(AE)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(AF)
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him!(AG)
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the torment of the oppressed.(AH)
He did not hide his face from him(AI)
but listened when he cried to him for help.(AJ)
25 I will give praise in the great assembly
because of you;(AK)
I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear you.[i](AL)
26 The humble will eat and be satisfied;(AM)
those who seek the Lord will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!(AN)
27 All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before you,(AO)
28 for kingship belongs to the Lord;
he rules the nations.(AP)
29 All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down;
all those who go down to the dust
will kneel before him—
even the one who cannot preserve his life.(AQ)
30 Their descendants will serve him;
the next generation will be told about the Lord.(AR)
31 They will come and declare his righteousness;
to a people yet to be born
they will declare what he has done.(AS)
17 One day Jesse had told his son David, “Take this half-bushel[a] of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of bread(A) for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to the field commander.[b] Check on the well-being of your brothers(B) and bring a confirmation from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”
20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him.
He arrived at the perimeter of the camp(C) as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. 22 David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster(D) and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. 23 While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words,(E) which David heard. 24 When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.
25 Previously, an Israelite man had declared, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter.(F) The king will also make the family of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”(G)
26 David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?(H) Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine(I) that he should defy the armies(J) of the living God?” (K)
27 The troops told him about the offer, concluding, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”(L)
28 David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him.(M) “Why did you come down here?” he asked. “Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart—you came down to see the battle!”
29 “What have I done now?” protested David. “It was just a question.” 30 Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.(N)
Good News for Gentiles
34 Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,(A) 35 but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.(B) 37 You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.(C) 39 We ourselves are witnesses of everything he did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and yet they killed him by hanging him on a tree.(D) 40 God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but by us whom God appointed as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.(E) 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.(F) 43 All the prophets testify(G) about him that through his name(H) everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”(I)
Gentile Conversion and Baptism
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down(J) on all those who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.(K) 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and declaring the greatness of God.
Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (L) 48 He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.(M) Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
The Messiah’s Herald
1 The beginning(A) of the gospel(B) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[a](C) 2 As it is written in Isaiah(D) the prophet:[b](E)
See, I am sending my messenger(F) ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.[c][d] (G)
3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:(H)
Prepare the way for the Lord;(I)
make his paths straight
4 John came baptizing[f](K) in the wilderness(L) and proclaiming a baptism of repentance(M) for the forgiveness(N) of sins.(O) 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem(P) were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan(Q) River, confessing(R) their sins.(S) 6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts(T) and wild honey.(U)
7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful(V) than I am is coming after me.(W) I am not worthy(X) to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.(Y) 8 I baptize you with[g] water,(Z) but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”(AA)
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In(AB) those days Jesus came from Nazareth(AC) in Galilee(AD) and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens(AE) being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice(AF) came from heaven:(AG) “You are my beloved(AH) Son;(AI) with you I am well-pleased.”(AJ)
The Temptation of Jesus
12 Immediately(AK) the Spirit(AL) drove(AM) him into the wilderness.(AN) 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted(AO) by Satan.(AP) He was with the wild animals,(AQ) and the angels(AR) were serving him.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.