Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 102
Affliction in Light of Eternity
A prayer of an afflicted person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.(A)
1 Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry for help come before You.(B)
2 Do not hide Your face from me in my day of trouble.
Listen closely to me;
answer me quickly when I call.(C)
3 For my days vanish like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.(D)
4 My heart is afflicted, withered like grass;(E)
I even forget to eat my food.(F)
5 Because of the sound of my groaning,
my flesh sticks to my bones.(G)
6 I am like a desert owl,[a]
like an owl among the ruins.(H)
7 I stay awake;(I)
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
8 My enemies taunt me all day long;
they ridicule and curse me.(J)
9 I eat ashes like bread
and mingle my drinks with tears(K)
10 because of Your indignation and wrath;
for You have picked me up and thrown me aside.(L)
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither away like grass.(M)
12 But You, Lord, are enthroned forever;(N)
Your fame endures to all generations.(O)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her—
the appointed time has come.(P)
14 For Your servants take delight in its stones
and favor its dust.(Q)
15 Then the nations will fear the name of Yahweh,
and all the kings of the earth Your glory,(R)
16 for the Lord will rebuild Zion;
He will appear in His glory.(S)
17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.(T)
18 This will be written for a later generation,
and a newly created people will praise the Lord:(U)
19 He looked down from His holy heights—
the Lord gazed out from heaven to earth(V)—
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning,
to set free those condemned to die,[b](W)
21 so that they might declare
the name of Yahweh in Zion
and His praise in Jerusalem,(X)
22 when peoples and kingdoms are assembled
to serve the Lord.(Y)
23 He has broken my[c] strength in midcourse;
He has shortened my days.(Z)
24 I say: “My God, do not take me
in the middle of my life![d]
Your years continue through all generations.(AA)
25 Long ago You established the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands.(AB)
26 They will perish, but You will endure;
all of them will wear out like clothing.
You will change them like a garment,
and they will pass away.(AC)
27 But You are the same,
and Your years will never end.(AD)
28 Your servants’ children will dwell securely,
and their offspring will be established before You.”(AE)
BOOK V
(Psalms 107–150)
Psalm 107
Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.(A)
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim
that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe(B)
3 and has gathered them from the lands—
from the east and the west,
from the north and the south.(C)
4 Some[a] wandered in the desolate wilderness,
finding no way to a city where they could live.(D)
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
their spirits failed[b] within them.(E)
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He rescued them from their distress.(F)
7 He led them by the right path
to go to a city where they could live.(G)
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love
and His wonderful works for all humanity.(H)
9 For He has satisfied the thirsty
and filled the hungry with good things.(I)
10 Others[c] sat in darkness and gloom[d]—
prisoners in cruel chains(J)—
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the counsel of the Most High.(K)
12 He broke their spirits[e] with hard labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(L)
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them from their distress.(M)
14 He brought them out of darkness and gloom[f]
and broke their chains apart.(N)
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love
and His wonderful works for all humanity.(O)
16 For He has broken down the bronze gates
and cut through the iron bars.(P)
17 Fools suffered affliction
because of their rebellious ways and their sins.(Q)
18 They loathed all food
and came near the gates of death.(R)
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them from their distress.(S)
20 He sent His word and healed them;
He rescued them from the Pit.(T)
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love
and His wonderful works for all humanity.(U)
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and announce His works with shouts of joy.(V)
23 Others[g] went to sea in ships,
conducting trade on the vast waters.(W)
24 They saw the Lord’s works,
His wonderful works in the deep.(X)
25 He spoke and raised a tempest
that stirred up the waves of the sea.[h](Y)
26 Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths,
their courage[i] melting away in anguish,(Z)
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men,
and all their skill was useless.(AA)
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and He brought them out of their distress.(AB)
29 He stilled the storm to a murmur,
and the waves of the sea[j] were hushed.(AC)
30 They rejoiced when the waves[k] grew quiet.
Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.(AD)
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love
and His wonderful works for all humanity.(AE)
32 Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people
and praise Him in the council of the elders.(AF)
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite,(A) “Why are you also going with us? Go back and stay with the new king since you’re both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. 20 Besides, you only arrived yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I go wherever I can? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”
21 But in response, Ittai vowed to the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means life or death, your servant will be there!”
22 “March on,” David replied to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and the children who were with him. 23 Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly while all the people were marching past. As the king was crossing the Kidron Valley, all the people were marching past on the road that leads to the desert.
24 Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices[a] until the people had finished marching past.(B) 25 Then the king instructed Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city.(C) If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its dwelling place.(D) 26 However, if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am—He can do with me whatever pleases Him.”[b](E)
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest,(F) “Look,[c] return to the city in peace and your two sons with you: your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 Remember, I’ll wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David was climbing the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.(G) Each of the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they ascended.
31 Then someone reported to David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.”
“Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”(H)
32 When David came to the summit where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite(I) was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go away with me, you’ll be a burden to me, 34 but if you return to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, my king! Previously, I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can counteract Ahithophel’s counsel for me. 35 Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report everything you hear from the king’s palace to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Take note: their two sons, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, are there with them. Send me everything you hear through them.” 37 So Hushai,(J) David’s personal adviser, entered Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”
He replied, “Do you know Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins[a][b] into the wilderness?”(A)
39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia,(B) a citizen of an important city.[c] Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language:(C) 22 1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter.(D) 3 He(E) continued, “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city[d] at the feet of Gamaliel(F) and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today,(G) 4 I persecuted this Way(H) to the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail,(I) 5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem.(J)
Paul’s Testimony
6 “As(K) I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
8 “I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’
“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light,[e] but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.(L)
10 “Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.’
11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.(M) 12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good reputation with all the Jews residing there,(N) 13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed(O) you to know His will, to see(P) the Righteous One,(Q) and to hear the sound of His voice.[f] 15 For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.(R) 16 And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins(S) by calling on His name.’(T)
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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