Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 131
A Childlike Spirit
A Davidic song of ascents.
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.(A)
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.(B)
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child.(C)
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.(D)
Psalm 132
David and Zion Chosen
A song of ascents.
1 Lord, remember David
and all the hardships he endured,(E)
2 and how he swore an oath to the Lord,
making a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:(F)
3 “I will not enter my house[a]
or get into my bed,[b]
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep
or my eyelids to slumber(G)
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”(H)
6 We heard of the ark in Ephrathah;[c](I)
we found it in the fields of Jaar.[d](J)
7 Let us go to His dwelling place;
let us worship at His footstool.(K)
8 Rise up, Lord, come to Your resting place,
You and Your powerful ark.(L)
9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and may Your godly people shout for joy.(M)
10 Because of Your servant David,
do not reject Your anointed one.[e](N)
11 The Lord swore an oath to David,
a promise He will not abandon:
“I will set one of your descendants[f]
on your throne.(O)
12 If your sons keep My covenant
and My decrees that I will teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”(P)
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His home:(Q)
14 “This is My resting place forever;
I will make My home here
because I have desired it.(R)
15 I will abundantly bless its food;
I will satisfy its needy with bread.(S)
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation,
and its godly people will shout for joy.(T)
17 There I will make a horn grow for David;(U)
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.(V)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,(W)
but the crown he wears[g] will be glorious.”(X)
Psalm 133
Living in Harmony
A Davidic song of ascents.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!(Y)
2 It is like fine oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down Aaron’s beard
onto his robes.(Z)
3 It is like the dew of Hermon[h]
falling on the mountains of Zion.(AA)
For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
life forevermore.(AB)
Psalm 134
Call to Evening Worship
A song of ascents.
1 Now praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord
who stand in the Lord’s house at night!(AC)
2 Lift up your hands in the holy place
and praise the Lord!(AD)
3 May the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.(AE)
Psalm 135
Yahweh Is Great
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Give praise, you servants of Yahweh(AF)
2 who stand in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.(AG)
3 Praise Yahweh, for Yahweh is good;
sing praise to His name, for it is delightful.(AH)
4 For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.(AI)
5 For I know that Yahweh is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.(AJ)
6 Yahweh does whatever He pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(AK)
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(AL)
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.(AM)
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.(AN)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:(AO)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.(AP)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.(AQ)
13 Yahweh, Your name endures forever,
Your reputation, Yahweh,
through all generations.(AR)
14 For Yahweh will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.(AS)
David’s Kingdom Restored
19 It was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping. He’s mourning over Absalom.” 2 That day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, “The king is grieving over his son.” 3 So they returned to the city quietly that day like people come in when they are humiliated after fleeing in battle. 4 But the king hid his face(A) and cried out at the top of his voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed all your soldiers—those who rescued your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6 You love your enemies and hate those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you![a]
7 “Now get up! Go out and encourage[b] your soldiers, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will remain with you tonight.(B) This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now!”
8 So the king got up and sat in the gate,(C) and all the people were told: “Look, the king is sitting in the gate.” Then they all came into the king’s presence.
Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent.(D) 9 All the people among all the tribes of Israel were arguing: “The king delivered us from the grasp of our enemies,(E) and he rescued us from the grasp of the Philistines,(F) but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.(G) 10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
11 King David sent word to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar:(H) “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house. 12 You are my brothers, my flesh and blood.(I) So why should you be the last to restore the king?’ 13 And tell Amasa,(J) ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of the army from now on instead of Joab!’”
14 So he won over[c] all the men of Judah, and they sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.” 15 Then the king returned. When he arrived at the Jordan, Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and escort him across the Jordan.
16 Shimei son of Gera,(K) a Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 There were 1,000 men from Benjamin with him. Ziba, an attendant from the house of Saul,(L) with his 15 sons and 20 servants also rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. 18 They forded the Jordan to bring the king’s household across and do whatever the king desired.[d]
When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king 19 and said to him, “My lord, don’t hold me guilty, and don’t remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.(M) May the king not take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21 Abishai son of Zeruiah asked, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”(N)
22 David answered, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything?(O) Have you become my adversary today? Should any man be killed in Israel today? Am I not aware that today I’m king over Israel?” 23 So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” Then the king gave him his oath.(P)
The Accusation against Paul
24 After five days Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer[a] named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.(A) 2 When he was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: “Since we enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation by your foresight, 3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent(B) Felix, with utmost gratitude. 4 However, so that I will not burden you any further, I beg you in your graciousness to give us a brief hearing. 5 For we have found this man to be a plague,(C) an agitator(D) among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes! 6 He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we apprehended him [and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But Lysias the commander came and took him from our hands with great force, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you.][b] By examining him yourself you will be able to discern all these things we are accusing him of.” 9 The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were so.
Paul’s Defense before Felix
10 When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.(E) 11 You are able to determine that it is no more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.(F) 12 They didn’t find me disputing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple complex or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.(G) 13 Neither can they provide evidence to you of what they now bring against me. 14 But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers’ God according to the Way,(H) which they call a sect, believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets.(I) 15 And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection,[c](J) both of the righteous and the unrighteous.(K) 16 I always do my best to have a clear conscience(L) toward God and men. 17 After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my nation,(M) 18 and while I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.(N) 19 It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me. 20 Either let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21 or about this one statement I cried out while standing among them, ‘Today I am being judged before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”
The Verdict Postponed
22 Since Felix was accurately informed about the Way,(O) he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered that the centurion keep Paul[d] under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from serving[e] him.(P)
The Primary Commands
28 One(A) of the scribes(B) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”[a]
29 “This is the most important,”[b] Jesus answered:
Listen, Israel! The Lord(C) our God, the Lord(D) is One.[c] 30 Love(E) the Lord your God(F) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,(G) and with all your strength.[d](H)[e]
31 “The second is: Love your neighbor(I) as yourself.(J)[f] There is no other command(K) greater than these.”
32 Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one(L) else except Him.(M) 33 And to love(N) Him with all your heart, with all your understanding,[g] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(O)
34 When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(P) And no one dared(Q) to question Him any longer.
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