Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 148
Creation’s Praise of the Lord
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights.(A)
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
praise Him, all His hosts.(B)
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
praise Him, all you shining stars.(C)
4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.(D)
5 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for He commanded, and they were created.(E)
6 He set them in position forever and ever;
He gave an order that will never pass away.(F)
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,(G)
8 lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud,
powerful wind that executes His command,(H)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,(I)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,(J)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,(K)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.(L)
13 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for His name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.(M)
14 He has raised up a horn for His people,
resulting in praise to all His godly ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to Him.(N)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 149
Praise for God’s Triumph
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song,(O)
His praise in the assembly of the godly.(P)
2 Let Israel celebrate its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.(Q)
3 Let them praise His name with dancing
and make music to Him with tambourine and lyre.(R)
4 For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people;(S)
He adorns the humble with salvation.(T)
5 Let the godly celebrate in triumphal glory;
let them shout for joy on their beds.(U)
6 Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths[b]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,(V)
7 inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,(W)
8 binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,(X)
9 carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all His godly people.(Y)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
1 Hallelujah!
Praise God in His sanctuary.
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.(Z)
2 Praise Him for His powerful acts;(AA)
praise Him for His abundant greatness.(AB)
3 Praise Him with trumpet blast;(AC)
praise Him with harp and lyre.(AD)
4 Praise Him with tambourine and dance;(AE)
praise Him with flute and strings.(AF)
5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
praise Him with clashing cymbals.(AG)
6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.(AH)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 114
God’s Deliverance of Israel
1 When Israel came out of Egypt—
the house of Jacob from a people
who spoke a foreign language(A)—
2 Judah became His sanctuary,
Israel, His dominion.(B)
3 The sea looked and fled;(C)
the Jordan turned back.(D)
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills, like lambs.(E)
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Jordan, that you turned back?(F)
6 Mountains, that you skipped like rams?
Hills, like lambs?(G)
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,(H)
8 who turned the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.(I)
Psalm 115
Glory to God Alone
1 Not to us, Yahweh, not to us,
but to Your name give glory
because of Your faithful love, because of Your truth.(J)
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(K)
3 Our God is in heaven
and does whatever He pleases.(L)
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.(M)
5 They have mouths but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.(N)
7 They have hands but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk.(O)
They cannot make a sound with their throats.(P)
8 Those who make them are[a] just like them,
as are all who trust in them.(Q)
9 Israel,[b] trust in the Lord!(R)
He is their help and shield.(S)
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord!(T)
He is their help and shield.(U)
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!(V)
He is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron;(W)
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord—
small and great alike.(X)
14 May the Lord add to your numbers,
both yours and your children’s.(Y)
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(Z)
16 The heavens are the Lord’s,[c]
but the earth He has given to the human race.(AA)
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
nor any of those descending into the silence of death.(AB)
18 But we will praise the Lord,
both now and forever.(AC)
Hallelujah!
Solomon’s Prayer
22 Then Solomon stood(A) before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.(B) 23 He said:
Lord God of Israel,
there is no God like You
in heaven above or on earth below,(C)
keeping the gracious covenant
with Your servants who walk before You
with their whole heart.(D)
24 You have kept what You promised
to Your servant, my father David.
You spoke directly to him
and You fulfilled Your promise by Your power
as it is today.(E)
25 Therefore, Lord God of Israel,
keep what You promised
to Your servant, my father David:
You will never fail to have a man
to sit before Me on the throne of Israel,(F)
if only your sons guard their walk before Me
as you have walked before Me.(G)
26 Now Lord[a] God of Israel,
please confirm what You promised
to Your servant, my father David.(H)
27 But will God indeed live on earth?
Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You,
much less this temple I have built.(I)
28 Listen[b] to Your servant’s prayer and his petition,(J)
Lord my God,
so that You may hear the cry and the prayer
that Your servant prays before You today,
29 so that Your eyes may watch over this temple night and day,(K)
toward the place where You said:
My name will be there,(L)
and so that You may hear the prayer
that Your servant prays toward this place.
30 Hear the petition of Your servant(M)
and Your people Israel,
which they pray toward this place.(N)
May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.
May You hear and forgive.
31 When a man sins against his neighbor
and is forced to take an oath,[c](O)
and he comes to take an oath
before Your altar in this temple,
32 may You hear in heaven and act.
May You judge Your servants,
condemning the wicked man by bringing
what he has done on his own head
and providing justice for the righteous
by rewarding him according to his righteousness.(P)
33 When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy,
because they have sinned against You,(Q)
and they return to You and praise Your name,
and they pray and plead with You
for mercy in this temple,
34 may You hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of Your people Israel.
May You restore them to the land
You gave their ancestors.(R)
35 When the skies are shut and there is no rain,
because they have sinned against You,(S)
and they pray toward this place
and praise Your name,
and they turn from their sins
because You are afflicting them,(T)
36 may You hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of Your servants
and Your people Israel,
so that You may teach them the good way
they should walk in.(U)
May You send rain on Your land
that You gave Your people for an inheritance.(V)
37 When there is famine on the earth,
when there is pestilence,
when there is blight, mildew, locust, or grasshopper,(W)
when their enemy besieges them
in the region of their fortified cities,[d]
when there is any plague or illness,
38 whatever prayer or petition
anyone from Your people Israel might have—
each man knowing his own afflictions[e](X)
and spreading out his hands toward this temple(Y)—
39 may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,
and may You forgive, act, and repay the man,
according to all his ways, since You know his heart,
for You alone know every human heart,(Z)
40 so that they may fear(AA) You
all the days they live on the land(AB)
You gave our ancestors.
7 But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths.(A) Rather, train yourself in godliness,(B) 8 for
the training of the body has a limited benefit,(C)
but godliness is beneficial in every way,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.(D)
9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance.(E) 10 In fact, we labor and strive[a] for this, because we have put our hope in the living God,(F) who is the Savior(G) of everyone,(H) especially of those who believe.
Instructions for Ministry
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech,(I) in conduct,(J) in love,[b](K) in faith, in purity.(L) 13 Until I come,(M) give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy,(N) with the laying on of hands(O) by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save(P) both yourself and your hearers.(Q)
47 The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”
Jesus and Abraham
48 The Jews responded to Him, “Aren’t we right in saying that You’re a Samaritan(A) and have a demon?”(B)
49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. 50 I do not seek My glory;(C) the One who seeks it also judges. 51 I assure you: If anyone keeps My word,(D) he will never see death—ever!”
52 Then the Jews said, “Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death—ever!’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets died. Who do You pretend to be?”[a]
54 “If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father—you say about Him, ‘He is our God’—He is the One who glorifies Me. 55 You’ve never known Him, but I know Him. If I were to say I don’t know Him,(E) I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him,(F) and I keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it(G) and rejoiced.”
57 The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?”[b]
58 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”[c](H)
59 At that, they picked up stones(I) to throw at Him.(J) But Jesus was hidden[d](K) and went out of the temple complex.[e](L)
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