Book of Common Prayer
To the Director: An instruction[a] by the Sons of Korah. A love song to the tune of[b] “Lilies”.
A Royal Wedding Song
45 My heart is overflowing with good news;
I speak what I have composed to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of an articulate scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of Adam’s descendants;
grace has anointed your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Strap your sword to your side,
mighty warrior, along with your honor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness;
and your strong right hand will teach you awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharpened
to penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
People will fall under you.
6 Your throne, God, exists forever and ever,
and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter.
7 You love justice and hate wickedness.
That is why God, even your God, has anointed you
rather than your companions with the oil of gladness.
8 All your clothes are scented with[c] myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
9 The king’s daughters are among your honorable women;
the queen, dressed in gold from Ophir, has taken her place at your right hand.”
10 Listen, daughter! Consider and pay attention.
Forget your people and your father’s house,
11 and the king will greatly desire your beauty.
Because he is your lord, you should bow in respect before him.
12 The daughter[d] of Tyre will come with[e] a wedding gift;
wealthy people will entreat your favor.
13 In her chamber,[f] the king’s daughter is glorious;
her clothing is embroidered with gold thread.
14 In embroidered garments
she is presented to the king.
Her virgin companions who follow her train
will be presented to you.
15 Filled with joy and gladness, they are presented
when they enter the king’s palace.
16 Your sons will take the place of your ancestors,
and you will set them up as princes in all the earth.
17 From generation to generation,
I will cause your name to be remembered.
Therefore people will thank you forever and ever.
To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah.
The Ruler over the Nations
47 Clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with a loud cry of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
even the pride of Jacob whom he loved.
5 God has ascended on high with a shout,
the Lord has ascended[a] with the blast of a trumpet.
6 Sing songs to God!
Sing songs!
Sing songs to our King!
Sing songs!
7 Indeed, God is king over all the earth;
sing a song of praise.
8 God is king over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles among the nations
have joined the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
A song: Lyrics[b] by the Sons of Korah.
Zion, City of God
48 Great is the Lord!
For he is to be praised greatly,
even in the city of our God,
his holy mountain.
2 Beautifully situated,
the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion towards the north,[c]
the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels
God is known as a place of refuge.
4 Behold, when the kings assembled together,
when they traveled together,
5 they looked and were awestruck;
they became afraid and ran away.
6 Trembling seized them there,
pains like those of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind destroyed the ships of Tarshish.
8 Just as we have heard,
so have we seen;
in the city of the Lord of the heavenly armies—
even in the city of our God—
God will establish her forever.
9 God, we have meditated on your gracious love
in the midst of your Temple.
10 God, according to your name,
so is your praise to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion will be glad;
the towns[d] of Judah will rejoice because of your judgments.
12 March around Zion;
encircle her;
count her towers.
13 Take note of her ramparts;
investigate her citadels;
that you may speak about them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever.
He will guide us until death.
23 During the thirty-first year of the reign of[a] King Asa of Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years, six of them at Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents[b] of silver, fortified the hill, and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the former owner of the hill. 25 Omri practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, doing far more evil than anyone who had reigned before him. 26 He lived just like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, and by his sin he led Israel into sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel with their idolatry. 27 Now the rest of Omri’s accomplishments, including the power that he demonstrated, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? 28 So Omri died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.
Ahab Reigns over Israel and Marries Jezebel
29 Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah. He[c] reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. 30 Omri’s son Ahab practiced more of what the Lord considered to be evil than anyone who had lived before him. 31 In fact, as if it were nothing for him to live like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then he went out to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He built an altar for Baal in a temple for Baal that he constructed in Samaria. 33 Ahab also erected an Asherah, doing more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all of the kings of Israel who had reigned before him. 34 It was during Ahab’s reign that Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations just as his firstborn son Abiram was dying, and he erected its gates while his youngest son Segub was dying, thus fulfilling the message that the Lord delivered through Nun’s son Joshua.[d]
The Priority of the Gospel in Everything
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually caused the gospel to advance. 13 As a result, it has become clear to the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that I am in prison for preaching about[a] the Messiah.[b] 14 Moreover, because of my imprisonment the Lord has caused most of the brothers to become confident to speak God’s word more boldly and courageously than ever before. 15 Some are preaching the Messiah[c] because of jealousy and dissension, while others do so[d] because of their good will. 16 The latter are motivated[e] by love, because they know that I have been appointed to defend the gospel. 17 The former proclaim the Messiah[f] because they are selfishly ambitious and insincere, thinking that they will stir up trouble for me during my imprisonment.
18 But so what? Just this—that in every way, whether by false or true motives, the Messiah[g] is being proclaimed. Because of this, I rejoice and will continue to rejoice. 19 I know that this will result in my deliverance through your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah.[h] 20 I rejoice because I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of, because through my[i] boldness the Messiah[j] will be exalted through me,[k] now as always, whether I live or die.[l]
21 For to me, to go on living is the Messiah,[m] and to die is gain. 22 Now if I continue living, fruitful labor is the result, so I do not know which I would prefer. 23 Indeed, I cannot decide between the two. I have the desire to leave this life and be with the Messiah,[n] for that is far better. 24 But for your sake it is better that I remain alive.[o]
25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will continue to live and be with all of you, so you will mature in the faith and know joy in it. 26 Then your rejoicing in the Messiah[p] Jesus will increase along with mine[q] when I visit with you again.
Standing Firm in One Spirit
27 The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Messiah.[r] Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you—that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28 and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of[s] God. 29 For you have been given the privilege[t] for the Messiah’s[u] sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. 30 You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having.[v]
Jesus is Raised from the Dead(A)
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,[a] Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus.[b] 2 Very early on the first day of the week,[c] when the sun had just come up, they were going to the tomb. 3 They kept saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away. (It was a very large stone.)
5 As they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were utterly astonished. 6 But he told them, “Stop being astonished! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look at the place where they laid him. 7 But go and tell his disciples—especially Peter—that Jesus[d] is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
8 So they left the tomb and ran away, overwhelmed by shock and astonishment. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they were afraid.[e]
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene(B)
9 After Jesus[f] had risen early on the first day of that week,[g] he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,[h] from whom he had driven out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Jesus[i] and who now were grieving and crying. 11 When they heard that he was alive and that he had been seen by her, they refused to believe Mary.[j]
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples(C)
12 After this, Jesus[k] appeared in a different form to two disciples[l] as they were walking into the country. 13 They went back and told the others, who didn’t believe them, either.
Jesus Commissions His Disciples(D)
14 Finally he appeared to his eleven disciples[m] while they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 Then he told them, “As you go into the entire world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.[n] 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned. 17 These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they’ll drive out demons. they’ll speak in new languages,[o] 18 and they’ll pick up snakes with their hands.[p] Even if they drink any deadly poison, it won’t hurt them, and they’ll place their hands on the sick, and they’ll recover.”
Jesus is Taken Up to Heaven(E)
19 So the Lord Jesus,[q] after talking with his disciples,[r] was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 Then his disciples[s] went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the signs that accompanied it.
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