Book of Common Prayer

A Welcome for God into the Temple

A psalm of David.

God in the Thunderstorm

A psalm of David.

The Lord’s Greatness

For the director of music. On the gittith [^Cperhaps a musical term or instrument]. A psalm of David.

Wishing to Be in the Temple

For the director of music. On the gittith [^Cperhaps a musical term or instrument]. A psalm of the sons of Korah [^Cdescendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].

Nehemiah Helps Poor People

5 The men and their wives ·complained [cried out] loudly against their ·fellow Jews [^LJewish brothers]. ² Some of them were saying, “We have many sons and daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain [^CThis group may have owned no land that could provide them food.].”

³ Others were saying, “We are ·borrowing money [mortgaging; ^Cfrom their fellow Jews, which increased their frustration] against our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain ·because there is not much food [during the famine].”

⁴ And still others were saying, “We are borrowing money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ ·We are just like our fellow Jews [^LOur flesh is like our brothers’ flesh], and our ·sons [children] are like their ·sons [children]. But we have to sell our sons and daughters ·as slaves [into bondage/slavery; ^Can often temporary servitude to satisfy debts; Ex. 21:2–11]. Some of our daughters have already been ·sold [enslaved]. But ·there is nothing we can do [we are powerless/helpless], because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people.”

⁶ When I heard their ·complaints about these things [^Loutcry and these words], I was very angry. ⁷ After ·I thought about [reflecting on] it, I ·accused [reprimanded] the ·important people [nobles] and ·leaders [officials], “You are ·charging your own ·brothers [kinsmen] interest [committing usury; ^Cin these situations, lenders were not to make a profit; Deut. 24:10; Prov. 22:26].” So I called a ·large meeting to deal with [great assembly against] them. ⁸ I said to them, “·As much as possible [To the best of our ability], we have ·bought freedom for [redeemed] our fellow Jews who had been sold to ·foreigners [^Lthe Gentiles]. Now you are selling your fellow Jews to us [^Cthe creditors were selling their fellow Jews into slavery, requiring Nehemiah and others to buy them back]!” ·The leaders [^LThey] were ·quiet [silent] and ·had nothing [^Lcouldn’t find a word] to say.

⁹ Then I said, “What you are doing is not ·right [good]. ·Don’t you fear [^LShould you not walk in fear of] God [Prov. 1:7]? Don’t let our ·foreign [Gentile] enemies shame us. ¹⁰ I, my ·brothers [colleagues], and my ·men [servants] are lending money and grain to the people. But stop charging them ·for this [interest]. ¹¹ Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and houses ·right now [^Lthis very day]. Also give back the ·extra amount [interest] you charged—·the hundredth part [one percent] of the money, grain, new wine, and oil.”

¹² They said, “We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I called for the priests, and I made the ·important people [nobles] and ·leaders [officials] ·take an oath [swear; vow] to do what they had ·said [promised]. ¹³ Also I shook out the folds of my ·robe [^Lbosom] and said, “In this way may God shake out everyone who does not ·keep his [fulfill/^Lcause to stand this] promise. May God shake him out of his house and ·out of the things that are his [his possessions/property]. Let that person be shaken out and emptied!”

Then the whole ·group [assembly] said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had ·promised [sworn; vowed].

¹⁴ I was appointed governor in the land of Judah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ rule [^C445 bc]. I was governor of Judah for twelve years, until his thirty-second year. During that time neither my ·brothers [colleagues; relatives; or officials] nor I ate the food that was allowed for a governor [^CNehemiah is demonstrating his own selflessness during this time]. ¹⁵ But the governors before me [^Cin contrast] had placed a heavy ·load [burden] on the people. They took ·about one pound [^Lforty shekels] of silver from each person, along with food and wine. ·The governors’ helpers before me [Their associates/assistants] also ·controlled [oppressed; dominated] the people, but I did not do that, because I feared God [Prov. 1:7]. ¹⁶ I ·worked [devoted myself to working] on the wall, as did all my ·men [servants] who were ·gathered [assembled] there. We did not buy any ·fields [land].

¹⁷ ·Also [Furthermore], I fed one hundred fifty Jewish people and ·officers [officials] at my table, as well as those who came from the nations around us. ¹⁸ This is what was prepared every day: one ox, six ·good [choice] sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine [in abundance]. But I never demanded the food that was due a governor, because the people were already ·working very hard [carrying a great burden].

¹⁹ Remember ·to be kind to me [^Lfor my good], my God, for all I have done for these people.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week [^CSunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)], we all met together to break bread [^Cprobably a reference to the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:14–20], and Paul ·spoke to [or was having a discussion with] the group. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lamps in the room [^Cusing up oxygen and causing drowsiness]. ⁹ A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. As Paul continued talking, Eutychus was falling into a deep sleep. Finally, he went sound asleep and fell to the ground from the third floor. When they picked him up, he was dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down to Eutychus, ·knelt down [or threw himself on him; ^Clike Elisha; 2 Kin. 4:32–35], and ·put his arms around [embraced] him. He said, “Don’t ·worry [fear]. ·He is alive now [^LFor his life/soul is in him].” ¹¹ Then Paul went upstairs again, broke bread, and ate. He spoke to them a long time, until ·it was early morning [dawn], and then he left. ¹² They took the young man home alive and were ·greatly [^Lnot in a small measure] comforted.

Don’t Worry^(A)

²² Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. ²³ [^LFor] Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. ²⁴ ·Look at [Consider; Think of] the ·birds [^Lravens]. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap], they don’t have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds. ²⁵ ·You cannot [^LWho of you can…?] add ·any time [or a step; ^La cubit; ^Cabout eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; ^Cthe Greek is ambiguous, but probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it. ²⁶ If you cannot ·do [change] even the little things [by worrying], then why worry about the ·big things [^Lthe rest]? ²⁷ ·Consider [Look; Think] how the lilies grow; they don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [^Lspin thread]. But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [^Lin all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ²⁸ God clothes [^LIf God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [^Lfurnace; oven]. So how much more will God clothe you? ·Don’t have so little faith [or You people of little faith; or How little faith you have]! ²⁹ Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink, and don’t keep worrying. ³⁰ All the ·people [nations; Gentiles; pagans] in the world are trying to get these things, and your Father knows you need them. ³¹ But seek God’s kingdom, and ·all your other needs will be met as well [^Lthese things will be given to you].