Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer of Faith in Troubled Times
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
31 Lord, I ·trust [seek refuge] in you;
let me never be ·disgraced [shamed].
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me ·because you do what is right [in your righteousness].
2 ·Listen [L Incline your ear] to me
and ·save [rescue; T deliver] me quickly.
Be my rock of ·protection [refuge],
a strong ·city [fortress] to save me.
3 You are my rock and my ·protection [fortress].
For the ·good [sake] of your name, lead me and guide me.
4 Set me free from the ·trap [snare; net] they ·set [hid] for me,
because you are my ·protection [refuge].
5 ·I give you my life [L Into your hand I commend my spirit; Luke 23:46].
·Save [Redeem; or You have redeemed] me, Lord, ·God of truth [or faithful God].
6 I hate those who ·worship [serve; have concern for] ·false [worthless] gods.
I ·trust [have confidence] only in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your ·love [loyalty; covenant love],
because you saw my ·suffering [affliction];
you knew ·my troubles [the distress of my soul].
8 You have not handed me over to my enemies
but have ·set me in a safe place [L made my feet stand in a broad place].
9 Lord, ·have mercy [be gracious], because I am in ·misery [distress; trouble].
My eyes ·are weak [waste away; are dim] from so much crying,
·and my whole being is tired [L as is my soul and my body] from grief.
10 My life is ending in ·sadness [sorrow],
and my years are spent ·in crying [L with sighs/moans].
My ·troubles are using up my strength [L strength stumbles in my affliction/misery],
and my bones ·are getting weaker [waste away].
11 Because of all my ·troubles [distress], my enemies ·hate [scorn] me,
and even my neighbors look down on me.
When my ·friends [acquaintances] see me in public,
they are afraid and ·run [flee].
12 I am like a piece of a broken pot.
I am forgotten as if I were dead.
13 I have heard many ·insults [threats].
Terror is all around me.
They make plans against me
and ·want [plot] to kill me.
14 Lord, I ·trust [have confidence in] you.
I have said, “You are my God.”
15 My ·life is [times/fortunes are] in your hands.
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from my enemies
and from those who are ·chasing [pursuing] me.
16 ·Show your kindness to me, [Shine your face on] your servant [Num. 6:25].
Save me because of your ·love [loyalty; covenant love].
17 Lord, I ·called [prayed] to you,
so do not let me be ·disgraced [shamed].
Let the wicked be ·disgraced [shamed]
and lie silent in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
18 With pride and hatred
they speak against ·those who do right [the righteous].
So silence their lying lips.
19 How great is your goodness
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you have ·given to [L accomplished for] those who ·trust [have confidence in] you.
·You do this for all to see [L …before humanity].
20 You ·protect [hide] them ·by your [L in the shelter of your] presence
from what people plan against them.
You ·shelter them [L store them in shelter] from ·evil words [contentious/accusing tongues].
21 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord.
His ·love [loyalty; covenant love] to me was wonderful
when ·my city was attacked [or I was like a city under siege].
22 In my ·distress [alarm], I said,
“·God cannot see me [L I am cut off from your eyes]!”
But you heard my ·prayer [supplication]
when I cried out to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you ·who belong to him [loyal ones; saints].
The Lord protects those who ·truly believe [are faithful],
but he ·punishes [repays] ·the proud as much as they have sinned [L those who act with pride].
24 All you who ·put your hope in [wait for] the Lord
be strong and ·brave [L let your heart be courageous].
A Prayer for Help
Of David.
35 Lord, ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] those who ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Pick up the ·shield and armor [L small shield and large shield].
Rise up and help me.
3 Lift up your ·spears [javelins], both large and small,
against those who ·chase [pursue] me.
Tell ·me [L my soul], “I ·will save you [am your salvation/victory].”
4 Make those who ·want to kill me [L seek my life/soul]
be ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated].
Make those who ·plan to harm me [plot evil against me]
turn back and ·run away [be dismayed].
5 Make them like chaff [C the worthless leftovers from threshing grain] blown by the wind
as the angel of the Lord ·forces [drives] them away.
6 Let their road be dark and slippery
as the angel of the Lord chases them.
7 For no reason they ·spread out [L hid] their ·net [L pit] to trap me;
for no reason they dug a pit for me.
8 So let ruin strike them ·suddenly [or without their awareness].
Let them be caught in their own nets;
let them fall into the pit and ·die [be ruined].
9 Then ·I [my soul] will rejoice in the Lord;
I will be happy when he ·saves me [provides victory for me].
10 Even my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like you?
You ·save [rescue; T deliver] the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] from the strong,
the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] and poor from robbers.”
11 ·Men without mercy stand up to testify [L Violent witnesses rise up].
They ask me things I do not know.
12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done,
and ·they make me very sad [my soul is bereaved].
13 Yet when they were sick, I put on ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth; burlap]
and showed my sorrow by fasting.
But my prayers ·were not answered [L turned back on my bosom].
14 I acted as if they were my ·friends [or neighbors] or brothers.
I ·bowed in sadness as if I were crying [went around as if mourning] for my mother.
15 But when I ·was in trouble [stumbled], they gathered and laughed;
they gathered to attack before I knew it.
They ·insulted [tore at] me without stopping.
16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me
and ·ground [gnashed] their teeth at me in anger.
17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen?
Save my life from their attacks;
·save me from these people who are like [L my life from the] lions.
18 I will ·praise [thank] you in the great ·meeting [assembly].
I will praise you among ·crowds of people [the mighty crowd/throng].
19 Do not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me;
they hate me for no reason.
Do not let them ·make fun of me [L wink their eye at me; C a reference to secretive plans or magic; Prov. 6:12–13];
they have no cause to hate me.
20 Their words are not ·friendly [peaceful]
but are lies ·about [or against] ·peace-loving people [L the quiet in the land].
21 They ·speak against me [L open their mouths]
and say, “Aha! ·We saw what you did [Our eyes have seen it]!”
22 Lord, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet.
Lord, do not ·leave me alone [L be far from me].
23 Wake up! ·Come [Arouse yourself] and ·defend [vindicate; show justice to] me!
My God and Lord, ·fight [contend] for me!
24 Lord my God, ·defend [vindicate] me with your justice.
Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
25 Don’t let them ·think [L say in their hearts], “Aha! We got what we wanted!”
Don’t let them say, “We ·destroyed [L swallowed] him.”
26 Let them be ashamed and ·embarrassed [humiliated],
because they ·were happy [rejoiced] when I hurt.
·Cover [L Clothe] them with shame and disgrace,
because they thought they were better than I was.
27 May ·my friends [L those who want my vindication] sing and shout for joy.
May they always say, “Praise the greatness of the Lord,
who ·loves [delights; takes pleasure] to see ·his servants do well [L the peace/prosperity of his servant].”
28 ·I [L My tongue] will tell of your goodness
and will praise you every day.
It Is Time to Build the Temple
1 The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah [Ezra 2:2; 3:2; Zech. 6:9–14], and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [C also known as Jeshua; Ezra 2:2; 3:2; 5:2; Zech. 3:1–10]. This message came in the second year that Darius was king [520 bc], on the first day of the sixth month [C August 29; Elul 1 on the Hebrew calendar]:
2 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘The people say the right time has not come to rebuild the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.’”
3 Then Haggai the prophet spoke the word of the Lord: 4 “Is it right for you to be living in ·fancy [L paneled] houses while ·the Temple [L this house] is still in ruins?”
5 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “·Think about what you have done [Consider your ways]. 6 You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn ·money [wages], ·but then you lose it all as if you had [L to] put it into a purse full of holes.”
7 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “·Think about what you have done [Consider your ways]. 8 Go up to the mountains, bring back wood, and build the ·Temple [L house]. Then I will be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You look for much, but ·you find little [it came to little]. When you bring it home, I ·destroy it [L blew it away]. Why?” asks the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. “Because you all ·work hard for [are busy with; L run to] your own houses while my house is still in ruins! 10 Because of what you have done, the sky holds back its ·rain [dew] and the ground holds back its crops. 11 I have called for a ·time without rain [drought] on the land, and on the ·mountains [hill country], and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, the plants which the earth produces, the people, the ·farm animals [livestock], and all the work of your hands.”
12 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [1:1], and all the ·rest of the people who were left alive [remnant of the people; C those who returned from exile in Babylon] obeyed the [L voice of the] Lord their God and the message from Haggai the prophet, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people ·feared [were in awe of] the Lord.
13 Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “The Lord says, ‘I am with you.’” 14 The Lord stirred up [L the spirit of] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the ·rest of the people who were left alive [remnant of the people; v. 12]. So they came and worked on the ·Temple [L house] of their God, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 15 They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year Darius was king [v. 1].
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “Write this to the ·angel [messenger; see 1:20] of the church in ·Thyatira [C a small city in western Asia Minor]:
“The Son of God, who has eyes that blaze like fire [1:14] and feet like shining bronze [1:15; C the resurrected Jesus], says ·this [L these things]: 19 I know ·what you do [your works]. I know about your love, your faith, your service, and your ·patience [endurance; perseverance]. I know that ·you are doing more now than you did at first [L your last works are greater than the first].
20 “But I have this against you: You ·let that woman Jezebel spread false teachings [L tolerate the woman Jezebel; C probably the leader of the Nicolaitans, here given the name of the notorious Baal-worshiping queen; 1 Kin. 16:31–34; 21:25–26; 2 Kin. 9:22]. She ·says she is [calls herself] a prophetess, but ·by her teaching she leads [teaches and misleads/deceives] my ·people [L servants] to take part in sexual sins and to eat food that is offered to idols. 21 I have given her time to ·change her heart and turn away from her sin [repent of her sexual immorality], but she does not want to ·change [repent]. 22 ·So [L Look!] I will throw her on ·a bed of suffering [or a sickbed; C the bed used for sexual sin is now a bed of suffering]. And all those who take part in adultery with her will suffer greatly if they do not ·turn away from the wrongs she does [repent of her works/deeds]. 23 I will also kill her ·followers [L children]. Then all the churches will know I am the One who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you for ·what you have done [your works/deeds].
24 “But ·others [the rest] of you in Thyatira have not followed her teaching and have not learned what some call Satan’s deep secrets. I say to you that I will not put any other ·load [burden] on you. 25 Only ·continue in your loyalty [L hold fast to what you have] until I come.
26 “I will give ·power [authority] over the nations to everyone who ·wins the victory [overcomes; conquers] and ·continues to be obedient to me [or keeps working for me; L keeps/obeys my works] until the end.
27 ‘·You [L he; C the one who overcomes] will ·rule over [L shepherd] them with an iron ·rod [or scepter],
·as when pottery is broken into pieces [or and will break them into pieces like pottery; Ps. 2:9].’
28 This is the same ·power [authority] I received from my Father. I will also give him the morning star [C usually the planet Venus as seen before sunrise, but here symbolically Christ at his return; 22:16; Num. 24:17; 2 Pet. 1:19]. 29 Everyone who has ears should ·listen to [hear; obey] what the Spirit says to the churches.
27 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like ·tombs that are painted white [whitewashed tombs]. Outside, those tombs ·look fine [appear beautiful], but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of ·unclean things [filth; corruption; impurity]. 28 It is the same with you. ·People look at you and think you are good [or On the outside you look like righteous people], but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and ·evil [lawlessness].
29 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and you ·show honor to [decorate; adorn] the graves of ·those who lived good lives [L the righteous]. 30 You say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our ancestors, we would not have ·helped them kill [L been partners in the blood of] the prophets.’ 31 But you ·give proof [L testify against yourselves] that you are ·descendants [sons; children] of those who murdered the prophets. 32 ·And you will complete the sin that your ancestors started [or Go ahead and finish what your fathers started!; L Fill up the measure of your fathers].
33 “You ·are snakes [serpents]! A ·family of poisonous snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! How are you going to escape ·God’s judgment [the sentence/judgment/damnation of hell/Gehenna; 5:22]? 34 ·So I tell you this [For this reason]: I am sending to you prophets and wise men and ·teachers [scribes; experts in the law]. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of them you will ·beat [scourge; flog] in your synagogues and ·chase [hunt; persecute] from town to town. 35 So ·you will be guilty for [L upon you will come] ·the death of all the good people who have been killed on earth [L all the righteous blood shed on the earth]—from the ·murder [L blood] of that ·good [righteous] man Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berakiah, whom you murdered between the ·Temple [sanctuary] and the altar [C in the book order of the Hebrew Old Testament, Abel (Gen. 4:8) and Zechariah (2 Chr. 24:21) were the first and last men to be murdered]. 36 I tell you the truth, all of these things will happen to ·you people who are living now [L this generation].
Jesus Grieves for Jerusalem(A)
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. ·Many times [How often] I wanted to gather your ·people [L children] as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you ·did not let me [refused]. 38 ·Now [L Look; T Behold] your house ·will be [L is] left ·completely empty [abandoned; deserted; desolate; Jer. 22:5]. 39 [L For] I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26].’”
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