Book of Common Prayer
ז Zayin
49 Remember Your word to Your servant;
You have given me hope through it.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction:(A)
Your promise has given me life.
51 The arrogant constantly ridicule me,
but I do not turn away from Your instruction.(B)
52 Lord, I remember Your judgments from long ago
and find comfort.
53 Rage seizes me(C) because of the wicked
who reject Your instruction.(D)
54 Your statutes are the theme of my song
during my earthly life.[a]
55 Yahweh, I remember Your name(E) in the night,(F)
and I obey Your instruction.
56 This is my practice:
I obey Your precepts.(G)
ח Khet
57 The Lord is my portion;[b](H)
I have promised to keep Your words.
58 I have sought Your favor(I) with all my heart;
be gracious to me(J) according to Your promise.
59 I thought about my ways(K)
and turned my steps back to Your decrees.
60 I hurried, not hesitating
to keep Your commands.
61 Though the ropes of the wicked(L)
were wrapped around me,
I did not forget Your instruction.(M)
62 I rise at midnight to thank You(N)
for Your righteous judgments.(O)
63 I am a friend to all who fear You,(P)
to those who keep Your precepts.
64 Lord, the earth is filled with Your faithful love;(Q)
teach me Your statutes.(R)
ט Tet
65 Lord, You have treated Your servant well,
just as You promised.
66 Teach me good judgment and discernment,(S)
for I rely on Your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,(T)
but now I keep Your word.
68 You are good,(U) and You do what is good;(V)
teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant have smeared me with lies,(W)
but I obey Your precepts with all my heart.(X)
70 Their hearts are hard and insensitive,(Y)
but I delight in Your instruction.(Z)
71 It was good for me to be afflicted(AA)
so that I could learn Your statutes.
72 Instruction from Your lips(AB) is better for me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Psalm 49
Misplaced Trust in Wealth
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,(A)
2 both low and high,[a]
rich and poor together.(B)
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.(C)
4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.(D)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.(E)
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.(F)
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person[b]
or pay his ransom to God(G)—
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying[c](H)—
9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.(I)
10 For one can see that wise men die;
foolish and stupid men also pass away.(J)
Then they leave their wealth to others.(K)
11 Their graves are their eternal homes,[d]
their homes from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.(L)
12 But despite his assets,[e] man will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.(M)
13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.[f](N)
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,(O)
and their form will waste away in Sheol,[g]
far from their lofty abode.(P)
15 But God will redeem my life
from the power of Sheol,
for He will take me.(Q)
16 Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,
when the wealth[h] of his house increases.(R)
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth[i] will not follow him down.(S)
18 Though he praises himself during his lifetime—
and people praise you when you do well for yourself(T)—
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers;
they will never see the light.(U)
20 A man with valuable possessions[j]
but without understanding
is like the animals that perish.(V)
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.[a](A) A Davidic Maskil.
1 The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(B)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(C)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(D)
Fourth Vision: High Priest and Branch
3 Then he showed me Joshua(A) the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord,(B) with Satan[a](C) standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord[b] said to Satan: “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”(D)
3 Now Joshua was dressed with filthy[c] clothes(E) as he stood before the Angel.(F) 4 So the Angel of the Lord[d] spoke to those[e] standing before Him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then He said to him, “See, I have removed your guilt from you,(G) and I will clothe you with splendid robes.”
5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban(H) on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him in garments while the Angel of the Lord was standing nearby.
6 Then the Angel of the Lord charged Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, you will both rule My house and take care of My courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.
8 “Listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring My servant, the Branch.(I) 9 Notice the stone(J) I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes.(K) I will engrave an inscription on it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will take away the guilt of this land in a single day. 10 On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree.”(L) This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
The Throne Room of Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit,[a](A) and a throne was set there in heaven.(B) One was seated on the throne, 3 and the One seated[b] looked like jasper[c] and carnelian[d] stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. 4 Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. 5 Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.(C) 6 Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures(D) covered with eyes in front and in back were in the middle[e] and around the throne. 7 The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings;(E) they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop,[f] saying:
Holy, holy, holy,[g]
Lord God, the Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is coming.
Faithful Service to the Messiah
45 “Who then is a faithful and sensible slave,(A) whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?(B) 46 That slave whose master finds him working(C) when he comes will be rewarded. 47 I assure you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards,(D) 50 that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will cut him to pieces[a] and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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