Book of Common Prayer
God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.
A Psalm of [a]Asaph
50 The mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting [from east to west].
2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.
3
May our God come and not keep silent;
Fire devours before Him,
And around Him a mighty tempest rages.
4
He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5
“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6
And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah.
7
“Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
8
“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
Your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9
“I will accept no young bull from your house
Nor male goat from your folds.
10
“For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11
“I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is [b]Mine.
12
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
For the world and all it contains are Mine.(A)
13
“Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14
“Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15
Call on Me in the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.”
16
But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite My statutes
Or to take My covenant on your lips?
17
“For you hate instruction and discipline
And cast My words behind you [discarding them].
18
“When you see a thief, you are pleased with him and condone his behavior,
And you associate with adulterers.
19
“You give your mouth to evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20
“You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21
“These things you have done and I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you.
Now I will reprimand and denounce you and state the case in order before your eyes.
22
“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to rescue [you].
23
“He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way rightly [who follows the way that I show him],
I shall show the salvation of God.”
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David, [a record of memorable thoughts] when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Set me securely on an inaccessibly high place away from those who rise up against me.
2
Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3
Look! They lie in wait for my life;
Fierce and powerful men [are uniting together to] launch an attack against me,
Not for my wrongdoing nor for any sin of mine, O Lord.
4
They run and set themselves against me though there is no guilt in me;
Stir Yourself to meet and help me, and see [what they are doing]!
5
You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Arise to punish all the nations;
Spare no one and do not be merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah.
6
They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city.
7
Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;
Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,
For they say, “Who hears us?”
8
But You, O Lord, will laugh at them [in scorn];
You scoff at and deride all the nations.
9
O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower].
10
My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies [who lie in wait for me].
11
Do not kill them, or my people will forget;
Scatter them and make them wander [endlessly] back and forth by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord our shield!
12
For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
Let them even be trapped in their pride,
And on account of the curses and lies which they tell.
13
Destroy them in wrath, destroy them so that they may be no more;
Let them know that God rules over Jacob (Israel)
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14
They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city.
15
They wander around for food [to devour]
And growl all night if they are not satisfied.
16
But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress.
17
To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness.
Lament over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “The Lily of the Testimony.” A Mikhtam of David [intended to record memorable thoughts and] to teach; when he struggled with the Arameans of Mesopotamia and the Arameans of Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
60 O God, You have rejected us and cast us off. You have broken [down our defenses and scattered] us;
You have been angry; O restore us and turn again to us.
2
You have made the land quake, You have split it open;
Heal its rifts, for it shakes and totters.
3
You have made Your people experience hardship;
You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger and fall.
4
You have set up a banner for those who fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder—a banner to shield them from attack],
A banner that may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5
That Your beloved ones may be rescued,
Save with Your right hand and answer us.
6
God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]:
“I will rejoice, I will divide [the land of] Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth [west to east].
7
“Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim is My helmet;
Judah is My scepter.
8
“Moab is My [a]washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe [in triumph];
Over Philistia I raise the shout [of victory].”
9
Who will bring me into the besieged city [of Petra]?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10
Have You not rejected us, O God?
And will You not go out with our armies?
11
Give us help against the enemy,
For the help of man is worthless (ineffectual, without purpose).
12
Through God we will have victory,
For He will trample down our enemies.
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.
118 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
2
Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
3
Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
4
Oh let those who [reverently] fear the Lord, say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
5
Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me free.
6
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can [mere] man do to me?(A)
7
The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me;
Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me.
8
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
9
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.
10
All nations encompassed me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
11
They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side];
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
12
They swarmed around me like bees;
They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.(B)
13
You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
14
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
15
The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
16
The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
17
I will not die, but live,
And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.
18
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.(C)
19
Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
20
This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.(D)
21
I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me;
And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior].
22
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the [a]chief corner stone.
23
This is from the Lord and is His doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.(E)
24
This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25
O Lord, save now, we beseech You;
O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!
26
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].(F)
27
The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy].
Bind the festival sacrifices with [b]cords to the horns of the altar.
28
You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
[You are] my God, I extol You.
29
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son; and Abram named his son, to whom Hagar gave birth, [a]Ishmael (God hears). 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the [b]Lord appeared to him and said,
“I am [c]God Almighty;
Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me].
2
“I will establish My covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you,
And I will multiply you exceedingly [through your descendants].”
3 Then Abram fell on his face [in worship], and God spoke with him, saying,
4
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,
And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations.
5
“No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father),
But your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude);
For I will make you the father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and [d]kings will come from you. 7 I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.(A) 8 I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger [moving from place to place], all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession [of property]; and I will be their God.”(B)
9 Further, God said to Abraham, “As for you [your part of the agreement], you shall keep and faithfully obey [the terms of] My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is [the sign of] My covenant, which you shall keep and faithfully obey, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you. 12 Every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, [including] a servant whether born in the house or one who is purchased with [your] money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13 A servant who is born in your house or one who is purchased with your money must be circumcised; and [the sign of] My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
One Sacrifice of Christ Is Sufficient
10 For since the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things—it can never, by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year, make [a]perfect those who approach [its altars]. 2 For if it were otherwise, would not these sacrifices have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, having once [for all time] been cleansed, would no longer have a consciousness of sin. 3 But [as it is] these [continual] sacrifices bring a fresh reminder of sins [to be atoned for] year after year, 4 for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, He says,
“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,
But [instead] You have prepared a body for Me [to offer];
6
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no delight.
7
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come
To do Your will, O God—
[To fulfill] what is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’”(A)
8 After saying [in the citation] above, “You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin” (which are offered according to the Law) 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant by means of obedience].(B) 10 And in accordance with this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of salvation] have been sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His purposes] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) once for all.
30 “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.
31 “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not [a]valid. 32 There is another [My Father] who testifies about Me, and I know [without any doubt] that His testimony on My behalf is true and valid.
Testimony of John
33 You have sent [an inquiry] to [b]John [the Baptist] and he has testified [as an eyewitness] to the truth. 34 But the testimony I receive is not from man [a merely human witness]; but I say these things so that you may be saved [that is, have eternal life]. 35 John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to rejoice in his light.(A)
Testimony of Works
36 But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works [that is, the miracles and proofs of My deity] that I am [now] doing—testify about Me, [by providing evidence] that the Father has sent Me.
Testimony of the Father
37 And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form [His majesty and greatness—what He is like]. 38 You do not have His word (Scripture) abiding in you [actually living in your hearts and minds], because you do not believe in Him whom He has sent.
Testimony of the Scripture
39 [c]You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me; 40 and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory and approval from men; 42 but I know you and recognize that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [because your minds are closed]; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter. 44 How can you believe [in Me], when you [seek and] receive glory and approval from one another, and yet you do not seek the glory and approval which comes from the one and only God? 45 Do not think that I [am the One who] will accuse you before the Father. There [already] is one who accuses you: Moses, [the very one] in whom you have placed your hope [for salvation]. 46 For if you believed and relied on [the Scriptures written by] Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me [personally].(B) 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
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