Book of Common Prayer
The Prayer of an Innocent Believer
Of David.
26 Lord, ·defend [vindicate] me because I have ·lived an innocent life [L walked in innocence; Job 1:1].
I have ·trusted [confidence in] the Lord and never ·doubted [wavered; faltered].
2 Lord, try me and test me;
look closely into my ·heart and mind [L kidneys and heart; C the seat of emotions and mind in Hebrew thought].
3 ·I see your love [L Your loyalty/covenant love is before my eyes],
and I ·live by your truth [walk in your truth/faithfulness].
4 I do not ·spend time [L sit] with ·liars [or worthless people],
nor do I ·make friends [L go] with ·those who hide their sin [hypocrites].
5 I hate the ·company [assembly] of evil people,
and I won’t sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands ·to show I am innocent [L in innocence],
and I ·come to [L go around] your altar, Lord.
7 I raise my voice in ·praise [or thanks]
and tell of all the ·miracles [wonderful things] you have done.
8 Lord, I love the ·Temple [L house] where you live,
where your glory [C manifest presence] ·is [dwells].
9 Do not ·kill me [take me away] with those sinners
or take my life with ·those murderers [the bloodthirsty; L men of blood].
10 ·Evil is [Schemes are] in their hands,
and ·they do wrong for money [L their right hand is full of bribes].
11 But I have ·lived an innocent life [L walked in innocence; v. 1],
so ·save [redeem; ransom] me and have mercy on me.
12 ·I stand in a safe place [L My feet stand on level ground].
Lord, I ·praise [bless] you in the great ·meeting [assembly].
A Prayer in Troubled Times
Of David.
28 Lord, my Rock [C providing protection], I ·call out to you for help [pray].
Do not be ·deaf [silent] to me.
If you are silent,
I will be like those ·in the grave [L who go down to the Pit; 16:10].
2 Hear the sound of my ·prayer [supplication],
when I cry out to you for help.
I raise my hands
toward your Most Holy Place [C the place where God made his presence known, the sanctuary].
3 Don’t drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil.
They say “Peace” to their neighbors,
but evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for what they have done,
for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for ·what they have done [L the work of their hands];
give them their reward.
5 They don’t understand what the Lord has done
or ·what he has made [L the work of his hands].
So he will ·knock [tear] them down
and not ·lift [L build] them up.
6 ·Praise [L Blessed be] the Lord,
because he heard ·my prayer for help [L the sound of my supplication].
7 The Lord is my strength [Ex. 15:2] and shield.
·I trust [My heart has confidence in] him, and he helps me.
·I am [L My heart is] very happy,
and I ·praise [give thanks to] him with my song.
8 The Lord is powerful;
he ·gives victory [is a saving refuge] to his ·chosen one [anointed].
9 ·Save [L Give victory to] your people
and bless ·those who are your own [L your inheritance].
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Wicked People and a Good God
For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
36 ·Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts [L Oracle/Decree of transgression to the wicked in the midst of their heart].
They have no ·fear [terror] of God [Prov. 1:7; Rom. 3:18].
2 They ·think too much of themselves [L flatter themselves in their own eyes]
so they don’t ·see [discover; find] their sin and ·hate [or change] it.
3 ·Their words [L The words of their mouth] are ·wicked lies [mischief and deceit];
they ·are no longer wise or good [L have stopped being wise/insightful in order to do good].
4 ·At night [L In their bed] they make evil plans;
·what they do leads to nothing [L they are set on a way that does no] good.
They don’t ·refuse [reject] things that are evil.
5 Lord, your ·love [loyalty; covenant love] ·reaches [extends] to the heavens,
your ·loyalty [faithfulness] to the skies.
6 Your ·goodness [righteousness] is like the mighty mountains [C majestic].
Your ·justice [judgment] is like the great ocean [C deep].
Lord, you ·protect [save] both people and animals.
7 God, ·your love is so precious [L how precious is your loyalty/covenant love?]!
You ·protect [provide refuge for] people in the shadow of your wings.
8 They ·eat [feast on; are filled with] ·the rich food [L from the fat/abundance] in your house,
and you let them drink from your river of ·pleasure [delights].
9 You are the ·giver [L fountain] of life.
·Your light lets us enjoy life [L In your light we see light].
10 Continue to ·love [show loyalty/covenant love to] those who know you
and ·to do good [L your good/righteousness] to those who are ·good [upright/virtuous in heart].
11 Don’t let ·proud people attack me [L the foot of the arrogant come near me]
·and the wicked [L or the hand of the wicked] ·force [drive] me away.
12 Those who do evil ·have been defeated [L fall there].
They are overwhelmed;
they cannot ·do evil any longer [L arise again].
Life Is Short
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will ·be careful how I act [L guard my way]
and will not sin ·by what I say [L with my tongue].
I will ·be careful what I say [L keep a muzzle on my mouth]
around wicked people.”
2 So I kept ·very quiet [silent and still].
I didn’t even say anything good,
but ·I became even more upset [L my agony/sorrow got worse].
3 ·I became very angry inside [L My heart grew hot within me],
and as I ·thought [meditated] about it, ·my anger [L a fire] burned.
So I ·spoke [L said with my tongue]:
4 “Lord, ·tell [inform; reveal to] me when ·the end [or my end] will come
and how long ·I will live [L will be my days].
Let me know how ·long I have [L fleeting I am; 90:1–12].
5 You have given ·me only a short life [L my days a handbreadth; C about four inches];
my lifetime is like nothing to you.
Everyone’s life is only ·a breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
6 People are like shadows moving about.
All their ·work [or wealth; or turmoil] is ·for nothing [a breath/vapor; Luke 12:13–21; James 4:3–17];
they ·collect things [accumulate riches/wealth] but don’t know who will ·get [gather] them.
7 “So, Lord, what ·hope do I have [do I wait for]?
You are my hope.
8 Save me from all my ·sins [transgressions].
Don’t ·let wicked fools make fun of me [L set the scorn of fools on me].
9 I am quiet; I do not open my mouth,
because you are the one who has done this.
10 ·Quit punishing me [L Turn your blows/scourge away from me];
·your beating is about to kill me [L I am exhausted/finished from the hostility/beatings of your hand].
11 You correct and punish people for their sins;
like a moth, you destroy what they ·love [covet; desire].
Everyone’s life is only a ·breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
12 “Lord, hear my prayer,
and listen to my cry.
Do not ignore my tears.
I am like a ·visitor [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] with you.
Like my ·ancestors [fathers], I’m only ·here a short time [a temporary resident].
13 Leave me alone so I can be happy
before I leave and am no more.”
Wise Words from Agur
30 These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh [C an otherwise unknown wise man].
·This is his message to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal [or The utterance of the man, “I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and I am exhausted; C unclear whether these are proper names or verbs]:
2 “I am ·the most stupid person there is [a dullard/brute more than a human; Ps. 73:22],
and I have no understanding.
3 I have not learned to be wise,
and I don’t know much about ·God, the Holy One [or the holy ones; C a reference to angels].
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come back down [John 3:12–13]?
Who can hold the wind ·in his hand [or by the handful; Gen. 8:1; Ex. 10:13; 15:10; Num. 11:31; Amos 4:13]?
Who can gather up the waters in his coat [Job 26:8]?
Who has set in place the ends of the earth [8:27–29]?
What is his name or his son’s name?
Tell me, if you know!
24 “There are four things on earth that are small,
but they are very wise:
25 Ants are not very strong,
but they ·store up [have] food in the summer.
26 ·Rock badgers [or Coneys] are not very powerful,
but they can live among the ·rocks [crags].
27 Locusts have no king,
but they ·all go forward in formation [advance together in ranks].
28 Lizards can be caught in the hand,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29 “There are three things that ·strut proudly [L are excellent in gait],
really four that ·walk as if they were important [L are excellent as they walk]:
30 a lion, ·the proudest animal [or a warrior among beasts],
which ·is strong and runs from nothing [backs down from nothing],
31 a rooster, a male goat,
and a king when his army is around him.
32 “If you have been foolish and proud,
or if you have planned evil, ·shut [L put your hand to] your mouth [Job 40:2].
33 Just as ·stirring [L pressing] milk makes ·butter [curds],
and ·twisting [L pressing] noses makes ·them bleed [blood],
so ·stirring up [L pressing] anger ·causes trouble [leads to accusations].”
The Importance of Christ
3 [Furthermore, or Finally,] My brothers and sisters, ·be full of joy [rejoice] in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it ·will help you to be more ready [L is a safeguard/protection for you]. 2 ·Watch out for [Beware] those who do evil, ·who are like dogs [L beware the dogs; C a derogatory reference to Paul’s opponents], ·who demand to cut the body [L beware the mutilation; C a mocking reference to those who demand circumcision of Gentile believers]. 3 [L For] We are the ·ones who are truly circumcised [L (true) circumcision]. We ·worship [serve] God ·through [or in] his Spirit, and ·our pride is [we boast/glory] in Christ Jesus. We do not put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·ourselves or anything we can do [human ability/effort; T the flesh], 4 although I might be able to put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·myself [human ability/effort; T the flesh]. If anyone thinks he has a reason to ·trust [rely; have confidence] in ·himself [human ability/effort; T the flesh], he should know that I have greater reason. 5 I was circumcised eight days after my birth [Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3]. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a ·Hebrew, and my parents were Hebrews [or true Hebrew; Hebrew through and through; L Hebrew of Hebrews]. With regard to the ·law of Moses [L law], I was a Pharisee [C Pharisees strictly followed the OT law and expanded on it with many traditions]. 6 ·I was so enthusiastic [L With regard to (religious) zeal,] I persecuted the church. With regard to ·obedience to the law of Moses [L righteousness based on the law] I was ·faultless [blameless]. 7 Those things were ·important [valuable; or assets] to me, but now I think they are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] because of Christ. 8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] ·compared with [or because of] the ·greatness [superior/supreme value] of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I ·know they are [consider them] ·worthless trash [garbage; refuse; excrement]. ·This allows me to have [L …so that I may gain] Christ 9 and to ·belong to [be united with; L be found in] him. ·Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law [L …not having my own righteousness from the law], but because ·I believed in Christ [of faith in Christ; or of the faithfulness of Christ]. This is the ·right relationship with [or righteousness of/from] God that comes through ·faith [or the faithfulness (of Christ)]. 10 I want to know Christ and the power ·that raised him from the dead [L of his resurrection]. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. 11 ·Then I have hope that [L …if somehow] I myself will ·be raised [reach/attain to the resurrection] from the dead.
Jesus Is Brought Before Pilate(A)
28 Early in the morning they [C the Jewish leaders] led Jesus from Caiaphas’s house to the ·Roman governor’s palace [or governor’s headquarters; L Praetorium]. They would not go inside the ·palace [L Praetorium], because they did not want to make themselves ·unclean [C according to early Jewish sources a Jew who entered the house of a Gentile would become ritually unclean]; they wanted to eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate [C Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea from ad 26 to 37] went outside to them and asked, “What ·charges [accusation] do you bring against this man?”
30 They answered, “If he were not a ·criminal [L evildoer], we wouldn’t have brought him to you.”
31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But ·we are not allowed [it is not legal for us] to put anyone to death,” the Jews answered. [C The Jewish people had to concede the authority for capital punishment to their Roman occupiers.] 32 (This happened so that what Jesus said about how he would die [C by crucifixion rather than stoning] would ·come true [L be fulfilled; see 12:32–33].)
33 Then Pilate went back inside the ·palace [headquarters; L Praetorium] and called Jesus to him and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus ·said [answered], “Is that your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “·I am not one of you [L Am I a Jew?]. It was your own ·people [nation] and their ·leading [T chief] priests who ·handed you over [or betrayed you] to me. What have you done wrong?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom ·does not belong to [T is not of] this world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would have fought to keep me from being ·given over [betrayed; handed over] to the ·Jewish leaders [L Jews]. But my kingdom is from another place.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king!”
Jesus answered, “You are the one saying I am a king. This is why I was born and came into the world: to ·tell people [testify/witness to] the truth. And everyone ·who belongs to the [on the side of] truth ·listens to me [L hears my voice].”
38 Pilate said, “What is truth?” After he said this, he went out to the ·crowd [L Jews] again and said to them, “I find ·nothing [no case; no basis for a charge] against this man.
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