Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 87
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 His foundation is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C)
4 “I will mention those who know Me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High Himself will establish her.(E)
6 When He registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.”(F)
7 Singers and dancers alike will say,
“My whole source of joy is[a] in you.”(G)
BOOK IV
(Psalms 90–106)
Psalm 90
Eternal God and Mortal Man
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, You have been our refuge[a]
in every generation.(A)
2 Before the mountains were born,
before You gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, You are God.(B)
3 You return mankind to the dust,
saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”(C)
4 For in Your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.(D)
5 You end their lives;[b] they sleep.(E)
They are like grass that grows in the morning—
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;
by evening it withers and dries up.(F)
7 For we are consumed by Your anger;
we are terrified by Your wrath.(G)
8 You have set our unjust ways before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your presence.(H)
9 For all our days ebb away under Your wrath;
we end our years like a sigh.(I)
10 Our lives last[c] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
Even the best of them are[d] struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.(J)
11 Who understands the power of Your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due You.(K)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.[e](L)
13 Lord—how long?
Turn and have compassion on Your servants.(M)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.(N)
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.(O)
16 Let Your work be seen by Your servants,
and Your splendor by their children.(P)
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
establish the work of our hands!(Q)
Psalm 136
God’s Love Is Eternal
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.(A)
His love is eternal.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love is eternal.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.(B)
His love is eternal.
4 He alone does great wonders.(C)
His love is eternal.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.(D)
His love is eternal.
6 He spread the land on the waters.(E)
His love is eternal.
7 He made the great lights:(F)
His love is eternal.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His love is eternal.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.(G)
His love is eternal.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians(H)
His love is eternal.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love is eternal.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.(I)
His love is eternal.
13 He divided the Red Sea(J)
His love is eternal.
14 and led Israel through,(K)
His love is eternal.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.(L)
His love is eternal.
16 He led His people in the wilderness.(M)
His love is eternal.
17 He struck down great kings
His love is eternal.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His love is eternal.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love is eternal.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love is eternal.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love is eternal.
22 an inheritance to Israel His servant.(N)
His love is eternal.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation(O)
His love is eternal.
24 and rescued us from our foes.(P)
His love is eternal.
25 He gives food to every creature.(Q)
His love is eternal.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!(R)
His love is eternal.
Israel Settles in Goshen
27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous.(A) 28 Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years. 29 When the time drew near for him to die,(B) he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh(C) and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.(D) Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I rest with my fathers, carry me away from Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”(E)
Joseph answered, “I will do what you have asked.”
31 And Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.[a](F)
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
48 Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty(G) appeared to me at Luz(H) in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as an eternal possession(I) to your future descendants.’(J) 5 Your two sons(K) born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine.(L) Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way,(M) some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath,” (that is, Bethlehem).
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers(A) were all under the cloud,(B) all passed through the sea,(C) 2 and all were baptized(D) into Moses(E) in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food,(F) 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock(G) that followed them, and that rock was Christ.(H) 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.(I)
6 Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire(J) evil things as they did.[a](K) 7 Don’t become idolaters(L) as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.[b](M)[c] 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality(N) as some of them did,[d] and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead.(O) 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did[e] and were destroyed by snakes.(P) 10 Nor should we complain(Q) as some of them did,[f](R) and were killed by the destroyer.[g](S) 11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us,(T) on whom the ends of the ages(U) have come.(V) 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.(W) 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful,(X) and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape(Y) so that you are able to bear it.
The Traditions of the Elders
7 The(A) Pharisees(B) and some of the scribes(C) who had come from Jerusalem(D) gathered around Him. 2 They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean(E)—that is, unwashed—hands. 3 (For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace,(F) they do not eat unless they have washed.(G) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.[a](H)) 5 Then the Pharisees(I) and the scribes(J) asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,(K) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean[b] hands?”
6 He answered them, “Isaiah(L) prophesied(M) correctly about you hypocrites,(N) as it is written:(O)
These people honor(P) Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
7 They worship Me in vain,
teaching(Q) as doctrines(R) the commands(S) of men.(T)[c]
8 Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”[d] 9 He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain[e] your tradition! 10 For Moses(U) said:
Honor your father and your mother;(V)[f] and
Whoever speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death.(W)[g]
11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit(X) you might have received from me is Corban’” (that is, a gift(Y) committed to the temple), 12 “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 You revoke God’s word(Z) by your tradition that you have handed(AA) down. And you do many other similar things.” 14 Summoning(AB) the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:(AC) 15 Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. [16 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]”[h]
17 When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach(AD) and is eliminated.”[i] (As a result, He made all foods clean.[j](AE)) 20 Then He said, “What comes out of a person—that defiles him. 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,(AF) thefts, murders,(AG) 22 adulteries,(AH) greed,(AI) evil actions, deceit,(AJ) promiscuity,(AK) stinginess,[k] blasphemy,(AL) pride,(AM) and foolishness.(AN) 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
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