Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 26
Prayer for Vindication
Davidic.
1 Vindicate me, Lord,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.(A)
2 Test me, Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.(B)
3 For Your faithful love is before my eyes,
and I live by Your truth.(C)
4 I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
5 I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.(D)
6 I wash my hands[a] in innocence(E)
and go around Your altar, Lord,(F)
7 raising my voice in thanksgiving(G)
and telling about Your wonderful works.(H)
Psalm 28
My Strength
Davidic.
1 Lord, I call to You;
my rock, do not be deaf to me.(A)
If You remain silent to me,
I will be like those going down to the Pit.(B)
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading
when I cry to You for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your holy sanctuary.(C)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers,
who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.(D)
4 Repay them according to what they have done—
according to the evil of their deeds.
Repay them according to the work of their hands;
give them back what they deserve.(E)
5 Because they do not consider
what the Lord has done
or the work of His hands,
He will tear them down and not rebuild them.(F)
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and God’s Love
For the choir director. A psalm of David, the Lord’s servant.
1 An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
There is no dread of God before his eyes,(A)
2 for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to discover and hate his sin.(B)
3 The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(C)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(D)
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(E)
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.(F)
5 Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.(G)
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.(H)
Lord, You preserve man and beast.(I)
7 God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.(J)
8 They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,(K)
9 for with You is life’s fountain.(L)
In Your light we will see light.(M)
Psalm 39
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Davidic psalm.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(A)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(B)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(C)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, reveal to me the end of my life
and the number of my days.
Let me know how short-lived I am.(D)
5 You, indeed, have made my days short in length,
and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.(E)
6 “Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(F)
7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.(G)
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(H)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.(I)
10 Remove Your torment from me;
I fade away because of the force of Your hand.(J)
11 You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(K)
every man is only a vapor.(L)
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure with turmoil.(A)
19 A slacker’s way is like a thorny hedge,
but the path of the upright is a highway.(F)
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.(G)
21 Foolishness brings joy to one without sense,
but a man with understanding walks a straight path.(H)
22 Plans fail when there is no counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.(I)
24 For the discerning the path of life leads upward,
so that he may avoid going down to Sheol.
25 The Lord destroys the house of the proud,
but He protects the widow’s territory.(K)
26 The Lord detests the plans of an evil man,
but pleasant words are pure.(L)
27 The one who profits dishonestly(M) troubles his household,
but the one who hates bribes will live.(N)
28 The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering,(O)
but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.(P)
32 Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself,(U)
but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.[d](V)
33 The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches,
and humility comes before honor.(W)
Engage in Battle
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies(A) previously made about you, so that by them you may strongly engage in battle, 19 having faith(B) and a good conscience.(C) Some(D) have rejected these and have suffered the shipwreck of their faith. 20 Hymenaeus(E) and Alexander(F) are among them, and I have delivered them to Satan,(G) so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.
Instructions on Prayer
2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority,(H) so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness(I) and dignity.(J) 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,(K) 4 who wants everyone(L) to be saved(M) and to come to the knowledge of the truth.(N)
5 For there is one God(O)
and one mediator(P) between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,(Q)
6 who gave Himself—a ransom for all,(R)
a testimony at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle(S) (I am telling the truth;[a] I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles(T) in faith and truth.
Instructions to Men and Women
8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.(U)
A Tree and Its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad[a] and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.(A) 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow(B) of the heart. 35 A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good,[b] and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.(C) 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment(D) people will have to account(E) for every careless word they speak.[c] 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”(F)
39 But He answered them,(G) “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(H) 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights,(I) so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,(J) because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!(K) 42 The queen of the south(L) will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here!
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