Book of Common Prayer
The King of Glory
A psalm of David.[a]
24 The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness,
the world and those who live in it,
2 because he has founded it on the seas,
and has established it on the rivers.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of Yahweh?
And who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who is innocent of hands and pure of heart,
who does not lift up his soul to falseness,
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from Yahweh,
and justice[b] from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the sort of those who seek[c] him,
those who seek your face, even Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
and rise up, O ancient doorways,
that the king of glory[d] may enter.
8 Who is the king of glory?[e]
Yahweh, strong and mighty;
Yahweh, mighty in war!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
and lift up, O ancient doorways,
that the king of glory[f] may enter.
10 Who is the king of glory?[g]
Yahweh of hosts,
He is the king of glory![h] Selah
Praise to God for His Glory and Strength
A psalm of David.[a]
29 Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of God,[b]
ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due[c] his name.
Worship Yahweh in holy array.
3 The voice of Yahweh is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders.
Yahweh is over many waters.
4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful.
The voice of Yahweh is majestic.
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars.
Yahweh shatters even the cedars of Lebanon.
6 And he makes them skip like a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Yahweh flashes[d] flames of fire.
8 The voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness.
Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Yahweh causes deer[e] to give birth
and strips the forests bare.
And at his temple all in it say, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sits enthroned at the flood,
and Yahweh sits as king forever.
11 May Yahweh give strength to his people.
May Yahweh bless his people with peace.
Yahweh’s Glory in Creation
For the music director, on the Gittith.[a] A psalm of David.[b]
8 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
who put your splendor above the heavens.
2 From the mouth of children and infants you have founded[c] strength
on account of your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
4 what is a human being that you think of him?
and a child of humankind that you care for him?
5 And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings,[d]
and with glory and with majesty you crowned him.
6 You make him over the works of your hands;
all things you have placed under his feet:
7 sheep and cattle, all of them,
and also the wild animals of the field,
8 the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
everything that passes along the paths of seas.
9 Yahweh, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all of the earth!
The Joy of Worshiping in the Temple
For the music director; on the Gittith.
Of the sons of Korah. A psalm.[a]
84 How lovely are your dwelling places,
O Yahweh of hosts!
2 My soul longs and even fails
for the courtyards of Yahweh.
My heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
near your altars, O Yahweh of hosts,
my king and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;[b]
they can ever praise you. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in you;
in their heart are the highways to Zion.
6 Passing through the Valley of Baca,[c]
they make it a spring.
The early rain covers it with blessings[d] as well.
7 They go from strength to strength,
until each appears before God in Zion.[e]
8 O Yahweh, God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah
9 Look at our shield, O God,
and have regard for the face of your anointed one.
10 Because better is a day in your courtyards
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be at the threshold of the house[f] of my God
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 Because Yahweh God is a sun and a shield;
Yahweh gives grace and honor.
He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.
12 O Yahweh of hosts,
blessed is the man who trusts you.
Those Who Have Wealth but Do Not Enjoy It Are Pitiful
6 Here is another misfortune that I have seen under the sun, and it is prevalent among humankind. 2 God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; yet God does not enable him to enjoy it—instead someone else ends up enjoying it. This is vanity—indeed, it is a grievous ill!
3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, if his heart[a] is not satisfied with his prosperity[b] and he does not receive a proper burial,[c] I deem the stillborn better than him. 4 For he comes into vanity and departs into darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 He has neither seen nor known the sun, yet he has more rest than him. 6 Even if a man[d] lives a thousand years twice, if he[e] does not enjoy prosperity,[f] both suffer the same fate![g]
One Must Learn to Be Content with What One Has
7 All of a man’s toil is for his mouth—
yet his appetite is never satisfied.
8 So do the wise really have an advantage over fools?
Can the poor really gain anything by knowing how to act in front of others?[h]
9 Better to be content with what your eyes see
than for your soul to constantly crave more.[i]
This also is vanity and chasing wind!
It is Futile for Humans to Complain about God’s Irresistible Will
10 Whatever is—it was already determined,
what will be—it has already been decided.[j]
As for man, he cannot argue
against what is more powerful than him.
11 Increasing words only multiplies futility,[k]
how does that profit anyone?
The Future is Inscrutable to Humans
12 For who knows what is good for a man in his life during the few days of his fleeting life, which are fleeting as a shadow? For who can tell anyone what will happen in the future[l] under the sun?
Peter Has a Vision
9 And the next day, as[a] they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But while[b] they were preparing the food,[c] a trance came over him. 11 And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners, 12 in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!” 15 And the voice came again to him for the second time: “The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!” 16 And this happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the vision that he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having found the house of Simon by asking around, stood at the gate. 18 And they called out and[d] asked if Simon who was also called Peter was staying there as a guest. 19 And while[e] Peter was reflecting about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, men[f] are looking for you. 20 But get up, go down, and go with them—not hesitating at all, because I have sent them.” 21 So Peter went down to the men and[g] said, “Behold, I am he whom you are looking for! What is the reason for which you have come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man—and well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews—was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.” 23 So he invited them in and[h] entertained them as guests, and on the next day he got up and[i] went away with them. And some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give charitable gifts. Make for yourselves money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven[a] where thief does not approach or moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
On the Alert for the Master’s Return
35 “You must be prepared for action[b] and your[c] lamps burning. 36 And you, be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast,[d] so that when he[e] comes back and knocks, they can open the door[f] for him immediately. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and[g] serve them. 38 Even if he should come back in the second or in the third watch of the night and find them[h] like this, blessed are they! 39 But understand this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.”[i]
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