Book of Common Prayer
A Cry of Distress and a Curse on Adversaries.
For the music director; according to [a]Shoshannim. A Psalm of David.
69 Save me, God,
For the (A)waters have [b]threatened my life.
2 I have sunk in deep (B)mud, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a [c](C)flood overflows me.
3 I am (D)weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My (E)eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those (F)who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would [d]destroy me (G)are powerful, those who oppose me with lies;
(H)What I did not steal, I then have to restore.
5 God, You know (I)my foolishness,
And (J)my guilt is not hidden from You.
6 May those who wait for You not (K)be ashamed because of me, Lord [e]God of armies;
May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel,
7 Because (L)for Your sake I have endured disgrace;
(M)Dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become (N)estranged [f]from my brothers,
And a stranger to my mother’s sons.
9 For (O)zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And (P)the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept (Q)in my soul with fasting,
It became my (R)disgrace.
11 When I made (S)sackcloth my clothing,
I became (T)a proverb to them.
12 Those who (U)sit in the gate talk about me,
And (V)songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, (W)at an acceptable time;
God, in the (X)greatness of Your mercy,
Answer me with [g]Your saving truth.
14 Rescue me from the (Y)mud and do not let me sink;
May I be (Z)rescued from those who hate me, and from the (AA)depths of water.
15 May the [h](AB)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the (AC)pit close its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, Lord, for (AD)Your mercy is good;
(AE)According to the greatness of Your compassion, (AF)turn to me,
17 And (AG)do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am (AH)in distress; answer me quickly.
18 Come near to my soul and (AI)redeem it;
(AJ)Ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my (AK)disgrace, my shame, and my dishonor;
All my enemies are [i]known to You.
20 Disgrace has (AL)broken my heart, and I am so sick.
And (AM)I waited for sympathy, but there was none;
And for (AN)comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me [j](AO)a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they (AP)gave me vinegar to drink.
22 May (AQ)their table before them become a snare;
And [k](AR)when they are at peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their (AS)eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their (AT)hips shake continually.
24 (AU)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their [l](AV)camp be desolated;
May there be none living in their tents.
26 For they have (AW)persecuted him whom (AX)You Yourself struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom (AY)You have [m]wounded.
27 Add (AZ)guilt to their guilt,
And (BA)may they not come into (BB)Your righteousness.
28 May they be (BC)wiped out of the (BD)book of life,
And may they not be [n](BE)recorded with the righteous.
29 But I am (BF)afflicted and in pain;
[o]May Your salvation, God, (BG)set me safely on high.
30 I will (BH)praise the name of God with song,
And (BI)exalt Him with (BJ)thanksgiving.
31 And it will (BK)please the Lord better than an ox
Or bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The (BL)humble [p]have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, (BM)let your heart [q]revive.
33 For (BN)the Lord hears the needy,
And (BO)does not despise those of His who are prisoners.
34 (BP)Heaven and earth shall praise Him,
The seas and (BQ)everything that moves in them.
35 For God will (BR)save Zion and (BS)build the cities of Judah,
So that they may live there and (BT)possess it.
36 The [r](BU)descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name (BV)will live in it.
BOOK 3
The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.
A Psalm of Asaph.
73 God certainly is (A)good to Israel,
To those who are (B)pure in heart!
2 But as for me, (C)my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps [a]had almost slipped.
3 For I was (D)envious of the [b]arrogant
As I saw the (E)prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their belly is fat.
5 They are (F)not [c]in trouble like other people,
Nor are they (G)tormented together with the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore arrogance is (H)their necklace;
The (I)garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye [d]bulges from (J)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart overflow.
8 They (K)mock and [e]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (L)speak from on high.
9 They have (M)set their mouth [f]against the heavens,
And their tongue [g]parades through the earth.
10 Therefore [h]his people return here,
And (N)abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 They say, “(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge [i]with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (P)these are the wicked;
And always (Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (R)in vain I have [j]kept my heart pure
And (S)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (T)all day long,
And [k](U)punished every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak this way,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (V)generation of Your children.
16 When I (W)thought of understanding this,
It was [l]troublesome in my sight
17 Until I entered the [m](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their (Y)end.
18 You indeed put them on (Z)slippery ground;
You dropped them into [n](AA)ruin.
19 How they are [o](AB)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by (AC)sudden terrors!
20 Like a (AD)dream when one awakes,
Lord, when (AE)stirred, You will (AF)despise their image.
21 When my (AG)heart was embittered
And I was (AH)pierced [p]within,
22 Then I was (AI)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an (AJ)animal [q]before You.
23 Nevertheless (AK)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 You will (AL)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward (AM)receive me [r]to glory.
25 (AN)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (AO)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [s]strength of my heart and my (AP)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (AQ)those who are far from You will (AR)perish;
You have destroyed all those who [t](AS)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (AT)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord [u]God my (AU)refuge,
So that I may (AV)tell of all Your works.
9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the [a]impulses of your heart and the [b](A)desires of your eyes. Yet know that (B)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So remove [c]sorrow from your heart and keep [d](C)pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are [e]fleeting.
Remember God in Your Youth
12 (D)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the (E)evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the (F)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are (G)bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and (H)those who look through [f]windows grow [g]dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the (I)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the (J)daughters of song will [h]sing softly. 5 Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (K)home while the (L)mourners move around in the street. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [i]broken and the (M)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the (N)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [j](O)spirit will return to (P)God who gave it. 8 “(Q)Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”
Purpose of the Preacher
9 In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged (R)many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find (S)delightful words and to write (T)words of truth correctly.
11 The (U)words of the wise are like [k](V)goads, and masters of these collections are like driven (W)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [l]writing of (X)many books is endless, and excessive (Y)study is [m]wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: (Z)fear God and (AA)keep His commandments, because this applies to (AB)every person. 14 For (AC)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow (A)the Spirit as well. 26 Let’s not become (B)boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
Bear One Another’s Burdens
6 (C)Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are (D)spiritual are to (E)restore such a person (F)in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 (G)Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill (H)the law of Christ. 3 For (I)if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must (J)examine his own work, and then he will have reason for (K)boasting, but [a]to himself alone, and not [b]to another. 5 For (L)each one will bear his own load.
6 (M)The one who is taught (N)the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 (O)Do not be deceived, (P)God is not mocked; for (Q)whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 (R)For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap (S)destruction from the flesh, but (T)the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 (U)Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we (V)do not become weary. 10 So then, [c](W)while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the (X)household of (Y)the faith.
Jesus Foretells His Death
21 (A)From that time [a]Jesus began to [b]point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to (B)suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. 22 And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “[c]God forbid it, Lord! This shall never [d]happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, (C)Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [e]God’s purposes, but men’s.”
Discipleship Is Costly
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, (D)take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For (E)whoever wants to save his [f]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [g]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but [h]forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the (F)Son of Man (G)is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and (H)will then repay every person according to his [i]deeds.
28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the (I)Son of Man (J)coming in His kingdom.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.