Book of Common Prayer
Book One
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 [a]Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [b]scoffers (ridiculers).
2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.(A)
3
And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].(B)
4
The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,
But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.
5
Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6
For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.
2 Why are the [c]nations in an [d]uproar [in turmoil against God],
And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
2
The kings of the earth take their stand;
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and His Anointed (the Davidic King, the Messiah, the Christ), saying,(C)
3
“Let us break apart their [divine] bands [of restraint]
And cast away their cords [of control] from us.”
4
He who sits [enthroned] in the heavens laughs [at their rebellion];
The [Sovereign] [e]Lord scoffs at them [and in supreme contempt He mocks them].
5
Then He will speak to them in His [profound] anger
And terrify them with His displeasure, saying,
6
“Yet as for Me, I have anointed and firmly installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
7
“I will declare the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son;
This day [I proclaim] I have begotten You.(D)
8
‘Ask of Me, and I will assuredly give [You] the nations as Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
9
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall shatter them [in pieces] like earthenware.’”(E)
10
Now therefore, O kings, act wisely;
Be instructed and take warning, O leaders (judges, rulers) of the earth.
11
Worship the Lord and serve Him with reverence [with awe-inspired fear and submissive wonder];
Rejoice [yet do so] with trembling.
12
Kiss (pay respect to) the [f]Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame.
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him!
Morning Prayer of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, how my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2
Many are saying of me,
“There is no help [no salvation] for him in God.” [g]Selah.
3
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head.
4
With my voice I was crying to the Lord,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.
5
I lay down and slept [safely];
I awakened, for the Lord sustains me.
6
I will not be intimidated or afraid of the ten thousands
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7
Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah.
Evening Prayer of Trust in God.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have freed me when I was hemmed in and relieved me when I was in distress;
Be gracious to me and hear [and respond to] my prayer.
2
O sons of men, how long will my honor and glory be [turned into] shame?
How long will you [my enemies] love worthless (vain, futile) things and seek deception and lies? Selah.
3
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself [and dealt wonderfully with] the godly man [the one of honorable character and moral courage—the one who does right].
The Lord hears and responds when I call to Him.
4
Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion].(F) Selah.
5
Offer righteous sacrifices;
Trust [confidently] in the Lord.
6
Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see some good!”
Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord.
7
You have put joy in my heart,
More than [others know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly.
8
In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety and confident trust.
The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
An [a]Ode of David, [perhaps in a wild, irregular, enthusiastic strain,] which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Lord my God, in You I take refuge;
Save me and rescue me from all those who pursue me,
2
So that my enemy will not tear me like a lion,
Dragging me away while there is no one to rescue [me].
3
O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is injustice in my hands,
4
If I have done evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or without cause robbed him who was my enemy,
5
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
6
Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me; You have commanded judgment and vindication.
7
Let the assembly of the nations be gathered around You,
And return on high over them.
8
The Lord judges the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, and grant me justice according to my righteousness and according to the integrity within me.
9
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous [those in right standing with You];
For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.(A)
10
My shield and my defense depend on God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11
God is a righteous judge,
And a God who is indignant every day.
12
If a man does not repent, God will sharpen His sword;
He has strung and bent His [mighty] bow and made it ready.
13
He has also prepared [other] deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts [aimed at the unrepentant].
14
Behold, the [wicked and irreverent] man is pregnant with sin,
And he conceives mischief and gives birth to lies.
15
He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has fallen into the [very] pit which he made [as a trap].
16
His mischief will return on his own head,
And his violence will come down on the top of his head [like loose dirt].
17
I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and justice,
And I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead
32 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had very large herds of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan River], and indeed, the place was suitable for raising livestock. 2 So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 “[The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which the Lord conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land [suitable] for livestock, and your servants have [very large herds of] livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan [River].”
6 But Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
16 But the people of Reuben and Gad approached Moses and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and [walled] cities for our children, 17 but we will be armed and ready to go to war before the [other tribes of the] Israelites, until we have brought them to their place, while our children live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the [other] sons of Israel has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the west side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan [River] toward the east.”
20 Moses replied, “If you will do as you say, if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for war, 21 and every armed man of yours will cross the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him, 22 and the land [west of the Jordan] is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be blameless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land [east of the Jordan] shall be yours as a possession before the Lord. 23 But if you do not do this, behold, you will have sinned against the Lord; and be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build yourselves cities for your children, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken.”
25 Then the descendants of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to the battle, just as my lord says.”
Our Victory in Christ
26 In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of [a]God’s people in accordance with God’s will.(A)
28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers. 30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].
Pharisaism Exposed
23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law]; 3 so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them. 4 The scribes and Pharisees tie up [a]heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter]. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their [b]phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their [c]tassels long.(A) 6 They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation], 7 and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi. 8 But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ. 11 But the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.