Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer of Someone Far from Home
A psalm ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
120 When I was in ·trouble [distress], I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Lord, ·save [protect] me from ·liars [L false lips]
and from ·those who plan evil [L a deceptive tongue].
3 ·You who plan evil [L O deceptive tongue], what will ·God do [L he give] to you?
·How will he punish [L What will he add to] you?
4 ·He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior
and with burning coals of wood [L The sharp arrows of a warrior and the burning coals of a broom tree; C the broom tree produces excellent charcoal].
5 ·How terrible it is for [L Woe to] me to ·live in the land of [L sojourn/wander in] Meshech [C by the Black Sea in Asia Minor; Gen. 10:2; Ezek. 38:2],
to ·live [dwell; reside] among the ·people [L tents] of Kedar [C in the Arabian desert; Is. 21:16–17; Jer. 2:10; 49:28; Ezek. 27:21].
6 I have ·lived [dwelt; resided] too long
with people who hate peace.
7 When I talk peace,
they want war.
The Lord Guards His People
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
121 I ·look up [L raise my eyes] to the hills [C the hills surrounding Zion, the location of the Temple],
but where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].
3 He will not let ·you be defeated [L your feet be moved/slip].
He who ·guards [watches] you never sleeps.
4 He who ·guards [watches] Israel
never ·rests [sleeps] or ·sleeps [slumbers].
5 The Lord ·guards [watches] you.
The Lord is the shade ·that protects you from the sun [L at your hand, your right hand; 91:1].
6 The sun cannot ·hurt [L strike] you during the day,
and the moon cannot ·hurt [L strike] you at night.
7 The Lord will ·protect [guard; watch] you from all ·dangers [trouble; evil];
he will ·guard [watch] your life.
8 The Lord will ·guard [watch] you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Happy People in Jerusalem
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.
122 I ·was happy [rejoiced] when they said to me,
“Let’s ·go [walk] to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.”
2 Jerusalem, ·we [L our feet] are standing
at your gates.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city
·with the buildings close together [L that is closely tied together].
4 The tribes [C the twelve tribes of Israel] go up there,
the tribes who belong to the Lord.
It is the ·rule [decree; testimony] in Israel
to ·praise [L thank the name of] the Lord at Jerusalem.
5 There ·are set thrones to judge the people [L dwell thrones of judgment],
the thrones of the ·descendants [dynasty; L house] of David.
6 ·Pray [L Ask] for peace in Jerusalem:
“May those who love her ·be safe [prosper].
7 May there be peace within her ·walls [ramparts]
and ·safety [security] within her strong towers.”
8 To help my ·relatives [brothers] and ·friends [neighbors],
I say, “Let ·Jerusalem have peace [L peace be within you].”
9 For the sake of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord our God,
I ·wish [L seek] ·good [prosperity] for her.
A Prayer for Mercy
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
123 Lord, I ·look upward [L lift up my eyes] to you,
you who ·live [are enthroned; L sit] in heaven.
2 ·Slaves depend on their masters [L Like the eyes of servants/slaves to the hand of their master],
and ·a female servant depends on her mistress [L like the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress].
·In the same way, we depend on the Lord our God [L …thus our eyes are to the Lord our God as…];
we wait for him to show us ·mercy [grace].
3 ·Have mercy on [Be gracious to] us, Lord. ·Have mercy on [Be gracious to] us,
because we have been insulted.
4 We ·have suffered [are filled with the] ·many insults [much ridicule] from ·lazy [untroubled; unworried] people
and much ·cruelty [scorn] from the proud.
The Lord Saves His People
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.
124 What if the Lord had not been on our side?
(Let Israel ·repeat this [L say].)
2 What if the Lord had not been on our side
when ·we were attacked [L people rose against us]?
3 When they were angry with us,
they would have swallowed us alive.
4 They would have been like ·a flood [L water] ·drowning [overflowing] us;
they would have ·poured [passed] over us like a ·river [torrent].
5 They would have ·swept us away [passed over us] like ·a mighty stream [raging waters].
6 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord,
who did not ·let them chew us up [L give us as prey to their teeth].
7 We escaped like a bird
from the ·hunter’s [fowler’s] trap.
The trap broke,
and we escaped.
8 Our help ·comes from [L is in the name of] the Lord,
who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].
God Protects Those Who Trust Him
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
125 Those who ·trust [have confidence in] the Lord are like Mount Zion [C the location of the Temple],
which sits unmoved forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
the Lord surrounds his people
now and forever.
3 The ·wicked will not rule
over [L scepter of the wicked will not rest on; C the scepter is a symbol of rule] ·those who do right [L the allotment of the righteous].
·If they did, the people who do right
might use their power to do evil [L …so the righteous do not send forth their hands in evil].
4 Lord, ·be [or do] good to those who are good,
whose hearts are ·honest [virtuous; filled with integrity].
5 But, Lord, when you ·remove [turn aside] those who ·do evil [are twisted/perverted],
also ·remove [L make go away] those who ·stop following you [L do evil].
Let there be peace in Israel.
Lord, Bring Your People Back
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
126 When the Lord ·brought the prisoners back to [brought back those who returned to; or restored the fortunes of] Jerusalem [L Zion; C probably the return from the exile; 2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1],
it seemed as if we were dreaming [C so surprised and happy that it did not seem real].
2 Then ·we [L our mouths] were filled with laughter,
and ·we [L our tongues] ·sang happy songs [shouted joyfully].
Then the other nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we ·are very glad [rejoice].
4 Lord, ·return our prisoners [bring back those who return; or restore our fortunes] again,
as you bring streams to the ·desert [L Negev; C an arid area in the south of Israel].
5 Those who cry as they ·plant crops [sow; plant seed]
will ·sing [shout for joy] at harvest time.
6 Those who ·cry [L go out weeping]
as they carry out the ·seeds [L bag with seeds]
will return singing
and carrying ·bundles of grain [sheaves].
All Good Things Come from God
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of Solomon.
127 If the Lord doesn’t build the house,
the builders are working ·for nothing [in vain; without purpose].
If the Lord doesn’t guard the city,
the guards are watching ·for nothing [in vain; without purpose].
2 It is ·no use [in vain; without purpose] for you to get up early
and stay up late,
·working for a living [L eating the bread of hardship/pain].
The Lord ·gives sleep to those he loves [or provides for those he loves while they sleep].
3 Children are ·a gift [an inheritance] from the Lord;
·babies [L the fruit of the womb] are a reward.
4 Children ·who are born to a young man [L of one’s youth]
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior [C they help in the challenges and conflicts of life].
5 ·Happy [Blessed] is the man
who has his ·bag [quiver] full of ·arrows [L them].
They will not be ·defeated [L humiliated]
when they ·fight [L speak to] their enemies at the city gate [C the central place of commerce and government].
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
18 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6]. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still ·looking for a land [L seeking an inheritance] where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet ·been given their own land [moved into their land; received their allotment] among the tribes of Israel. 2 So, from their family groups, they chose five ·soldiers [valiant men; L men, sons of strength] from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”
They came to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night. 3 When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the ·voice [or accent] of the young Levite [17:7]. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? ·Why are you here [What is your business here]?”
4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please ask God if ·our journey [our mission; L the way we are going] will be successful.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord ·is pleased with [approves of; watches over] your journey.”
7 So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, ·like [L according to the custom of] the people of Sidon. They ·thought they were safe [were quiet and secure/unsuspecting] and ·had plenty of everything [or no ruler was humiliating them]. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their ·relatives [brothers] asked them, “What did you find?”
9 They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. ·We should attack [L Arise, let us go up against] them. ·Aren’t you going to do something [Are you just going to sit there]? Don’t ·wait [hesitate; or be lazy]! Let’s go and take that land! 10 When you go, you will see there is ·plenty of [a wide/spacious] land—·plenty of everything [lacking nothing]! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”
11 So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ·ready for [armed with weapons of] war. 12 On their way they set up camp near the city of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is named Mahaneh Dan [C “Camp of Dan”] to this day. 13 From there they traveled on to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.
14 The five men who had explored the land around Laish said to their ·relatives [L brothers], “Do you know in one of these houses there are a ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14], household gods [17:5], an ·idol, and a statue [or image overlaid with silver; 17:3]? ·You know [or Decide now] what to do.” 15 So they stopped at the Levite’s house, which was also Micah’s house, and ·greeted the Levite [or asked how he was doing].
8 Saul ·agreed that the killing of Stephen was good [L approved of his execution/death].
Troubles for the Believers
On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout [L the countryside/regions of] Judea and Samaria [C the southern and central regions of Israel].
2 And some ·religious [devout; pious; godly] ·people [or men] buried Stephen and ·cried loudly [or mourned deeply] for him. 3 [L But] Saul ·was also trying to destroy [or began harassing/mistreating/doing harm to] the church, going from house to house, dragging ·out [or off] men and women and putting them in ·jail [prison]. 4 But wherever the believers were scattered, they told people the ·Good News [Gospel].
Philip Preaches in Samaria
5 Philip [C one of the seven leaders chosen to serve; 6:5; 21:8] went to ·the city[a] [or a city; or the main city] of Samaria [C perhaps the city of Sebaste, known in ancient times as Samaria] and ·preached about [proclaimed] the ·Christ [Messiah]. 6 When the ·people [L crowds] there heard Philip and saw the ·miracles [signs] he was doing, they all [L with one accord/mind] listened carefully to what he said. 7 Many of these people had ·evil [L unclean; 5:16] spirits in them, but Philip made the evil spirits ·leave [come out]. The spirits made a loud ·noise [cry] when they came out. Philip also healed many ·weak [paralyzed] and ·crippled [lame] people there. 8 So the people in that city were ·very happy [joyful; greatly rejoicing].
9 But there was a man named Simon in that city. ·Before Philip came there, [L Previously] Simon had practiced ·magic [sorcery] and amazed all the people of Samaria. He ·bragged and called himself [L said he was] a great man. 10 All the people—·the least important and the most important [L from the smallest to the greatest]—paid attention to Simon, saying, “This man has the power of God, called ‘·the Great Power [L Great]’!” 11 Simon had amazed them with his ·magic [sorcery] so long that the people ·became his followers [L paid attention to him]. 12 But when Philip told them the ·Good News [Gospel] about the kingdom of God and the ·power [L name] of Jesus Christ, men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13 Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the ·miracles [signs] and the powerful things Philip did, Simon was amazed.
Jesus Is God’s Son
30 “I can do nothing ·alone [by myself; on my own initiative]. I judge ·only the way I am told [L as I hear], so my judgment is ·fair [just; right; righteous]. I don’t ·try to please myself [L seek my own will/desire], but ·I try to please [L the will of] the One who sent me.
31 “If only I ·tell people [testify; witness] about myself, ·what I say [my testimony; witness] is not ·true [valid]. 32 But there is another who ·tells [testifies; witnesses] about me, and I know that ·the things he says [L the witness/testimony he witnesses/testifies] about me are ·true [valid].
33 “You have sent people to John, and he has ·told you [testified/witnessed to] the truth. 34 It is not that I ·need [accept; depend on] ·what humans say [human testimony/witness]; I tell you this so you can be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were ·happy to enjoy [L willing to rejoice in] his light for a while.
36 “But I have a ·proof [testimony; witness] about myself that is ·greater [weightier] than that of John. [L For] The ·things [L works] I do, which are the ·things [L works] my Father gave me to ·do [complete; finish; C the signs and miracles which point to his saving work on the cross], ·prove [testify; witness] that the Father sent me. 37 And the Father himself who sent me has given ·proof [testimony; witness] ·about me [concerning me; on my behalf]. You have never heard his voice or seen ·what he looks like [his form; his outward appearance]. 38 His ·teaching [word; message] does not ·live [remain; abide] in you, because you don’t believe in the One the Father sent. 39 You ·carefully study [search; examine] the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. They do in fact ·tell [testify; witness] ·about me [concerning me; on my behalf], 40 but you ·refuse [do not want] to come to me to have that life.
41 “I don’t ·need [or accept; receive] ·praise [glory; honor] from people. 42 But I know you—I know that you don’t have God’s love in you. 43 I have come ·from my Father and speak for him [L in my Father’s name], ·but [or and] you don’t ·accept [receive] me. But when another person comes, ·speaking only for himself [L in his own name], you will ·accept [receive] him. 44 You try to ·get praise [receive glory/honor] from each other, but you do not try to ·get the praise [receive glory/honor] that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? 45 Don’t think that I will ·stand before the Father and say you are wrong [L accuse you before the Father]. The one who ·says you are wrong [L accuses you] is Moses, the one ·you hoped would save you [L in whom you hoped]. 46 [L For] If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because Moses wrote about me [C in the Torah, the first five books of the OT; for example, Deut. 18:15 quoted in Acts 3:22]. 47 But if you don’t believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say?”
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