Book of Common Prayer
BOOK I
(Psalms 1–41)
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
1 How happy is the man
who does not follow[a] the advice of the wicked
or take[b] the path of sinners
or join a group[c] of mockers!(A)
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.(B)
3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water[d]
that bears its fruit in season[e](C)
and whose leaf does not wither.(D)
Whatever he does prospers.(E)
4 The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.(F)
5 Therefore the wicked will not survive[f] the judgment,(G)
and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.
Psalm 2
Coronation of the Son
1 Why(J) do the nations rebel[g](K)
and the peoples plot in vain?(L)
2 The kings of the earth take their stand,(M)
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and His Anointed One:[h](N)
3 “Let us tear off their chains
and free ourselves from their restraints.”[i](O)
4 The One enthroned[j] in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.(P)
5 Then He speaks to them in His anger
and terrifies them in His wrath:(Q)
6 “I have consecrated My King[k]
on Zion, My holy mountain.”(R)
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree:
He said to Me, “You are My Son;[l]
today I have become Your[m] Father.(S)
8 Ask of Me,
and I will make the nations Your[n] inheritance
and the ends of the earth Your[o] possession.(T)
9 You will break[p] them with a rod of iron;
You[q] will shatter them like pottery.”[r](U)
10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.(V)
12 Pay homage to[s] the Son or He[t] will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,[u](W)
for His[v] anger may ignite at any moment.(X)
All those who take refuge in Him[w] are happy.(Y)
Psalm 3
Confidence in Troubled Times
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.(Z)
1 Lord, how my foes increase!
There are many who attack me.(AA)
2 Many say about me,
“There is no help for him in God.”(AB)
3 But You, Lord, are a shield around me,(AC)
my glory,(AD) and the One who lifts up my head.(AE)
4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
and He answers me from His holy mountain.(AF)
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.(AG)
6 I am not afraid of the thousands of people
who have taken their stand against me on every side.(AH)
7 Rise up, Lord!(AI)
Save me, my God!
You strike all my enemies on the cheek;(AJ)
You break the teeth of the wicked.(AK)
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;(AL)
may Your blessing be on Your people.(AM)
Psalm 4
A Night Prayer
For the choir director: with stringed instruments.(AN) A Davidic psalm.
1 Answer me when I call,
God, who vindicates me.[x](AO)
You freed me from affliction;(AP)
be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, exalted men, will my honor be insulted?(AQ)
How long will you love what is worthless(AR)
and pursue a lie?
3 Know that the Lord has set apart
the faithful for Himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry[y] and do not sin;(AS)
on your bed, reflect in your heart and be still.(AT)
5 Offer sacrifices in righteousness[z](AU)
and trust in the Lord.(AV)
6 Many are saying, “Who can show us anything good?”
Look on us with favor, Lord.(AW)
Psalm 7
Prayer for Justice
A Shiggaion[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush,[b] a Benjaminite.
1 Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You;(A)
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me(B)
2 or they[c] will tear me like a lion,
ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.[d](C)
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
if there is injustice on my hands,(D)
4 if I have done harm to one at peace with me(E)
or have plundered[e] my adversary without cause,(F)
5 may an enemy pursue and overtake me;
may he trample me to the ground(G)
and leave my honor in the dust.(H)
6 Rise up, Lord, in Your anger;
lift Yourself up against the fury of my adversaries;(I)
awake for me;[f](J)
You have ordained[g] a judgment.(K)
7 Let the assembly of peoples gather around You;(L)
take Your seat[h] on high over it.(M)
8 The Lord judges the peoples;(N)
vindicate me, Lord,
according to my righteousness and my integrity.[i](O)
9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,(P)
but establish the righteous.(Q)
The One who examines the thoughts and emotions[j]
is a righteous God.(R)
10 My shield is with[k] God,(S)
who saves the upright in heart.(T)
11 God is a righteous judge
and a God who shows His wrath every day.(U)
12 If anyone does not repent,
God[l] will sharpen His sword;(V)
He has strung[m] His bow and made it ready.(W)
13 He has prepared His deadly weapons;
He tips His arrows with fire.(X)
14 See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,
conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.(Y)
15 He dug a pit and hollowed it out
but fell into the hole he had made.(Z)
16 His trouble comes back on his own head,
and his violence falls on the top of his head.(AA)
17 I will thank the Lord for His righteousness;
I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High.(AB)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,(A)
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!(B)
11 “What are all your sacrifices to Me?”
asks the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.(C)
12 When you come to appear before Me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of My courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings.(D)
Your incense is detestable to Me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,(E)
and the calling of solemn assemblies(F)—
I cannot stand iniquity(G) with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to Me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer,(H)
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.(I)
Your hands are covered with blood.(J)
Purification of Jerusalem
16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.(K)
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil.(L)
17 Learn to do what is good.
Seek justice.(M)
Correct the oppressor.[a]
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come, let us discuss this,”(N)
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;(O)
though they are as red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land.(P)
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”(Q)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(R)
Greeting
1 Paul, Silvanus,[a](A) and Timothy:(B)
To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace.[b]
Thanksgiving
2 We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers. 3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father,(D) your work of faith,(E) labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,(F) 4 knowing your election,(G) brothers loved(H) by God.(I) 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit,(J) and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you(K) for your benefit, 6 and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message(L) with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia(M) and Achaia.(N) 8 For the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith[c](O) in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report[d] what kind of reception(P) we had from you: how you turned(Q) to God from idols(R) to serve the living(S) and true(T) God 10 and to wait(U) for His Son(V) from heaven, whom He raised from the dead(W)—Jesus, who rescues us(X) from the coming wrath.(Y)
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
20 One(A) day[a] as He was teaching(B) the people in the temple complex and proclaiming the good news,(C) the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders,(D) came up 2 and said to Him: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Who is it who gave You this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell Me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
5 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people(E) will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”(F)
7 So they answered that they did not know its origin.[b]
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.