Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 55[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.
55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore[c] my appeal for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset[d] and distressed,[e] I am beside myself,[f]
3 because of what the enemy says,[g]
and because of how the wicked[h] pressure me,[i]
for they hurl trouble[j] down upon me[k]
and angrily attack me.
4 My heart beats violently[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.[m]
5 Fear and panic overpower me;[n]
terror overwhelms[o] me.
6 I say,[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind[q] and the gale.”
9 Confuse them,[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls,[t]
while wickedness and destruction[u] are within it.
11 Disaster is within it;
violence[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
12 Indeed,[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,[x]
or else I could hide from him.
13 But it is you,[y] a man like me,[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.[aa]
14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
15 May death destroy them.[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,[ae]
and he will hear[af] me.[ag]
18 He will rescue[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,[ai]
even though[aj] they greatly outnumber me.[ak]
19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.[am]
20 He[an] attacks[ao] his friends;[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.[aq]
21 His words are as smooth as butter,[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.[at]
22 Throw your burden[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.[aw]
23 But you, O God, will bring them[ax] down to the deep Pit.[ay]
Violent and deceitful people[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 138[a]
By David.
138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly[b] I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.[c]
3 When[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.[e]
4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.[g]
5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.[i]
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles[j] the proud.
7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord avenges me.[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.[n]
Psalm 139[o]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[p] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[q]
you are aware of everything I do.[r]
4 Certainly[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[t]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[u]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[v]
8 If I were to ascend[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[x] in Sheol, there you would be.[y]
9 If I were to fly away[z] on the wings of the dawn,[aa]
and settle down on the other side[ab] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[ad]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[ae]
and the night is as bright as[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[ag]
13 Certainly[ah] you made my mind and heart;[ai]
you wove me together[aj] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;[al]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[an]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ap]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![aq]
How vast is their sum total.[ar]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[as]
19 If only[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![au]
20 They[av] rebel against you[aw] and act deceitfully;[ax]
your enemies lie.[ay]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[az]
22 I absolutely hate them;[ba]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.[bc]
20 At that time[a] those left in Israel, those who remain of the family[b] of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them.[c] Instead they will truly[d] rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.[e] 21 A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.[f] 22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as[g] the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back.[h] Destruction has been decreed;[i] just punishment[j] is about to engulf you.[k] 23 The Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land.[l]
24 So[m] here is what the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did.[n] 25 For very soon my fury[o] will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is about to beat them[p] with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb.[q] He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt.[r]
Exhortation to the Faithful
17 But you, dear friends—recall the predictions[a] foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.[b] 18 For they said to you, “At the end of time[c] there will come[d] scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”[e] 19 These people are divisive,[f] worldly,[g] devoid of the Spirit.[h] 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,[i] 21 maintain[j] yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating[k] the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.[l] 22 And have mercy on those who waver; 23 save[m] others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy[n] on others, coupled with a fear of God,[o] hating even the clothes stained[p] by the flesh.[q]
Final Blessing
24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling,[r] and to cause you to stand, rejoicing,[s] without blemish[t] before his glorious presence,[u] 25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
The Ministry of John the Baptist
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,[a] when Pontius Pilate[b] was governor of Judea, and Herod[c] was tetrarch[d] of Galilee, and his brother Philip[e] was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias[f] was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood[g] of Annas and Caiaphas, the word[h] of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.[i] 3 He[j] went into all the region around the Jordan River,[k] preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.[l]
4 As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice[m] of one shouting in the wilderness:[n]
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make[o] his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled,[p]
and every mountain and hill will be brought low,
and the crooked will be made straight,
and the rough ways will be made smooth,
6 and all humanity[q] will see the salvation of God.’”[r]
7 So John[s] said to the crowds[t] that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers![u] Who warned you to flee[v] from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce[w] fruit[x] that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say[y] to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’[z] For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones![aa] 9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees,[ab] and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be[ac] cut down and thrown into the fire.”
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