Book of Common Prayer
BOOK 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 How blessed is the man who (A)does not walk in the (B)counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a](C)path of sinners,
Nor (D)sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his (E)delight is (F)in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
3 He will be like (I)a tree firmly planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, (J)he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like (K)chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore (L)the wicked will not stand in the (M)judgment,
Nor sinners in (N)the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord [e](O)knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of (P)the wicked will perish.
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.
2 Why are (Q)the [f]nations in an uproar
And the peoples (R)devising a vain thing?
2 The (S)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
(T)Against the Lord and against His [g](U)Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us (V)tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”
4 He who [h]sits in the heavens (W)laughs,
The Lord (X)scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His (Y)anger
And (Z)terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have [i]installed (AA)My King
Upon Zion, (AB)My holy mountain.”
7 “I will surely tell of the [j]decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are (AC)My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and (AD)I will surely give (AE)the [k]nations as Your inheritance,
And the very (AF)ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall [l](AG)break them with a [m]rod of iron,
You shall (AH)shatter them like [n]earthenware.’”
10 Now therefore, O kings, (AI)show discernment;
Take warning, O [o]judges of the earth.
11 [p]Worship the Lord with [q](AJ)reverence
And rejoice with (AK)trembling.
12 [r]Do homage to (AL)the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For (AM)His wrath may [s]soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who (AN)take refuge in Him!
Morning Prayer of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David, when [t]he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, how (AO)my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying [u]of my soul,
“There is no [v](AP)deliverance for him in God.” [w]Selah.
3 But You, O Lord, are (AQ)a shield about me,
My (AR)glory, and the One who (AS)lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He (AT)answered me from (AU)His holy [x]mountain. Selah.
5 [y]I (AV)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will (AW)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have (AX)set themselves against me round about.
7 (AY)Arise, O Lord; (AZ)save me, O my God!
For You [z]have (BA)smitten all my enemies on the [aa]cheek;
You [ab]have (BB)shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 [ac](BC)Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your (BD)blessing [ad]be upon Your people! Selah.
Evening Prayer of Trust in God.
[ae]For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 (BE)Answer me when (BF)I call, O God [af]of my righteousness!
You have [ag](BG)relieved me in my distress;
Be (BH)gracious to me and (BI)hear my prayer.
2 O sons of men, how long will (BJ)my [ah]honor become (BK)a reproach?
How long will you love (BL)what is worthless and aim at (BM)deception? [ai]Selah.
3 But know that the Lord has [aj](BN)set apart the (BO)godly man for Himself;
The Lord (BP)hears when I call to Him.
4 [ak](BQ)Tremble, [al](BR)and do not sin;
[am](BS)Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer [an]the (BT)sacrifices of righteousness,
And (BU)trust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, “(BV)Who will show us any good?”
(BW)Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
7 You have put (BX)gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will [ao]both (BY)lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to (BZ)dwell in safety.
The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [b]concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Lord my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)deliver me,
2 Or he will tear [c]my soul (C)like a lion,
[d]Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)rewarded evil to [e]my friend,
Or have (F)plundered [f]him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue [g]my soul and overtake [h]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. [i]Selah.
6 (G)Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
(H)Lift up Yourself against (I)the rage of my adversaries,
And (J)arouse Yourself [j]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And over [k]them return on high.
8 The Lord (L)judges the peoples;
[l](M)Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)tries the hearts and [m]minds.
10 My (Q)shield is [n]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who has (T)indignation every day.
12 If [o]a man (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and [p]made it ready.
13 He has also prepared [q]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he (Y)conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)mischief will return upon his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend upon [r]his own pate.
12 Who has (A)measured the [a]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the [b]span,
And [c]calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 (B)Who has [d]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (C)counselor has informed Him?
14 (D)With whom did He consult and who (E)gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the (F)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (G)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [e]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
Nor its (H)beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (I)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [f]meaningless.
18 (J)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [g](K)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (L)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (M)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [h]prepare [i]an idol that (N)will not totter.
21 (O)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (P)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [j]sits above the [k](Q)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (R)grasshoppers,
Who (S)stretches out the heavens like a (T)curtain
And spreads them out like a (U)tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces (V)rulers to nothing,
Who (W)makes the judges of the earth [l]meaningless.
The Blessings of Redemption
1 Paul, (A)an apostle of (B)Christ Jesus [a](C)by the will of God,
To the [b](D)saints who are [c]at (E)Ephesus and (F)who are faithful in (G)Christ Jesus: 2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in (J)the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as (K)He chose us in Him before (L)the foundation of the world, that we would be (M)holy and blameless before [d]Him. (N)In love 5 [e]He (O)predestined us to (P)adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, (Q)according to the [f]kind intention of His will, 6 (R)to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in (S)the Beloved. 7 (T)In [g]Him we have (U)redemption (V)through His blood, the (W)forgiveness of our trespasses, according to (X)the riches of His grace 8 which He [h]lavished on [i]us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He [j](Y)made known to us the mystery of His will, (Z)according to His [k]kind intention which He (AA)purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration [l]suitable to (AB)the fullness of the times, that is, (AC)the summing up of all things in Christ, things [m]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 [n]also we [o](AD)have obtained an inheritance, having been (AE)predestined (AF)according to His purpose who works all things (AG)after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in [p]Christ would be (AH)to the praise of His glory. 13 In [q]Him, you also, after listening to (AI)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [r]believed, you were (AJ)sealed in [s]Him with (AK)the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is [t](AL)given as a pledge of (AM)our inheritance, with a view to the (AN)redemption of (AO)God’s own possession, (AP)to the praise of His glory.
Preaching of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (A)the Son of God.
2 (B)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“(C)Behold, I send My messenger [a]ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way;
3 (D)The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.’”
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness [b](E)preaching a baptism of repentance for the (F)forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore (G)a leather belt around his waist, and [c]his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was [d]preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 I baptized you [e]with water; but He will baptize you [f]with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 (H)In those days Jesus (I)came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens [g]opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “(J)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
12 (K)Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by (L)Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.
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