Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 45
A Royal Wedding Song
For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”[a] A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.
1 My heart is moved by a noble theme
as I recite my verses to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.(A)
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace flows from your lips.(B)
Therefore God has blessed you forever.(C)
3 Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side.
In your majesty and splendor(D)—
4 in your splendor ride triumphantly
in the cause of truth, humility, and justice.
May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.(E)
5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.(F)
6 Your throne,(G) God, is[b] forever and ever;
the scepter of Your[c] kingdom is a scepter of justice.(H)
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;(I)
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
more than your companions.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments;
from ivory palaces harps bring you joy.(J)
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honored women;(K)
the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir,
stands at your right hand.(L)
10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider:
forget your people and your father’s house,(M)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Bow down to him, for he is your lord.(N)
12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people,
will seek your favor with gifts.(O)
Psalm 47
God Our King
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;(A)
shout to God with a jubilant cry.(B)
2 For Yahweh, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over all the earth.(C)
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.(D)
4 He chooses for us our inheritance—
the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.(E)
5 God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, among the sound of trumpets.(F)
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!(G)
7 Sing a song of wisdom,[a]
for God is King of all the earth.(H)
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne.(I)
9 The nobles of the peoples have assembled
with the people of the God of Abraham.(J)
For the leaders[b] of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.(K)
Psalm 48
Zion Exalted
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 The Lord is great and highly praised
in the city of our God.(L)
His holy mountain, 2 rising splendidly,
is the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion on the slopes of the north
is the city of the great King.(M)
3 God is known as a stronghold
in its citadels.(N)
4 Look! The kings assembled;
they advanced together.(O)
5 They looked and froze with fear;
they fled in terror.(P)
6 Trembling seized them there,
agony like that of a woman in labor,(Q)
7 as You wrecked the ships of Tarshish
with the east wind.(R)
8 Just as we heard, so we have seen
in the city of Yahweh of Hosts,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(S)
12 “Listen to Me, Jacob,
and Israel, the one called by Me:
I am He; I am the first,
I am also the last.(A)
13 My own hand founded the earth,
and My right hand spread out the heavens;(B)
when I summoned them,
they stood up together.
14 All of you, assemble and listen!
Who among the idols[a] has declared these things?
The Lord loves him;[b]
he will accomplish His will against Babylon,(C)
and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I—I have spoken;
yes, I have called him;(D)
I have brought him,
and he will succeed in his mission.(E)
16 Approach Me and listen to this.
From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;(F)
from the time anything existed, I was there.”
And now the Lord God
has sent me and His Spirit.(G)
17 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,(H) the Holy One of Israel(I) says:
I am Yahweh your God,
who teaches you for your benefit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commands.
Then your peace would have been like a river,(J)
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.(K)
19 Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand,(L)
and the offspring of your body like its grains;
their name would not be cut off
or eliminated from My presence.
20 Leave Babylon,
flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with a shout of joy,
proclaim this,
let it go out to the end of the earth;
announce,
“The Lord has redeemed His servant(M) Jacob!”
21 They did not thirst
when He led them through the deserts;
He made water flow for them from the rock;(N)
He split the rock, and water gushed out.
18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem(A) to get to know Cephas,[a](B) and I stayed with him 15 days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James,(C) the Lord’s brother. 20 Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness.[b]
21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria(D) and Cilicia.(E) 22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches in Christ; 23 they simply kept hearing: “He who formerly persecuted(F) us now preaches the faith(G) he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.
Paul Defends His Gospel at Jerusalem
2 Then after 14 years I went up again(H) to Jerusalem with Barnabas,(I) taking Titus(J) along also. 2 I went up according to a revelation(K) and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles—but privately to those recognized as leaders—so that I might not be running, or have run the race, in vain. 3 But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 This issue arose because of false brothers(L) smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. 5 But we did not give up and submit to these people for even an hour, so that the truth(M) of the gospel would be preserved for you.
6 Now from those recognized as important (what they really were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism[c](N))—they added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised,(O) just as Peter(P) was for the circumcised, 8 since the One at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles. 9 When James,(Q) Cephas,(R) and John,(S) recognized as pillars,(T) acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we would remember the poor,(U) which I made every effort to do.
Rejection at Nazareth
6 He(A) went away from there and came to His hometown,(B) and His disciples(C) followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath(D) came, He began to teach(E) in the synagogue,(F) and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom(G) given to Him, and how are these miracles(H) performed by His hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter,(I) the son of Mary,(J) and the brother of James,(K) Joses, Judas,(L) and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?” So they were offended(M) by Him.
4 Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet(N) is not without honor(O) except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” 5 So He was not able to do any miracles[a](P) there, except that He laid His hands on(Q) a few sick(R) people and healed(S) them. 6 And He was amazed(T) at their unbelief.(U)
Commissioning the Twelve
Now He was going around the villages in a circuit, teaching.(V) 7 He(W) summoned(X) the Twelve(Y) and began to send(Z) them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean(AA) spirits.(AB) 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a walking stick: no bread, no traveling bag,(AC) no money in their belts. 9 They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.(AD) 10 Then He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome(AE) you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet(AF) as a testimony(AG) against them.”[b]
12 So they went out and preached(AH) that people should repent.(AI) 13 And they were driving out many demons,(AJ) anointing(AK) many sick(AL) people with olive oil,(AM) and healing them.(AN)
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