Book of Common Prayer
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Preserve me, O God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones (E)in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f](F)sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood,
Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup;
You support my (K)lot.
6 The (L)lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)counseled me;
Indeed, my [h](O)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (P)I have (Q)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (V)dwell securely.
10 For You (W)will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j](X)allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the path of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.
A Prayer of David.
17 Hear a (AB)just cause, O Lord, (AC)give heed to my cry;
(AD)Give ear to my prayer, which is not from (AE)deceitful lips.
2 Let (AF)my [m]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with (AG)equity.
3 You have (AH)tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have (AI)tested me and (AJ)You find [n]nothing;
I have (AK)purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 As for the deeds of men, (AL)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the (AM)paths of the violent.
5 My (AN)steps have held fast to Your [o]paths.
My (AO)feet have not slipped.
6 I have (AP)called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
(AQ)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
7 (AR)Wondrously show Your lovingkindness,
O (AS)Savior of those who take refuge [p]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as [q]the (AT)apple of the eye;
Hide me (AU)in the shadow of Your wings
9 From the (AV)wicked who despoil me,
My (AW)deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have (AX)closed their [r]unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they (AY)speak proudly.
11 They have now (AZ)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes (BA)to cast us down to the ground.
12 He is (BB)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion (BC)lurking in hiding places.
13 (BD)Arise, O Lord, confront him, (BE)bring him low;
(BF)Deliver my soul from the wicked with (BG)Your sword,
14 From men with (BH)Your hand, O Lord,
From men [s]of the world, (BI)whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You (BJ)fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babes.
15 As for me, I shall (BK)behold Your face in righteousness;
(BL)I will be satisfied [t]with Your (BM)likeness when I awake.
Greetings of Night Watchers.
A Song of Ascents.
134 Behold, (A)bless the Lord, all (B)servants of the Lord,
Who [a](C)serve (D)by night in the house of the Lord!
2 (E)Lift up your hands to the (F)sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord (G)bless you from Zion,
He who (H)made heaven and earth.
Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Vanity of Idols.
135 [b](I)Praise [c]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O (J)servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the (K)courts of the house of our God!
3 [d]Praise [e]the Lord, for (L)the Lord is good;
(M)Sing praises to His name, (N)for it is lovely.
4 For [f]the Lord has (O)chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His [g](P)own possession.
5 For I know that (Q)the Lord is great
And that our Lord is (R)above all gods.
6 (S)Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 [h]He (T)causes the [i]vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who (U)makes lightnings for the rain,
Who (V)brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
8 [j]He (W)smote the firstborn of Egypt,
[k]Both of man and beast.
9 [l]He sent (X)signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon (Y)Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 [m](Z)He (AA)smote many nations
And slew mighty kings,
11 (AB)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And (AC)Og, king of Bashan,
And (AD)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He (AE)gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your (AF)name, O Lord, is everlasting,
Your [n]remembrance, O Lord, [o]throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will (AG)judge His people
And (AH)will have compassion on His servants.
15 The (AI)idols of the nations are but silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.
The King’s Golden Image
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an (A)image of gold, the height of which was sixty [a]cubits and its width six [b]cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the (B)province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the (C)satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you [c]the command is given, (D)O peoples, nations and men of every [d]language, 5 that at the moment you (E)hear the sound of the horn, flute, [e]lyre, [f]trigon, [g]psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall [h]immediately be (F)cast into the midst of a (G)furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, [i]lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every [j]language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Worship of the Image Refused
8 For this reason at that time certain (H)Chaldeans came forward and [k](I)brought charges against the Jews. 9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “(J)O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have (K)made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, [l]lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to (L)fall down and worship the golden image. 11 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have (M)appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in (N)rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve (O)my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready, (P)at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, [m]lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will [n]immediately be (Q)cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and (R)what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”
16 (S)Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 [o]If it be so, our (T)God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; [p]and (U)He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 (V)But even if He does not, (W)let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Children of God Love One Another
3 See [a](A)how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called (B)children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because (C)it did not know Him. 2 (D)Beloved, now we are (E)children of God, and (F)it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He (G)appears, we will be (H)like Him, because we will (I)see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this (J)hope fixed on Him (K)purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and (L)sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He (M)appeared in order to (N)take away sins; and (O)in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him (P)sins; no one who sins has seen Him or [b](Q)knows Him. 7 (R)Little children, make sure no one (S)deceives you; (T)the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is (U)of the devil; for the devil [c]has sinned from the beginning. (V)The Son of God (W)appeared for this purpose, (X)to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is [d](Y)born of God (Z)practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is [e]born of God. 10 By this the (AA)children of God and the (AB)children of the devil are obvious: [f]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who (AC)does not love his (AD)brother.
15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were [a]wondering in their hearts about John, (A)as to whether he was [b]the Christ, 16 (B)John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you [c]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His (C)winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with (D)unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19 But when (E)Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of (F)Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which (G)Herod had done, 20 Herod also added this to them all: (H)he locked John up in prison.
Jesus Is Baptized
21 (I)Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was (J)praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “(K)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.