Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A Davidic psalm for remembrance.(A)
1 Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.(B)
2 For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.(C)
3 There is no health in my body
because of Your indignation;
there is no strength[a] in my bones
because of my sin.(D)
4 For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(E)
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(F)
6 I am bent over and brought low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(G)
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and there is no health in my body.(H)
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(I)
9 Lord, my every desire is known to[b] You;
my sighing is not hidden from You.(J)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[c](K)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(L)
12 Those who seek my life set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(M)
13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(N)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(O)
15 I put my hope in You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God.(P)
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me—
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”(Q)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(R)
18 So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin.(S)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[d]
many hate me for no reason.(T)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(U)
ד Dalet
25 My life is down in the dust;(A)
give me life(B) through Your word.
26 I told You about my life,
and You listened to me;
teach me Your statutes.(C)
27 Help me understand
the meaning of Your precepts
so that I can meditate on Your wonders.(D)
28 I am weary[a] from grief;
strengthen me through Your word.(E)
29 Keep me from the way of deceit
and graciously give me Your instruction.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set Your ordinances before me.(F)
31 I cling to Your decrees;
Lord, do not put me to shame.(G)
32 I pursue the way of Your commands,
for You broaden my understanding.[b](H)
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the meaning[c] of Your statutes,
and I will always keep them.[d](I)
34 Help me understand Your instruction,(J)
and I will obey it
and follow it with all my heart.(K)
35 Help me stay on the path of Your commands,(L)
for I take pleasure in it.(M)
36 Turn my heart to Your decrees(N)
and not to material gain.(O)
37 Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;(P)
give me life in Your ways.[e](Q)
38 Confirm what You said to Your servant,(R)
for it produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away the disgrace I dread;(S)
indeed, Your judgments are good.
40 How I long for Your precepts!(T)
Give me life through Your righteousness.
ו Vav
41 Let Your faithful love come to me, Lord,(U)
Your salvation, as You promised.(V)
42 Then I can answer the one who taunts me,(W)
for I trust in Your word.
43 Never take the word of truth from my mouth,
for I hope in Your judgments.(X)
44 I will always obey Your instruction,
forever and ever.(Y)
45 I will walk freely in an open place(Z)
because I seek Your precepts.(AA)
46 I will speak of Your decrees before kings
and not be ashamed.(AB)
47 I delight in Your commands,
which I love.(AC)
48 I will lift up my hands(AD) to Your commands,
which I love,
and will meditate on Your statutes.(AE)
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 King Belshazzar(A) held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. 2 Under the influence of[a] the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels(B) that his predecessor[b] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold[c] vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.(C)
The Handwriting on the Wall
5 At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand[d] that was writing, 6 his face turned pale,[e] and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,(D) and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” 8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. 9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,[f] and his nobles were bewildered.(E)
10 Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen[g] came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.[h] 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.(F) In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the diviners, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. Your own predecessor, the king, 12 did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.(G) Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God,(A) and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey[a] His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,(B) 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world(C) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?(D)
The Certainty of God’s Testimony
6 Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water(E) and by blood.(F) And the Spirit is the One who testifies,(G) because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify:[b](H) 8 the Spirit,(I) the water, and the blood(J)—and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony(K) is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,(L) because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 The one who has the Son has life.(M) The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.
Healings at Capernaum
38 After He left the synagogue, He entered Simon’s house.(A) Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.
40 When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them.(B) 41 Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!”(C) But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.(D)
Preaching in Galilee
42 When it was day, He went out and made His way to a deserted place.(E) But the crowds were searching for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them. 43 But He said to them, “I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.[a](F)
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