Book of Common Prayer
Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance
105 Give thanks to the Lord,
call on his name,
and make his deeds known among the people.
2 Sing to him! Praise him!
Declare all his awesome deeds!
3 Exult in his holy name;
let all[a] those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face continually.
5 Remember his awesome deeds that he has done,
his wonders and the judgments he declared.
6 You descendants of Abraham, his servant,
You children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments extend to the entire earth.
8 He remembers his eternal covenant—
every promise he made[b] for a thousand generations,
9 like the covenant he made[c] with Abraham,
and his promise to Isaac.
10 He presented it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant.
11 He said: “I will give Canaan to you
as the allotted portion that is your inheritance.”
12 When the Hebrews[d] were few in number—so very few—
and were sojourners in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.[e]
14 He did not allow anyone to oppress them,
or any kings to reprove them.
15 “Don’t touch my anointed
or hurt my prophets!”
16 He declared a famine on the land;
destroying the entire food supply.[f]
17 He sent a man before them—
Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
18 They bound his feet with fetters
and placed an iron collar on his neck,[g]
19 until the time his prediction came true,
as the word of the Lord refined him.
20 He sent a king who released him,
a ruler of people who set him free.
21 He made him the master over his household,
the manager of all his possessions—
22 to discipline his rulers at will
and make his elders wise.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
indeed, Jacob lived in the land of Ham.[h]
24 He caused his people to multiply greatly;
and be more numerous than their enemies.
25 He caused them[i] to hate his people
and to deceive his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses, along with Aaron,
whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.[j]
28 He sent darkness, and it became dark.
Did they not rebel against[k] his words?
29 He turned their water into blood,
so that the fish died.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs
even to the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke,
and a swarm of insects invaded their land.[l]
32 He sent hail instead of rain,
and lightning throughout their land.
33 It destroyed their vines and their figs,
breaking trees throughout their country.[m]
34 Then he commanded the locust to come—
grasshoppers without number.
35 They consumed every green plant in their land,
and devoured the fruit of their soil.
36 He struck down every firstborn in their land,
the first fruits of all their progeny.
37 Then he brought Israel[n] out with silver and gold,
and no one among his tribes stumbled.
38 The Egyptians rejoiced when they left,
because fear of Israel[o] descended on them.
39 He spread out a cloud for a cover,
and fire for light at night.
40 Israel[p] asked, and quail came;
food from heaven satisfied them.
41 He opened a rock, and water gushed out
flowing like a river in the desert.
42 Indeed, he remembered his sacred promise
to his servant Abraham.
43 He led his people out with gladness,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy.
44 He gave to them the land of nations;
they inherited the labor of other[q] people
45 so they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Hallelujah!
Daniel’s Service to Darius
6 [a]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 regional authorities[b] over the kingdom throughout the realm, 2 along with three chief administrators from them, one of which was Daniel. The regional authorities[c] reported to these three administrators,[d] so that the king would experience no losses. 3 Daniel distinguished himself among all the administrators and regional authorities,[e] because he was of an extraordinary spirit. Therefore the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.
A Plot to Destroy Daniel
4 Because of this, the administrators and regional authorities[f] tried to bring allegations of dereliction of duty in government affairs against Daniel, but they were unable to find any charges of corruption. Daniel[g] was trustworthy, and no evidence of[h] negligence or corruption could be found against him. 5 So these men said, “We’ll never find any basis for complaint against Daniel unless we build it on the requirements of his God.”
6 Then these administrators and regional authorities[i] went as a group to the king and said this, “Your majesty, live forever! 7 All of the royal administrators, prefects, regional authorities,[j] scribes, and governors have concluded that the king should establish and enforce an edict that anyone who prays to any god or man for the next 30 days (except to you, your majesty) is to be thrown into the lions’ pit. 8 Therefore, your majesty, establish the decree and sign the written document so it can’t be changed, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can’t be repealed.” 9 So King Darius signed the edict contained in the written document.
Daniel is Accused
10 When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.
11 The conspirators[k] then went as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking help before his God. 12 So they approached the king and asked, “Didn’t you sign an edict that for the next 30 days if anyone prays to any god or man, except to you, your majesty, he would be thrown into the lions’ pit?”
The king responded, “The decree has been established, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians that can’t be repealed.”
13 Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day.”
14 When the king heard this, he was greatly upset, because he was determined to make every effort to save Daniel before the sun set. 15 But the men who had gone as a group to the king told him,[l] “Remember, your majesty, that according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, any decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be repealed.”
Greetings from John
1 From:[a] The Elder
To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I genuinely love, and not only I but also all who know the truth, 2 that is present in us and will be with us forever.
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus[b] the Messiah,[c] the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
Living in the Truth
4 I was overjoyed to find some of your[d] children living truthfully, just as the Father has commanded us. 5 Dear lady, I am now requesting of you[e] that we all continue to love one another. It is not as though I am writing to give you[f] a new commandment, but one that we have had from the beginning. 6 And this is what demonstrates[g] love: that we live according to God’s[h] commandments. Just as you[i] have heard from the beginning what he commanded, you[j] must live by it.
Reject False Teachers
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world. They refuse to acknowledge Jesus the Messiah[k] as having become human. Any such person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 See[l] to it that you[m] don’t destroy what we have[n] worked for, but that you[o] receive your[p] full reward. 9 Everyone who does not remain true to the teaching of the Messiah,[q] but goes beyond it, does not have God. The person who remains true to the teaching of the Messiah[r] has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you[s] but does not present his teachings,[t] do not receive[u] him into your house or even welcome[v] him, 11 because the one who welcomes him shares in his evil deeds.
Final Greeting
12 Although I have a great deal to write to you,[w] I would prefer not to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13 The children of your[x] chosen sister greet you.[y]
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(A)
12 One day, while Jesus[a] was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
13 So Jesus[b] reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to. Be clean!” Instantly the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus[c] ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”[d] 15 But the news about Jesus[e] spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. 16 However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(B)
17 One day, as Jesus[f] was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people[g] had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.[h] 18 Some men were bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to take him into the house[i] and place him in front of Jesus.[j] 19 When they couldn’t find a way to get him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on his stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the room,[k] right in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus[l] saw their faith, he said, “Mister,[m] your sins are forgiven.”
21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, “Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, “Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?[n] 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so you’ll know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” he told the paralyzed man, “I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!” 25 So the man[o] immediately stood up in front of them and picked up what he had been lying on. Then he went home, praising God.
26 Amazement seized all the people, and they began to praise God. They were filled with fear[p] and declared, “We have seen wonderful things today!”
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