Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 56
A Call for God’s Protection
For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.”[a] A Davidic Miktam. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God, for man tramples me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
2 My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[b](B)
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in You.(C)
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(D)
5 They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(E)
6 They stir up strife,[c] they lurk;
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(F)
7 Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(G)
8 You Yourself have recorded my wanderings.[d]
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your records?(H)
9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(I)
This I know: God is for me.(J)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(K)
12 I am obligated by vows[e] to You, God;
I will make my thank offerings to You.(L)
13 For You delivered me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(M)
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[f] A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(N)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.(O)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills His purpose for me.[g](P)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(Q)
God sends His faithful love and truth.(R)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down with those who devour men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords.(S)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(T)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(U)
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(V)
8 Wake up, my soul![h]
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(W)
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.(X)
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(Y)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(Z)
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(AA)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[i] A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[j]
Do you judge people fairly?(AB)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(AC)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(AD)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(AE)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(AF)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(AG)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[k][l](AH)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(AI)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.[m](AJ)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(AK)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(AL)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(AM)
Psalm 64
Protection from Evildoers
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 God, hear my voice when I complain.(A)
Protect my life from the terror of the enemy.(B)
2 Hide me from the scheming of wicked people,(C)
from the mob of evildoers,(D)
3 who sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim bitter words like arrows,(E)
4 shooting from concealed places at the innocent.
They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.(F)
5 They encourage each other in an evil plan;[a][b]
they talk about hiding traps and say,
“Who will see them?”[c](G)
6 They devise crimes and say,
“We have perfected a secret plan.”(H)
The inner man and the heart are mysterious.
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly, they will be wounded.(I)
8 They will be made to stumble;
their own tongues work against them.
All who see them will shake their heads.(J)
9 Then everyone will fear
and will tell about God’s work,
for they will understand what He has done.(K)
10 The righteous one rejoices in the Lord
and takes refuge in Him;
all those who are upright in heart
will offer praise.(L)
Psalm 65
God’s Care for the Earth
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. A song.
1 Praise is rightfully Yours,[d]
God, in Zion;
vows to You will be fulfilled.(M)
2 All humanity will come to You,
the One who hears prayer.(N)
3 Iniquities overwhelm me;
only You can atone for[e] our rebellions.(O)
4 How happy is the one You choose
and bring near to live in Your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
the holiness of Your temple.[f](P)
5 You answer us in righteousness,
with awe-inspiring works,
God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the distant seas.(Q)
6 You establish the mountains by Your[g] power,
robed with strength.(R)
7 You silence the roar of the seas,
the roar of their waves,
and the tumult of the nations.(S)
8 Those who live far away are awed by Your signs;
You make east and west shout for joy.(T)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for You prepare the earth[h] in this way,
providing people with grain.(U)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(V)
11 You crown the year with Your goodness;
Your ways overflow with plenty.[i](W)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(X)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(Y)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(Z)
Christ in Your Home
18 Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.(A)
19 Husbands,(B) love your wives(C) and don’t be bitter(D) toward them.
20 Children,(E) obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,(F) do not exasperate(G) your children, so they won’t become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your human(H) masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.(I)
23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,[a] as something done for the Lord and not for men,(J) 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer(K) will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.
4 Masters,(L) supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you too have a Master in heaven.
Speaking to God and Others
2 Devote yourselves(M) to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door(N) to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah,(O) for which I am in prison,(P) 4 so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.(Q) 6 Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt,(R) so that you may know how you should answer each person.(S)
Christian Greetings
7 Tychicus,(T) our dearly loved brother, faithful(U) servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are[b] and so that he may encourage(V) your hearts.(W) 9 He is with Onesimus,(X) a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark,(Y) Barnabas’s(Z) cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These alone of the circumcision are my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras,(AA) who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always contending(AB) for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured[c] in everything God wills.(AC) 13 For I testify about him that he works hard[d](AD) for you, for those in Laodicea,(AE) and for those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas(AF) greet you. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.(AG) 16 When this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And tell Archippus,(AH) “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”(AI)
18 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my imprisonment.(AJ) Grace be with you.[e](AK)
Much Forgiveness, Much Love
36 Then one of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.(A) 37 And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house.(B) She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil 38 and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.(C)
39 When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him—she’s a sinner!”(D)
40 Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher,” he said, “say it.”
41 “A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii,(E) and the other 50. 42 Since they could not pay it back,(F) he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.”
“You have judged correctly,” He told him. 44 Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet,(G) but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss,(H) but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil,(I) but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why[a] she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”(J)
49 Those who were at the table with Him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”(K)
50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you.(L) Go in peace.”(M)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.