Book of Common Prayer
צ (Tsade)
137 You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
138 The rules you impose are just,[a]
and absolutely reliable.
139 My zeal[b] consumes[c] me,
for my enemies forget your instructions.[d]
140 Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your justice endures,[e]
and your law is reliable.[f]
143 Distress and hardship confront[g] me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
144 Your rules remain just.[h]
Give me insight so that I can live.[i]
ק (Qof)
145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep[j] your rules.”
147 I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
149 Listen to me[k] because of[l] your loyal love.
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do.[m]
150 Those who are eager to do[n] wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.[o]
152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last.[p]
ר (Resh)
153 See my pain and rescue me.
For I do not forget your law.
154 Fight for me[q] and defend me.[r]
Revive me with your word.
155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance,[s]
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do.[t]
157 The enemies who chase me are numerous.[u]
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.[v]
159 See how I love your precepts.
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love.
160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.[w]
Job’s Reply to Eliphaz[a]
23 Then Job answered:
2 “Even today my complaint is still bitter;[b]
his[c] hand is heavy despite[d] my groaning.
3 O that I knew[e] where I might find him,[f]
that I could come[g] to his place of residence![h]
4 I would lay out my case[i] before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know with what words[j] he would answer me,
and understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he contend[k] with me with great power?
No, he would only pay attention to me.[l]
7 There[m] an upright person
could present his case[n] before him,
and I would be delivered forever from my judge.
The Inaccessibility and Power of God
8 “If I go to the east, he is not there,
and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.
9 In the north[o] when he is at work,[p]
I do not see him;[q]
when he turns[r] to the south,
I see no trace of him.
10 But he knows the pathway that I take;[s]
if he tested me, I would come forth like gold.[t]
11 My feet[u] have followed[v] his steps closely;
I have kept to his way and have not turned aside.[w]
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my allotted portion.[x]
The Calling of More Disciples
43 On the next day Jesus[a] wanted to set out for Galilee.[b] He[c] found Philip and said[d] to him, “Follow me.” 44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida,[e] the town of[f] Andrew and Peter.) 45 Philip found Nathanael[g] and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also[h] wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael[i] replied,[j] “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”[k] Philip replied,[l] “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed,[m] “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”[n] 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied,[o] “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,[p] I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king[q] of Israel!”[r] 50 Jesus said to him,[s] “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”[t] 51 He continued,[u] “I tell all of you the solemn truth[v]—you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”[w]
Psalm 139[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[b] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[c]
you are aware of everything I do.[d]
4 Certainly[e] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[f]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[g]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[h]
8 If I were to ascend[i] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[j] in Sheol, there you would be.[k]
9 If I were to fly away[l] on the wings of the dawn,[m]
and settle down on the other side[n] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[o]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[p]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[q]
and the night is as bright as[r] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[s]
13 Certainly[t] you made my mind and heart;[u]
you wove me together[v] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[w]
You knew me thoroughly;[x]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[y] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[z]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[aa]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ab]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![ac]
How vast is their sum total.[ad]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[ae]
19 If only[af] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![ag]
20 They[ah] rebel against you[ai] and act deceitfully;[aj]
your enemies lie.[ak]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[al]
22 I absolutely hate them;[am]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[an]
Test me, and know my concerns.[ao]
24 See if there is any idolatrous way[ap] in me,
and lead me in the everlasting way.[aq]
Seekers
20 Now some Greeks[a] were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip,[b] who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested,[c] “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both[d] went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied,[e] “The time[f] has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.[g] 24 I tell you the solemn truth,[h] unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone.[i] But if it dies, it produces[j] much grain.[k] 25 The one who loves his life[l] destroys[m] it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards[n] it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow[o] me, and where I am, my servant will be too.[p] If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
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