Book of Common Prayer
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His (A)foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord (B)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (C)Glorious things are spoken of you,
O (D)city of God. [a]Selah.
4 “I shall mention [b](E)Rahab and Babylon [c]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (F)Tyre with [d](G)Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (H)establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He (I)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah.
7 Then those who (J)sing as well as those who [e](K)play the flutes shall say,
“All my (L)springs of joy are in you.”
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been [i]dismayed.
8 You have (P)placed our iniquities before You,
Our (Q)secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [j]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [k]life, [l]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (T)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (U)fly away.
11 Who [m]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [n]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [o](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, O Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [p]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 O (AC)satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [q]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [r]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [s]to their children.
17 Let the (AI)favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [t](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [u]confirm the work of our hands.
Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.
136 (A)Give thanks to the Lord, for (B)He is good,
For (C)His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the (D)God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the (E)Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 To Him who (F)alone does great [a]wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
5 To Him who (G)made the heavens [b](H)with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
6 To Him who (I)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
7 To Him who (J)made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
8 The (K)sun to rule [c]by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
9 The (L)moon and stars to rule [d]by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
10 To Him who (M)smote [e]the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
11 And (N)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
12 With a (O)strong hand and an (P)outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
13 To Him who (Q)divided the [f]Red Sea [g]asunder,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
14 And (R)made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
15 But (S)He [h]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the [i]Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
16 To Him who (T)led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
17 To Him who (U)smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
18 And (V)slew [j]mighty kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
19 (W)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
20 And (X)Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
21 And (Y)gave their land as a heritage,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
22 Even a heritage to Israel His (Z)servant,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
23 Who (AA)remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
24 And has (AB)rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
25 Who (AC)gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the (AD)God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, [a]go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For (A)you are not being sent to a people of [b](B)unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of [c]unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. [d]But I have sent you to them [e]who should listen to you; 7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are (C)not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is [f]stubborn and obstinate. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like [g]emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My (D)words which I will speak to you and listen [h]closely. 11 [i]Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or [j]not, ‘Thus says the Lord [k]God.’”
12 Then the (E)Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great (F)rumbling sound behind me, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord [l]in His place.” 13 And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the (G)wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and (H)the hand of the Lord was strong on me. 15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there (I)seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.
16 (J)At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you a (K)watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, (L)warn them from Me.
7 [a]In the days of His flesh, [b](A)He offered up both prayers and supplications with (B)loud crying and tears to the One (C)able to save Him [c]from death, and He [d]was heard because of His (D)piety. 8 Although He was (E)a Son, He learned (F)obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made (G)perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as (H)a high priest according to (I)the order of Melchizedek.
11 Concerning [e]him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though [f]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you (J)the [g](K)elementary principles of the (L)oracles of God, and you have come to need (M)milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an (N)infant. 14 But solid food is for (O)the mature, who because of practice have their senses (P)trained to (Q)discern good and evil.
37 (A)On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my [a]only boy, 39 and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was still approaching, the demon [b]slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the [c](B)greatness of God.
(C)But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears; (D)for the Son of Man is going to be [d]delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But (E)they [e]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
The Test of Greatness
46 (F)An argument [f]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, (G)knowing [g]what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48 and said to them, “(H)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; (I)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 (J)John answered and said, “(K)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; (L)for he who is not against you is [h]for you.”
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