Book of Common Prayer
A Promise to Act with Integrity
Of David. A psalm.[a]
101 I will sing of loyal love and justice;
I will sing praises to you, O Yahweh.
2 I will give attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will walk in the integrity of my heart
in the midst of my house.
3 I will not set before my eyes
any wicked thing.
I hate the work of those who fall away;[b]
it will not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart will depart from me;
I will not know evil.
5 One who slanders his neighbor in secret,
him I will destroy.
One haughty of eyes and arrogant[c] of heart,
him I will not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land,
that they may live with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity,
he shall minister to me.
7 There will not live in the midst of my house
a worker of deceit.
One who speaks lies
will not remain[d] before my eyes.
8 Each morning,[e]
I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
cutting off from the city of Yahweh all evildoers.
A Prayer for Help against Enemies
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
109 O God of my praise, do not keep silent,
2 for wicked and deceitful mouths[b]
have opened against me.
They speak to me with a lying tongue.
3 They also surround me with words of hate,
and fight me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
though I am in prayer.[c]
5 So they inflicted evil against me in return for good
and hatred in return for my love.
6 Appoint over him a wicked man,
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty,
and let his prayer[d] become as sin.
8 Let his days be few;
let another take his office.
9 Let his children be orphans,
and his wife a widow,
10 and let his children wander aimlessly and beg,
and let them plead from their ruins.
11 Let the creditor seize all that is his,
and let strangers plunder his property.
12 Let there be none who extend to him loyal love,
nor any who pities his orphans.
13 Let his descendants[e] be cut off.
Let their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 Let the iniquity of his ancestors[f] be remembered before Yahweh,
and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
that he may cut off their[g] memory from the earth,
16 because he did not remember to show loyal love,
but he pursued anyone,[h] poor or needy
or brokenhearted, to slay them.
17 Because he loved cursing, let it come upon him.
Because he did not delight in blessing,
let it be far from him.
18 Because he wore a curse as his robe,
let it enter his body[i] like water,
and into his bones like oil.
19 May it be for him like a garment in which he wraps,
and a belt he continually wears.[j]
20 Let this be the punishment for my accusers from Yahweh,
even those who speak evil against my life.
21 But you, O Yahweh my Lord,
deal with me for your name’s sake.
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me,
22 for I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow I am passing away;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees buckle[k] from fasting,
and my body grows lean without fat.
25 And so I am a disgrace to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.[l]
26 Help me, O Yahweh my God;
save me according to your loyal love,
27 that they may know that this is your hand,
that you, O Yahweh, you have done it.
28 Let them curse, but you bless.
When they arise, let them be put to shame,
that your servant may be glad.
29 Let my accusers put on disgrace,
and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a robe.
30 I will give thanks to Yahweh exceedingly with my mouth,
and in the midst of many I will praise him,
ʽAyin
121 I have done justice and righteousness;[a]
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Pledge good for your servant;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long for[b] your salvation,
and your righteous word.[c]
124 Deal with your servant according to your loyal love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your statutes.
126 It is time for Yahweh to act,[d]
for they have broken your law.
127 Therefore I love your commands
more than gold, even fine gold.
128 Therefore all your precepts of everything I regard as right;
I hate every false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are miracles,
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light,
giving understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commands.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is proper for those who love your name.
133 Direct my steps in your word,[e]
and do not let any iniquity gain power over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of humankind,
that I may heed your precepts.
135 Shine your face on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 Streams of water flow down from my eyes,
because people do not heed your law.
Tsade
137 You are righteous, O Yahweh,
and your ordinances are upright.
138 You have ordained your testimonies in righteousness,
and in exceeding faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me,
because my enemies have forgotten your words.
140 Your word is very pure,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me;
your commands delight me.
144 The righteousness of your testimonies is forever;
give me understanding that I may live.
14 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 15 “Son of man,[c] your brothers, your brothers, the men of your redemption, and all of the house of Israel, all of it, who said concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem,[d] ‘They are far from Yahweh, therefore to us this land was given as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Though I have removed them far away among the nations and though I have scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary to them for a little while in the countries to which they have gone.’”[e] 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “And I will assemble you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered among them, and I will give the land of Israel to you. 18 And when they come there, then they will remove all of its vile idols and all of its detestable things from it. 19 And I will give to them one heart, and a new spirit I will give[f] in their inner parts. And I will remove their[g] heart of stone from their body, and I will give to them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may walk in my statutes, and they will keep my regulations, and they will do them, and they will be to me a people, and I myself will be to them as God. 21 But to[h] the heart of their abominations and the detestable things their heart is going. I will bring their way on their head,” declares[i] the Lord Yahweh.’”
22 Then[j] the cherubim lifted up their wings, and their[k] wheels were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.[l] 23 And the glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city, and it stood still on the mountain that is to the east of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and it brought me to Chaldea, to the exiles,[m] in the vision by the spirit of God; and the vision that I had seen left me.[n] 25 And I spoke to the exiles[o] all of the words of Yahweh that he had shown me.
The Greatness of Melchizedek
7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he[a] was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,[b] 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything[c]—in the first place, his name is translated “king of righteousness,” and then also “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace”; 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God—he remains a priest for all time.
4 But see how great this man was, to whom Abraham[d] the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils! 5 And indeed those of the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have a commandment to collect a tenth from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, although they are descended from Abraham[e]. 6 But the one who did not trace his descent from them collected tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 Now without any dispute the inferior is blessed by the more prominent. 8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case it is testified that he lives. 9 And, so to speak[f], even Levi, the one who receives tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham. 10 For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
The Superiority of Jesus to Melchizedek
11 Thus if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the people received the law, what further need is there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not said to be according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when[g] the priesthood changes, of necessity there is a change of the law also. 13 For the one about whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord is a descendant of Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses said nothing concerning priests. 15 And it is still more clear, if another priest according to the likeness of Melchizedek arises, 16 who has become a priest not according to a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is testified,
17 And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.”
Jesus Rejoices and Prays
21 At that same time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.”[a]
23 And turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them,[b] and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”[c]
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