Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 18[a]
For the choir director; by David, the servant of Yahweh. He sang this song to Yahweh when Yahweh rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. He said,
1 I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.
2 Yahweh is my rock and my Metsuda and my Savior,
my El, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my Magen, and the strength of my salvation,
my stronghold.
3 Yahweh should be praised.
I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death had become tangled around me.
The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
5 The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
The clutches of death had confronted me.
6 I called on Yahweh in my distress.
I cried to my Elohim for help.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help reached his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and quaked.
Even the foundations of the mountains trembled.
They shook violently because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
Glowing coals flared up from it.
9 He spread apart the heavens
and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He rode on one of the angels[b] as he flew,
and he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made the darkness his hiding place,
the dark rain clouds his covering.
12 Out of the brightness in front of him,
those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens.
Elyon made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them.
He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
The foundations of the earth were laid bare
at your stern warning, O Yahweh,
at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
He pulled me out of the raging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
because they were too strong for me.
18 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
but Yahweh came to my defense.
19 He brought me out to a wide-open place.
He rescued me because he was pleased with me.
20 Yahweh rewarded me
because of my righteousness,
because my hands are clean.
He paid me back
21 because I have kept the ways of Yahweh
and I have not wickedly turned away from my Elohim,
22 because all his judgments are in front of me
and I have not turned away from his laws.
23 I was innocent as far as he was concerned.
I have kept myself from guilt.
24 Yahweh paid me back
because of my righteousness,
because he can see that my hands are clean.
25 In dealing with faithful people you are faithful,
with innocent people you are innocent,
26 with pure people you are pure.
In dealing with devious people you are clever.
27 You save humble people,
but you bring down a conceited look.
28 O Yahweh, you light my lamp.
My Elohim turns my darkness into light.
29 With you I can attack a line of soldiers.
With my Elohim I can break through barricades.
30 El’s way is perfect!
The promise of Yahweh has proven to be true.
He is a Magen to all those who take refuge in him.
31 Who is Eloah but Yahweh?
Who is a rock except our Elohim?
32 El arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like those of a deer
and gives me sure footing on high places.
34 He trains my hands for battle
so that my arms can bend an archer’s bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand supports me.
Your gentleness makes me great.
36 You make a wide path for me to walk on
so that my feet do not slip.
37 I chased my enemies and caught up with them.
I did not return until I had ended their lives.
38 I wounded them so badly that they were unable to get up.
They fell under my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle.
You made my opponents bow at my feet.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out for help, but there was no one to save them.
They cried out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them into a powder as fine as the dust blown by the wind.
I threw them out as though they were dirt on the streets.
43 You rescued me from my conflicts with the people.
You made me the leader of nations.
A people I did not know will serve me:
44 As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
45 Foreigners will lose heart,
and they will tremble when they come out of their fortifications.
46 Yahweh lives!
Thanks be to my rock!
May Elohim my Savior be honored.
47 El gives me vengeance!
He brings people under my authority.
48 He saves me from my enemies.
You lift me up above my opponents.
You rescue me from violent people.
49 That is why I will give thanks to you, O Yahweh, among the nations
and make music to praise your name.
50 He gives great victories to his king.
He shows mercy to his anointed,
to David, and to his descendant[c] forever.
Naomi’s Plan for Ruth’s Marriage
3 Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I try to look for a home that would be good for you? 2 Isn’t Boaz, whose young women you’ve been working with, our relative? He will be separating the barley from its husks on the threshing floor[a] tonight. 3 Freshen up, put on some perfume, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. Don’t let him know that you’re there until he’s finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will make it clear what you must do.”
5 Ruth answered her, “I will do whatever you say.”
Ruth at the Feet of Boaz
6 Ruth went to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother-in-law had directed her. 7 Boaz had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain. Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 At midnight the man was shivering. When he turned over, he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.
She answered, “I am Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative who can take care of me.”
10 Boaz replied, “May Yahweh bless you, my daughter. This last kindness—that you didn’t go after the younger men, whether rich or poor—is better than the first. 11 Don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do whatever you say. The whole town knows that you are a woman who has strength of character. 12 It is true that I am a close relative of yours, but there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay here tonight. In the morning if he will agree to take care of you, that is good. He can take care of you. But if he does not wish to take care of you, then, I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives, I will take care of you myself. Lie down until morning.”
Ruth Returns to Bethlehem
14 So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up early before anyone could be recognized. At that moment Boaz thought to himself, “I hope that no one will ever know that this woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 Then Boaz told Ruth, “Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight.” So she held it tight while he measured out six measures of barley. Then he placed it on her back and went into the town.
16 When Ruth returned, her mother-in-law Naomi asked, “How did things go, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley and told me not to come back to you empty-handed.”
18 Naomi replied, “Stay here, my daughter, until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest unless he settles this matter today.”
A Prophecy about the Last Times
4 The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith. They will follow spirits that deceive, and they will believe the teachings of demons. 2 These people will speak lies disguised as truth. Their consciences have been scarred as if branded by a red-hot iron. 3 They will try to stop others from getting married and from eating certain foods. God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth. 4 Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks. 5 The word of God and prayer set it apart as holy.
Guidelines for Serving Christ
6 You are a good servant of Christ Yeshua when you point these things out to our brothers and sisters. Then you will be nourished by the words of the Christian faith and the excellent teachings which you have followed closely. 7 Don’t have anything to do with godless myths that old women like to tell. Rather, train yourself to live a godly life. 8 Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come. 9 This is a statement that can be trusted and deserves complete acceptance. 10 Certainly, we work hard and struggle to live a godly life, because we place our confidence in the living God. He is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Insist on these things and teach them. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you for being young. Instead, make your speech, behavior, love, faith, and purity an example for other believers. 13 Until I get there, concentrate on reading Scripture in worship, giving encouraging messages, and teaching people. 14 Don’t neglect the gift which you received through prophecy when the spiritual leaders[a] placed their hands on you to ordain you. 15 Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. 16 Focus on your life and your teaching. Continue to do what I’ve told you. If you do this, you will save yourself and those who hear you.
Jesus Warns Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees told Yeshua, “Get out of here, and go somewhere else! Herod wants to kill you.”
32 Yeshua said to them, “Tell that fox that I will force demons out of people and heal people today and tomorrow. I will finish my work on the third day. 33 But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day. It’s not possible for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing! 35 Your house will be abandoned. I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.