Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 26
Prayer for Vindication
Of David.
1 Vindicate me, Lord,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.(A)
2 Test me, Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.(B)
3 For your faithful love guides me,[a]
and I live by your truth.(C)
4 I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
5 I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.(D)
6 I wash my hands in innocence(E)
and go around your altar, Lord,(F)
7 raising my voice in thanksgiving(G)
and telling about your wondrous works.(H)
Psalm 28
My Strength
Of David.
1 Lord, I call to you;
my rock, do not be deaf to me.(A)
If you remain silent to me,
I will be like those going down to the Pit.(B)
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your holy sanctuary.(C)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers,
who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.(D)
4 Repay them according to what they have done—
according to the evil of their deeds.
Repay them according to the work of their hands;
give them back what they deserve.(E)
5 Because they do not consider
what the Lord has done
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and not rebuild them.(F)
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and God’s Love
For the choir director. Of David, the Lord’s servant.
1 An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
Dread of God has no effect on him.[a](A)
2 For with his flattering opinion of himself,
he does not discover and hate his iniquity.(B)
3 The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(C)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(D)
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(E)
He sets himself on a path that is not good,
and he does not reject evil.(F)
5 Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,
your faithfulness to the clouds.(G)
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your judgments like the deepest sea.(H)
Lord, you preserve people and animals.(I)
7 How priceless your faithful love is, God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(J)
8 They are filled from the abundance of your house.
You let them drink from your refreshing stream.(K)
9 For the wellspring of life is with you.(L)
By means of your light we see light.(M)
Psalm 39
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(A)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(B)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(C)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me aware of my end
and the number of my days
so that I will know how short-lived I am.(D)
5 In fact, you have made my days just inches long,
and my life span is as nothing to you.
Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.(E)Selah
6 Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(F)
7 “Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in you.(G)
8 Rescue me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(H)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what you have done.(I)
10 Remove your torment from me.
Because of the force of your hand I am finished.(J)
11 You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(K)
yes, every human being is only a vapor.(L)Selah
Worshiping the True God
15 “Diligently watch yourselves—because you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb— 16 so you don’t act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form, 17 or the form of any animal on the earth, any winged creature that flies in the sky, 18 any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the waters under the earth. 19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the stars in the sky—do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them.(A) The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.(B) 20 But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace(C) to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.
21 “The Lord was angry with me on your account.(D) He swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land(E) the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.(F) 22 I won’t be crossing the Jordan because I am going to die in this land.(G) But you are about to cross over and take possession of this good land. 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you, and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of anything he has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,(H) a jealous God.(I)
A Clear Conscience
12 Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony(A) of our conscience(B) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom(C) but by God’s grace.(D) 13 For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— 14 just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,(E) just as you also are ours(F) in the day of our[a] Lord Jesus.(G)
A Visit Postponed
15 Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,(H) so that you could have a second benefit,[b] 16 and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,(I) and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by you(J) on my journey(K) to Judea.(L) 17 Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human[c](M) way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As God is faithful,(N) our message to you is not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of God,(O) Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,[d](P) Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”(Q) 20 For every one of God’s promises(R) is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”(S) to the glory of God.(T) 21 Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed(U) us. 22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts(V) as a down payment.(W)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 All(A) the tax collectors(B) and sinners were approaching to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners(C) and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable:(D) 4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them,(E) does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field[a] and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven(F) over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins,[b][c] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ 10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels(G) over one sinner who repents.”
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