Book of Common Prayer
How Awesome Your Deeds
Psalm 66
1 For the music director, a song, a psalm.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of His Name—
make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God:
“How awesome are Your deeds!
Because of Your great power,
Your enemies cringe before You.
4 All the earth bows down to You,
and sings praises to You.
All sing praises to Your Name.” Selah
5 Come and see the works of God.
How awesome His deeds for the children of Adam!
6 He turned the sea into dry land.
They crossed the river on foot.
There let us rejoice in Him!
7 He rules by His might forever.
His eyes keep watch on the nations.
Let no rebels exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples!
Let the sound of His praise be heard.
9 Keeping our soul in life,
He has not let our foot slip.
10 For You have tested us, O God—
You have purified us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into a net.
You laid a burden on our backs.
12 You caused men to ride over our heads.
We went through fire and water.
Yet You brought us out to superabundance.
13 With burnt offerings I will come to Your House,
fulfilling my vows to You
14 that my lips uttered and mouth spoke,
when I was in trouble.
15 To You I will present burnt offerings of fat animals,
with the sweet smoke of rams.
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God.
I will tell what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried out to Him with my mouth,
and exaltation was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But surely God has heard.
He has listened to my voice in prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His lovingkindness from me.
A Rebellious House
2 Then He said to me: “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 As He spoke to me, the Ruach came upon me and stood me up on my feet. I heard Him speaking to me again.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to Bnei-Yisrael, to rebellious nations that have been rebelling against Me. They and their fathers have rebelled against Me to this very day. 4 The children have hard faces and stubborn hearts. I am sending you to them, and you are to tell them, ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim.’ 5 Whether they listen, or whether they will refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet was among them.
6 “But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them. Do not fear their words, though thistles and thorns are beside you and you sit among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or be dismayed by their looks—for they are a rebellious house. 7 You will speak My words to them, whether they will listen or whether they will refuse to listen—for they are rebellious.
Peter’s Report to Jerusalem
11 Now the emissaries and brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 So Peter began explaining to them point by point, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision—something like a great sheet coming down, being lowered from heaven by its four corners, and it came right to me. 6 I looked inside, considering it carefully, and saw four-footed creatures of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 I also heard a voice saying, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord! For never has anything unholy or unclean entered my mouth.’ 9 But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider unholy.’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven.
11 “At that very moment, three men arrived at the house where we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 The Ruach told me to go with them without hesitating. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter. 14 He will speak words to you by which you will be saved—you and all your household.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Ruach ha-Kodesh fell on them, just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John immersed with water, but you will be immersed in the Ruach ha-Kodesh.’ 17 Therefore if God gave them the same gift as also to us after we put our trust in the Lord Messiah Yeshua, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this they became quiet, and they glorified God, saying, “Then even to the Gentiles God has granted repentance leading to life!”
Exalted Above All Gods
Psalm 97
1 Adonai reigns, let the earth rejoice,
let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are all around Him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
and burns up His adversaries on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world—
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of Adonai,
at the presence of the Lord of all earth.
6 The heavens declare His righteousness,
and all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 Let all who serve graven images be ashamed—who boast in idols.
Bow down before Him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of Your judgments, Adonai.
9 For You, Adonai, are Elyon above all the earth.
You are exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love Adonai, hate evil!
He watches over the souls of His godly ones.
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous
and gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in Adonai, you righteous ones,
and praise His holy Name.
Your Right Hand Delivers Me
Psalm 138
1 Of David.
I praise You with all my heart.
In the presence of the mighty I will sing praises to You.
2 I bow down toward Your holy Temple
and praise Your Name for Your love and Your faithfulness.
For You—magnified above all Your Name and Your word.
3 On the day I called, You answered me.
You made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth will praise You, Adonai,
when they hear Your mouth’s speech.
5 So they will sing of the ways of Adonai,
for great is the glory of Adonai.
6 For though Adonai is exalted,
yet He looks upon the lowly,
but the haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk amid trouble,
You revive me.
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
8 Adonai will fulfill His purpose for me.
Your lovingkindness, Adonai, endures forever.
Do not abandon the work of Your hands.
Accepted in Jerusalem
2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. 2 Because of a revelation, I went up and presented to them the Good News that I proclaim among the Gentiles. But I did so privately to those who seemed to be influential, to make sure I would not run—or had not run—in vain. [a] 3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. 4 Now this issue came up because of false brothers secretly brought in (who slipped in to spy out our freedom in Messiah, in order to bring us into bondage). 5 But we did not give in to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the Good News might be preserved for you.
6 But from those who seemed to be influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those influential ones added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised just as Peter was for the circumcised. 8 (For the same God who was at work in Peter as an emissary to the Jews, also was at work in me as a emissary to the Gentiles.) 9 Realizing the favor that had been given to me, Jacob and Peter[b] and John—who are the recognized pillars—shook hands in partnership with Barnabas and me,[c] so that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.