Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer for Help in Despair
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
For the music director; according to Mahalath Leannoth.
A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.[a]
88 O Yahweh, God of my salvation,
I cry out by day and through the night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full with troubles,
and my life approaches Sheol.
4 I am reckoned with those descending to the pit.
I am like a man[b] without strength,[c]
5 set free[d] among the dead,
like the slain lying in the grave,
whom you no longer remember,
even those cut off from your hand.
6 You have set me in the pit below,
in dark places, in the depths.
7 Your wrath presses upon me,
and you afflict me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me.
You have made me detestable[e] to them.
I am confined and cannot go out.
9 My eye languishes from misery.
I call on you, O Yahweh, every day;
I spread out my hands[f] to you.
10 Do you work wonders[g] for the dead?
Or do the departed spirits[h] rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your loyal love told in the grave,
or your faithfulness in the underworld?[i]
12 Are your wonders[j] known in the darkness,
or your righteousness[k] in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But as for me, I cry for help to you, O Yahweh,
and in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why do you reject my soul, O Yahweh?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 I am afflicted and perishing from my youth.
I bear your terrors. I am distraught.[l]
16 Your burning anger has passed over me;
your sudden fears have destroyed me.
17 They surround me like water all the day;
they circle about me altogether.
18 You have removed loved one and friend far from me,
my acquaintances far from my darkness.
God’s Protection in Times of Crisis
91 One who lives in the secret place[a] of the Most High
will lodge in the shadow of Shaddai.[b]
2 I will say to Yahweh, “You are my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver[c] you from the snare of the fowler,
from the plague of destruction.
4 With his feathers he will cover you,
and under his wings you can take refuge.
His faithfulness will be a shield and a buckler.[d]
5 You need not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the plague that spreads in the darkness,
or the destruction that devastates at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
and ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes,
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 For you, O Yahweh, are my refuge.
You have made the Most High your dwelling place.[e]
10 No harm will befall you,
and no plague will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you,
to watch over you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on lion and viper;
you will trample young lion and serpent.
14 Because he loves me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will protect[f] him because he knows my name.
15 He will call upon me and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue and honor him.
16 With long life[g] I will satisfy him,
and show him my salvation.
Thanksgiving to Yahweh for Victory
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.[h]
92 It is good to give thanks to Yahweh,
and to sing praise concerning your name, O Most High;
2 to declare in the morning your loyal love
and your faithfulness in the night,
3 on the ten string, and on the harp,
with a melody on the lyre.
4 For you, O Yahweh, have made me glad by your work;
by the deeds of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your deeds, O Yahweh;
how very deep are your thoughts.
6 The brutish man does not know,
and the fool cannot understand this.
7 When the wicked flourish like grass
and all the workers of evil blossom,
it is so they can be destroyed forever.
8 But you are on high forever, O Yahweh.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Yahweh,
for behold, your enemies will perish.
All the workers of evil will be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
you have anointed me[i] with fresh oil.
11 And so my eye looks on my enemies.[j]
My ears hear those evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The righteous[k] will flourish like the date palm.
They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house[l] of Yahweh,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still prosper in old age.
They will be fat and luxuriant,[m]
15 to declare that Yahweh is upright.
He is my rock, and there is no injustice[n] in him.
Nathan Reproves David
12 So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, “Two men were in a certain city; one was rich and the other was poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except for one small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for him. 4 And a visitor came to the rich man, but he was reluctant[a] to take from his flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then the anger of David was kindled[b] against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives,[c] the man who has done this deserves to die![d] 6 He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to him, “You are the man! Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you the household of your master and the women of your master into your lap. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah; if that had been too little, I would have added to you much more.[e] 9 Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in his eyes?[f] Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to yourself as wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites![g] 10 So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!’ 11 Thus says Yahweh, ‘Look, I am going to raise up evil against you from within your house, and I will take your women before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and he shall sleep with your wives in broad daylight.[h] 12 Though you did this in secret, I will do this thing before all of Israel in broad daylight!’”[i]
David Repents, But the Child Dies
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh!”[j] Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has also forgiven your sin; you shall not die. 14 But because you have utterly scorned[k] Yahweh in this matter, the son born for you will certainly die.”[l]
A Major Riot in Ephesus
21 Now when these things were completed, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, it is necessary for me to see Rome also.” 22 So after[a] sending two of those who were assisting him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed some time in Asia.[b]
23 Now there happened at that time no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For someone named[c] Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These[d] he gathered together, and the workers occupied with such things, and[e] said, “Men, you know that from this business we get our prosperity,[f] 26 and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia[g] this man Paul has persuaded and[h] turned away a large crowd by[i] saying that the gods made by hands are not gods. 27 So not only is there a danger this line of business of ours will come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing—and she is about to be brought down even from her grandeur, she whom the whole of Asia[j] and the entire world worship!”
28 And when they[k] heard this[l] and became full of rage, they began to shout,[m] saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 And the city was filled with the tumult, and with one purpose they rushed into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were traveling companions of Paul. 30 But when[n] Paul wanted to enter into the popular assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs[o] who were his friends sent word[p] to him and[q] were urging him[r] not to risk himself by going into the theater. 32 So some were shouting one thing[s] and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority did not know why[t] they had assembled. 33 And some of the crowd advised[u] Alexander, when[v] the Jews put him forward. But Alexander, motioning with his[w] hand, was wanting to defend himself to the popular assembly. 34 But when they[x] recognized that he was a Jew, they were shouting with one voice from all of them for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 And when[y] the city secretary had quieted the crowd, he said, “Ephesian men, for who is there among men who does not know the Ephesian city is honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her[z] image fallen from heaven? 36 Therefore because[aa] these things are undeniable, it is necessary that you be quiet and do nothing rash! 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the court days are observed and there are proconsuls—let them bring charges against one another! 39 But if you desire anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused of rioting concerning today, since there[ab] is no cause in relation to which we will be able to give an account concerning this disorderly gathering!” And when he[ac] had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.[ad]
A Demon-possessed Boy Healed
14 And when they[a] came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately the whole crowd, when they[b] saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him[c] and[d] greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And one individual from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute.[e] 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his[f] teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so.[g] 19 And he answered them and[h] said, “O unbelieving generation! How long[i] will I be with you? How long[j] must I put up with you? Bring him to me!” 20 And they brought him to him. And when he[k] saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. 21 And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and[l] help us!” 23 But Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and[m] said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” 25 Now when[n] Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!” 26 And it came out, screaming and convulsing him[o] greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, “He has died!” 27 But Jesus took hold of his hand and[p] raised him up, and he stood up. 28 And after[q] he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to expel it?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer.”[r]
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