Book of Common Prayer
God Implored to Confound His Enemies.
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
83 O God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
3 They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (H)let us wipe them out [d]as a nation,
That the (I)name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5 For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:
6 The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
7 (O)Gebal and (P)Ammon and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
8 (T)Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. [g]Selah.
9 Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became as dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let us possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like the [h](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
18 That they may (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.
The Lord an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)while I live;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in princes,
In [c]mortal (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [d]the earth;
In that very day his (I)thoughts perish.
5 How (J)blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and all that is in them;
Who (N)keeps [e]faith forever;
7 Who (O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (Q)sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord (R)opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (T)loves the righteous;
9 The Lord [f](U)protects the [g]strangers;
He [h](V)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [i]thwarts (W)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (X)reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
[j]Praise [k]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [l]Praise [m]the Lord!
For (Y)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [n]it is pleasant and praise is (Z)becoming.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
He (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (AC)brokenhearted
And (AD)binds up their [o]wounds.
4 He (AE)counts the number of the stars;
He [p](AF)gives names to all of them.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (AH)understanding is [q]infinite.
6 The Lord [r](AI)supports the afflicted;
He brings down the wicked to the ground.
7 (AJ)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
8 Who (AK)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (AL)provides rain for the earth,
Who (AM)makes grass to [s]grow on the mountains.
9 He (AN)gives to the beast its food,
And to the (AO)young ravens which cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the (AP)horse;
He (AQ)does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord (AR)favors those who fear Him,
(AS)Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (AT)bars of your gates;
He has (AU)blessed your sons within you.
14 He (AV)makes [t]peace in your borders;
He (AW)satisfies you with (AX)the [u]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends forth His (AY)command to the earth;
His (AZ)word runs very swiftly.
16 He gives (BA)snow like wool;
He scatters the (BB)frost like ashes.
17 He casts forth His (BC)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (BD)cold?
18 He (BE)sends forth His word and melts them;
He (BF)causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
19 He (BG)declares His words to Jacob,
His (BH)statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
20 He (BI)has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His ordinances, they have (BJ)not known them.
[v]Praise [w]the Lord!
Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
85 O Lord, You showed (A)favor to Your land;
You [a](B)restored the captivity of Jacob.
2 You (C)forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You (D)covered all their sin. [b]Selah.
3 You (E)withdrew all Your fury;
You (F)turned away from Your burning anger.
4 (G)Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And (H)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will (I)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to [c]all generations?
6 Will You not Yourself [d](J)revive us again,
That Your people may (K)rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord,
And (L)grant us Your salvation.
8 [e]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (M)speak peace to His people, [f]to His godly ones;
But let them not (N)turn back to [g]folly.
9 Surely (O)His salvation is near to those who [h]fear Him,
That (P)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (Q)Lovingkindness and [i]truth have met together;
(R)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [j]Truth (S)springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (T)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (U)land will yield its produce.
13 (V)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 (W)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am (X)afflicted and needy.
2 (Y)Preserve my [k]soul, for I am a (Z)godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who (AA)trusts in You.
3 Be (AB)gracious to me, O Lord,
For (AC)to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, (AD)I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are (AE)good, and (AF)ready to forgive,
And (AG)abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 (AH)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In (AI)the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For (AJ)You will answer me.
8 There is (AK)no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works (AL)like Yours.
9 (AM)All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are (AN)great and (AO)do [l]wondrous deeds;
You alone (AP)are God.
11 (AQ)Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
(AR)Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will (AS)give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have (AT)delivered my soul from the [m]depths of [n]Sheol.
14 O God, arrogant men have (AU)risen up against me,
And [o]a band of violent men have sought my [p]life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God (AV)merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and [q]truth.
16 (AW)Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh (AX)grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the (AY)son of Your handmaid.
17 (AZ)Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may (BA)see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, (BB)have helped me and comforted me.
Jehu Reigns over Israel
9 Now Elisha the prophet called one of (A)the sons of the prophets and said to him, “(B)Gird up your loins, and (C)take this flask of oil in your hand and go to (D)Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive there, [a]search out (E)Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and [b](F)bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “(G)I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee and do not wait.”
4 So (H)the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, O captain.” And Jehu said, “[c]For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, O captain.” 6 He arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘(I)I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. 7 You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, (J)that I may avenge (K)the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, (L)at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and (M)I will cut off from Ahab (N)every male person (O)both bond and free in Israel. 9 (P)I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and (Q)like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 (R)The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.
11 Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “(S)Is all well? Why did this (T)mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.” 12 They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 13 Then (U)they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and (V)blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”
Jehoram (Joram) Is Assassinated
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (W)Now Joram [d]with all Israel was [e]defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but (X)King [f]Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had [g]inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or [h]leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. (Y)Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.
The Body Is the Lord’s
12 (A)All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 (B)Food is for the [a]stomach and the [b]stomach is for food, but God will (C)do away with both [c]of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but (D)for the Lord, and (E)the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only (F)raised the Lord, but (G)will also raise us up through His power. 15 (H)Do you not know that (I)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? (J)May it never be! 16 Or (K)do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “(L)The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is (M)one spirit with Him. 18 (N)Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the [d]immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or (O)do you not know that (P)your body is a [e]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from [f]God, and that (Q)you are not your own? 20 For (R)you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in (S)your body.
Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men (A)to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you [a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they (B)may be honored by men. (C)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your [c]giving will be in secret; and (D)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to (E)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [d](F)so that they may be seen by men. (G)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, (H)go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and (I)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)
16 “(A)Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [a]neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. (B)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, (C)anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your (D)Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
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