Book of Common Prayer
Qoph
145 I call with my whole heart; answer me, O Yahweh.
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you. Save me,
and I will heed your testimonies.
147 I rise early in the dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your word.[a]
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches,
that I may meditate on your word.
149 Hear my voice according to your loyal love;
O Yahweh, preserve my life according to your justice.
150 Those who pursue a wicked purpose draw near;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Yahweh,
and all your commands are truth.
152 Concerning your testimonies, I knew long ago
that you have established them forever.
Resh
153 See my misery and rescue me,
for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your word.[b]
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Your mercies are great, O Yahweh;
preserve my life according to your ordinances.
157 My persecutors and enemies are many,
yet I do not turn aside from your testimonies.
158 I see the treacherous and I feel disgust,
because they do not heed your word.
159 Consider[c] that I love your precepts;
O Yahweh, according to your loyal love preserve my life.
160 The whole[d] of your word is truth,
and your every righteous judgment endures forever.
Sin/Shin
161 Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles because of your word.[e]
162 I am rejoicing over your word,
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood;
I love your law.
164 I praise you seven times in the day
for your righteous ordinances.
165 Great peace is for those who love your law,
and they do not have a cause for stumbling.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Yahweh,
and do your commands.
167 My soul heeds your testimonies,
and I love them exceedingly.
168 I heed your precepts and testimonies,
because all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my cry come before you, O Yahweh;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 Let my plea come before you;
Deliver me according to your word.[f]
171 Let my lips pour out praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing of your word,[g]
because all your commands are right.
173 Let your hand be my help,[h]
because I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O Yahweh,
and your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul[i] live that it may praise you,
and let your ordinances help me.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
because I do not forget your commands.
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears Yahweh
A song of ascents.[a]
128 Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,
who walks in his ways.
2 You will indeed eat of the labor of your hands;
you will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within[b] your house.
Your children[c] will be like olive shoots
about your table.
4 Look, for thus shall a man be blessed
who fears Yahweh.[d]
5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion,
that you may see the good of Jerusalem
all the days of your life,
6 and that you may see your children’s children.
May peace be upon Israel.
Victory Over the Enemies of Zion
A song of ascents.[e]
129 “Too often[f] they have attacked me from my youth.”
Let Israel say,
2 “Too often[g] they have attacked me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 On my back plowmen have plowed.
They have made their furrows[h] long.”
4 Yahweh is righteous.
He has cut the ropes[i] of the wicked.
5 Let all be put to shame and repulsed
who hate Zion.
6 Let them be like grass on the housetops,
that withers before it grows up,
7 with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,[j]
8 so that passersby do not say,
“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.
We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”
Hope for the Redemption of Yahweh
A song of ascents.[k]
130 Out of the depths I call to you, O Yahweh.
2 “O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications.
3 If you, O Yah,[l] should keep track of[m] iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.”
5 I await Yahweh; my soul awaits,
and I wait[n] for his word.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning.
Yes, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, wait[o] for Yahweh.
For with Yahweh there is loyal love,
and with him there is abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
The Prophetess Huldah Predicts Doom for Judah
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the keeper of the robes. Now she was living in Jerusalem in the second district. Then they spoke to her, 15 and she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Say to the man who sent you to me, 16 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Look I am bringing evil to this place and upon its inhabitants, according to all of the words of that scroll that the king of Judah has read 17 because they have abandoned me and they have burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all of the works of their hands. My wrath shall be kindled against this place and not be quenched.’” 18 And to the king of Judah who sent all of you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall say to him, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Concerning the words that you have heard, 19 because you have a responsive heart, and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants to become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before my face, I have also heard, declares Yahweh. 20 Therefore look, I am gathering you to your ancestors,[a] and you shall be gathered to your tombs in peace. Your eyes will not see all of the disaster that I am bringing onto this place.’”’” Then they reported the word[b] to the king.
Josiah’s Covenantal Reforms
23 So the king sent word, and all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered to him. 2 Then the king went up to the temple of Yahweh, and all of the men of Judah and all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem were with him, including the priests, the prophets, and all of the people from smallest to greatest; and in their hearing[c] he read all of the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the temple of Yahweh. 3 Then the king stood by the pillar, and he made[d] a covenant before Yahweh, to go after Yahweh and to keep his commands and his warnings and his statutes, with all of his heart and with his all of his soul, to keep the words of this covenant written on this scroll. Then all of the people joined[e] in the covenant.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and after he[a] had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 Likewise also the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a person examine himself, and in this way let him eat from the bread and let him drink from the cup. 29 For the one who eats and drinks, if he[b] does not recognize the body, eats and drinks judgment against himself. 30 Because of this, many are weak and sick among you, and quite a few have died[c]. 31 But if we were evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But if we[d] are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, in order that we will not be condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, when you[e] come together in order to eat the Lord’s supper,[f] wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And I will give directions about the remaining matters whenever I come.
Matthew Called to Follow Jesus
9 And as[a] Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and[b] followed him.
10 And it happened as[c] he was dining[d] in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners were coming and[e] dining[f] with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when they[g] saw it,[h] the Pharisees began to say to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 And when he[i] heard it,[j] he said, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.[k] 13 But go and[l] learn what it means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.”[m] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
On Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John[n] approached him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants[o] are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise[p] the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software