Book of Common Prayer
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
121 I look up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He won’t let your foot slip.
He who watches over you won’t get tired.
4 In fact, he who watches over Israel
won’t get tired or go to sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you.
The Lord is like a shade tree at your right hand.
6 The sun won’t harm you during the day.
The moon won’t harm you during the night.
7 The Lord will keep you from every kind of harm.
He will watch over your life.
8 The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go,
both now and forever.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David.
122 I was very glad when they said to me,
“Let us go up to the house of the Lord.”
2 Jerusalem, our feet are standing
inside your gates.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
where everything is close together.
4 The tribes of the Lord go there to praise his name.
They do it in keeping with the law he gave to Israel.
5 The thrones of the family line of David are there.
That’s where the people are judged.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Say,
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace inside your walls.
May your people be kept safe.”
8 I’m concerned for my family and friends.
So I say to Jerusalem, “May you enjoy peace.”
9 I’m concerned about the house of the Lord our God.
So I pray that things will go well with Jerusalem.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
123 I look up and pray to you.
Your throne is in heaven.
2 Slaves depend on their masters.
A female slave depends on the woman she works for.
In the same way, we depend on the Lord our God.
We wait for him to have mercy on us.
3 Lord, have mercy on us. Have mercy on us,
because people haven’t stopped making fun of us.
4 We have had to put up with a lot from those who are proud.
They were always laughing at us.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of David.
131 Lord, my heart isn’t proud.
My eyes aren’t proud either.
I don’t concern myself with important matters.
I don’t concern myself with things that are too wonderful for me.
2 I have made myself calm and content
like a young child in its mother’s arms.
Deep down inside me, I am as content as a young child.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
132 Lord, remember David
and all the times he didn’t do what he wanted.
2 Lord, he made a promise.
Mighty One of Jacob, he made a promise to you.
3 He said, “I won’t enter my house
or go to bed.
4 I won’t let my eyes sleep.
I won’t close my eyelids
5 until I find a place for the Lord.
I want to build a house for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Here are the words we heard in Ephrathah.
We heard them again in the fields of Kiriath Jearim.
7 “Let us go to the Lord’s house.
Let us worship at his feet. Let us say,
8 ‘Lord, rise up and come to your resting place.
Come in together with the ark. It’s the sign of your power.
9 May your priests put on godliness as if it were their clothes.
May your faithful people sing for joy.’ ”
10 In honor of your servant David,
don’t turn your back on your anointed king.
11 The Lord made a promise to David.
It is a firm promise that he will never break.
He said, “After you die,
I will place one of your own sons on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the laws I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever.”
13 The Lord has chosen Zion.
That’s the place where he wants to live.
14 He has said, “This will be my resting place for ever and ever.
Here I will sit on my throne, because that’s what I want.
15 I will greatly bless Zion with everything it needs.
I will give plenty of food to the poor people living there.
16 I will put salvation on its priests as if it were their clothes.
God’s faithful people will always sing for joy.
17 “Here in Jerusalem I will raise up a mighty king from the family of David.
I will set up the lamp of David’s kingdom for my anointed king.
Its flame will burn brightly forever.
18 I will put shame on his enemies as if it were their clothes.
But he will wear on his head a shining crown.”
14 The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,
“You will get everything Egypt produces.
You will receive everything the people of Cush
and the tall Sabeans get in trade.
All of it will belong to you.
And all these people will walk behind you as slaves.
They will be put in chains and come over to you.
They will bow down to you.
They will admit,
‘God is with you.
There is no other God.’ ”
15 You are a God who has been hiding yourself.
You are the God of Israel. You save us.
16 All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame.
They will be dishonored.
They will be led away in shame together.
17 But the Lord will save Israel.
He will save them forever.
They will never be put to shame or dishonored.
That will be true for all time to come.
18 The Lord created the heavens.
He is God.
He formed the earth and made it.
He set it firmly in place.
He didn’t create it to be empty.
Instead, he formed it for people to live on.
He says, “I am the Lord.
There is no other Lord.
19 I have not spoken in secret.
I have not spoken from a dark place.
I have not said to Jacob’s people,
‘It is useless to look for me.’
I am the Lord. I always speak the truth.
I always say what is right.
Paul’s Work for the Church
24 I am happy because of what I am suffering for you. My suffering joins with and continues the sufferings of Christ. I suffer for his body, which is the church. 25 I serve the church. God appointed me to bring the complete word of God to you. 26 That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to the Lord’s people. 27 God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among the Gentiles. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory.
28 Christ is the one we preach about. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be grown up as people who belong to Christ. 29 That’s what I’m working for. I work hard with all the strength of Christ. His strength works powerfully in me.
2 I want you to know how hard I am working for you. I’m concerned for those who are in Laodicea. I’m also concerned for everyone who has not met me in person. 2 My goal is that their hearts may be encouraged and strengthened. I want them to be joined together in love. Then their understanding will be rich and complete. They will know the mystery of God. That mystery is Christ. 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. 4 But I don’t want anyone to fool you with words that only sound good. 5 So even though I am away from you in body, I am with you in spirit. And I am glad to see that you are controlling yourselves. I am happy that your faith in Christ is so strong.
Having All Things in Christ
6 You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living your lives in him. 7 Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.
Challenge to What Jesus Says About Himself
12 Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness. They will have that light. They will have life.”
13 The Pharisees argued with him. “Here you are,” they said, “appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count.”
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I am a witness about myself, what I say does count. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards. I don’t judge anyone. 16 But if I do judge, what I decide is true. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 Your own Law says that the witness of two people proves the truth about something. 18 I am a witness about myself. The other witness about me is the Father, who sent me.”
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
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