Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 101
A psalm by David.
1 I will sing about mercy and justice.
O Yahweh, I will make music to praise you.
2 I want to understand the path to integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will live in my own home with integrity.
3 I will not put anything wicked in front of my eyes.
I hate what unfaithful people do.
I want no part of it.
4 I will keep far away from devious minds.
I will have nothing to do with evil.
5 I will destroy anyone who secretly slanders his neighbor.
I will not tolerate anyone with a conceited look or arrogant heart.
6 My eyes will be watching the faithful people in the land
so that they may live with me.
The person who lives with integrity will serve me.
7 The one who does deceitful things will not stay in my home.
The one who tells lies will not remain in my presence.
8 Every morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land
to rid Yahweh’s city of all troublemakers.
Psalm 109
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
1 O Elohim, whom I praise, do not turn a deaf ear to me.
2 Wicked and deceitful people have opened their mouths against me.
They speak against me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with hateful words.
They fight against me for no reason.
4 In return for my love, they accuse me,
but I pray for them.[a]
5 They reward me with evil instead of good
and with hatred instead of love.
6 I said, “Appoint the evil one to oppose him.
Let Satan stand beside him.
7 When he stands trial,
let him be found guilty.
Let his prayer be considered sinful.
8 Let his days be few in number.
Let someone else take his position.
9 “Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children wander around and beg.
Let them seek help far from their ruined homes.
11 Let a creditor take everything he owns.
Let strangers steal what he has worked for.
12 Let no one be kind to him anymore.
Let no one show any pity to his fatherless children.
13 Let his descendants be cut off
and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
14 Let Yahweh remember the guilt of his ancestors
and not wipe out his mother’s sin.
15 Let their guilt and sin always remain on record
in front of Yahweh.
Let Yahweh remove every memory of him[b] from the earth,
16 because he did not remember to be kind.
“He drove oppressed, needy,
and brokenhearted people to their graves.
17 He loved to put curses on others,
so he, too, was cursed.
He did not like to bless others,
so he never received a blessing.
18 He wore cursing as though it were clothing,
so cursing entered his body like water
and his bones like oil.
19 Let cursing be his clothing,
a belt he always wears.”
20 This is how Yahweh rewards those who accuse me,
those who say evil things against me.
21 O Yahweh Adonay, deal with me out of the goodness of your name.
Rescue me because of your mercy.
22 I am oppressed and needy.
I can feel the pain in my heart.
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow.
I have been shaken off like a grasshopper.
24 My knees give way because I have been fasting.
My body has become lean, without any fat.
25 I have become the victim of my enemies’ insults.
They look at me and shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Yahweh my Elohim.
Save me because of your mercy.
27 Then they will know that this is your doing,
that you, O Yahweh, are the one who saved me.
28 They may curse, but you will bless.
Let those who attack me be ashamed,
but let me rejoice.
29 Let those who accuse me wear disgrace as though it were clothing.
Let them be wrapped in their shame as though it were a robe.
30 With my mouth I will give many thanks to Yahweh.
I will praise him among many people,
121 I have done what is fair and right.
Do not leave me at the mercy of those who oppress me.
122 Guarantee my well-being.
Do not let arrogant people oppress me.
123 My eyes are strained from looking for you to save me
and from looking for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
124 Treat me with kindness,
and teach me your laws.
125 I am your servant.
Help me understand
so that I may come to know your written instructions.
126 It is time for you to act, O Yahweh.[a]
Even though people have abolished your teachings,
127 I love your commandments more than gold, more than pure gold.
128 I follow the straight paths of your guiding principles.
I hate every pathway that leads to lying.
129 Your written instructions are miraculous.
That is why I obey them.
130 Your word is a doorway that lets in light,
and it helps gullible people understand.
131 I open my mouth and pant
because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn toward me, and have pity on me
as you have pledged to do for those who love your name.
133 Make my steps secure through your promise,
and do not let any sin control me.
134 Save me from human oppression
so that I may obey your guiding principles.
135 Smile on me,
and teach me your laws.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because others do not follow your teachings.
137 You are righteous, O Yahweh,
and your regulations are fair.
138 You have issued your written instructions.
They are fair and completely dependable.
139 My devotion for your words consumes me,
because my enemies have forgotten your words.
140 Your promise has been thoroughly tested,
and I love it.
141 I am unimportant and despised,
yet I never forget your guiding principles.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your teachings are reliable.
143 Trouble and hardship have found me,
but your commandments still make me happy.
144 Your written instructions are always right.
Help me understand them so that I will live.
25 When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains of Gilead. 26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war. 27 Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres. 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You’ve done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you. Last night the Elohim of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.’ 30 Now you have left for your father’s home because you were so homesick. But why did you steal my gods?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 If you find your gods, the one who has them will not be allowed to live. In the presence of our relatives, search as much as you want through what I have, and take what is yours.” (Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the gods.)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two slaves. But he found nothing. He came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent. 34 Rachel had taken the idols and had put them in her camel’s saddle-bag and was sitting on them. Laban rummaged through the whole tent but found nothing.
35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, Father, but I can’t get up to greet you; I’m having my period.” So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he didn’t find the idols.
36 Then Jacob became angry and confronted Laban. “What is my crime?” Jacob demanded of Laban. “What is my offense that you have come chasing after me? 37 Now that you’ve rummaged through all my things, did you find anything from your house? Put it here in front of all our relatives. Let them decide which one of us is right.
38 “I’ve been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks. 39 I never brought you any of the flock that was killed by wild animals. I paid for the loss myself. That’s what you demanded of me when any of the flock was stolen during the day or at night. 40 The scorching heat during the day and the cold at night wore me down, and I lost a lot of sleep. 41 I’ve been with your household 20 years now. I worked for you 14 years for your two daughters and 6 years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac,[a] had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed by now. Elohim has seen my misery and hard work, and last night he made it right.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “These are my daughters, my grandchildren, and my flocks. Everything you see is mine! Yet, what can I do today for my daughters or for their children? 44 Now, let’s make an agreement and let it stand as a witness between you and me.”
45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker. 46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” They took stones, put them into a pile, and ate there by the pile of stones. 47 In his language Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha [Witness Pile], but Jacob called it Galeed.[b]
48 Laban said, “This pile of stones stands as a witness between you and me today.” This is why it was named Galeed 49 and also Mizpah [Watchtower], because he said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me when we’re unable to see each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women behind my back, remember that Elohim stands as a witness between you and me.”
Don’t Love the World
12 I’m writing to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven through Christ.
13 I’m writing to you, fathers, because you know Christ who has existed from the beginning.
I’m writing to you, young people, because you have won the victory over the evil one.
14 I’ve written to you, children, because you know the Father.
I’ve written to you, fathers, because you know Christ, who has existed from the beginning.
I’ve written to you, young people, because you are strong and God’s word lives in you. You have won the victory over the evil one.
15 Don’t love the world and what it offers. Those who love the world don’t have the Father’s love in them. 16 Not everything that the world offers—physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles—comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and 17 the world and its evil desires are passing away. But the person who does what God wants lives forever.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
10 “I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber. 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. 4 After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.” 6 Yeshua used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant.
7 Yeshua emphasized, “I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn’t respond to them. 9 I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me.[a] My sheep know me as I know the Father. 15 So I give my life for my sheep. 16 I also have other sheep that are not from this pen. I must lead them. They, too, will respond to my voice. So they will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 The Father loves me because I give my life in order to take it back again. 18 No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will. I have the authority to give my life, and I have the authority to take my life back again. This is what my Father ordered me to do.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.