Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 131
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,
my eyes are not raised too high.
I have not striven for enormities,
for things too wonderful for me.
2 I composed and quieted my desire,
like a child given suck by his mother;
like a child who sucks is my desire within me.
3 Let Israel hope in the Lord
from now and forever.
Psalm 132(A)
A Song of Ascents.
1 O Lord, remember David
and all his afflictions,
2 how he swore unto the Lord,
and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob:
3 “I will not come into my house,
nor go up to my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes,
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the mighty God of Jacob.”
6 We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “We will go to His dwelling place,
we will worship at His footstool.”
8 Arise, O Lord, go to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let Your godly ones shout for joy.
10 For Your servant David’s sake,
do not turn away Your anointed king.
11 The Lord has sworn with a sure oath to David
that He will not turn from it:
“From the fruit of your body
I will set a son on your throne.
12 If your children will keep My covenant
and My testimonies that I shall teach them,
then their children shall also sit
upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling:
14 “This is My resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have chosen it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
and her godly ones shall shout for joy.
17 “There I will make a horn sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”
Psalm 133
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil upon the head,
that runs down on the beard—
even Aaron’s beard—
and going down to the collar of his garments;
3 as the dew of Hermon,
that descends upon the mountains of Zion,
for there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
even life forever.
Psalm 134
A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who by night stand in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord who made heaven and earth
bless you from Zion.
Psalm 135(B)
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord
praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
2 you who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing praises unto His name, for it is pleasant.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
and Israel for His special possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases,
He does in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.
7 He causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out from His storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and animal.
9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 He struck down great nations
and slew mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land for an inheritance,
a possession to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever;
and Your renown, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will defend His people,
and He will have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear;
neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
so is everyone who trusts in them.
19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel;
bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi;
you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
who dwells at Jerusalem.
Praise you the Lord!
Beware of the Adulteress
7 My son, keep my words,
and lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live,
and my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call understanding your kinswoman,
5 that they may keep you from the immoral woman,
from the seductress who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my casement,
7 and saw among the simple ones,
I discerned among the youths,
a young man void of understanding,
8 passing through the street near her corner;
and he went the way to her house
9 in the twilight, in the evening,
in the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 She is loud and stubborn;
her feet do not abide in her house.
12 Now she is without, now in the streets,
and lies in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him;
and with an impudent face said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
this day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you,
diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry,
with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning;
let us solace ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he has taken a bag of money with him,
and will come home at the day appointed.”
21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
with the flattering of her lips she seduced him.
22 He went after her straightway,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
23 until a dart struck through his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
he did not know that it would cost him his life.
24 Listen to me now therefore, O children,
and attend to the words of my mouth:
25 do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
do not go astray in her paths;
26 for she has cast down many wounded,
and many strong men have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
Purpose of Writing
13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 So if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have whatever we asked of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin which does not lead to death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life. This is for those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I do not say that he should pray for it. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is a sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not keep on sinning. But whoever has been born of God guards himself, and the wicked one cannot touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true—His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 Then they searched for Jesus and said among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think, that He will not come to the feast?” 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
The Anointing at Bethany(A)
12 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 They prepared a supper for Him there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pint[a] of very costly ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. And having the money box, he used to steal what was put in it.
7 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.