Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 140[a]
Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 Deliver me, Lord, from the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,(A)
3 From those who plan evil in their hearts,
who stir up conflicts every day,
4 [b]Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent,
venom of asps upon their lips.(B)
Selah
II
5 Keep me, Lord, from the clutches of the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,
who plot to trip me up.(C)
6 [c]The arrogant have set a trap for me;
they have spread out ropes for a net,
laid snares for me by the wayside.
Selah
7 I say to the Lord: You are my God;(D)
listen, Lord, to the words of my pleas.
8 Lord, my master, my strong deliverer,
you cover my head on the day of armed conflict.
9 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked one;
do not let his plot succeed.
Selah
III
10 Those who surround me raise their heads;
may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them.
11 Drop burning coals upon them;(E)
cast them into the watery pit never more to rise.
12 Slanderers will not survive on earth;
evil will hunt down the man of violence to overthrow him.
13 For I know the Lord will take up the cause of the needy,
justice for the poor.
14 Then the righteous will give thanks to your name;
the upright will dwell in your presence.(F)
Psalm 142[a]
A Prayer in Time of Trouble
1 A maskil of David, when he was in the cave.[b] A prayer.
2 With my own voice I cry to the Lord;
with my own voice I beseech the Lord.
3 Before him I pour out my complaint,
tell of my distress in front of him.
4 When my spirit is faint within me,(A)
you know my path.(B)
As I go along this path,
they have hidden a trap for me.(C)
5 I look to my right hand to see(D)
that there is no one willing to acknowledge me.
My escape has perished;
no one cares for me.
6 I cry out to you, Lord,
I say, You are my refuge,(E)
my portion in the land of the living.(F)
7 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am brought very low.(G)
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are too strong for me.
8 Lead my soul from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous shall gather around me[c]
because you have been good to me.
Psalm 141[a]
Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
1 A psalm of David.
Lord, I call to you; hasten to me;
listen to my plea when I call.
2 Let my prayer be incense[b] before you;
my uplifted hands an evening offering.(A)
3 Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth,
keep watch over the door of my lips.(B)
4 Do not let my heart incline to evil,
to perform deeds in wickedness.
On the delicacies of evildoers
let me not feast.
5 [c]Let a righteous person strike me; it is mercy if he reproves me.
Do not withhold oil from my head(C)
while my prayer opposes their evil deeds.
6 May their leaders be cast over the cliff,
so that they hear that my speeches are pleasing.
7 Like the plowing and breaking up of the earth,
our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For my eyes are upon you, O Lord, my Lord;(D)
in you I take refuge; do not take away my soul.
9 Guard me from the trap they have set for me,
from the snares of evildoers.(E)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while only I pass over them safely.
Psalm 143[a]
A Prayer in Distress
1 A psalm of David.
Lord, hear my prayer;
in your faithfulness listen to my pleading;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant;
before you no one can be just.(A)
3 The enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground.(B)
He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.(C)
4 My spirit is faint within me;
my heart despairs.(D)
5 I remember the days of old;
I ponder all your deeds;
the works of your hands I recall.(E)
6 I stretch out my hands toward you,
my soul to you like a parched land.(F)
Selah
7 Hasten to answer me, Lord;
for my spirit fails me.
Do not hide your face from me,
lest I become like those descending to the pit.(G)
8 In the morning let me hear of your mercy,
for in you I trust.
Show me the path I should walk,
for I entrust my life to you.(H)
9 Rescue me, Lord, from my foes,
for I seek refuge in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your kind spirit guide me
on ground that is level.
11 For your name’s sake, Lord, give me life;
in your righteousness lead my soul out of distress.
12 In your mercy put an end to my foes;
all those who are oppressing my soul,
for I am your servant.(I)
Chapter 8
The Discourse of Wisdom[a]
1 Does not Wisdom call,
and Understanding raise her voice?(A)
2 On the top of the heights along the road,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 By the gates at the approaches of the city,
in the entryways she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call;
my appeal is to you mortals.
5 You naive ones, gain prudence,
you fools,[b] gain sense.
6 Listen! for noble things I speak;
my lips proclaim honest words.
7 [c]Indeed, my mouth utters truth,
and my lips abhor wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are sincere,
none of them wily or crooked;
9 All of them are straightforward to the intelligent,
and right to those who attain knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 [For Wisdom is better than corals,
and no treasures can compare with her.(B)]
12 I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and useful knowledge I have.
13 [The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil;]
Pride, arrogance, the evil way,
and the perverse mouth I hate.(C)
14 Mine are counsel and advice;
Mine is strength; I am understanding.[d]
15 By me kings reign,
and rulers enact justice;
16 By me princes govern,
and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
17 Those who love me I also love,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,(D)
wealth that endures, and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
and my yield than choice silver.(E)
20 On the way of righteousness I walk,
along the paths of justice,
21 Granting wealth to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
Address and Greeting. 1 [a]Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved and our co-worker,(A) 2 to Apphia our sister,[b] to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house.(B) 3 Grace to you and peace[c] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(C)
Thanksgiving. 4 [d](D)I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, 5 as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones,[e] 6 so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us[f] that leads to Christ.(E)
Plea for Onesimus. 7 For I have experienced much joy and encouragement[g] from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.(F) 8 Therefore, although I have the full right[h] in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man,[i] and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.(G) 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment,(H) 11 who was once useless to you but is now useful[j] to [both] you and me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve[k] me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel,(I) 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.(J) 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from[l] you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man[m] and in the Lord.(K) 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. 18 [n]And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.(L) 20 Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 With trust in your compliance I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers.(M)
Final Greetings. 23 Epaphras,[o] my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,(N) 24 as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(O)
9 [The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.(A) 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.(B)
The Entry into Jerusalem.[a] 12 (C)On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches[b] and went out to meet him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
[even] the king of Israel.”(D)
14 Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:
16 His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this[d] for him.(F) 17 [e]So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify. 18 This was [also] why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world[f] has gone after him.”(G)
The Coming of Jesus’ Hour.[g]
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