Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 75
For the Music Director. To the melody of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 We give thanks to You, O God;
we give thanks, and Your name is near;
Your wondrous works declare it.
2 When I select an appointed time,
I will judge with equity.
3 Though the earth and all its inhabitants are swaying,
I steady its pillars. Selah
4 I said to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with an arrogant neck.”
6 For neither from the east nor west,
nor from the wilderness comes victory.
7 But God is the judge;
He brings one low, and lifts up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
and it is full of mixed, foaming wine,
and He pours from it;
surely all the wicked of the earth will find and drink its dregs.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.
Psalm 76
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 In Judah God is known;
in Israel His name is great.
2 In Salem is His abode,
and His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the fiery arrows of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
than the mountains of prey.
5 The strong of heart have been plundered;
they have been put to sleep;
and none of the mighty men
could use their hands.
6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the chariot and horse lay stunned.
7 You, even You, are to be feared;
and who may stand in Your sight from the moment of Your anger?
8 From the heavens You gave their judgment,
and the earth feared and was silent,
9 when God arose to judgment,
to save all the meek of the earth. Selah
10 Surely the wrath of people shall bring You praise;
the remainder of wrath You shall put on.
11 Make your vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them;
let all who surround Him
bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.
12 He reduces the spirit of princes,
and is feared among the kings of the earth.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 27
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom will I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom will I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
to eat my flesh—
my enemies and my foes—
they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord,
that will I seek after—
for me to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to see the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He will hide me in His pavilion;
in the shelter of His tabernacle He will hide me;
He will set me up on a rock.
6 Now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies encircling me;
therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face far from me;
do not thrust Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help.
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 If my father and my mother forsake me,
then the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me in an upright path,
because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my enemies;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord;
be strong, and may your heart be stout;
wait on the Lord.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the house steward, “Bring these men home, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men will dine with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph ordered, so the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”
The Feast With Joseph
19 They approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke with him at the entrance of the house. 20 They said, “My lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks and realized every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us. 22 We have also brought additional money with us to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”
23 He said, “Be at peace; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and gave feed to their donkeys. 25 Then they made ready the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would be eating a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed themselves to him to the ground. 27 He asked them about their well-being and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health. He is still alive.” And they bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves.
29 He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out, for he was deeply moved over his brother and sought a place to weep. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out. Controlling himself, he said, “Serve the food.”
32 They served him by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat a meal with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He gave them portions from his own table, but Benjamin’s serving was five times more than any of theirs. So they drank and feasted with him.
10 Now to the married I command, not I, but the Lord, do not let the wife depart from her husband. 11 But if she departs, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And do not let the husband divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife who consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 And if the woman has an unbelieving husband who consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean. But now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let that one depart. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
Living as God Called You
17 But as God has given to every man and as the Lord has called every man, so let him walk. This I command in all churches. 18 Is any man called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is any man called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God is everything. 20 Let each man remain in the same condition in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a servant? Do not worry about it. But if you may become free, do so. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a servant is the Lord’s freeman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ’s servant. 23 You were bought at a price. Do not be the servants of men. 24 Brothers, let every man, in whatever condition he is called, remain there with God.
The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac(A)
5 They went to the other side of the sea to the region of the Gadarenes. 2 When He had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could constrain him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. But he had pulled the chains apart and broken the shackles to pieces. And no one could subdue him. 5 Always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran up and kneeled before Him, 7 and cried out with a loud voice, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me.” 8 For Jesus said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
He answered, “My name is Legion. For we are many.” 10 And he begged Him repeatedly not to send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was a great herd of swine feeding near the mountains. 12 All the demons pleaded with Him, asking, “Send us to the swine, so that we may enter them.” 13 At once, Jesus gave them leave. Then the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. And the herd, numbering about two thousand, ran wildly down a steep hill into the sea and were drowned in the sea.
14 Those who fed the swine fled and reported it in the city and in the country. And people went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw him who had been possessed with the legion of demons sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 Those who saw it told them how it befell him who had been possessed with the demons and also concerning the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart out of their region.
18 When He entered the boat, he who had been possessed with the demons prayed Him that he might be with Him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 So he departed and began to proclaim in the Decapolis[a] what great things Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.