Book of Common Prayer
A psalm of David.
101 I will sing about your love and fairness.
Lord, I will sing praise to you.
2 I will be careful to lead a life
that is without blame.
When will you come and help me?
In my own home I will lead a life
that is without blame.
3 I won’t look at anything that is evil and call it good.
I hate the acts of people who aren’t faithful to you.
I won’t have anything to do with those things.
4 I will stay away from those whose hearts are twisted.
I won’t have anything to do with what is evil.
5 I will get rid of anyone
who tells lies about their neighbor in secret.
I won’t put up with anyone
whose eyes and heart are proud.
6 I will look with favor on the faithful people in the land.
They will live with me.
Those whose lives are without blame will serve me.
7 No one who lies and cheats
will live in my house.
No one who tells lies
will serve me.
8 Every morning I will get rid of
all the sinful people in the land.
I will remove from the city of the Lord
everyone who does what is evil.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Don’t remain silent.
2 Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me.
They have used their tongues to tell lies about me.
3 They gather all around me with their words of hatred.
They attack me without any reason.
4 They bring charges against me,
even though I love them
and pray for them.
5 They pay me back with evil for the good things I do.
They pay back my love with hatred.
6 Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court.
Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them.
7 When they are tried, let them be found guilty.
May even their prayers judge them.
8 May their days be few.
Let others take their places as leaders.
9 May their children’s fathers die.
May their wives become widows.
10 May their children be driven from their destroyed homes.
May they wander around like beggars.
11 May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe.
May strangers rob them of everything they’ve worked for.
12 May no one be kind to them
or take pity on the children they leave behind.
13 May their family line come to an end.
May their names be forgotten by those who live after them.
14 May the Lord remember the evil things their fathers have done.
May he never erase the sins of their mothers.
15 May the Lord never forget their sins.
Then he won’t let people remember the names of my enemies anymore.
16 They never thought about doing anything kind.
Instead, they drove those who were poor and needy to their deaths.
They did the same thing to those whose hearts were broken.
17 They loved to curse others.
May their curses come back on them.
They didn’t find any pleasure in giving anyone their blessing.
May no blessing ever come to them.
18 They cursed others as easily as they put on clothes.
Cursing was as natural to them as getting a drink of water
or putting olive oil on their bodies.
19 May their curses cover them like coats.
May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt forever.
20 May that be the Lord’s way of paying back
those who bring charges against me.
May it happen to those who say
evil things about me.
21 But Lord and King,
help me so that you bring honor to yourself.
Because your love is so good, save me.
22 I am poor and needy.
My heart is wounded deep down inside me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow.
I’m like a locust that someone brushes off.
24 My knees are weak because I’ve gone without food.
My body is very thin.
25 Those who bring charges against me laugh at me.
When they see me, they shake their heads at me.
26 Lord my God, help me.
Save me because of your faithful love.
27 Lord, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me.
You have done it with your own hand.
28 They may curse me.
But may you bless me.
May those who attack me be put to shame.
But may I be filled with joy.
29 May those who bring charges against me be clothed with dishonor.
May they be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat.
30 With my mouth I will continually praise the Lord.
I will praise him when all his people gather for worship.
ע Ayin
121 I have done what is right and fair.
So don’t leave me to those who treat me badly.
122 Make sure that everything goes well with me.
Don’t let proud people treat me badly.
123 My eyes grow tired as I look to you to save me.
Please save me as you have promised.
124 Be good to me, because you love me.
Teach me your orders.
125 I serve you, so help me to understand what is right.
Then I will understand your covenant laws.
126 Lord, it’s time for you to act.
People are breaking your law.
127 I love your commands more than gold.
I love them more than pure gold.
128 I consider all your rules to be right.
So I hate every path that sinners take.
פ Pe
129 Your covenant laws are wonderful.
So I obey them.
130 When your words are made clear, they bring light.
They bring understanding to childish people.
131 I open my mouth and pant like a dog,
because I long to know your commands.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me.
That’s what you’ve always done for those who love you.
133 Teach me how to live as you have promised.
Don’t let any sin be my master.
134 Set me free from people who treat me badly.
Then I will obey your rules.
135 Have mercy on me.
Teach me your orders.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
because people don’t obey your law.
צ Tsadhe
137 Lord, you do what is fair.
And your laws are right.
138 The laws you have made are fair.
They can be completely trusted.
139 My anger is wearing me out,
because my enemies don’t pay any attention to your words.
140 Your promises have proved to be true.
I love them.
141 I’m not important. People look down on me.
But I don’t forget to obey your rules.
142 You always do what is right.
And your law is true.
143 I’ve had my share of trouble and suffering.
But your commands give me delight.
144 Your covenant laws are always right.
Help me to understand them. Then I will live.
Joseph Calms His Brothers’ Fears
15 Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were worried. They said, “Remember all the bad things we did to Joseph? What if he decides to hold those things against us? What if he pays us back for them?” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph. They said, “Your father gave us directions before he died. 17 He said, ‘Here’s what you must say to Joseph. Tell him, “I’m asking you to forgive your brothers. Forgive the terrible things they did to you. Forgive them for treating you so badly.” ’ Now then, please forgive our sins. We serve the God of your father.” When their message came to Joseph, he wept.
18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down in front of him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Do you think I’m God? 20 You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I’ll provide for you and your children.” He calmed their fears. And he spoke in a kind way to them.
Joseph Dies
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived 110 years. 23 He lived long enough to see Ephraim’s children and grandchildren. When the children of Makir were born, they were placed on Joseph’s knees and counted as his own children. Makir was the son of Manasseh.
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. But God will surely come to help you. He’ll take you up out of this land. He’ll bring you to the land he promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 Joseph made the Israelites promise him. He said, “God will surely come to help you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. They prepared his body to be buried. Then he was placed in a casket in Egypt.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
12 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 2 You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. 3 So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
4 There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.
7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
11 The Pharisees came and began to ask Jesus questions. They wanted to test him. So they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a sign? What I’m about to tell you is true. No sign will be given to you.” 13 Then he left them. He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread. They had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. And watch out for the yeast of Herod.”
16 They talked about this with each other. They said, “He must be saying this because we don’t have any bread.”
17 Jesus knew what they were saying. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Why can’t you see or understand? Are you stubborn? 18 Do you have eyes and still don’t see? Do you have ears and still don’t hear? And don’t you remember? 19 Earlier I broke five loaves for the 5,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they answered.
21 He said to them, “Can’t you understand yet?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him. They begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand. Then he led him outside the village. He spit on the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. “Do you see anything?” Jesus asked.
24 The man looked up. He said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened so that he could see again. He saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home. He told him, “Don’t even go into the village.”
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