Book of Common Prayer
God Wants True Worship
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
50 The God of gods, the Lord, speaks.
He ·calls [proclaims to; summons] the earth from the rising to the setting sun.
2 God shines from ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
·whose beauty is perfect [L the perfection of beauty; 48:2; Lam. 2:15].
3 Our God comes, and he will not be silent.
A fire ·burns [consumes] in front of him [Heb. 12:29],
and a ·powerful storm [whirlwind; tempest] surrounds him [Is. 66:15].
4 He ·calls to [summons] the ·sky [heavens] above and to the earth
that he might judge his people.
5 He says, “Gather around, you ·who worship me [holy ones; saints],
who have made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with me, using a sacrifice [Ex. 24:5–8].”
6 God is the judge,
and even the ·skies say he is right [heavens proclaim his righteousness]. ·
7 God says, “My people, listen to me;
Israel, I will ·testify [witness] against you.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not ·scold [reprimand; rebuke] you for your sacrifices.
You always bring me your burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].
9 But I do not ·need [or accept] bulls from your ·stalls [L house]
or goats from your ·pens [folds],
10 because every animal of the forest is already mine.
The cattle on a thousand hills are mine.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and every living thing in the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
because the earth and ·everything in it [L its fullness] are mine.
13 ·I don’t [L Do I…?] eat the meat of bulls
or drink the blood of goats.
14 Give an ·offering to show thanks [thank offering] to God [Lev. 7:12; 22:29; Heb. 13:15].
Give God Most High what you have ·promised [vowed].
15 Call to me in times of ·trouble [distress].
I will ·save [rescue; T deliver] you, and you will ·honor [glorify] me.”
16 But God says to the wicked,
“Why do you ·talk about [recount] my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements]?
Why do you ·mention [L lift up on your mouth] my ·agreement [covenant; treaty]?
17 You hate my ·teachings [instruction; discipline; Prov. 1:7]
and turn your back on what I say.
18 When you see a thief, you ·join [delight in; or run with] him.
·You take part in adultery [Your lot/portion is with adulterers].
19 You ·don’t stop your mouth from speaking evil [L send your mouth into evil],
and your tongue ·makes up lies [L is yoked to deception].
20 You sit around and speak against your brother
and ·lie [L give a stain/fault] about your mother’s son.
21 I have kept quiet while you did these things,
so you thought I was just like you.
But I will ·scold [reprimand; reprove] you
and ·accuse [indict] you ·to your face [L before your eyes].
22 “·Think about [Understand] this, you who forget God.
Otherwise, I will tear you apart,
and no one will ·save [protect] you.
23 Those people ·honor [glorify] me
who bring me ·offerings to show thanks [thank offerings; v. 14].
And I, God, will save those who ·do that [L go on my way/path].”
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when Saul sent men to ·watch David’s house [L the house] to kill him [1 Sam. 19:11–17].
59 God, ·save [protect] me from my enemies.
·Protect me [Give me refuge] from those who ·come [rise] against me.
2 ·Save [Protect] me from those who do evil
and ·save me from [give me victory over] ·murderers [the bloodthirsty].
3 Look, they are waiting to ambush ·me [my life; Prov. 1:11].
·Cruel [Defiant; Strong] people attack me,
but I have not sinned or ·done wrong [transgressed], Lord.
4 I have done nothing wrong, but they ·are ready to attack me [L run and get ready].
Wake up to ·help [meet] me, and look.
5 You are the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel.
·Arise [L Awake] and ·punish [visit] ·those people [L all the nations].
Do not give those traitors any ·mercy [grace]. ·
6 They come back at ·night [evening].
Like dogs they ·growl [make a commotion] and ·roam around [surround] the city.
7 Notice what ·comes [bubbles up] from their mouths.
·Insults [L Swords] come from their lips,
because they say, “Who’s listening?”
8 But, Lord, you laugh at them [2:4];
you ·make fun of [ridicule] all ·of them [L the nations].
9 God, my strength, I ·am looking to [keep watch for] you,
because God is my ·defender [refuge].
10 My God ·loves [is loyal to] me, and he goes in front of me.
He will help me ·defeat [L look on] my enemies.
11 Lord, our ·protector [L shield], do not kill them, or my people will forget.
With your power ·scatter them [make them wander] and ·defeat them [L bring them down].
12 They sin by what they say;
they sin with their ·words [L lips].
They curse and tell lies,
so let their pride ·trap [capture] them.
13 ·Destroy [Annihilate] them in your anger;
·destroy [annihilate] them ·completely [L so they will be no more]!
Then they will know
that God rules over ·Israel [L Jacob]
and to the ends of the earth. ·
14 They come back at ·night [evening].
Like dogs they ·growl [make a commotion]
and ·roam around [surround] the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
and they ·howl [grumble] if they ·do not find enough [are not satisfied].
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your ·love [loyalty].
You are my ·defender [refuge],
my place of safety in ·times of trouble [L the day of distress].
17 God, my strength, I will sing ·praises [a psalm] to you.
God, my ·defender [refuge], you are the God who ·loves [is loyal to] me.
A Prayer After a Defeat
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lily of the ·Agreement [Testimony].” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of ·northwest Mesopotamia [Naharaim; L the Two Rivers] and Zobah, and when Joab returned and ·defeated [L struck] twelve thousand ·Edomites at the Valley of Salt [2 Sam. 8; 1 Chr. 18].
60 God, you have rejected us and ·scattered us [broken us down; burst forth on us].
You have been angry, but please ·come back to [restore] us.
2 You made the earth shake and ·crack [split open].
Heal its ·breaks [cracks; fractures] because it ·is shaking [totters].
3 You have ·given your people [L made your people see] ·trouble [hardship].
You made us ·unable to walk straight, like people drunk with wine [L drink wine that makes us reel; C the cup of God’s wrath; Jer. 25:15–29; Nah. 3:11; Matt. 26:39].
4 You have raised a banner to gather those who fear you.
Now they can ·stand up against the enemy [L escape/flee from the bow]. ·
5 Answer us and ·save us [give us victory] by your ·power [L hand]
so ·the people you love [your beloved] will be rescued.
6 God has said ·from his Temple [from his Holy Place; or in his holiness],
“·When I win [or With joy], I will ·divide [parcel up] Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth [Gen. 33:17–20].
7 Gilead and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is like my helmet.
Judah holds my royal scepter [Gen. 49:10; C they are agents of God’s power].
8 Moab is like my washbowl.
I throw my sandals at Edom [C showing contempt].
I shout [C in triumph] at Philistia [C enemies of Israel].”
9 Who will bring me to the ·strong, walled [fortified] city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 God, ·surely you have rejected [L have you not rejected…?] us;
you do not go out with our armies.
11 ·Help us fight the enemy [L Give us help against the foe].
Human ·help [deliverance] is useless,
12 but we can ·win [fight bravely] with God’s help.
He will ·defeat [tread on] our ·enemies [foes].
God Brought Israel from Egypt
114 When ·the Israelites [Israel] went out of Egypt,
the ·people [L house] of Jacob left ·that foreign country [L a people of incomprehensible language].
2 Then Judah became God’s holy place [Ex. 19:6];
Israel became ·the land he ruled [his dominion].
3 The Sea [C Red (or Reed) Sea; Ex. 14–15] looked and ·ran away [fled];
the Jordan River turned back [Josh. 3].
4 The mountains ·danced [skipped] like ·sheep [rams]
and the hills like little lambs.
5 Sea, why did you ·run away [flee]?
Jordan, why did you turn back?
6 Mountains, why did you ·dance [skip] like ·sheep [rams]?
Hills, why did you ·dance [skip] like little lambs?
7 Earth, ·shake with fear [writhe; tremble] before the Lord,
before the God of Jacob.
8 He turned a rock into a pool of water,
a hard ·rock [flint] into a spring of water [Ex. 17:1–7; Num. 20:1–13].
The One True God
115 ·It does not belong [L Not to us, not] to us, Lord.
The glory belongs to ·you [L your name]
because of your ·love [loyalty] and ·loyalty [faithfulness].
2 Why do the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven.
He does what he pleases.
4 Their idols are made of silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak.
They have eyes, but they cannot see.
6 They have ears, but they cannot hear.
They have noses, but they cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but they cannot feel.
They have feet, but they cannot walk.
No sounds come from their throats.
8 People who make ·idols [L them] ·will be [or are] like them,
and so will those who ·trust [have confidence in] them [135:15–18; Is. 44:9–20; 46:6–7; Jer. 10:1–9; Hab. 2:18–19].
9 ·Family of [L O] Israel, ·trust [have confidence in] the Lord;
he is your helper and your ·protection [L shield].
10 ·Family [L House] of Aaron [C the priests], ·trust [have confidence in] the Lord;
he is your helper and your ·protection [L shield].
11 You who ·respect [fear] the Lord [Prov. 1:7] should ·trust [have confidence in] him;
he is your helper and your ·protection [L shield].
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the ·family [L house] of Israel;
he will bless the ·family [L house] of Aaron [C the priests].
13 The Lord will bless those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
from the ·smallest [or least] to the greatest.
14 May the Lord ·give you success [make you increase],
and may he give you and your children ·success [increase].
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].
16 Heaven belongs to the Lord,
but he gave the earth to people.
17 Dead people do not praise the Lord;
those ·in the grave are silent [L who go down in silence].
18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forever.
Praise the Lord!
Moses Gets New Stone Tablets
34 The Lord said to Moses, “·Cut [Hew out; Chisel] two more stone tablets like the ·first two [former], and I will write the same words on them that were on the ·first two [former] stones which you broke [32:15–16]. 2 Be ready tomorrow morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Stand before me there on the top of the mountain. 3 No one may come with you or even be seen any place on the mountain. Not even the flocks or herds may ·eat grass [graze] near that mountain.”
4 So Moses ·cut [hewed out] two stone tablets like the ·first ones [former]. Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets with him. 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses, and the Lord called out his name: the Lord [L Yahweh; 3:14].
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “I am the Lord. The Lord is a God who shows ·mercy [compassion], who is ·kind [gracious], ·who doesn’t become angry quickly [patient], who has great ·love [loyalty] and faithfulness 7 and ·is kind [L guards/preserves loyalty] to thousands of people. The Lord forgives people for ·evil [iniquity], for ·sin [transgression], and for ·turning against him [sin], but he does not ·forget to punish guilty people [L clear]. He will punish not only the guilty people, but also their children, their grandchildren, ·their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren [L to the third and fourth generations; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Nah. 1:3].”
8 Then Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped. 9 He said, “Lord, if ·you are pleased with me [L I have found favor in your eyes], please, [L Lord] go with us. I know that these are ·stubborn [L stiff-necked] people, but forgive our ·evil [iniquity] and our sin. Take us as your ·own people [L inheritance; possession].”
10 Then he said, “I am making this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you. I will do ·miracles [wonders] in front of all your people—things that have never before been done for any other nation on earth—and the people with you will see my work. I, the Lord, will do ·wonderful [awesome] things for you. 11 ·Obey [Observe] the things I command you today, and I will ·force [drive] out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites ahead of you. 12 ·Be careful [Watch/Guard yourself] that you don’t ·make an agreement [L cut a covenant/treaty] with the people who live in the land where you are going, because ·it will bring you trouble [L they will be a snare/trap in your midst]. 13 ·Destroy [Tear down] their altars, break their stone pillars, and cut down their Asherah ·idols [poles; C objects sacred to the Canaanite goddess of fertility]. 14 Don’t worship any other god, because I, the Lord, ·the Jealous One [L whose name is Jealous], am a jealous God [20:5].
15 “Be careful that you don’t ·make an agreement [L cut a covenant] with the people who live in that land. When they ·worship [L whore after and sacrifice to] their gods, they will invite you to join them. Then you will eat their sacrifices. 16 If you ·choose [take] some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters ·worship [L whore after other] gods, they will lead your sons to ·do the same thing [L whore after their gods].
17 “Do not make gods of ·melted [cast] metal [20:4–6].
13 ·Also [L For this reason], we always thank God because when you ·heard his message [received the message you heard] from us, you accepted it not as ·merely human words [a human message], but for what it truly is—·the word of [a message from] God, which ·works in [transforms] you who believe. 14 [L For] Brothers and sisters, ·your experiences have been like those [or you became imitators] of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea [C the original church in Jerusalem and others nearby]. You suffered the same things from the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and ·forced us to leave that country [drove us out; or persecuted us]. They do not please God and are ·against [hostile/opposed to] all people. 16 ·They try [or …because they try; or …by trying] to stop us from ·teaching [speaking/preaching to] the Gentiles so they may be saved. By doing this, they are ·increasing [filling/heaping up] their sins to the limit. The ·anger [wrath] of God ·has come to [or has drawn near to; or will overtake] them ·at last [or completely; or until the end (of the age)].
Paul Wants to Visit Them Again
17 Brothers and sisters, though we were ·separated [torn away; orphaned] from you for a short time, ·our thoughts were still with you [physically, not spiritually…; L in face, not in heart…]. We wanted very much to see you and tried hard to do so. 18 We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come ·more than once [again and again; L both once and twice], but Satan ·stopped [hindered; prevented] us. 19 ·You are [L For who is…?] our hope, our joy, and the crown we will ·take pride in [boast about] when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 20 Truly you are our glory and our joy.
Jesus Teaches About Anger(A)
21 “You have heard that it was said to ·our people long ago [our ancestors; the ancients], ‘You ·must [L shall] not murder [Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17]. Anyone who murders another will be ·judged [subject to judgment].’ 22 But I tell you, ·if you are [L everyone who is] angry with a brother or sister,[a] you will be ·judged [subject to judgment]. ·If you say [L Whoever says] ·bad things [“Fool!”; L Raca; C an Aramaic term of derision] to a brother or sister, you will be ·judged [subject/liable to judgment] by the ·council [Sanhedrin]. And if you call someone a ·fool [idiot; moron], you will be in danger of the fire of ·hell [L Gehenna; C a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell].
23 “So when you ·offer your gift to God [present your offering/sacrifice] at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your ·gift [offering; sacrifice] there at the altar. Go and ·make peace [be reconciled] with that person [L first], and then come and ·offer your gift [present your offering/sacrifice].
25 “If your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] is taking you to court, ·become friends [reach agreement; settle matters] quickly, ·before you go [on the way] to court. Otherwise, your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to the ·guard [officer; warden] to ·put [throw] you in ·jail [prison]. 26 I tell you the truth, you will ·not [never; certainly not] leave there until you have paid ·everything you owe [the last penny; C Greek: the last quadrans; a small copper coin of very low value].
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