Book of Common Prayer
Solomonic
A Prayer for the King
72 God, endow the king with ability to render[a] your justice,
and the king’s son to render your right decisions.
2 May he rule your people with right decisions
and your oppressed ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people
and the hills bring righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted of the people
and deliver the children of the poor,
but crush the oppressor.
5 May they fear you as long as the sun and moon shine[b]—
from generation to generation.
6 May he be like the rain that descends on mown grass,
like showers sprinkling on the ground.
7 The righteous will flourish at the proper time
and peace will prevail until the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River[c] to the ends of the earth.
9 May the nomads bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring gifts,
and may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute.
11 May all kings bow down to him,
and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when they cry out for help,
and the poor when there is no deliverer.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and the needy,
and he will save the lives of the needy.
14 He will redeem them[d] from oppression and violence,
since their lives are[e] precious in his sight.
Prayer for the King
15 May he live long and be given gold from Sheba,
and may prayer be offered for him continuously,
and may he be blessed every day.
16 May grain be abundant in the land
all the way[f] to the mountain tops;
may its fruits flourish
like the forests of Lebanon,
and may the cities sprout
like the grass of the earth.
Praising the God of Israel
17 May his fame[g] be eternal—
as long as the sun—
may his name endure,
and may they be blessed through him,
and may all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does awesome deeds.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
20 This ends the prayers of Jesse’s son David.
Yod
Prayer for God’s Grace
73 Your hands made and formed me;
give me understanding,
that I may learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you see me and be glad,
for I have hoped in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your decrees are just,
and that you have rightfully humbled me.
76 May your gracious love comfort me
in accordance with your promise to your servant.
77 May your mercies come to me that I may live,
for your instruction[a] is my delight.
78 May the arrogant become ashamed,
because they have subverted me with deceit;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
along with those who know your decrees.
80 May my heart be blameless with respect to your statutes
so that I may not become ashamed.
Kaf
On Obeying God’s Word
81 I long for your deliverance;
I have looked to your word,
placing my hope in it.
82 My eyes grow weary
with respect to what you have promised—
I keep asking, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Though I have become like a water skin dried by[b] smoke,
I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 How many days must your servant endure this?[c]
When will you judge those who persecute me?
85 The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me,
disobeying your instruction.[d]
86 All of your commands are reliable.
I am persecuted without cause—help me!
87 Though the arrogant[e] nearly destroyed me on earth,
I did not abandon your precepts.
88 Revive me according to your gracious love;
and I will keep the decrees that you have proclaimed.
Lamed
Pay Attention to God’s Word
89 Your word is forever, Lord;
it is firmly established in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation.
You established the earth, and it stands firm.
91 To this day they stand by means of your rulings,
for all things serve you.
92 Had your instruction[f] not been my pleasure,
I would have died in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for you have revived me with them.
94 I am yours, so save me,
since I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lay in wait to destroy me,
while I ponder your decrees.
96 I have observed that all things have their limit,
but your commandment is very broad.
Ritual Purity
19 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the entire assembly of Israel that they are to be holy, since I, the Lord your God, am holy.
3 “Each of you is to fear his mother and father.
“Observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.
4 “You are not to turn to their idols or cast gods out of melted metal for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
5 “When you offer a peace offering to the Lord, you are to offer it for your acceptance. 6 Your sacrifice is to be eaten on that day and the next day. Anything that remains to the third day is to be incinerated. 7 If it is eaten on the third day, it’s unclean. It won’t be accepted. 8 Anyone who eats it will bear the punishment of his sin, since he will have defiled himself regarding the Lord’s holy things. That person[a] is to be eliminated from contact with his people.”[b]
Harvesting and Gleaning
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to completely finish harvesting the corners of the field—that is, you are not to pick what remains after you have reaped your harvest. 10 You are not to gather your vineyard or pick up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. Leave something for the poor and the resident alien who lives among you. I am the Lord your God.”
Just Dealings
11 “You are not to steal or lie or deal falsely with your neighbor.
12 “You are not to use my name to deceive, thereby defiling the name of your God. I am the Lord.
13 “You are not to oppress your neighbor or rob him.[c]
“The wages of a hired laborer are not to remain in your possession until morning.
14 “You are not to curse a deaf person or put a stumbling block before the blind.
“You are to fear God. I am the Lord.
15 “You are not to be unjust in deciding a case. You are not to show partiality to the poor or honor the great. Instead, decide the case of your neighbor with righteousness.”
Social Responsibility
16 “You are not to go around slandering your people.
“You are not to stand idle[d] when your neighbor’s life is at stake.[e] I am the Lord.
17 “You are not to hate your relative in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor if you must, but you are not to incur guilt on account of him.
18 “You are not to seek vengeance or hold a grudge against the descendants of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Paul Gives Final Instructions to the Church
12 Brothers, we ask you to show your appreciation for those who work among you, set an example for you in the Lord, and instruct[a] you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard, loving them because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 We urge you, brothers, to admonish[b] those who are idle,[c] cheer up those who are discouraged, and help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Instead, always pursue what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Continually be prayerful. 18 In everything be thankful, because this is God’s will for you in the Messiah[d] Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.[e] 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil.
Final Greeting
23 May the God of peace himself make you holy in every way. And may your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—remain blameless when our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] appears. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will continue to be faithful.[g] 25 Brothers, pray[h] for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I order you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[i] be with you! Amen.[j]
Teaching about Treasures(A)
19 “Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal, 21 because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The Lamp of the Body(B)
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light within you has turned into darkness, how great is that darkness!”
God and Riches(C)
24 “No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”[a]
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