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.
36 The Lord said to Moses, 37 “Speak to Eleazar the priest. He is the son of Aaron. Remind him that the shallow cups are holy. He must take them out of the ashes. He must scatter the burning coals away from there. 38 The men who sinned used those cups. And it cost them their lives. Hammer the cups into bronze sheets that will cover the altar. The cups were offered to the Lord. They have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the Israelites.”
39 So the priest Eleazar collected the bronze incense cups. They had been brought by the men who had been burned to death. He had them hammered out to cover the altar. 40 He did just as the Lord had directed Moses to tell him to do. The covering would be a reminder to the Israelites. It would remind them that no one except a son of Aaron should come and burn incense to the Lord. If people other than priests did that, they would become like Korah and his followers.
41 The next day the whole community of Israel told Moses and Aaron they weren’t happy with them. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.
42 The community gathered together to oppose Moses and Aaron. The people walked toward the tent of meeting. Suddenly the cloud covered it. The glory of the Lord appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting. 44 The Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from these people. Then I can put an end to all of them at once.” And Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground.
46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your incense cup. Put incense in it. And put burning coals from the altar in it. Then hurry to the people and pay for their sin. The Lord has begun to show his anger. The plague has started.” 47 So Aaron did as Moses said. He ran in among the people. The plague had already started among them. But Aaron offered the incense and paid for their sin. 48 He stood between those alive and those dead. And the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague. That doesn’t include those who had died because of what Korah did. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The plague had stopped.
13 Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God. 14 Do those who depend on the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would mean nothing. God’s promise would be worthless. 15 The law brings God’s anger. Where there is no law, the law can’t be broken.
16 The promise is based on God’s grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham’s children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all. 17 It is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham’s God also creates things that did not exist before.
18 When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, “That is how many children you will have.” (Genesis 15:5) 19 Abraham did not become weak in his faith. He accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time Abraham was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children. 20 But Abraham kept believing in God’s promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God. 21 He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised. 22 That’s why “God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6) 23 The words “God accepted Abraham’s faith” were written not only for Abraham. 24 They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself. 25 Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God.
The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6 About five o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. 10 So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. 11 When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. 12 ‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’
13 “The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14 Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’
16 “So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
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