Book of Common Prayer
ז Zayin
49 Remember Your word to Your servant;
You have given me hope through it.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction:(A)
Your promise has given me life.
51 The arrogant constantly ridicule me,
but I do not turn away from Your instruction.(B)
52 Lord, I remember Your judgments from long ago
and find comfort.
53 Rage seizes me(C) because of the wicked
who reject Your instruction.(D)
54 Your statutes are the theme of my song
during my earthly life.[a]
55 Yahweh, I remember Your name(E) in the night,(F)
and I obey Your instruction.
56 This is my practice:
I obey Your precepts.(G)
ח Khet
57 The Lord is my portion;[b](H)
I have promised to keep Your words.
58 I have sought Your favor(I) with all my heart;
be gracious to me(J) according to Your promise.
59 I thought about my ways(K)
and turned my steps back to Your decrees.
60 I hurried, not hesitating
to keep Your commands.
61 Though the ropes of the wicked(L)
were wrapped around me,
I did not forget Your instruction.(M)
62 I rise at midnight to thank You(N)
for Your righteous judgments.(O)
63 I am a friend to all who fear You,(P)
to those who keep Your precepts.
64 Lord, the earth is filled with Your faithful love;(Q)
teach me Your statutes.(R)
ט Tet
65 Lord, You have treated Your servant well,
just as You promised.
66 Teach me good judgment and discernment,(S)
for I rely on Your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,(T)
but now I keep Your word.
68 You are good,(U) and You do what is good;(V)
teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant have smeared me with lies,(W)
but I obey Your precepts with all my heart.(X)
70 Their hearts are hard and insensitive,(Y)
but I delight in Your instruction.(Z)
71 It was good for me to be afflicted(AA)
so that I could learn Your statutes.
72 Instruction from Your lips(AB) is better for me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Psalm 49
Misplaced Trust in Wealth
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,(A)
2 both low and high,[a]
rich and poor together.(B)
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.(C)
4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.(D)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.(E)
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.(F)
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person[b]
or pay his ransom to God(G)—
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying[c](H)—
9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.(I)
10 For one can see that wise men die;
foolish and stupid men also pass away.(J)
Then they leave their wealth to others.(K)
11 Their graves are their eternal homes,[d]
their homes from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.(L)
12 But despite his assets,[e] man will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.(M)
13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.[f](N)
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,(O)
and their form will waste away in Sheol,[g]
far from their lofty abode.(P)
15 But God will redeem my life
from the power of Sheol,
for He will take me.(Q)
16 Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,
when the wealth[h] of his house increases.(R)
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth[i] will not follow him down.(S)
18 Though he praises himself during his lifetime—
and people praise you when you do well for yourself(T)—
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers;
they will never see the light.(U)
20 A man with valuable possessions[j]
but without understanding
is like the animals that perish.(V)
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.[a](A) A Davidic Maskil.
1 The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(B)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(C)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(D)
Renewed Commitment to the Law
30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal(A) to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.(B) Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it. 32 There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.(C) 33 All Israel, foreigner and citizen alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the Lord’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. As Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded earlier, half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal,(D) to bless the people of Israel.(E) 34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the little children, and the foreigners who were with them.(F)
The Law of Love
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another.(A) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.(B) 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.(C) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.(D)) 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.(E) Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.(F) 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,(G) 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,(H) but righteousness, peace, and joy(I) in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ(J) in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.(K)
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace(L) and what builds up one another.(M) 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.(N) 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.[a] 22 Do you have a conviction?[b] Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.(O) 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,(P) because his eating is not from a conviction,[c] and everything that is not from a conviction[d] is sin.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57 Those(A) who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas(B) the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. 58 Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard.[a] He went in and was sitting with the temple police[b] to see the outcome.[c](C)
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.(D) 60 But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses(E) came forward.[d] Finally, two[e] who came forward 61 stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary(F) and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” 63 But(G) Jesus kept silent.(H) Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath:(I) tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God!”(J)
64 “You have said it,”[f] Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future[g] you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”(K)[h]
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!(L) Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy!(M) 66 What is your decision?”[i]
They answered, “He deserves death!”(N) 67 Then they spit in His face(O) and beat Him; others slapped Him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”(P)
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