Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 87

A psalm of the Korahites. A song.

BOOK IV

(Psalms 90–106)

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

Psalm 136

Abimelech’s monarchy fails

²² Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. ²³ Then God stirred up ill will between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and they acted like traitors toward Abimelech. ²⁴ This occurred because of the violence done to Jerubbaal’s seventy sons. Their blood came back on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who supported him when he killed his brothers. ²⁵ As an act against him, the leaders of Shechem set ambushes on the hilltops that robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.

⁵⁰ Then Abimelech moved on to Thebez, set up camp against it, and captured it. ⁵¹ But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and all the city’s leaders had fled there, shut themselves inside, and climbed to the tower’s roof. ⁵² Abimelech came to the tower to storm it. But when he approached the tower’s entrance to set it on fire, ⁵³ a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked his skull. ⁵⁴ He quickly cried out to the servant who carried his armor, “Draw your sword and kill me. Don’t let it be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant stabbed him, and he died. ⁵⁵ When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

⁵⁶ Thus God paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. ⁵⁷ God also paid back the people of Shechem for their evil. The curse of Jotham, Jerubbaal’s son, had come upon them.

Sharing among the believers

³² The community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them would say, “This is mine!” about any of their possessions, but held everything in common. ³³ The apostles continued to bear powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and an abundance of grace was at work among them all. ³⁴ There were no needy persons among them. Those who owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, ³⁵ and place them in the care and under the authority of the apostles. Then it was distributed to anyone who was in need.

³⁶ Joseph, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (that is, “one who encourages”), was a Levite from Cyprus. ³⁷ He owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles.

Pretenders of sharing

5 However, a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s knowledge, he withheld some of the proceeds from the sale. He brought the rest and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles. ³ Peter asked, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has influenced you to lie to the Holy Spirit by withholding some of the proceeds from the sale of your land? ⁴ Wasn’t that property yours to keep? After you sold it, wasn’t the money yours to do with whatever you wanted? What made you think of such a thing? You haven’t lied to other people but to God!” ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard this conversation was terrified. ⁶ Some young men stood up, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later, his wife entered, but she didn’t know what had happened to her husband. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you and your husband receive this price for the field?”

She responded, “Yes, that’s the amount.”

⁹ He replied, “How could you scheme with each other to challenge the Lord’s Spirit? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out too.” ¹⁰ At that very moment, she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men entered and found her dead, they carried her out and buried her with her husband. ¹¹ Trepidation and dread seized the whole church and all who heard what had happened.

Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover

¹³ It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging currency sitting there. ¹⁵ He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, including the cattle and the sheep. He scattered the coins and overturned the tables of those who exchanged currency. ¹⁶ He said to the dove sellers, “Get these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written, Passion for your house consumes me.^[a]

¹⁸ Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? What miraculous sign will you show us?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.”

²⁰ The Jewish leaders replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But the temple Jesus was talking about was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

²³ While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, many believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs that he did. ²⁴ But Jesus didn’t trust himself to them because he knew all people. ²⁵ He didn’t need anyone to tell him about human nature, for he knew what human nature was.