Book of Common Prayer
A psalm by the descendants of Korah. A song.
The Holy City for All People
87 God’s[a] foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken about you,
city of God.
4 I will mention Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
including Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia[b]—
“This one was born there,” they say.[c]
5 Indeed, about Zion it will be said:
“More than one person[d] was born in it,” and
“The Most High himself did[e] it.”
6 The Lord will record,
as he registers the peoples,[f]
“This one was born there.”
BOOK IV (Psalms 90-106)
A prayer by Moses, the godly man
Life is Short
90 Lord, you’ve been our refuge[a]
from generation to generation.
2 Before the mountains were formed
or the earth and the world were brought forth,
you are God from eternity to eternity.
3 You return people to dust
merely by[b] saying, “Return, you mortals!”
4 One thousand years in your sight are but a single day
that passes by, just like a night watch.
5 You will sweep them away while they are asleep—
by morning they are like growing grass.
6 In the morning it blossoms and is renewed,
but toward evening, it fades and withers.
7 Indeed, we are consumed[c] by your anger
and terrified by your wrath.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
what we have concealed in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass[d] away in your wrath;
our years fade away[e] and end like a sigh.
10 We live for 70 years,
or 80 years if we’re healthy,[f]
yet even in the prime years[g] there are troubles and sorrow.
They pass by quickly and we fly away.
11 Who can know the intensity of your anger?
Because our fear of you matches your wrath,
12 teach us to keep account of our days
so we may develop inner wisdom.
13 Please return, Lord! When will it be?
Comfort your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your gracious love
so we may sing for joy
and rejoice every day.
15 Cause us to rejoice throughout the time when you have afflicted us,
the years when we have known[h] trouble.
16 May your awesome deeds be revealed to your servants,
as well as your splendor to their children.
17 May your favor be on us, Lord our God;
make our endeavors successful;
yes, make our endeavors secure!
God’s Gracious Love
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
4 To the one who alone does great and wondrous things,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
5 to the one who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
6 to the one who spread out the earth over the waters,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
8 the sun to illumine[a] the day,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
9 and the moon and stars to illumine[b] the night,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
10 to the one who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
12 with a strong hand and an active[c] arm,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
13 To the one who split the Reed[d] Sea in two
for his gracious love is everlasting—
14 and made Israel pass through the middle of it,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
15 and cast Pharaoh and his armies into the Reed[e] Sea,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
16 To the one who led his people into the wilderness,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
18 and killed famous kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
19 including Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
22 to Israel his servant as a possession,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
23 He it is who remembered us in our lowly circumstances,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
24 and rescued us from our enemies,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
25 He gives food to all creatures,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of Heaven,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
The Destruction of Shechem
22 Abimelech dominated Israel for three years. 23 Then God sent an evil spirit to divide Abimelech and the “lords” of Shechem 24 so that the violence committed against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come back on their brother Abimelech, who murdered them, and so it might come back on the “lords” of Shechem, who provoked him to murder his brothers. 25 The “lords” of Shechem sent out men to ambush him on the mountain tops, and they robbed everyone who came by them along the roads, and this was reported to Abimelech.
The Death of Abimelech
50 Later on, Abimelech went to Thebez, set up a siege encampment there, and captured it. 51 But there was a fortified tower in the center of the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city escaped to it, shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower. 52 So Abimelech approached the tower, attacked it, and approached the tower’s gate, intending[a] to burn it down. 53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone down on Abimelech’s head, fracturing his skull.
54 So he cried out to his young armor bearer and ordered him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so no one will say about me that ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel noticed that Abimelech was dead, they each left for home.[b] 56 That’s how God repaid Abimelech for the evil thing he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers. 57 God also repaid[c] the men of Shechem for their wickedness, and the curse of Jerubbaal’s son Jotham came true for them.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32 Now all the believers were one in heart and soul, and nobody called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything they owned. 33 With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all, 34 since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold 35 and lay it at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it. 36 One man,[a] Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name[b] means “a son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field that belonged to him, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Ananias and Sapphira are Punished
5 But then a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold some property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the money for himself and brought the remainder and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Peter asked, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land? 4 As long as it remained unsold, wasn’t it your own? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? So how could you have thought of doing what you did? You didn’t lie only[c] to men, but also[d] to God!”
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it. 6 The young men got up, wrapped him up, carried him outside, and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours, Ananias’[e] wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?”
She answered, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 “How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter asked her. “Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and these men[f] will carry you outside as well.” 10 She instantly fell down at Peter’s[g] feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. 11 And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who heard about this.
Confrontation in the Temple over Money(A)
13 The Jewish Passover was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as moneychangers sitting at their tables. 15 After making a whip out of cords, he drove all of them out of the Temple, including the sheep and the cattle. He scattered the coins of the moneychangers and knocked over their tables.
16 Then he told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a]
18 Then the Jewish leaders[b] asked him, “What sign can you show us as authority for doing these things?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will rebuild it.”
20 The Jewish leaders[c] said, “This sanctuary has been under construction for 46 years, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” 21 But the sanctuary he was speaking about was his own body. 22 After he had been raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scripture and the statement that Jesus had made.[d]
Jesus Knows All People
23 While Jesus[e] was in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, many people believed in him[f] because they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 Jesus, however, did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and didn’t need anyone to tell him what people were like, because he himself knew what was in every person.[g]
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