Book of Common Prayer
BOOK I
Psalms 1–41
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one(A)
who does not walk(B) in step with the wicked(C)
or stand in the way(D) that sinners take(E)
or sit(F) in the company of mockers,(G)
2 but whose delight(H) is in the law of the Lord,(I)
and who meditates(J) on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree(K) planted by streams(L) of water,(M)
which yields its fruit(N) in season
and whose leaf(O) does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.(P)
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff(Q)
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand(R) in the judgment,(S)
nor sinners in the assembly(T) of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over(U) the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.(V)
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire[a]
and the peoples plot(W) in vain?
2 The kings(X) of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed,(Y) saying,
3 “Let us break their chains(Z)
and throw off their shackles.”(AA)
4 The One enthroned(AB) in heaven laughs;(AC)
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger(AD)
and terrifies them in his wrath,(AE) saying,
6 “I have installed my king(AF)
on Zion,(AG) my holy mountain.(AH)”
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;(AI)
today I have become your father.(AJ)
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations(AK) your inheritance,(AL)
the ends of the earth(AM) your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b];(AN)
you will dash them to pieces(AO) like pottery.(AP)”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;(AQ)
be warned, you rulers(AR) of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear(AS)
and celebrate his rule(AT) with trembling.(AU)
12 Kiss his son,(AV) or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath(AW) can flare up in a moment.
Blessed(AX) are all who take refuge(AY) in him.
Psalm 3[c]
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.(AZ)
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.(BA)”[d]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield(BB) around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.(BC)
4 I call out to the Lord,(BD)
and he answers me from his holy mountain.(BE)
5 I lie down and sleep;(BF)
I wake again,(BG) because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear(BH) though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.(BI)
7 Arise,(BJ) Lord!
Deliver me,(BK) my God!
Strike(BL) all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth(BM) of the wicked.
Psalm 4[e]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1 Answer me(BP) when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(BQ)
have mercy(BR) on me and hear my prayer.(BS)
2 How long will you people turn my glory(BT) into shame?(BU)
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[f]?[g](BV)
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant(BW) for himself;
the Lord hears(BX) when I call to him.
4 Tremble and[h] do not sin;(BY)
when you are on your beds,(BZ)
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.(CA)
Psalm 7[a]
A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands(G)—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
let him trample my life to the ground(J)
and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)
6 Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
8 Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
who probes minds and hearts.(V)
10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
2 Resentment(C) kills a fool,
and envy slays the simple.(D)
3 I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
4 His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
5 The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
taking it even from among thorns,
and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
7 Yet man is born to trouble(O)
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.(P)
9 He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(A)
so do not despise the discipline(B) of the Almighty.[a](C)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(D)
he injures, but his hands also heal.(E)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(F) you;
in seven no harm will touch you.(G)
20 In famine(H) he will deliver you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(I)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(J)
and need not fear(K) when destruction comes.(L)
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples(A) in Damascus.(B) 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues(C) that Jesus is the Son of God.(D) 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?(E) And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”(F) 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.(G)
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,(H) 24 but Saul learned of their plan.(I) Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.(J)
26 When he came to Jerusalem,(K) he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas(L) took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him,(M) and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.(N) 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,[a](O) but they tried to kill him.(P) 30 When the believers(Q) learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea(R) and sent him off to Tarsus.(S)
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria(T) enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.(U)
52 Then the Jews(A) began to argue sharply among themselves,(B) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh(C) of the Son of Man(D) and drink his blood,(E) you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.(F) 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.(G) 57 Just as the living Father sent me(H) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”(I) 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
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