Book of Common Prayer
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
26 [a](A)Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have (B)walked in my integrity,
And I have (C)trusted in the Lord [b](D)without wavering.
2 (E)Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
(F)Test my [c]mind and my heart.
3 For Your (G)lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have (H)walked in Your [d]truth.
4 I do not (I)sit with [e]deceitful men,
Nor will I go with [f](J)pretenders.
5 I (K)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I shall (L)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about (M)Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of (N)thanksgiving
And declare all Your [g]wonders.
8 O Lord, I (O)love the habitation of Your house
And the place [h]where Your (P)glory dwells.
9 (Q)Do not [i]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with (R)men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a (S)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (T)bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall (U)walk in my integrity;
(V)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 (W)My foot stands on a (X)level place;
In the (Y)congregations I shall bless the Lord.
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, O Lord, I call;
My (A)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (B)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (D)voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I (E)lift up my hands (F)toward [a]Your holy (G)sanctuary.
3 (H)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who (I)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Requite them (J)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their [b]recompense.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (L)has heard the voice of my supplication.
7 The Lord is my (M)strength and my (N)shield;
My heart (O)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (P)my heart exults,
And with (Q)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [c]their (R)strength,
And He is a [d](S)saving defense to His anointed.
9 (T)Save Your people and bless (U)Your inheritance;
Be their (V)shepherd also, and (W)carry them forever.
Wickedness of Men and Lovingkindness of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
36 Transgression speaks to the ungodly within [a]his heart;
There is (A)no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For [b]it (B)flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.
3 The (C)words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has (D)ceased to [c]be wise and to do good.
4 He (E)plans wickedness upon his bed;
He sets himself on a (F)path that is not good;
He (G)does not despise evil.
5 Your (H)lovingkindness, O Lord, [d]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your (I)righteousness is like the [e]mountains of God;
Your (J)judgments are like a great deep.
O Lord, You (K)preserve man and beast.
7 How (L)precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men (M)take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They (N)drink their fill of the [f]abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the (O)river of Your delights.
9 For with You is the (P)fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
The Vanity of Life.
For the choir director, for [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will (A)guard my ways
That I (B)may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard (C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was (D)mute [b]and silent,
I [c]refrained even from good,
And my [d]sorrow grew worse.
3 My (E)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me to know (F)my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (G)transient I am.
5 “Behold, You have made (H)my days as handbreadths,
And my (I)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man [e]at his best is [f]a mere (J)breath. [g]Selah.
6 “Surely every man (K)walks about as [h]a phantom;
Surely they make an (L)uproar for nothing;
He (M)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (N)hope is in You.
8 “(O)Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the (P)reproach of the foolish.
9 “I have become (Q)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (R)You who have done it.
10 “(S)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (T)the opposition of Your hand I am [i]perishing.
11 “With (U)reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You (V)consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely (W)every man is a mere breath. Selah.
Job Chides His Accusers
12 Then Job [a]responded,
3 “But (A)I would speak to [a]the Almighty,
And I desire to (B)argue with God.
4 “But you (C)smear with lies;
You are all (D)worthless physicians.
5 “O that you would (E)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 “Please hear my argument
And listen to the contentions of my lips.
7 “Will you (F)speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 “Will you (G)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 “Will it be well when He examines you?
Or (H)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 “He will surely reprove you
If you secretly (I)show partiality.
11 “Will not (J)His [b]majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated
13 “(K)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And (L)put my life in my [c]hands?
15 “(M)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (N)will argue my ways [d]before Him.
16 “This also will be my (O)salvation,
For (P)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
21 (A)Remove Your [a]hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 “Then call, and (B)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 “(C)How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my [b]rebellion and my sin.
24 “Why do You (D)hide Your face
And consider me (E)Your enemy?
25 “Will You cause a (F)driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry (G)chaff?
26 “For You write (H)bitter things against me
And (I)make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 “You (J)put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You [c]set a limit for the soles of my feet,
Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
12 Now about that time [a]Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he (A)had James the brother of John (B)put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it (C)pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now [b]it was during (D)the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four [c](E)squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after (F)the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
6 On [d]the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, (G)bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, (H)an angel of the Lord suddenly (I)appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And (J)his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and [e]put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he *said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing (K)a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which (L)opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter (M)came [f]to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that (N)the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all [g]that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of (O)John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and (P)were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, (Q)a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, (R)because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is (S)his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But (T)motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to [h](U)James and (V)the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.
33 They answered Him, “(A)We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (B)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (C)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (D)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (E)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (F)Abraham’s descendants; yet (G)you seek to kill Me, because My word [a]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [b]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (H)your father.”
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is (I)our father.” Jesus *said to them, “(J)If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, (K)you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has (L)told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of (M)your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; (N)we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, (O)you would love Me, (P)for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have (Q)not even come on My own initiative, but [c](R)He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand [d](S)what I am saying? It is because you cannot (T)hear My word. 44 (U)You are of (V)your father the devil, and (W)you want to do the desires of your father. (X)He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because (Y)there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [e]a lie, he (Z)speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [f]lies. 45 But because (AA)I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If (AB)I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 (AC)He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.