Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38[a]
Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner
1 A psalm of David. For remembrance.
I
2 Lord, do not punish me in your anger;
in your wrath do not chastise me!(A)
3 Your arrows have sunk deep in me;(B)
your hand has come down upon me.
4 There is no wholesomeness in my flesh because of your anger;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.(C)
5 My iniquities overwhelm me,
a burden too heavy for me.(D)
II
6 Foul and festering are my sores
because of my folly.
7 I am stooped and deeply bowed;(E)
every day I go about mourning.
8 My loins burn with fever;
there is no wholesomeness in my flesh.
9 I am numb and utterly crushed;
I wail with anguish of heart.(F)
10 My Lord, my deepest yearning is before you;
my groaning is not hidden from you.
11 My heart shudders, my strength forsakes me;
the very light of my eyes has failed.(G)
12 Friends and companions shun my disease;
my neighbors stand far off.
13 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
they seek my misfortune, they speak of ruin;
they plot treachery every day.
III
14 But I am like the deaf, hearing nothing,
like the mute, I do not open my mouth,
15 I am even like someone who does not hear,
who has no answer ready.
16 Lord, it is for you that I wait;
O Lord, my God, you respond.(H)
17 For I have said that they would gloat over me,
exult over me if I stumble.
IV
18 I am very near to falling;
my wounds are with me always.
19 I acknowledge my guilt
and grieve over my sin.(I)
20 My enemies live and grow strong,
those who hate me grow numerous fraudulently,
21 Repaying me evil for good,
accusing me for pursuing good.(J)
22 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
my God, be not far from me!(K)
23 Come quickly to help me,(L)
my Lord and my salvation!
Daleth
25 My soul clings to the dust;(A)
give me life in accord with your word.
26 I disclosed my ways and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts;
I will ponder your wondrous deeds.
28 My soul is depressed;
lift me up acccording to your word.
29 Lead me from the way of deceit;
favor me with your law.
30 The way of loyalty I have chosen;
I have kept your judgments.
31 I cling to your testimonies, Lord;
do not let me come to shame.
32 I will run the way of your commandments,
for you will broaden my heart.
He
33 Lord, teach me the way of your statutes;
I shall keep them with care.(B)
34 Give me understanding to keep your law,
to observe it with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,(C)
for that is my delight.
36 Direct my heart toward your testimonies
and away from gain.
37 Avert my eyes from what is worthless;
by your way give me life.
38 For your servant, fulfill your promise
made to those who fear you.
39 Turn away from me the taunts I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40 See how I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life.
Waw
41 Let your mercy come to me, Lord,
salvation in accord with your promise.
42 Let me answer my taunters with a word,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not take the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your judgments is my hope.
44 I will keep your law always,
for all time and forever.
45 I will walk freely in an open space
because I cherish your precepts.
46 I will speak openly of your testimonies
without fear even before kings.
47 I delight in your commandments,
which I dearly love.
48 [a]I lift up my hands to your commandments;
I study your statutes, which I love.
Chapter 12
Job’s Third Reply. 1 [a]Then Job answered and said:
Chapter 14
1 Man born of woman
is short-lived and full of trouble,[a](A)
2 Like a flower that springs up and fades,(B)
swift as a shadow that does not abide.
3 Upon such a one will you set your eyes,
bringing me into judgment before you?
4 Can anyone make the unclean clean?(C)
No one can.
5 Since his days are determined—
you know the number of his months;
you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass—
6 Look away from him and let him be,
while, like a hireling, he completes his day.
7 For a tree there is hope;
if it is cut down, it will sprout again,
its tender shoots will not cease.
8 Even though its root grow old in the earth
and its stump die in the dust,
9 Yet at the first whiff of water it sprouts
and puts forth branches like a young plant.
10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him;(D)
when a mortal expires, where then is he?
11 As when the waters of a lake fail,
or a stream shrivels and dries up,
12 So mortals lie down, never to rise.
Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake,
nor be roused out of their sleep.(E)
13 Oh, that you would hide me in Sheol,
shelter me till your wrath is past,
fix a time to remember me!
14 If a man were to die, and live again,
all the days of my drudgery I would wait(F)
for my relief to come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hands.
16 Surely then you would count my steps,(G)
and not keep watch for sin in me.
17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch,[b]
and you would cover over my guilt.
18 Mountains fall and crumble,
rocks move from their place,
19 And water wears away stone,
and floods wash away the soil of the land—
so you destroy the hope of mortals!
20 You prevail once for all against them and they pass on;
you dismiss them with changed appearance.
21 If their children are honored, they are not aware of it;
or if disgraced, they do not know about them.
22 Only for themselves, their pain;
only for themselves, their mourning.
18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.(A) 19 Herod, after instituting a search but not finding him, ordered the guards tried and executed. Then he left Judea to spend some time in Caesarea.
Herod’s Death. 20 [a]He had long been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, who now came to him in a body. After winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they sued for peace because their country was supplied with food from the king’s territory. 21 On an appointed day, Herod, attired in royal robes, [and] seated on the rostrum, addressed them publicly. 22 The assembled crowd cried out, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 At once the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not ascribe the honor to God, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. 24 But the word of God continued to spread and grow.(B)
Mission of Barnabas and Saul. 25 After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem,[b] taking with them John, who is called Mark.(C)
47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.”(A)
48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan[a] and are possessed?” 49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed; I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the one who judges.(B) 51 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”(C) 52 [So] the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham,[b] who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?”(D) 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.(E) 56 Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it[c] and was glad.(F) 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”[d] 58 [e]Jesus said to them,(G) “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.(H)
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