Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 72
A Psalm of Solomon.
1 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
and Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 May he judge Your people with righteousness,
and Your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains bring well-being to the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he judge the poor of the people,
may he save the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May they fear You as long as the sun endures,
and the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he descend like rain on the mown grass,
as showers dripping on the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and abundance of peace until the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May those who dwell in the wilderness bow before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
bring presents;
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer a gift.
11 May all kings bow down before him;
may all nations serve him.
12 Indeed, may he deliver the needy when he cries;
the poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 May he have compassion on the poor and needy,
and save the lives of the needy.
14 May he redeem their life from deceit and violence;
and may their blood be precious in his sight.
15 May he live long,
and may one give him the gold of Sheba;
and pray for him continually;
and all day long may he be blessed.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth
on the top of the mountains;
may its fruit shake like Lebanon;
and may those from the city flourish like grass of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever;
may his name increase as long as the sun.
May men be blessed in him;
may all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
19 Blessed be His glorious name forever;
and may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
י Yodh
73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
and that You in faithfulness have afflicted me.
76 Let Your merciful kindness comfort me,
according to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your compassion come to me, that I may live,
for Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed, for they have been wicked to me in falsehood,
but I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
that they might know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
that I may not be ashamed.
כ Kaph
81 My soul longs for Your deliverance,
but I hope in Your word.
82 My eyes are weary for Your word,
saying, “When will You comfort me?”
83 For I have become like a wineskin dried in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten Your statutes.
84 How many days are given to Your servant?
When will You provide judgment on those who persecute me?
85 The proud have dug pits for me,
and they do not live in accordance to Your law.
86 All Your commandments are faithful;
I am persecuted without cause; help me!
87 They have almost consumed me on the earth,
but I have not abandoned Your precepts.
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
that I may keep the testimony from Your mouth.
ל Lamedh
89 Forever, O Lord, Your word
is established in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness is for all generations;
You have established the earth, and it is firm.
91 They continue this day according to Your ordinance,
for all are Your servants.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
for with them You have revived me.
94 I am Yours; deliver me,
for I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked have waited to destroy me,
but I will consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen that all perfection has an end,
but Your commandment is quite broad.
Job’s Repentance
42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
and that no thought can be withheld from You.
3 ‘Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me which I did not know.
4 “ ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you declare to Me.’
5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Epilogue
7 And so it was, that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. 8 And now, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job will pray for you. For him I will accept, lest I deal with you according to your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing which is right like My servant Job.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord had commanded them; the Lord also accepted Job.
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all of his brothers, and all his sisters, and all of those who had been of acquaintance before came to Job, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money and an earring of gold.
12 So the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the name of the first Jemimah; and the name of the second Keziah; and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land, there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and their sons to the fourth generation. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
The Imprisonment in Philippi
16 On one occasion, as we went to the place of prayer, a servant girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 She did this for many days. But becoming greatly troubled, Paul turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that moment.
19 When her masters saw that the hope of their profits was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. 20 And they brought them to the magistrates, saying, “These men, being Jews, greatly trouble our city 21 and teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
22 The crowd rose up together against them. And the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them. 23 After they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. And he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.