Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 70[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David. A petition.
1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.(B)
2 May those who want to take my life(C)
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.(D)
3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(E)
turn back because of their shame.
4 But may all who seek you(F)
rejoice and be glad(G) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”(H)
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(I)
come quickly to me,(J) O God.
You are my help(K) and my deliverer;(L)
Lord, do not delay.(M)
Psalm 71(N)
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(O)
let me never be put to shame.(P)
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear(Q) to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.(R)
4 Deliver(S) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,(T)
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.(U)
5 For you have been my hope,(V) Sovereign Lord,
my confidence(W) since my youth.
6 From birth(X) I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.(Y)
I will ever praise(Z) you.
7 I have become a sign(AA) to many;
you are my strong refuge.(AB)
8 My mouth(AC) is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor(AD) all day long.
9 Do not cast(AE) me away when I am old;(AF)
do not forsake(AG) me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies(AH) speak against me;
those who wait to kill(AI) me conspire(AJ) together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken(AK) him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue(AL) him.”
12 Do not be far(AM) from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help(AN) me.
13 May my accusers(AO) perish in shame;(AP)
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.(AQ)
14 As for me, I will always have hope;(AR)
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell(AS) of your righteous deeds,(AT)
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts,(AU) Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught(AV) me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.(AW)
18 Even when I am old and gray,(AX)
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power(AY) to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.(AZ)
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,(BA)
you who have done great things.(BB)
Who is like you, God?(BC)
20 Though you have made me see troubles,(BD)
many and bitter,
you will restore(BE) my life again;
from the depths of the earth(BF)
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor(BG)
and comfort(BH) me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp(BI)
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,(BJ)
Holy One of Israel.(BK)
23 My lips will shout for joy(BL)
when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.(BM)
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,(BN)
for those who wanted to harm me(BO)
have been put to shame and confusion.(BP)
Psalm 74
A maskil[a] of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected(A) us forever?(B)
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(C)
2 Remember the nation you purchased(D) long ago,(E)
the people of your inheritance,(F) whom you redeemed(G)—
Mount Zion,(H) where you dwelt.(I)
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(J)
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared(K) in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards(L) as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.(M)
6 They smashed all the carved(N) paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled(O) the dwelling place(P) of your Name.(Q)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush(R) them completely!”
They burned(S) every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;(T)
no prophets(U) are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(V) will the enemy mock(W) you, God?
Will the foe revile(X) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(Y)
Take it from the folds of your garment(Z) and destroy them!
13 It was you who split open the sea(AC) by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster(AD) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(AE)
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(AF)
15 It was you who opened up springs(AG) and streams;
you dried up(AH) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.(AI)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(AJ) of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.(AK)
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people(AL) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(AM) to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted(AN) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(AO)
because haunts of violence fill the dark places(AP) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(AQ) retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy(AR) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(AS) O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools(AT) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(AU) of your adversaries,(AV)
the uproar(AW) of your enemies,(AX) which rises continually.
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(A)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(B)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(C)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(D)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(E)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(F)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(G) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(H)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.(I)
8 Proud beasts(J) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(K)
9 People assault the flinty rock(L) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(M)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(N)
their eyes see all its treasures.(O)
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers(P)
and bring hidden things(Q) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(R)
Where does understanding dwell?(S)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(T)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(U)
14 The deep(V) says, “It is not in me”;
the sea(W) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(X)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(Y)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(Z)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(AA)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(AB)
18 Coral(AC) and jasper(AD) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(AE)
19 The topaz(AF) of Cush(AG) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(AH)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(AI)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(AJ)
22 Destruction[b](AK) and Death(AL) say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(AM) knows where it dwells,(AN)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(AO)
and sees everything under the heavens.(AP)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(AQ)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(AR)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(AS)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(AT)
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(AU) is understanding.”(AV)
25 About midnight(A) Paul and Silas(B) were praying and singing hymns(C) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.(D) At once all the prison doors flew open,(E) and everyone’s chains came loose.(F) 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.(G) 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.(H) 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”(I)
31 They replied, “Believe(J) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved(K)—you and your household.”(L) 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night(M) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.(N) 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he(O) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer(P) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”(Q)
37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,(R) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.(S) 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.(T) 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,(U) where they met with the brothers and sisters(V) and encouraged them. Then they left.
27 “Now my soul is troubled,(A) and what shall I say? ‘Father,(B) save me from this hour’?(C) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven,(D) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,(E) not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world;(F) now the prince of this world(G) will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth,(H) will draw all people to myself.”(I) 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.(J)
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law(K) that the Messiah will remain forever,(L) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man(M) must be lifted up’?(N) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light(O) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,(P) before darkness overtakes you.(Q) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”(R) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.(S)
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