Book of Common Prayer
The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
16 ·Protect [Guard] me, God,
because I ·trust [take refuge] in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
·Every good thing I have comes from you [I have no good apart from you].”
3 As for the ·godly people [holy ones; saints] in the ·world [or land],
they are the ·wonderful [noble] ones I ·enjoy [take pleasure in].
4 But those who ·turn to [run/hurry after] ·idols [other gods]
·will have much [multiply] pain.
I will not ·offer [pour out offerings of] blood to those idols
or even ·speak [L take on my lips] their names.
5 No, the Lord is ·all I need [L my portion and my cup].
·He takes care of me [L You hold my lot; C a device like the Urim and Thummim whereby God reveals one’s future; Ex. 28:30].
6 ·My share in life has been pleasant [L The boundary lines fall for me in pleasant places];
my ·part [inheritance] has been beautiful.
7 I ·praise [bless] the Lord because he advises me.
Even at night, ·I feel his leading [L my innards instruct me].
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
Because he is ·close by my side [L at my right hand],
I will not be ·hurt [L moved; Acts 2:25].
9 So ·I rejoice and am glad [L my heart exults and my glory/soul/or innards is glad].
Even my body ·has hope [dwells securely; Acts 2:26],
10 because you will not ·leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
You will not let your ·holy one [saint; loyal one] ·rot [L see the Pit; C the grave; Acts 2:27; 13:35].
11 You will teach me ·how to live a holy [L the path of] life.
·Being with you will fill me with joy [L In your face/presence is the fullness of joy; Acts 2:28];
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.
A Prayer for Protection
A prayer of David.
17 Lord, hear ·me begging for fairness [a just cause];
·listen [pay attention] to my cry for help.
·Pay attention [Bend your ear] to my prayer,
because ·I speak the truth [L my lips are not deceitful].
2 ·You will judge that I am right [L My judgment/vindication will come from before you];
your eyes can see what is ·true [virtuous].
3 You have examined my heart;
you have ·tested me all [or visited me at] night.
You ·questioned [tested] me without finding anything wrong;
·I have not sinned with my mouth [L my mouth has not transgressed].
4 ·I have obeyed your commands [L As for the deeds of people, by the word of your lips],
·so I have not done what evil people do [I have kept away from the ways of the violent].
5 ·I have done what you told me [L My steps have held fast to your paths];
·I have not failed [L My feet have not slipped].
6 I call to you,
·and [L for] you answer me, O God.
·Listen [L Extend your ear] to me now,
and hear what I say.
7 Your ·love [loyalty; covenant love] is wonderful.
·By your power [L At your right hand] you save those who ·trust [find their refuge in] you
from ·their enemies [those who rise up against them].
8 Protect me as ·you would protect your own [or the apple/L pupil of your] eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings.
9 Keep me from the wicked who ·attack [mistreat] me,
from my enemies who surround me.
10 They ·are selfish [close their callous hearts]
and ·brag about themselves [L their mouths speak proudly].
11 They have ·chased [tracked] me until they have surrounded me.
They ·plan [L set their eyes] to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like lions ready to ·kill [tear up prey];
like lions, they sit in ·hiding [ambush; cover].
13 Lord, rise up, ·face [confront] the enemy, and ·throw them down [subdue them].
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from the wicked with your sword.
14 Lord, save me by your ·power [L hand] from mortals,
from mortals whose ·reward [portion] in the world is in this life.
·They have plenty of food [L Your stores have filled their bellies].
·They have many sons [or Their sons have plenty]
and leave ·much money [L their surplus] to their children.
15 ·Because I have lived right [In righteousness], I will see your face.
When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied.
The Prayer of a Suffering Man
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of Dawn.” A psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why have you ·abandoned [forsaken] me [Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34]?
You seem far from ·saving [helping] me,
far away from my groans.
2 My God, I call to you during the day,
but you do not answer.
I call at night;
I ·am not silent [or get no rest].
3 You ·sit as the Holy One [L are holy].
·The praises of Israel are your throne [L You are enthroned on the praises of Israel].
4 Our ·ancestors [fathers] ·trusted [had confidence in] you;
they ·trusted [had confidence], and you ·saved [rescued; T delivered] them.
5 They ·called [cried out] to you for help
and were rescued.
They ·trusted [had confidence in] you
and were not ·disappointed [shamed; humiliated].
6 But I am like a worm instead of ·a man [human].
People ·make fun of [scorn; reproach] me and ·hate [despise] me.
7 Those who look at me ·laugh [ridicule/mock me].
They ·stick out their tongues [throw insults; L open lips] and shake their heads.
8 They say, “·Turn to the Lord for help [L Trust the Lord].
Maybe he will ·save [rescue; T deliver] you.
If he ·likes [delights/takes pleasure in] you,
maybe he will ·rescue [save; T deliver] you.”
9 You ·had my mother give birth to me [L brought me out of the womb].
You made me ·trust [have confidence in] you
while I was ·just a baby [L at the breasts of my mother].
10 ·I have leaned on you since the day I was born [L On you I was cast from the womb];
you have been ·my God [L mine] ·since my mother gave me birth [L from the womb of my mother].
11 So don’t be far away from me.
Now ·trouble [distress] is near,
and there is no one to help.
12 People have surrounded me like ·angry [L many] bulls.
Like the strong bulls of Bashan [Deut. 32:14; Mic. 7:14], they ·are on every side [encircle me].
13 Like ·hungry [rending; L tearing their prey], roaring lions
they open their mouths at me.
14 My strength is gone,
like water poured out onto the ground,
and my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax [C weak, formless];
it has melted inside me.
15 My strength has dried up like a ·clay pot [potsherd],
and my tongue sticks to the top of my mouth.
You laid me in the dust of death.
16 Evil people have surrounded me;
like dogs ·they [a group of evil people] have trapped me.
They have ·bitten [pierced; or shriveled] my ·arms [hands] and ·legs [feet].
17 I can count all my bones;
people look and stare at me.
18 They divided my clothes among them,
and they ·threw [cast] lots for my clothing.
19 But, Lord, don’t be far away.
You are my ·strength [or help]; hurry to help me.
20 ·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from the sword;
save my life from the dogs.
21 ·Rescue [Save; T Deliver] me from the lion’s mouth;
·save [L answer] me from the horns of the bulls.
22 Then I will ·tell my brothers and sisters about you [L recount your name/reputation to my brothers];
I will praise you in the ·public meeting [assembly; congregation].
23 Praise the Lord, all you who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
All you ·descendants [seed] of Jacob [C Israelites], ·honor [glorify] him;
·fear [revere] him, all you Israelites.
24 He does not ·ignore [despise or disdain] ·those in trouble [L the suffering of the afflicted].
He doesn’t hide his face from them
but listens when they ·call out to him [cry to him for help].
25 Lord, ·I praise you [L from you comes my praise] in the great ·meeting of your people [assembly];
these ·worshipers [L who fear him] will see me ·do what I promised [L fulfill my vows].
26 ·Poor [or Afflicted] people will eat ·until they are full [and be satisfied];
those who ·look to the Lord [L seek him] will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!
27 ·People everywhere [L All the ends of the earth] will remember
and will turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will worship him
28 because ·the Lord is King [rule belongs to the Lord],
and he rules the nations.
29 All the ·powerful people [L fat ones] on earth will eat and worship.
Everyone will ·bow down to [kneel before] him,
all who will ·one day die [L go down to the dust and cannot keep themselves alive].
30 The ·people in the future [posterity; seed] will serve him;
they will always be told about the Lord.
31 They will ·tell that he does what is right [recount his righteousness].
People who are not yet born
will hear what God has done.
Paul on the Island of Malta
28 When we ·were safe on land [reached safety], we learned that the island was called Malta [C 58 miles southwest of Sicily]. 2 The ·people who lived there [native people; L barbarians; C a term referring to non-Greek speakers] were very ·good [kind] to us. Because it was raining and very cold, they made a fire and welcomed all of us. 3 Paul gathered a pile of ·sticks [brushwood] and was putting them on the fire when a ·poisonous snake [viper] came out because of the heat and ·bit [L fastened itself to] him on the hand. 4 The ·people living on the island [native people; 28:2] saw the ·snake [L creature; animal] hanging from Paul’s hand and said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He ·did not die in [L escaped from] the sea, but Justice [L Dikē; C pronounced di-káy); the goddess of justice] ·does not want [has not allowed] him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the ·snake [L creature; animal] off into the fire and ·was not hurt [suffered no harm]. 6 ·The people [L They] thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing ·bad [L unusual] happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, “He is a god!”
7 There ·were some fields [or was an estate] around there owned by Publius, ·an important man [or the chief official; governor] on the island. He ·welcomed [received] us into his home and ·was very good to us [provided generous hospitality; treated us as honored guests] for three days. 8 Publius’ father was sick in bed with a fever and dysentery [C a serious illness that includes cramping and severe diarrhea]. Paul went to him, prayed, and ·put [or laid] his hands on the man and healed him. 9 After this, ·all the other [L the rest of the] sick people on the island came to Paul, and he healed them, too.
Paul Goes to Rome
After three months we got on a ship from Alexandria [27:6] that had stayed on the island during the winter. On the front of the ship was the sign of the ·twin gods [C Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus; protectors of sailors]. 12 We ·stopped [put in] at Syracuse [C a major city on the island of Sicily] for three days. 13 From there we ·sailed to [L set sail and arrived at] Rhegium [C a port city on the Italian mainland across from Sicily]. The next day a wind began to blow from the south, and ·a day later [L on the second day] we came to Puteoli [C a bit further north on the southwestern coast of Italy]. 14 We found some ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] there who ·asked [invited] us to stay with them for ·a week [L seven days]. ·Finally [L And so in this way], we came to Rome. 15 The ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] in Rome heard that we were there and came out as far as the ·Market [L Forum] of Appius [C about 40 miles from Rome] and the Three Inns [C eight miles toward Rome from the Market of Appius] to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and ·was encouraged [took courage].
Paul in Rome
16 When we arrived at Rome, Paul was allowed to live alone, with the soldier who guarded him.
The Transfiguration on the Mountain(A)
28 About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 While Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face ·changed [was altered], and his clothes ·became shining white [or flashed white like lightning]. 30 Then [L look; T behold] two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with Jesus. [C God had given the Law through Moses, and Elijah was an important prophet (see 9:8); together they signify that Jesus fulfills the OT.] 31 They appeared in ·heavenly glory [L glory], talking about his departure [C Greek: exodos, perhaps recalling the Exodus from Egypt, and referring to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension] which he ·would soon bring about [L was about to fulfill/accomplish] in Jerusalem. 32 [L Now; But] Peter and the others were ·very sleepy [L weighed down with sleep], but when they awoke fully, they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men standing with him. 33 When Moses and Elijah were ·about to leave [L leaving him], Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three ·tents [shelters; shrines; tabernacles; Lev. 23:42]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [C Perhaps Peter wanted to prolong their stay or to commemorate their visit.] (Peter did not ·know what he was talking about [L realize/know what he was saying].)
34 While he was saying these things, a cloud came and ·covered [overshadowed] them, and they became afraid as ·the cloud covered them [L they entered the cloud]. 35 [L And; Then] A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son [Ps. 2:7], ·whom I have chosen [or my Chosen One; Is. 42:1]. Listen to him [Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22]!”
36 When the voice finished speaking, only Jesus was there. Peter, John, and James ·said nothing [kept silent] and told no one at that time what they had seen.
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