Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 16[a]
God the Supreme Good
1 A miktam[b] of David.
Protect me, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints[c] who are in the land,
they are the noble ones,
and in them there is all my delight.
4 Those who chase after other gods
only multiply their sorrows.
Never will I pour out libations of blood to them,
nor will I take up their names[d] on my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my allotted portion and my cup;[e]
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have established a pleasant site for me;
I have truly received a wonderful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who offers me counsel;
even during the night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me,
for with him at my right hand
I will never fall.
9 [f]Therefore, my heart is glad
and my soul rejoices;
my body too is filled with confidence.
10 For you will not abandon me to the netherworld
or allow your Holy One[g] to suffer corruption.
11 You will show me the path to life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence
and everlasting delights at your right hand.
Psalm 17[h]
Prayer in Time of Persecution
1 A prayer of David.
Hear, O Lord, my call for justice;
give heed to my cry.
Listen to the prayer of my lips,
for they are free of deceit.
2 Let my vindication issue forth from you;
let your eyes discern what is right.
3 You have probed my heart[i]
and examined me throughout the night.
You have tested me
and found no malice in me,
for I have not sinned with my mouth.
4 Despite what other people do,
I have been guided by the word of your lips[j]
and refrained from their acts of violence.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not wavered.
6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me.
Incline your ear to me and listen to my plea.
7 Show how wonderful is your kindness,[k]
you who save those who seek protection
by taking refuge at your right hand.
8 Guard me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings[l]
9 from the wicked who treat me with violence,
from deadly enemies who surround me.
10 There is no compassion in their hearts,[m]
and arrogance issues from their mouths.
11 They track me down and begin to close in,
watching for the chance to strike me down,
12 like a lion primed to attack it prey,
like a young lion lurking in hiding.
13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, and cast them down;[n]
deliver me from the wicked by your sword.
14 With your hand, O Lord, snatch me from such people,
from the worldly whose reward is in this life.[o]
You satisfy the hunger of those you cherish;
their children have all they desire
and leave their wealth to their little ones.
15 But in my righteousness I will see your face;[p]
when I awaken, I will be blessed by beholding you.
Psalm 22[a]
Suffering and Triumph of the Messiah
1 For the director.[b] According to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David.
2 [c]My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why have you paid no heed to my call for help,
to my cries of anguish?
3 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I am afforded no relief.[d]
4 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
5 Our ancestors placed their trust in you;
they trusted, and you gave them deliverance.
6 They cried out to you and were saved,
they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
7 But I am a worm and not human,[e]
scorned by people and despised by my kinsmen.
8 All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer in mockery and toss their heads:[f]
9 “He relied on the Lord;
let the Lord set him free.
Let the Lord deliver him,
if he loves him.”[g]
10 [h]Yet you brought me out of the womb
and made me feel secure
upon my mother’s breast.
11 I was entrusted to your care at my birth;
from my mother’s womb, you have been my God.
12 Do not remain aloof from me,
for trouble is near
and no one can help me.
13 [i]Many bulls[j] are encircling me;
fierce bulls of Bashan are closing in on me.
14 They open wide their mouths against me
like ravening and roaring lions.
15 My strength is trickling away like water,
and all my bones are dislocated.
My heart[k] has turned to wax
and melts within me.
16 My mouth is as dry as clayware,
and my tongue sticks to my jaw;[l]
you have laid me down in the dust of death.
17 A pack of dogs surrounds me;
a band of evildoers is closing in on me.
They have pierced my hands and my feet;[m]
18 I can count all my bones.[n]
They stare at me and gloat;
19 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.[o]
20 [p]But you, O Lord, do not remain aloof from me.
O my Strength, come quickly to my aid.
21 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the grasp of the dogs.
22 Save me[q] from the lion’s mouth
and from the horns of wild oxen.
23 [r]I will proclaim your name to my family;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:[s]
24 “You who fear the Lord, praise him.
All you descendants of Jacob,[t] give him glory.
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel.
25 For he has not scorned or disregarded
the wretched man in his suffering;
he has not hidden his face[u] from him
but has heeded his call for help.”
26 I will offer my praise to you in the great assembly;
in the presence of those who fear him, I will fulfill my vows.[v]
27 [w]The poor[x] will eat and be filled;
those who seek the Lord will praise him:
“May your hearts live forever.”
28 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow low before him.
29 For kingly power belongs to the Lord;
he is the ruler of all the nations.
30 All those who prosper on the earth will bow down before him;
all those who lie in the grave will kneel in homage.
31 [y]But I will live for the Lord,
and my descendants will serve him.
32 Future generations will be told about the Lord
so that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn
the deliverance he has accomplished.
Prologue[a]
1 Many important teachings 2 have come down to us through the Law and the Prophets and the other writers who succeeded them, 3 and, as a result, praise is due to Israel for its traditions of learning and wisdom.
4 It devolves upon those who read the Scriptures not only to understand them thoroughly 5 but as lovers of learning to use their skill 6 in writing and speaking to increase the knowledge of others. 7 My grandfather Jesus, having devoted himself to the intensive reading 8 of the Law 9 and the Prophets 10 and the other Writings of our ancestors, 11 and having gained considerable proficiency in them, 12 was inspired himself to compose some writings on the subject of learning and wisdom, 13 in order that, by becoming familiar with what he had written, those who love learning 14 might achieve even greater progress in living in conformity with the Law.
15 Therefore, you are 16 invited to read this 17 attentively and with an open mind 18 and to exhibit a spirit of understanding forgiveness 19 when, despite the most diligent efforts in translation, 20 I may seem to have rendered some passages inadequately. 21 For words originally expressed in Hebrew 22 do not have the same sense when translated into another language. 23 Not only this present Book 24 but even the Law itself, the Prophets, 25 and the rest of the Books 26 differ quite a bit when they are read in the original.
27 When in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Euergetes 28 I arrived in Egypt and set up my residence there, 29 I discovered that the Book has great educational value,[b] 30 and I considered it essential to devote some energy and labor to its translation. 31 During this period of time I have applied my skill day and night 32 in working toward the completion of this Book 33 and supervising its publication 34 for the benefit of those living abroad who wish to acquire learning 35 and are disposed to live their lives according to the Law.
Counsels of a Teacher of Wisdom[c]
The Roots of Wisdom
Chapter 1
All Wisdom Derives from the Lord[d]
1 All wisdom[e] derives from the Lord
and remains with him forever.
2 The sands of the sea, the drops of rain,
and the days of eternity—who can count them?
3 The height of the sky, the breadth of the earth,
the depth of the abyss[f]—who can explore them?
4 Wisdom was created before all other things;
and prudent understanding has existed from eternity.
[5 The fount of wisdom is God’s word in the highest heaven,
and her ways are the eternal laws.][g]
6 To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed?
Who understands her subtleties?
[7 To whom has an understanding of wisdom been disclosed?
And who has known her resourcefulness?][h]
8 Only one is wise and greatly to be feared,
seated upon his throne—the Lord.
9 He is the one who created her,[i]
observed her, and recognized her value,
and so poured her forth upon all his works,
10 upon all flesh as he chose,
lavishing her upon those who love him.
[j][The love of the Lord is glorious wisdom;
he apportions her to those to whom he appears, that they may see him.]
18 The crown of wisdom is the fear of the Lord
as she bestows peace and perfect health.
[a][Both are gifts of the Lord for peace;
glory opens out for those who love him.
He saw her and recognized her value.]
19 The Lord has seen and appraised her,
showering down knowledge and discerning understanding
and heightening the glory of those who possess her.
20 The root of wisdom is fear of the Lord,
and her branches bring forth long life.
[21 The fear of the Lord takes away sin,
and he who perseveres turns away all anger.][b]
Wisdom Teaches Patience[c]
22 Unjustified anger can never be excused;
anger will be the cause of a man’s downfall.
23 A patient man endures difficulties for a time,
and then he regains his sense of contentment.
24 Until the appropriate moment he keeps his thoughts to himself,
and then the lips of many affirm his wisdom.
If You Desire Wisdom, Keep the Commandments[d]
25 The treasuries of wisdom contain wise maxims,
but the fear of God is an abomination to the sinner.
26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,
and the Lord will lavish her upon you.[e]
27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline,
fidelity and humility are his delight.
Chapter 28
Paul at Malta. 1 Once we had made our way to safety, we learned that the island was called Malta.[a] 2 The natives[b] treated us with unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they lit a bonfire and welcomed all of us around it.
3 Paul had gathered an armful of sticks and put them on the fire when a viper, driven out by the heat, attached itself to his hand. 4 On seeing the snake hanging from his hand, the natives said to one another, “This man must be a murderer. Although he escaped from the sea, Justice[c] has not allowed him to live.”
5 However, he shook off the snake into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after waiting for a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
7 In the vicinity of that place there were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, whose name was Publius.[d] He received us and gave us his hospitality for three days. 8 It so happened that this man’s father was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and laying hands on him. 9 After this happened, the rest of the sick people on the island also came and were cured. 10 They honored us with many marks of respect, and when we were about to set sail, they put on board all the supplies we needed.
11 From Malta to Rome. Three months later,[e] we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island. The ship was from Alexandria, with the Dioscuri as its figurehead. 12 We landed at Syracuse[f] and spent three days there. 13 Then we sailed along the coast and came to Rhegium.[g] After one day there, a south wind came up, and we reached Puteoli in two days.
14 In Puteoli, we found some brethren, and we were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 When the brethren there learned of our arrival, they came out to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius[h] and the Three Taverns. On seeing them, Paul gave thanks to God, and his courage was strengthened.
Paul’s Activity at Rome[i]
Meetings with the Jewish Leaders. On his arrival in Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier guarding him.[j]28 Jesus Is Transfigured.[a] About eight days after he had said this, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face underwent a change, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, there were two men talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which would come to pass in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake they beheld his glory and the two men standing beside him.
33 When they were ready to leave, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not truly know what he was saying. 34 While he was speaking, a cloud came and cast its shadow over them, and the three disciples became frightened as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.[b] Listen to him.” 36 After the voice had spoken, they beheld only Jesus. They kept silent and at that time they did not tell anyone about what they had witnessed.
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