Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 26
Prayer for Vindication
Of David.
1 Vindicate me, Lord,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.(A)
2 Test me, Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.(B)
3 For your faithful love guides me,[a]
and I live by your truth.(C)
4 I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
5 I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.(D)
6 I wash my hands in innocence(E)
and go around your altar, Lord,(F)
7 raising my voice in thanksgiving(G)
and telling about your wondrous works.(H)
Psalm 28
My Strength
Of David.
1 Lord, I call to you;
my rock, do not be deaf to me.(A)
If you remain silent to me,
I will be like those going down to the Pit.(B)
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your holy sanctuary.(C)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers,
who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.(D)
4 Repay them according to what they have done—
according to the evil of their deeds.
Repay them according to the work of their hands;
give them back what they deserve.(E)
5 Because they do not consider
what the Lord has done
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and not rebuild them.(F)
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and God’s Love
For the choir director. Of David, the Lord’s servant.
1 An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
Dread of God has no effect on him.[a](A)
2 For with his flattering opinion of himself,
he does not discover and hate his iniquity.(B)
3 The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(C)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(D)
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(E)
He sets himself on a path that is not good,
and he does not reject evil.(F)
5 Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,
your faithfulness to the clouds.(G)
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your judgments like the deepest sea.(H)
Lord, you preserve people and animals.(I)
7 How priceless your faithful love is, God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(J)
8 They are filled from the abundance of your house.
You let them drink from your refreshing stream.(K)
9 For the wellspring of life is with you.(L)
By means of your light we see light.(M)
Psalm 39
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(A)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(B)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(C)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me aware of my end
and the number of my days
so that I will know how short-lived I am.(D)
5 In fact, you have made my days just inches long,
and my life span is as nothing to you.
Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.(E)Selah
6 Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(F)
7 “Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in you.(G)
8 Rescue me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(H)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what you have done.(I)
10 Remove your torment from me.
Because of the force of your hand I am finished.(J)
11 You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(K)
yes, every human being is only a vapor.(L)Selah
A Multitude from the Great Tribulation
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,(A) which no one could number,(B) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.(C) 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,(D)
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.(E) Amen.
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir,[a] you know.”
Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.(F) They washed their robes and made them white(G) in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night(H) in his temple.(I)
The one seated on the throne will shelter[b] them:(J)
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.(K)
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;(L)
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,(M)
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(N)
Sending Out the Seventy-Two
10 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 He told them,(A) “The harvest(B) is abundant, but the workers(C) are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.(D) 3 Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.(E) 4 Don’t carry a money-bag,(F) traveling bag,(G) or sandals; (H) don’t greet anyone along the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace(I) to this household.’ 6 If a person of peace is there, your peace(J) will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages.(K) Don’t move from house to house. 8 When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you.(L) 9 Heal the sick(M) who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God(N) has come near(O) you.’ 10 When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We are wiping off even the dust of your town that clings to our feet as a witness against you.(P) Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, on that day(Q) it will be more tolerable for Sodom(R) than for that town.(S)
Unrepentant Towns
13 “Woe(T) to you,(U) Chorazin!(V) Woe to you, Bethsaida!(W) For if the miracles(X) that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,(Y) they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.(Z) 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment(AA) than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,(AB) will you be exalted to heaven?(AC) No, you will go down to Hades.(AD) 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me.(AE) Whoever rejects you rejects me.(AF) And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”(AG)
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