Book of Common Prayer
Trusting God for Help
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Dove in the Distant Oak.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when the Philistines ·captured [seized] him in Gath [C referring to the episode in 1 Sam. 21:10–15 or to an unrecorded event].
56 God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me because people are ·chasing [trampling; hounding; snapping at] me;
the battle has ·pressed [harrassed] me all day long.
2 My enemies have ·chased [trampled on; hounded; snapped at] me all day;
there are many proud people fighting me.
3 When I am afraid,
I will ·trust [have confidence in] you.
4 I praise God for his word.
I ·trust [have confidence in] God, so I am not afraid.
What can ·human beings [L flesh] do to me?
5 All day long they ·twist [find fault with] my words;
all their evil ·plans [or thoughts] are against me.
6 They ·wait [or attack; or strive]. They hide.
They watch my ·steps [L heels],
hoping to kill me.
7 God, do not let them escape;
·punish [L bring down] the ·foreign nations [peoples] in your anger.
8 You have ·recorded [recounted] my ·troubles [wanderings].
You have ·kept a list of my tears [L put my tears in your bottle].
Aren’t they in your records?
9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will ·be defeated [L turn back].
I know that God is on my side.
10 I praise God for his word to me;
I praise the Lord for his word.
11 I ·trust [have confidence] in God. I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
12 God, I must keep my ·promises [vows] to you.
I will give you my ·offerings to thank you [thank offerings],
13 because you have ·saved [protected] me from death.
You have kept ·me from being defeated [L my feet from falling].
So I will walk ·with [L in the presence of] God
in light ·among [of] the living.
A Prayer in Troubled Times
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when he ·escaped [fled] from Saul in the cave [C likely a reference to 1 Sam. 22:1–5, but possibly 1 Sam. 24].
57 Be ·merciful [gracious] to me, God; be ·merciful [gracious] to me
because I ·come to you for protection [L seek refuge].
Let me ·hide [be protected; L seek refuge] under the shadow of your wings [Ruth 2:12; Matt. 23:37]
until the ·trouble [destruction] has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to the God who ·does everything for [fulfills his purpose for; or avenges] me.
3 He sends help from heaven and ·saves me [gives me victory].
He ·punishes [reproaches; scorns] those who ·chase [trample on; hound; snap at] me. ·
God sends me his ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness].
4 I lie down among lions [C his enemies];
who are aflame for human prey.
Their teeth are like spears and arrows,
their tongues as sharp as swords.
5 God is ·supreme [exalted] over the ·skies [heavens];
his ·majesty [glory; C his manifest presence] ·covers [L is over] the earth.
6 They set a ·trap [net] for ·me [L my feet].
I am ·very worried [bowed down].
They dug a pit ·in my path [L before me],
but they fell into it themselves. ·
7 My heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready], God; my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you.
8 Wake up, my ·soul [or glory].
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
9 Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will ·sing songs of praise about [play a psalm for] you to all the nations.
10 Your ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the clouds.
11 God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [C manifest presence] be over all the earth.
Unfair Judges
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
58 Do you ·rulers [or silent ones; or gods; C sometimes spiritual beings such as angels are called “gods” in the OT; 82:1] really say what is ·right [righteous]?
Do you judge people ·fairly [with integrity]?
2 No, in your heart you plan evil;
you ·think up [dispense] ·violent crimes [violence] in the land.
3 From ·birth [L the womb], evil people ·turn away [go astray] from God;
they wander off and tell lies ·as soon as they are born [L from the belly; C another word for the womb; 51:5].
4 They ·are [L have poison/venom] like ·poisonous [venomous] snakes,
like deaf cobras that ·stop [plug] up their ears
5 so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer
no matter how ·well he plays [wisely/skillfully he enchants].
6 God, break the teeth in their mouths!
·Tear out [Uproot] the fangs of those lions, Lord!
7 Let them ·disappear [vanish] like water that flows away.
Let them ·be cut short like a broken arrow [L draw their arrows like they are cut off].
8 Let them be like ·snails [slugs] that ·melt [dissolve] as they move [C snails leave a slime as they move].
Let them be like a ·child born dead [stillborn] who never saw the sun.
9 His anger will blow them away alive
faster than burning thorns can heat a pot [C likely a reference to quick retribution].
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be glad when they see ·him get even [vengeance].
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked [Is. 63:1–6; Rev. 14:19–20; 19:13–14].
11 Then people will say,
“There really are ·rewards [fruits] for ·doing what is right [the righteous].
There really is a God who judges the ·world [earth; land].”
A Prayer Against Enemies
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, listen to my complaint.
·I am afraid of my enemies;
protect my life from them [L Protect my life from the dread of my enemies].
2 Hide me from ·those who plan wicked things [L the secret plans/conspiracy of the wicked],
from that ·gang [mob; restless group] who does evil [Prov. 1:8–19].
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and ·shoot [aim] bitter words like arrows.
4 From their hiding places they shoot at ·innocent [blameless] people;
they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
5 They encourage each other to do wrong.
They talk about setting traps,
·thinking [or saying] ·no one will [L who can…?] see them.
6 They plan wicked things and say,
“We have a perfect plan.”
The ·mind [L insides and the heart/mind] of human beings is ·hard to understand [L deep].
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 Their own ·words [tongues] will ·be used against them [L make them stumble].
All who see them will shake their heads [C in amazement at their downfall].
9 Then everyone will fear God [Prov. 1:7].
They will tell what God has done,
and they will ·learn from [reflect on] what he has done.
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be happy in the Lord
and will find ·protection [refuge] in him.
Let everyone who is ·honest [virtuous in heart] praise the Lord.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
65 God, ·you will be praised in Jerusalem [L praise is due/proper/ fitting to you in Zion; C the location of the Temple].
We will ·keep our promises [fulfill our vows] to you.
2 You ·hear [or answer] our prayers.
All ·people [L flesh] will come to you.
3 Our guilt ·overwhelms [overpowers] us,
but you ·forgive [wipe/blot out; make atonement for] our ·sins [transgressions].
4 ·Happy [Blessed] are the people you choose
and ·invite [L bring near] to stay in your court.
We are ·filled [satisfied] with good things in your house,
your holy Temple.
5 You answer us in amazing ways with ·vindication [victory; righteousness],
God our ·Savior [Victor].
People ·everywhere on [L of all the ends of] the earth
and ·beyond the sea [L the farthest seas] ·trust [have confidence in] you.
6 You ·made [established] the mountains by your strength;
you are ·dressed [girded; armed] in power.
7 You ·stopped [silence; calm] the roaring seas,
the roaring waves [C representing chaos],
and the ·uproar [tumult] of the ·nations [peoples].
8 Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your ·miracles [signs].
You are praised from ·where the sun rises [the east; L the gateways of the morning] to ·where it sets [the west; L evening].
9 You ·take care of [visit] the land and water it;
you make it very ·fertile [rich].
The ·rivers [channels] of God are full of water.
Grain grows because you make it grow.
10 You send rain to the plowed fields;
you ·fill the rows with water [level its ridges].
You soften the ground with rain,
and then you bless ·it with crops [its growth].
11 You ·give [L crown] the year ·a good harvest [L with your goodness/bounty],
and ·you load the wagons with many crops [L your wagon tracks/ruts drip with plenty].
12 The ·desert [wilderness] ·is covered [drips] with ·grass [pasturage]
and the hills with happiness.
13 The ·pastures [meadows] are ·full of [L clothed with] flocks,
and the valleys are ·covered [wrapped] with grain.
Everything shouts and sings for joy.
The Song of the Saved
14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion [C a mountain near Jerusalem where the temple was located, representing the presence of God]. With him were one hundred forty-four thousand people [7:4] who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads [13:16]. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of ·flooding water [rushing water; L many waters; 1:15] and like the ·sound [peal] of loud thunder [19:6]. The sound I heard was like ·people [L harpists] playing harps. 3 And they sang a new song [C a song celebrating divine deliverance; 5:9; Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1] before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders [4:4]. No one could learn the new song except the one hundred forty-four thousand [7:4] who had been ·bought [redeemed] from the earth. 4 These are the ones who did not ·do sinful things [defile themselves] with women, because they ·kept themselves pure [L are virgins]. They follow the Lamb every place he goes. ·These one hundred forty-four thousand [L They] were ·bought [redeemed] from ·among the people of the earth [L humanity; mankind] as ·people to be offered [L firstfruits; C the earliest part of the harvest was offered to God] to God and the Lamb. 5 ·They were not guilty of telling lies [L No lie was found in their mouth]; they are ·without fault [blameless].
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying ·high in the air [L in mid-heaven; 8:13]. He had the eternal ·Good News [Gospel] to preach to those who ·live [dwell] on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He ·preached [L spoke] in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him ·praise [glory], because the ·time has come for God to judge all people [L hour of his judgment has come]. So worship God who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the springs of water.”
8 Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, “·Ruined, ruined [L Fallen, fallen] is ·the great city of Babylon [L Babylon the Great; C the capital of the empire that destroyed Jerusalem in 586 bc, a symbol for the evil world system opposing God; 2 Kin. 24—25; Is. 21:9; Dan. 4:30]! She made all the nations drink the wine of the ·anger [or passion; C the Greek word thymos can mean either anger or passion; see v. 10 for a possible play on words] of her ·adultery [or sexual immorality].”
9 Then a third angel followed the first two angels, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his ·idol [image] and ·gets [receives; takes] the beast’s ·mark [brand; stamp] on the forehead or on the hand, 10 that one also will drink the wine of God’s anger [C perhaps a play on words with v. 8; Babylon’s “passion” will bring on God’s “wrath”], which is prepared ·with all its strength [undiluted; L unmixed; C wine was often mixed with water] in the cup of his anger [C God’s judgment is often portrayed in the OT as a “cup” of wine poured out; Jer. 25:15–29]. And that person will be ·put in pain [tortured; tormented] with ·burning sulfur [L fire and sulfur] before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 And the smoke from their ·burning pain [torture; torment] will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his ·idol [image] or who get the ·mark [brand; stamp] of his name.” 12 This means ·God’s holy people [T the saints] must ·be patient [persevere; endure]. They must ·obey [keep] God’s commands and ·keep their faith in [remain faithful to] Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: ·Blessed [or Happy] are the dead who die from now on in the Lord.”
The Spirit says, “Yes, they will rest from their hard work, ·and the reward of all they have done stays with them [L for their deeds will follow them].”
Jesus Causes Division(A)
49 “I came to ·set [bring; cast] fire to the world, and I wish it were already ·burning [kindled]! 50 I have a baptism [C a metaphor for suffering, portrayed as an overwhelming deluge] ·to suffer through [L to be baptized with], and I feel very ·troubled [distressed] until it is over. 51 Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to ·divide it [bring division]. 52 [L For] From now on, a ·family [L house] with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law [Mic. 7:6].”
Understanding the Times(B)
54 Then Jesus said to the ·people [crowds], “When you see clouds coming up in the west, [L immediately] you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and [L so; thus] it happens. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south [C the desert], you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to ·understand [interpret] the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you ·understand [know how to interpret] ·what is happening now [this present time; C the time of the coming of the Kingdom]?
Settle Your Problems(C)
57 “Why can’t you ·decide [judge] for yourselves what is right? 58 If your ·enemy [opponent; accuser] is taking you ·to court [before the magistrate/ruler], try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t, your enemy might ·take [drag] you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into ·jail [prison]. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid everything you owe [C Greek: the last lepton; a copper or bronze coin of very little value].”
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