Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 61[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;(C)
lead me to the rock(D) that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,(E)
a strong tower against the foe.(F)
4 I long to dwell(G) in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b](H)
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;(I)
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(J)
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,(K)
his years for many generations.(L)
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(M)
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(N)
Psalm 62[c]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest(Q) in God;(R)
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock(S) and my salvation;(T)
he is my fortress,(U) I will never be shaken.(V)
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall,(W) this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.[d](X)
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;(Y)
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[e];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(Z)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;(AA)
pour out your hearts to him,(AB)
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 68[a]
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.
1 May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
may his foes flee(C) before him.
2 May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
as wax melts(E) before the fire,
may the wicked perish(F) before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice(G) before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
5 A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
6 God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)
7 When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
8 the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
before God, the God of Israel.(W)
9 You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.
11 The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)
15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;(AL)
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
you took many captives;(AO)
you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)—
that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”
24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)
28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)
Praise be to God!(CE)
Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,(A) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[a](B) with a crown(C) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple(D) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle(E) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest(F) of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.(G) 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar(H) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle(I) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(J) 20 They were trampled in the winepress(K) outside the city,(L) and blood(M) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[b]
Seven Angels With Seven Plagues
15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:(N) seven angels(O) with the seven last plagues(P)—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass(Q) glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious(R) over the beast(S) and its image(T) and over the number of its name.(U) They held harps(V) given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant(W) Moses(X) and of the Lamb:(Y)
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,(Z)
Lord God Almighty.(AA)
Just and true are your ways,(AB)
King of the nations.[c]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,(AC)
and bring glory to your name?(AD)
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,(AE)
for your righteous acts(AF) have been revealed.”[d]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple(AG)—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law(AH)—and it was opened.(AI) 6 Out of the temple(AJ) came the seven angels with the seven plagues.(AK) They were dressed in clean, shining linen(AL) and wore golden sashes around their chests.(AM) 7 Then one of the four living creatures(AN) gave to the seven angels(AO) seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.(AP) 8 And the temple was filled with smoke(AQ) from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple(AR) until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate(A) had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?(B) 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam(C) fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent,(D) you too will all perish.”
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.(E) 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!(F) Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
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