Book of Common Prayer
The Psalmist’s Profession of Uprightness.
A Psalm of David.
101 I will (A)sing of lovingkindness and [a]justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will [b](B)give heed to the [c]blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the [d](C)integrity of my heart.
3 I will set no (D)worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the [e]work of those who (E)fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
4 A (F)perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
5 Whoever secretly (G)slanders his neighbor, him I will [f]destroy;
No one who has a (H)haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a [g](I)blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
7 He who (J)practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood (K)shall not [h]maintain his position before me.
8 (L)Every morning I will [i](M)destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to (N)cut off from the (O)city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.
Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
109 O (A)God of my praise,
(B)Do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the [a]wicked and (C)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken [b]against me with a (D)lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me (E)without cause.
4 In return (F)for my love they act as my accusers;
But (G)I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have [c](H)repaid me evil for good
And (I)hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an [d](J)accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him (K)come forth guilty,
And let his (L)prayer become sin.
8 Let (M)his days be few;
Let (N)another take his office.
9 Let his (O)children be fatherless
And his (P)wife a widow.
10 Let his (Q)children wander about and beg;
And let them (R)seek sustenance [e]far from their ruined homes.
11 Let (S)the creditor [f]seize all that he has,
And let (T)strangers plunder the product of his labor.
12 Let there be none to [g](U)extend lovingkindness to him,
Nor (V)any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
13 Let his (W)posterity be [h]cut off;
In a following generation let their (X)name be blotted out.
14 Let (Y)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered [i]before the Lord,
And do not let the sin of his mother be (Z)blotted out.
15 Let (AA)them be before the Lord continually,
That He may (AB)cut off their memory from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,
But persecuted the (AC)afflicted and needy man,
And the (AD)despondent in heart, to (AE)put them to death.
17 He also loved cursing, so (AF)it came to him;
And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
18 But he (AG)clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it (AH)entered into [j]his body like water
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him as (AI)a garment with which he covers himself,
And for a belt with which he constantly (AJ)girds himself.
20 [k]Let this be the (AK)reward of my accusers from the Lord,
And of those who (AL)speak evil against my soul.
21 But You, O [l]God, the Lord, deal kindly with me (AM)for Your name’s sake;
Because (AN)Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
22 For (AO)I am afflicted and needy,
And [m]my heart is (AP)wounded within me.
23 I am passing (AQ)like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off (AR)like the locust.
24 My (AS)knees [n]are weak from (AT)fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
25 I also have become a (AU)reproach to them;
When they see me, they (AV)wag their head.
26 (AW)Help me, O Lord my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27 [o]And let them (AX)know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.
28 (AY)Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they shall be ashamed,
But Your (AZ)servant shall be glad.
29 [p]Let (BA)my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And [q]let them (BB)cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
And in the midst of many (BC)I will praise Him.
Ayin.
121 I have (A)done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be (B)surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant (C)oppress me.
123 My (D)eyes fail with longing for Your salvation
And for Your righteous [a]word.
124 Deal with Your servant (E)according to Your lovingkindness
And (F)teach me Your statutes.
125 (G)I am Your servant; (H)give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to (I)act,
For they have broken Your law.
127 Therefore I (J)love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I esteem right all Your (K)precepts concerning everything,
I (L)hate every false way.
Pe.
129 Your testimonies are (M)wonderful;
Therefore my soul (N)observes them.
130 The (O)unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives (P)understanding to the simple.
131 I (Q)opened my mouth wide and (R)panted,
For I (S)longed for Your commandments.
132 (T)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Your manner [b]with those who love Your name.
133 Establish my (U)footsteps in Your [c]word,
And do not let any iniquity (V)have dominion over me.
134 (W)Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
135 (X)Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And (Y)teach me Your statutes.
136 My eyes [d]shed (Z)streams of water,
Because they (AA)do not keep Your law.
Tsadhe.
137 (AB)Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.
138 You have commanded Your testimonies in (AC)righteousness
And exceeding (AD)faithfulness.
139 My (AE)zeal has [e]consumed me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.
140 Your [f](AF)word is very [g]pure,
Therefore Your servant (AG)loves it.
141 I am small and (AH)despised,
Yet I do not (AI)forget Your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And (AJ)Your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have [h]come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my (AK)delight.
144 Your (AL)testimonies are righteous forever;
(AM)Give me understanding that I may live.
Sin of the Priests
6 “‘A son (A)honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a (B)father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My [a]respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O (C)priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 You are presenting (D)defiled [b](E)food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The (F)table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8 But when you present the (G)blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? [c]Why not offer it to your (H)governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 9 “But now [d]will you not (I)entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? [e]With such an offering on your part, will He (J)receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 10 “Oh that there were one among you who would (K)shut the [f]gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “(L)nor will I accept an offering from [g]you. 11 For from the (M)rising of the sun even to its setting, (N)My name will be (O)great among the nations, and in every place (P)incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be (Q)great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “But you are (R)profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 You also say, ‘[h]My, how (S)tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by (T)robbery and what is (U)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I (V)receive that from your hand?” says the Lord. 14 “But cursed be the (W)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a (X)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great (Y)King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is [i](Z)feared among the [j]nations.”
Wisdom from Above
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? (A)Let him show by his (B)good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter (C)jealousy and [a]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against (D)the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down (E)from above, but is (F)earthly, [b](G)natural, (H)demonic. 16 For where (I)jealousy and [c]selfish ambition exist, [d]there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom (J)from above is first (K)pure, then (L)peaceable, (M)gentle, [e]reasonable, (N)full of mercy and good fruits, (O)unwavering, without (P)hypocrisy. 18 And the [f](Q)seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace [g]by those who make peace.
Things to Avoid
4 [h]What is the source of quarrels and (R)conflicts among you? [i]Is not the source your pleasures that wage (S)war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you (T)commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and (U)do not receive, because you ask [j]with wrong motives, so that you may spend it [k]on your pleasures. 4 You (V)adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with (W)the world is (X)hostility toward God? (Y)Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture (Z)speaks to no purpose: “[l]He [m]jealously desires (AA)the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But (AB)He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “(AC)God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 (AD)Submit therefore to God. (AE)Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 (AF)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (AG)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (AH)purify your hearts, you (AI)double-minded. 9 (AJ)Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 (AK)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 (AL)Do not speak against one another, (AM)brethren. He who speaks against a brother or (AN)judges his brother, speaks against (AO)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not (AP)a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one (AQ)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is (AR)able to save and to destroy; but (AS)who are you who judge your neighbor?
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 While He was (A)on the way to Jerusalem, (B)He was passing [a]between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who (C)stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, (D)Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “(E)Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, (F)glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a (G)Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 [b]Was no one found who returned to (H)give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; (I)your faith [c]has made you well.”
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