Book of Common Prayer
A Promise to Act with Integrity
Of David. A psalm.[a]
101 I will sing of loyal love and justice;
I will sing praises to you, O Yahweh.
2 I will give attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will walk in the integrity of my heart
in the midst of my house.
3 I will not set before my eyes
any wicked thing.
I hate the work of those who fall away;[b]
it will not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart will depart from me;
I will not know evil.
5 One who slanders his neighbor in secret,
him I will destroy.
One haughty of eyes and arrogant[c] of heart,
him I will not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land,
that they may live with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity,
he shall minister to me.
7 There will not live in the midst of my house
a worker of deceit.
One who speaks lies
will not remain[d] before my eyes.
8 Each morning,[e]
I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
cutting off from the city of Yahweh all evildoers.
A Prayer for Help against Enemies
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
109 O God of my praise, do not keep silent,
2 for wicked and deceitful mouths[b]
have opened against me.
They speak to me with a lying tongue.
3 They also surround me with words of hate,
and fight me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
though I am in prayer.[c]
5 So they inflicted evil against me in return for good
and hatred in return for my love.
6 Appoint over him a wicked man,
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty,
and let his prayer[d] become as sin.
8 Let his days be few;
let another take his office.
9 Let his children be orphans,
and his wife a widow,
10 and let his children wander aimlessly and beg,
and let them plead from their ruins.
11 Let the creditor seize all that is his,
and let strangers plunder his property.
12 Let there be none who extend to him loyal love,
nor any who pities his orphans.
13 Let his descendants[e] be cut off.
Let their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 Let the iniquity of his ancestors[f] be remembered before Yahweh,
and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
that he may cut off their[g] memory from the earth,
16 because he did not remember to show loyal love,
but he pursued anyone,[h] poor or needy
or brokenhearted, to slay them.
17 Because he loved cursing, let it come upon him.
Because he did not delight in blessing,
let it be far from him.
18 Because he wore a curse as his robe,
let it enter his body[i] like water,
and into his bones like oil.
19 May it be for him like a garment in which he wraps,
and a belt he continually wears.[j]
20 Let this be the punishment for my accusers from Yahweh,
even those who speak evil against my life.
21 But you, O Yahweh my Lord,
deal with me for your name’s sake.
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me,
22 for I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow I am passing away;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees buckle[k] from fasting,
and my body grows lean without fat.
25 And so I am a disgrace to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.[l]
26 Help me, O Yahweh my God;
save me according to your loyal love,
27 that they may know that this is your hand,
that you, O Yahweh, you have done it.
28 Let them curse, but you bless.
When they arise, let them be put to shame,
that your servant may be glad.
29 Let my accusers put on disgrace,
and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a robe.
30 I will give thanks to Yahweh exceedingly with my mouth,
and in the midst of many I will praise him,
ʽAyin
121 I have done justice and righteousness;[a]
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Pledge good for your servant;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long for[b] your salvation,
and your righteous word.[c]
124 Deal with your servant according to your loyal love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your statutes.
126 It is time for Yahweh to act,[d]
for they have broken your law.
127 Therefore I love your commands
more than gold, even fine gold.
128 Therefore all your precepts of everything I regard as right;
I hate every false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are miracles,
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light,
giving understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commands.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is proper for those who love your name.
133 Direct my steps in your word,[e]
and do not let any iniquity gain power over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of humankind,
that I may heed your precepts.
135 Shine your face on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 Streams of water flow down from my eyes,
because people do not heed your law.
Tsade
137 You are righteous, O Yahweh,
and your ordinances are upright.
138 You have ordained your testimonies in righteousness,
and in exceeding faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me,
because my enemies have forgotten your words.
140 Your word is very pure,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me;
your commands delight me.
144 The righteousness of your testimonies is forever;
give me understanding that I may live.
An Oracle Against the Temple Priesthood
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master;[a] but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master,[b] where is my reverence?” says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, who despise[c] my name. “But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food on my altar! But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the table of Yahweh is despised! 8 When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is that not wrong?[d] And when you offer the lame and the one who is ill, is that not wrong?[e] Present it, please, to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Will he show you favor?”[f] says Yahweh of hosts. 9 So then, implore the favor of God[g] so that he will be gracious to us. “This is what you have done.[h] Will he show favor to any of you?”[i] says Yahweh of hosts. 10 “Who also among you will shut the temple doors so that you will not kindle fire in vain on my altar? I take no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I will not accept[j] an offering from your hand. 11 From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is being presented to my name, and a pure offering. For my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12 “But you are profaning it by saying the table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit—its food[k]—is despised! 13 And you say, ‘Look! This is a weariness,’ and you sniff with disdain at it,” says Yahweh of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the one that is sick—this you bring as the offering! Should I accept it[l] from your hand?” says Yahweh. 14 “Cursed is the one who cheats, who has in his flock a male and vows it, but instead sacrifices a blemished one to the Lord! For I am a great king,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
The Wisdom That Comes Down from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his[a] good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among[b] those who make peace.
Subject Yourselves to God
4 From where are conflicts and from where are quarrels among you? Is it not from this, from your pleasures that wage war among your members? 2 You desire and do not have; you murder and are filled with envy, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend it on your pleasures.
4 Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, “The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously”?[c] 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says,
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”[d]
7 Therefore subject yourselves to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded! 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your[e] joy to gloominess. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. The one who speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of the law.[f] 12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your[g] neighbor?
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between[a] Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as[b] he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him[c][d]—lepers, who stood at a distance. 13 And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 And when he[e] saw them[f] he said to them, “Go and[g] show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 But one of them, when he[h] saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and[i] said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to turn back and[j] give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Get up and[k] go your way. Your faith has saved you.”
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