Book of Common Prayer
The Ways of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;
nor does he stand in the way of sinners;
nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that gives its fruit in its season;
its leaf also does not wither.
Therefore all that he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked.
Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,[a]
but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Messiah’s Reign
2 Why are nations in tumult,
and countries plotting[b] in vain?[c]
2 The kings of the earth establish themselves,
and the rulers conspire[d] together
against Yahweh and his anointed:
3 “Let us tear off their bonds,
and cast their cords from us!”
4 He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs.
The Lord derides them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
and in his fury he terrifies them:
6 “But as for me, I have set my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will tell the decree;
Yahweh said to me:
“You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage,
and your possession the ends of the earth.
9 You will break them with an iron rod.
Like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”
10 So then, O kings, be wise.
Be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son
lest he be angry and you perish on the way,
for his anger burns quickly.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
A Call to Yahweh in Distress
A psalm of David at his fleeing from the presence of Absalom, his son.[e]
3 Yahweh, how many are my enemies;
many are rising against me.
2 Many are saying about my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him from[f] God. Selah[g]
3 But[h] you, Yahweh, are a shield around me,
my glory and the one who lifts up my head.
4 With my voice I call to Yahweh
and he answers me from his holy hill.[i] Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I woke up because Yahweh sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of the ten thousands of people
who all around have set themselves against me.
7 Rise up, O Yahweh; deliver me, O my God;
for you strike all my enemies on the cheek.
The teeth of the wicked you break.
8 To Yahweh belongs deliverance;
may your blessing be over your people. Selah
Safety in Yahweh
For the music director; with stringed instruments. A psalm of David.[j]
4 When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness.[k]
In trouble deliver me.[l]
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2 O sons of man, how long will my honor[m] be a disgrace?
How long will you love vanity?
How long will you seek lies?[n] Selah
3 But know that Yahweh has set apart[o] for himself the faithful one.[p]
Yahweh hears when I call to him.
4 Be disturbed but do not sin.
Commune in your heart[q] on your bed and be silent. Selah
5 Offer correct sacrifices,[r]
and trust in[s] Yahweh.
6 Many are saying, “Who will show us something good?”
Lift up over[t] us the light of your face, O Yahweh.
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when[u] their grain and their wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep at once,[v]
for you alone, O Yahweh, make me dwell safely.
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
A Shiggaion[a] of David which he sang to Yahweh
on account of Cush, a Benjaminite.[b]
7 O Yahweh, my God, in you I have taken refuge.
Save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
2 Or else he will tear me apart like a lion,
ripping to pieces, with none to deliver.
3 O Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally[c] with harm,
or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy of my soul pursue,
and overtake and trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Rise up, O Yahweh, in your anger,
and lift yourself up against the wrath[d] of my oppressors,
and awake for me,
since you have commanded judgment.
7 And let the assembly of peoples surround you,
and over it return on high.
8 Yahweh judges the nations.
O Yahweh, vindicate me
according to my innocence[e] and according to my integrity within me.
9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.
10 My shield is with God
who saves the upright of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If he[f] does not repent, he[g] will sharpen his sword.
He has bent his bow and he has strung[h] it.
13 And he has prepared for him weapons of death.
He has made his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See, he[i] travails with[j] evil.
He is pregnant with trouble,
and he gives birth to deception.
15 He makes a pit and digs it out,
then falls in the trap he has made.
16 His trouble comes back on his head,
and his violence comes down on his skull.
17 I will thank Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of Yahweh, the Most High.
Daniel’s Development in the King’s Court
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim the king of Judah into his hand and some of[a] of the utensils of the temple of God,[b] and he brought them to the land of Shinar to the temple of his gods, and he brought the utensils to the treasury[c] of his gods.
3 And the king ordered[d] Ashpenaz, the commander of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites[e] from the royal family[f] and from the lords,[g] 4 youths who have no physical defect,[h] and who are handsome,[i] and who are prudent[j] in all wisdom and endowed with knowledge,[k] and who understand insight, and who have the ability[l] in them to serve in the palace of the king. And the king ordered him to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king assigned to them his daily portion[m] from the fine food of the king, and from the wine that he drank,[n] and instructed that they were to be educated for three years.[o] And at the end of their training, they were to be stationed[p] before[q] the king. 6 Now there was among them from the Judeans,[r] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 And the commander of the court officials gave them names, and he called Daniel, Belteshazzar; and Hananiah, Shadrach; and Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego.
Daniel’s Resolve
8 Now Daniel resolved[s] that he would not defile himself with the fine food of the king, and with the wine that he drank,[t] and so he requested from the commander of the court officials permission so that he would not defile himself. 9 And God[u] gave Daniel favor and compassion before[v] the commander of the court officials, 10 and the commander of the court officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord, the king, who has determined your food and your drink, for why should[w] he see your face having a worse appearance than the young men who are your age?[x] Then you will endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then[y] Daniel asked the guard[z] whom the commander of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us some of the vegetables,[aa] and let us eat and let us drink water. 13 Then[ab] let our appearances and the appearance of the young men who are eating the fine food of the king be compared before you,[ac] and then deal with your servants according to what you see.”[ad] 14 So he agreed to this proposal with them, and he tested them for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their appearances appeared better and they were healthier of body than all the young men who were eating the fine food of the king. 16 So[ae] the guard continued to withhold[af] their fine food and the wine of their drink, and he gave them[ag] vegetables.
17 And as for these four young men,[ah] God[ai] gave to them knowledge and insight into all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had insight into all visions[aj] and dreams. 18 And at the end of the time the king had set to bring them, the commander of the court officials brought them in before[ak] Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them no one was found like[al] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; then they stood before[am] the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired from them, he found them ten times better than all of the magicians[an] and conjurers[ao] that were in his entire kingdom.[ap] 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of Cyrus the king.
Prologue
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched, concerning the word of life— 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 what we have seen and heard, we announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write, in order that our joy may be complete.
God is Light, so Walk in the Light
5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.[a] 7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our[b] sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Jesus Prays to be Glorified
17 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify your Son, in order that your Son may glorify you— 2 just as you have given him authority over all flesh, in order that he would give eternal life to them—everyone whom you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have glorified you on earth by[a] completing the work that you have given me to do.[b] 5 And now, Father, you glorify me at your side[c] with the glory that I had at your side[d] before the world existed.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they understand that all the things that[e] you have given me are from you, 8 because the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they received them[f] and know truly that I have come from you, and they have believed that you have sent me. 9 I am asking on behalf of them. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you have given me, because they are yours, 10 and all my things are yours, and your things are mine, and I have been glorified in[g] them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, and they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are.
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