Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 26
Of David.
1 Vindicate me,(A) Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;(B)
I have trusted(C) in the Lord
and have not faltered.(D)
2 Test me,(E) Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;(F)
3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love(G)
and have lived(H) in reliance on your faithfulness.(I)
4 I do not sit(J) with the deceitful,
nor do I associate with hypocrites.(K)
5 I abhor(L) the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,(M)
and go about your altar, Lord,
7 proclaiming aloud your praise(N)
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.(O)
8 Lord, I love(P) the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.(Q)
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with those who are bloodthirsty,(R)
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,(S)
whose right hands are full of bribes.(T)
11 I lead a blameless life;
deliver me(U) and be merciful to me.
Psalm 28
Of David.
1 To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
2 Hear my cry for mercy(D)
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
toward your Most Holy Place.(F)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)
5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
Psalm 36[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
before their eyes.(C)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
3 The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
and do not reject what is wrong.(K)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
6 Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
your justice like the great deep.(P)
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
in your light(X) we see light.
Psalm 39[a]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will watch my ways(A)
and keep my tongue from sin;(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(C)
while in the presence of the wicked.”
2 So I remained utterly silent,(D)
not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
3 my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;(I)
let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
5 You have made my days(L) a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(M)
even those who seem secure.[b]
6 “Surely everyone goes around(N) like a mere phantom;(O)
in vain they rush about,(P) heaping up wealth(Q)
without knowing whose it will finally be.(R)
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.(S)
8 Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
9 I was silent;(W) I would not open my mouth,(X)
for you are the one who has done this.(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow(Z) of your hand.(AA)
11 When you rebuke(AB) and discipline(AC) anyone for their sin,
you consume(AD) their wealth like a moth(AE)—
surely everyone is but a breath.(AF)
The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened(A) to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory(B) of my majesty?”(C)
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.(D) 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”(E)
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched(F) with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.(G)
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity(H) was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.(I)
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom(J) endures from generation to generation.(K)
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.(L)
He does as he pleases(M)
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back(N) his hand(O)
or say to him: “What have you done?”(P)
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom.(Q) My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt(R) and glorify(S) the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.(T) And those who walk in pride(U) he is able to humble.(V)
God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another,(A) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(B) and knows God.(C) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(D) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(E) into the world that we might live through him.(F) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(G) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(H) 11 Dear friends,(I) since God so loved us,(J) we also ought to love one another.(K) 12 No one has ever seen God;(L) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(M)
13 This is how we know(N) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(O) 14 And we have seen and testify(P) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(Q) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(R) God lives in them and they in God.(S) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.(T) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(U) 17 This is how love is made complete(V) among us so that we will have confidence(W) on the day of judgment:(X) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(Y) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.(Z) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(AA) is a liar.(AB) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(AC) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(AD) 21 And he has given us this command:(AE) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(AF)
Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit(A)
31 Then he went down to Capernaum,(B) a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching,(C) because his words had authority.(D)
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us,(E) Jesus of Nazareth?(F) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are(G)—the Holy One of God!”(H)
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly.(I) “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed(J) and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority(K) and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.(L)
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