Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 87
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 The city he founded[a] is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves Zion’s city gates
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C)Selah
4 “I will make a record of those who know me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High himself will establish her.(E)
6 When he registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.”(F)Selah
7 Singers and dancers[b] alike will say,[c]
“My whole source of joy is[d] in you.”(G)
BOOK IV
(Psalms 90–106)
Psalm 90
Eternal God and Mortal Man
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our refuge[a]
in every generation.(A)
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, you are God.(B)
3 You return mankind to the dust,
saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”(C)
4 For in your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.(D)
5 You end their lives;[b] they sleep.(E)
They are like grass that grows in the morning—
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;
by evening it withers and dries up.(F)
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.(G)
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.(H)
9 For all our days ebb away under your wrath;
we end our years like a sigh.(I)
10 Our lives last[c] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
Even the best of them are[d] struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.(J)
11 Who understands the power of your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due you.(K)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.[e](L)
13 Lord—how long?
Turn and have compassion on your servants.(M)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.(N)
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.(O)
16 Let your work be seen by your servants,
and your splendor by their children.(P)
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
establish the work of our hands!(Q)
Psalm 136
God’s Love Is Eternal
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.(A)
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.(B)
His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders.(C)
His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.(D)
His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters.(E)
His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights:(F)
His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.(G)
His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians(H)
His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.(I)
His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea(J)
His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through,(K)
His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.(L)
His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.(M)
His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.(N)
His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation(O)
His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes.(P)
His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.(Q)
His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!(R)
His faithful love endures forever.
4 Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or a difficult language but to the house of Israel— 6 not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.(A) 7 But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me.(B) For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted. 8 Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.(C) 9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them or discouraged by the look on their faces, though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Next he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully to all my words that I speak to you and take them to heart. 11 Go to your people, the exiles, and speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”(D)
12 The Spirit then lifted me up,(E) and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me—bless the glory of the Lord in his place!— 13 with the[a] sound of the living creatures’ wings brushing against each other(F) and the sound of the wheels beside them,(G) a loud rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I left in bitterness and in an angry spirit, and the Lord’s hand was on me powerfully.(H) 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were living by the Chebar Canal, and I sat there among them stunned for seven days.(I)
Ezekiel as a Watchman
16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(J) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel.(K) When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.(L)
7 During his earthly life,[a] he offered prayers and appeals(A) with loud cries and tears(B) to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.(C) 9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Problem of Immaturity
11 We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.(D) 13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.(E)
The Power of Jesus over a Demon
37 The next day,(A) when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.(B) 39 A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”(C)
41 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse[a] generation,(D) how long will I be with you and put up with you?(E) Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy,(F) and gave him back to his father.(G) 43 And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.(H)
The Second Prediction of His Death
While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing,(I) he told his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink in:[b] The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”(J)
45 But they did not understand this statement;(K) it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it,(L) and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them.(M) 47 But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts,[c](N) took a little child and had him stand next to him. 48 He told them, “Whoever welcomes[d] this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.(O) For whoever is least among you—this one is great.”(P)
In His Name
49 John responded,(Q) “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,(R) and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”(S)
50 “Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”[e](T)
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