Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 25[a]
By David.
1 To you, O Yahweh, I lift my soul.
2 I trust you, O my Elohim.
Do not let me be put to shame.
Do not let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who waits for you will ever be put to shame,
but all who are unfaithful will be put to shame.
4 Make your ways known to me, O Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me
because you are Elohim, my savior.
I wait all day long for you.
6 Remember, O Yahweh, your compassionate and merciful deeds.
They have existed from eternity.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways.
Remember me, O Yahweh, in keeping with your mercy and your goodness.
8 Yahweh is good and decent.
That is why he teaches sinners the way they should live.
9 He leads humble people to do what is right,
and he teaches them his way.
10 Every path of Yahweh is one of mercy and truth
for those who cling to his promise[b] and written instructions.
11 For the sake of your name, O Yahweh,
remove my guilt, because it is great.
12 Who, then, is this person that fears Yahweh?
He is the one whom Yahweh will teach which path to choose.
13 He will enjoy good things in life,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 Yahweh advises those who fear him.
He reveals to them the intent of his promise.
15 My eyes are always on Yahweh.
He removes my feet from traps.
16 Turn to me, and have pity on me.
I am lonely and oppressed.
17 Relieve my troubled heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
18 Look at my misery and suffering,
and forgive all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased in number,
how they have hated me with vicious hatred!
20 Protect my life, and rescue me!
Do not let me be put to shame.
I have taken refuge in you.
21 Integrity and honesty will protect me because I wait for you.
22 Rescue Israel, O Elohim, from all its troubles!
Psalm 9
For the choir director; according to muth labben;[a] a psalm by David.[b]
1 I will give you thanks, O Yahweh, with all my heart.
I will tell about all the miracles you have done.
2 I will find joy and be glad about you.
I will make music to praise your name, O Elyon.
3 When my enemies retreat, they will stumble and die in your presence.
4 You have defended my just cause:
You sat down on your throne as a fair judge.
5 You condemned nations.
You destroyed wicked people.
You wiped out their names forever and ever.
6 The enemy is finished—in ruins forever.
You have uprooted their cities.
Even the memory of them has faded.
7 Yet, Yahweh is enthroned forever.
He has set up his throne for judgment.
8 He alone judges the world with righteousness.
He judges its people fairly.
9 Yahweh is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust you, O Yahweh,
because you have never deserted those who seek your help.
11 Make music to praise Yahweh, who is enthroned in Zion.
Announce to the nations what he has done.
12 The one who avenges murder has remembered oppressed people.
He has never forgotten their cries.
13 Have pity on me, O Yahweh.
Look at what I suffer because of those who hate me.
You take me away from the gates of death
14 so that I may recite your praises one by one
in the gates of Zion
and find joy in your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk into the pit they have made.
Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden to trap others.
16 Yahweh is known by the judgment he has carried out.
The wicked person is trapped
by the work of his own hands. Higgaion Selah
17 Wicked people, all the nations who forget Elohim,
will return to the grave.
18 Needy people will not always be forgotten.
Nor will the hope of oppressed people be lost forever.
19 Arise, O Yahweh.
Do not let mortals gain any power.
Let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, O Yahweh.
Let the nations know that they are only mortal. Selah
Psalm 15
A psalm by David.
1 O Yahweh, who may stay in your tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one who walks with integrity,
does what is righteous,
and speaks the truth within his heart.
3 The one who does not slander with his tongue,
do evil to a friend,
or bring disgrace on his neighbor.
4 The one who despises those rejected by Yahweh
but honors those who fear Yahweh.
The one who makes a promise and does not break it,
even though he is hurt by it.
5 The one who does not collect interest on a loan
or take a bribe against an innocent person.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
9 However, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things which you have seen with your own eyes. Don’t let them fade from your memory as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day you stood in front of Yahweh your Elohim at Mount Horeb. Yahweh had said to me, “Assemble the people in front of me, and I will let them hear my words. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live on earth, and they will teach their children the same thing.”
11 So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy. 12 Yahweh spoke to you from the fire. You heard a voice speaking but saw no one. There was only a voice. 13 Yahweh told you about the terms of his promise, the ten commandments, which he commanded you to do. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 Yahweh also commanded me to teach you the laws and rules you must obey after you cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land.
Greeting
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Yeshua by the will of God, and from Timothy our brother.
To God’s church in the city of Corinth and to all God’s holy people everywhere in Greece.
2 Good will[a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!
God Comforts Paul and the Corinthians
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. 4 He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God. 5 Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from him. 6 Besides, if we suffer, it brings you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, we can effectively comfort you when you endure the same sufferings that we endure. 7 We have confidence in you. We know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort.
God Rescued Paul When He Was Suffering
8 Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about the suffering we experienced in the province of Asia. It was so extreme that it was beyond our ability to endure. We even wondered if we could go on living. 9 In fact, we still feel as if we’re under a death sentence. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life. 10 He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will rescue us in the future. We are confident that he will continue to rescue us, 11 since you are also joining to help us when you pray for us. Then many people will thank God for the favor he will show us because many people prayed for us.
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Yeshua. He turned to them and said, 26 “If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples. 27 So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples.
28 “Suppose you want to build a tower. You would first sit down and figure out what it costs. Then you would see if you have enough money to finish it. 29 Otherwise, if you lay a foundation and can’t finish the building, everyone who watches will make fun of you. 30 They’ll say, ‘This person started to build but couldn’t finish the job.’
31 “Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He would first sit down and think things through. Can he and his 10,000 soldiers fight against a king with 20,000 soldiers? 32 If he can’t, he’ll send ambassadors to ask for terms of peace while the other king is still far away. 33 In the same way, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything.
34 “Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? 35 It’s not any good for the ground or for the manure pile. People throw it away.
“Let the person who has ears listen!”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.