Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer of Repentance
A psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.[a]
38 O Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger
or chastise me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation.
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have passed over my head;
like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds start to stink; they rot
because of my foolishness.
6 I am bowed down; I am bent over greatly.
All the day I go about mourning.
7 For my loins are full of burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am faint and crushed greatly;
I groan because of the roaring of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is before you,
and my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs violently, my strength leaves me;
and the light of my eyes, that also is not with me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares as well,
and those intent on my harm speak threats.
They also plot deceit all day.
13 But as for me, like the deaf I cannot hear,
and I am like the mute who cannot open his mouth.
14 And so I am like a man who hears not,
and in whose mouth there are no retorts.
15 Rather for you I wait, O Yahweh.
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Help, lest they rejoice over me,
lest they boast against me when my foot slips.”
17 For I am ready to stumble,
and my pain is before me continually.
18 For my iniquity I confess;
I am anxious because of my sin.
19 And my enemies without cause[b] are numerous,
and those who hate me wrongfully[c] are many.
20 And those who repay evil in return for good
accuse me in return for my pursuing good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Yahweh.
O my God, do not be far from me.
22 Hurry to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.
Daleth
25 My soul clings to the dust;
revive me according to your word.
26 I told of my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
that I may meditate on your wonderful things.
28 My soul weeps[a] because of grief;
strengthen me according to your word.
29 Remove from me the deceptive way,
and graciously give me your law.
30 I have chosen the faithful way;
I have set your ordinances before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies;
O Yahweh, do not let me be put to shame.
32 I will run the way of your commands,
for you will enlarge my heart.[b]
Heʼ
33 Teach me, O Yahweh, the way of your statutes,
and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and heed it with my whole heart.
35 Cause me to walk in the path of your commands,
for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at what is worthless;
revive me in your ways.
38 Fulfill your word[c] to your servant,
which is to bring about a reverence for you.
39 Turn away my disgrace that I dread,
for your ordinances are good.
40 Look, I have longed for your precepts;
revive me in your righteousness.
Waw
41 Let your acts of loyal love also come to me, O Yahweh,
your salvation according to your word.[d]
42 Then I will have an answer for the one who taunts me,
for I trust your word.
43 And do not snatch the word of truth utterly from my mouth,
for I hope in your ordinances.
44 So I will heed your law continually,
forever and ever.
45 And I will go about freely,[e]
for I have sought your precepts.
46 And I will speak of your testimonies before kings,
and will not be ashamed.
47 And I will take delight in your commands,
which I love.
48 And I will lift up my hands[f] to your commands, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
25 “When you have had children and grandchildren[a] and you have grown old in the land and you act corruptly and you make a divine image of the form of anything and you do evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God, thus provoking him to anger, 26 I call[b] to witness against you today the heaven and the earth, that you will perish soon and completely from the land that you are crossing the Jordan into it to take possession of it; you will not live long on it,[c] but you will be completely destroyed. 27 And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number[d] among the nations to where Yahweh will lead you.[e] 28 And you will there serve gods made by human hands,[f] of wood and stone, gods that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot eat and cannot smell. 29 But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God and will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.[g] 30 In your distress[h] when[i] all these things have found you in the latter days,[j] then[k] you will return to Yahweh your God, and you will listen to his voice. 31 For Yahweh your God is a compassionate God; he will not abandon you,[l] and he will not destroy you, and he will not forget the covenant of your ancestors[m] that he swore to them.
23 But I call upon God as witness against my life, that in order to[a] spare you, I did not come again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
2 For I have decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me? 3 And I wrote this very thing in order that when I[b] came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, because I[c] have confidence about you all, that my joy belongs to all of you[d]. 4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.
Forgive and Comfort the Offender
5 But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not caused me sorrow, but to some degree[e]—in order not to say too much[f]—to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for such a person. 7 So then, you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow this person should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to confirm your love for him. 9 Because for this reason also I wrote, in order that I could know your proven character, whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also do; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake[g] in the presence of Christ, 11 in order that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).
Triumphant Ministry in Christ
12 Now when I[h] arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord, 13 I did not experience rest in my spirit, because[i] I did not find Titus my brother, but saying farewell to them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to those on the one hand an odor from death to death, and to those on the other hand a fragrance from life to life. And who is qualified for these things? 17 For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives—but as from God—we speak before God in Christ.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 And he said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his[a] father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his[b] assets between them. 13 And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and[c] went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by[d] living wastefully. 14 And after[e] he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 And he went and[f] hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. 16 And he was longing to fill his stomach with[g] the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything[h] to him.
17 “But when he[i] came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have an abundance of food,[j] and I am dying here from hunger! 18 I will set out and[k] go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight![l] 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.’ 20 And he set out and[m] came to his own father. But while[n] he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him[o] and kissed him. 21 And his[p] son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight![q] I am no longer worthy to be called your son!’ 22 But his[r] father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it[s] on him, and put a ring on his finger[t] and sandals on his[u] feet! 23 And bring the fattened calf—kill it[v] and let us eat and[w] celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and[x] approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the slaves and[y] asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has gotten him back healthy.’ 28 But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and[z] began to implore[aa] him. 29 But he answered and[ab] said to his father, ‘Behold, so many years I have served you, and have never disobeyed your command! And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours returned—who has consumed your assets with prostitutes—you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 But he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and everything I have belongs to you.[ac] 32 But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!’”
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