Book of Common Prayer
To the Director: A composition[a] by David for stringed instruments.
A Prayer for God’s Protection
61 God, hear my cry;
pay attention to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to you
whenever my heart is overwhelmed.
Place me on the rock that’s too high for me.
3 For you have been a refuge for me,
a tower of strength before the enemy.
4 Let me make my home in your tent forever;
let me hide under the shelter of your wings.
5 For you, God, have heard my promises;
you have assigned to me[b] the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Add day after day to the king’s life;
may his years continue[c] for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned before God forever;
Appoint your[d] gracious love and truth to guard him.
8 So I will sing songs to your name forever;
I will fulfill my promises day by day.
To the Director: According to Jeduthun’s style. A Davidic Psalm.
A Psalm of Trust in God
62 My soul rests quietly only when it looks[e] to God;
from him comes my deliverance.
2 He alone is my rock, my deliverance, and my high tower;
nothing will shake me.
3 How long will you rage against someone?
Would you attack him
as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?
4 They plan to cast him down from his exalted position.
They delight in lies;
their mouth utters blessings,
while their heart is cursing.
5 My soul, be quiet before God,
for from him comes my hope.
6 He alone is my rock, my deliverance, and my high tower;
nothing will shake me.
7 I rely on God who is my deliverance and my glory;
he is my strong rock,
and my refuge is in God.
8 People, in every situation put your trust in God;[f]
pour out your heart before him;
for God is a refuge for us.
9 Human beings[g] are a mere vapor,
while people in high positions[h] are not what they appear.
When they are placed on the scales, they weigh nothing;
even when weighed together, they are less than nothing.
10 Don’t trust in oppression
or put false hope in stealing;
if you become wealthy,
do not set your heart on it.
11 God spoke once,
but I heard it twice,
“Power belongs to God.”
12 Also to you, Lord, belongs gracious love,
because you reward each person according to what he does.
To the Director of music: A Psalm. A song.
A Song of Praise to God
68 God arises,
and his enemies are scattered.
Those who hate him flee from his presence.[a]
2 As smoke is driven away, so you drive them away.
As wax melts in the presence of fire,
so the wicked die in the presence of God.
3 But the righteous rejoice and exult before God;
they are overwhelmed with joy.
4 Sing to God!
Sing praise to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds.
The Lord is his name.
Be jubilant in his presence.
5 A father to orphans and an advocate for widows
is God in his holy dwelling place.
6 God causes the lonely to dwell in families.[b]
He leads prisoners into prosperity,
but rebels live on parched land.
7 God, when you led out your people,
when you marched through the desert,
8 the land quaked.
Indeed, the heavens poured down rain
from the presence of God,
this God of Sinai,
from the presence of God,
the God of Israel.
9 God, you poured out abundant rain on your inheritance.
When Israel[c] was weary, you sustained her.
10 Your people live[d] there;
you sustain the needy[e] with your goodness, God.
11 The Lord issues a command.
Numerous are the women who announce the news:
12 “Kings of armies retreat and flee,
while the lady of the house divides the spoil.
13 When you men lie down among the sheepfolds,
you are like[f] the wings of the dove covered with silver,
with its feathers in glittering gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there,
there was snow on Mt. Zalmon.
15 The mountain of God is as the mountain of Bashan;
a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.
16 You mountains of many peaks, why do you watch with envy
the mountain in which God has chosen to dwell?
Indeed, the Lord will live there forever.
17 God’s chariots were many thousands.
The Lord was there with them at Sinai in holiness.
18 You ascended to the heights,
you took captives.
You received gifts among mankind,
even the rebellious,
so the Lord God may live there.[g]
19 Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us.
God is our deliverer.
20 God is for us the God of our deliverance.
The Lord God rescues us from death.
21 God surely strikes the heads of his enemies,
even the hairy heads of those who continue in their guilt.
22 The Lord says, “From Bashan I will bring them,
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
23 that your feet may wade through blood.
The tongues of your dogs will have their portions
from your enemies.”
24 They have observed your processions, God,
the processions of my God,
my king, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers are in front,
the musicians follow,
strumming their stringed instruments
among the maidens who are playing their tambourines.
26 Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord who is the fountain of Israel.
27 Little Benjamin is there, leading them,
and the princes of Judah all together
with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Summon the power of your God,
the power, God, that you have shown us.
29 Because of your Temple in Jerusalem,
kings bring tribute to you.
30 Rebuke the wildlife that lives among the reeds,
the nations that congregate like bulls and cows,
humbling themselves with pieces of silver,
for God[h] scatters the nations that delight in battle.
31 Envoys will come from Egypt.
Let the Ethiopians stretch out their hands to God.
32 You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord,
33 to the one who rides the heavens, the ancient heavens.
Behold! He thunders with a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God, whose glory is over Israel,
whose power is in the skies.
35 You are awesome, God, from your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel is the one
who gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!
11 Indeed, these commands that I’m giving you today are neither confusing nor unattainable for you. 12 They aren’t in the heavens, so you have to ask, ‘Who’ll go up to the heavens for us and get it for us so we can hear it and act on it?’ 13 And they aren’t beyond the seas either, so you have to ask, ‘Who’ll cross the sea and get it for us so we can hear it and act on it?’ 14 No, the word is very near you—it’s within your mouth and heart for you to attain.”
Destruction in Disobedience
15 “Look! Today I have set before you life and what is good, along with death and what is evil. 16 That’s why I’m commanding you today to love the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by observing his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live long, increase, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter to possess. 17 But if you turn your heart away, and do not obey, but instead if you stray away to worship and serve other gods, 18 I’m declaring to you today that you will surely be destroyed. You won’t live long[a] in the land that you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to testify against you today! I’ve set life and death before you today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it may be well with you—you and your children. 20 Love the Lord your God, obey his voice, and cling to him, because he is your life—even your long life—so that you may live in the land that the Lord promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Paul Contrasts Himself with False Apostles
11 I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me! 2 I am jealous of you with God’s own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.[a] 3 However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure[b] devotion to the Messiah.[c]
4 For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen. 5 I do not think I’m inferior in any way to those “super-apostles.” 6 Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.
7 Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 As surely as the truth of the Messiah[d] is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
12 But I will go on doing what I’m doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about. 13 Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.[e] 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom[f] will match their deeds!
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
16 I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little. 17 When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord’s authority but like a fool. 18 Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too. 19 You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools. 20 You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!
21 I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too.
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19 As Jesus[a] entered Jericho and was passing through it, 2 a man named Zacchaeus appeared. He was a leading tax collector, and a rich one at that! 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn’t do so due to the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus,[b] who was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came to the tree,[c] he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today.” 6 Zacchaeus[d] came down quickly and was glad to welcome him into his home.[e]
7 But all the people who saw this began to complain: “Jesus[f] is going to be the guest of a notorious[g] sinner!”
8 Later, Zacchaeus stood up and announced to the Lord, “Look! I’m giving half of my possessions to the destitute, and if I have accused anyone falsely, I’m repaying four times as much as I owe.”[h]
9 Then Jesus told him, “Today salvation has come to this home, because this man[i] is also a descendant of Abraham, 10 and the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
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