Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 66[a]
Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance
1 For the director.[b] A song. A psalm.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;[c]
2 sing to the glory of his name;[d]
offer to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God: “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power,
your enemies grovel before you.
4 The whole earth bows down in worship before you,
singing praises to you,
singing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and behold[e] the works of God,
the awesome deeds he has done for people.
6 He changed the sea into dry land;
they crossed the river[f] on foot.
There we rejoiced in him,
7 for he rules forever by his power.
His eyes keep watch over the nations
so that the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8 [g]Bless our God, all you peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard.
9 For he has preserved our lives[h]
and has kept our feet from stumbling.
10 For you, O God, have put us to the test;
you have purified us as silver is refined.
11 [i]You allowed us to be snared in the net
and placed heavy burdens on our backs.
12 You let our captors ride over our heads,[j]
and we went through fire and water,
but now you have afforded us relief.
13 [k]I will enter your house with burnt offerings
and carry out my vows to you,
14 the vows that my lips pronounced
and my mouth promised when I was in distress.
15 I will offer burnt offerings of fat animals
with the smoke of burning rams;
I will sacrifice to you bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,
while I relate what he has done for me.
17 [l]I lifted up my voice in prayer to him;
his praise[m] was on my tongue.
18 [n]If I had harbored evil in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God truly did listen,
and he was attentive to the words of my prayer.
20 Blessed[o] be God,
because he did not reject my prayer
or withhold his kindness from me.
Psalm 67[p]
Prayer That All May Worship God
1 For the director.[q] With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
2 O God, be gracious to us and bless us
and let your face shine upon us.[r] Selah
3 [s]Then your ways will be known on earth
and your salvation among all nations.
4 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
5 Let the nations rejoice and exult,
for you judge the peoples fairly
and guide the nations upon the earth.[t] Selah
6 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
7 The earth has yielded its harvest;
God, our God, has blessed us.
8 May God continue to bless us
and be revered to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 19[a]
God’s Glory in Creation
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David.
2 [c]The heavens proclaim the glory of God;
the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
3 One day imparts that message to the next,
and night conveys that knowledge to night.
4 All this occurs without speech or utterance;
no voice can be heard.
5 [d]Yet their message goes forth throughout the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
[e]In the heavens he has placed a tent for the sun,
6 which comes forth like a bridegroom from his wedding chamber,
rejoicing like an athlete who runs his course.
7 It rises from one end of the heavens,
and its circuit is completed at the other;
nothing can be hidden from its heat.
8 The law of the Lord is perfect,
affording refreshment to the soul.
The decree of the Lord is worthy of trust,
imparting wisdom to the simple.[f]
9 The precepts of the Lord are right,
causing the heart[g] to rejoice.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving light to the eyes.
10 The fear of the Lord[h] is pure,
destined to endure forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
and all of them are just.
11 They are even more precious than gold,
than an abundance of the purest gold;
they are also sweeter than honey
that drips from the comb.[i]
12 [j]By these your servant is instructed;
obedience in following them will ensure a great reward.
13 But who can fully recognize his shortcomings?
Cleanse me of my hidden faults.
14 From willful sins preserve your servant;
never let them gain power over me.
Then I will be blameless
and innocent of serious sin.
15 Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart[k]
find favor in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 46[a]
God, Refuge of His People
1 For the director.[b] A song of the sons of Korah. According to alamoth.
2 [c]God is our refuge and our strength,
a well-proved help in times of trouble.[d]
3 Therefore, we will not be afraid, though the earth be shaken
and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
4 though its waters rage and seethe
and the mountains tremble at the upheaval.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.[e] Selah
5 There is a river[f] whose streams bring joy to the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
6 God is in her midst; she will not be overcome;
God will help her at break of dawn.[g]
7 The nations are in tumult and kingdoms fall;
when he raises his voice,[h] the earth melts away.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
9 Come and behold the works of the Lord,
the astonishing deeds he has wrought on the earth.
10 He puts an end to wars all over the earth;
he breaks the bow and snaps the spear,
and he burns the shields with flames.[i]
11 “Be still and acknowledge that I am God,
exalted among the nations,
exalted on the earth.”[j]
12 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
12 The Death of Eli. That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and there was dust on his head. 13 He came upon Eli who was sitting by the side of the road. He was watching, concerned about the Ark of God. When the man entered the city and told them what had happened, the entire city raised up a cry.
14 When Eli heard the uproar, he said, “What is the meaning of this outcry?” The man hurried over and explained it to Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyesight was so poor that he could barely see. 16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle. I escaped from the battle today.” He asked, “How did things go, my son?” 17 The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.” 18 At the mention of the Ark of God, he fell over backwards off his seat beside the gate, and he broke his neck and died, for he was a very old man and quite heavy. He had been a judge[a] of Israel for forty years.
19 [b]His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant. When she heard the news that the Ark of God had been captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she sunk to her knees and gave birth, for she was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women who were standing around her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she gave no response, nor did she even look at it. 21 Then she named the child Ichabod, for she said, “The glory of God has departed from Israel,” for the Ark of God had been captured and also because of what had happened to her father-in-law and her husband. 22 For this she said, “The glory of God has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
Salutation
Chapter 1
Greeting.[a] 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: greetings.
Exhortation To Practice Patience
Trials—the Test of a Faith in Progress.[b] 2 My brethren, consider it a cause of great joy whenever you endure various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance. 4 And let perseverance complete its work so that you may become perfect and complete, and not be deficient in any respect.
A Believer’s Prayer.[c] 5 If someone among you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he is to ask with faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. 7 A man like that should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is of two minds and inconsistent in everything he does.
Rich and Poor.[d] 9 The brother who is in modest circumstances should take pride in being raised up. 10 Likewise, the one who is rich should glory in being brought low, for he will disappear like a flower of the field. 11 Once the sun comes up with its scorching rays and withers the grass, its flower droops and its beauty vanishes. So too the rich man will fade away in the midst of his affairs.
12 Trials and Temptations. Blessed is the man who perseveres when he is tempted, for when he has been proven, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.[e]
13 [f]While experiencing temptation, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 Rather, temptation occurs when someone is attracted and seduced by his own desire. 15 Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it reaches full growth, gives birth to death.
16 Light and Life.[g] Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift are from above, coming down from the Father of all light. With him there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 By his own choice he gave us birth through the way of truth so that we may be a kind of firstfruits of all his creation.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were astonished, and they asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
27 Reward for Following Jesus.[a] Then Peter said in reply, “We have given up everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
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