Book of Common Prayer
The Lord, an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)while I live;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I [c]have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in noblemen,
In [d]mortal (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [e]the earth;
On that very day his (I)plans perish.
5 (J)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and everything that is in them;
Who (N)keeps [f]faith forever;
7 Who (O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord (Q)frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord (R)opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord (T)loves the righteous.
9 The Lord (U)watches over strangers;
He [g](V)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [h]thwarts (W)the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will (X)reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
[i]Praise [j]the Lord!
Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.
147 [k]Praise [l]the Lord!
For (Y)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [m]it is pleasant and praise is [n](Z)beautiful.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
He (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the (AC)brokenhearted
And (AD)binds up their [o]wounds.
4 He (AE)counts the number of the stars;
He [p](AF)gives names to all of them.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His (AH)understanding is [q]infinite.
6 The Lord [r](AI)supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 (AJ)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8 It is He who (AK)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who (AL)provides rain for the earth,
Who (AM)makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 It is He who (AN)gives an animal its food,
And feeds (AO)young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in [s]the strength of the (AP)horse;
He (AQ)does not take pleasure in the [t]legs of a man.
11 The Lord (AR)favors those who fear Him,
(AS)Those who wait for His [u]faithfulness.
12 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the (AT)bars of your gates;
He has (AU)blessed your sons among you.
14 He (AV)makes [v]peace in your borders;
He (AW)satisfies you with (AX)the [w]finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His (AY)command to the earth;
His (AZ)word runs very swiftly.
16 He [x]showers (BA)snow like wool;
He scatters the (BB)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His (BC)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His (BD)cold?
18 He (BE)sends His word and makes them melt;
He (BF)makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He (BG)declares His words to Jacob,
His (BH)statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He (BI)has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, [y]they have (BJ)not known them.
[z]Praise [aa]the Lord!
The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
111 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
I (A)will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the (B)company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 (C)Great are the works of the Lord;
They are [c](D)studied by all who delight in them.
3 [d](E)Splendid and majestic is His work,
And (F)His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused His [e]wonders [f]to be remembered;
The Lord is (G)gracious and compassionate.
5 He has (H)given [g]food to those who [h]fear Him;
He will (I)remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are [i](J)truth and justice;
All His precepts (K)are trustworthy.
8 They are (L)upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in [j](M)truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent (N)redemption to His people;
He has [k]ordained His covenant forever;
(O)Holy and [l]awesome is His name.
10 The [m](P)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All those who [n]follow (Q)His commandments have a good understanding;
His (R)praise endures forever.
Prosperity of One Who Fears the Lord.
112 [o]Praise [p]the Lord!
(S)Blessed is a person who [q]fears the Lord,
Who greatly (T)delights in His commandments.
2 His [r](U)descendants will be mighty [s]on the earth;
The generation of the (V)upright will be blessed.
3 (W)Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness (X)for the upright;
He is (Y)gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5 It goes well for a person who (Z)is gracious and lends;
He will [t]maintain his cause in judgment.
6 For he will (AA)never be shaken;
The (AB)righteous will be [u]remembered forever.
7 He will not fear (AC)bad news;
His (AD)heart is steadfast, (AE)trusting in the Lord.
8 His (AF)heart is firm, he (AG)will not fear,
[v]But will (AH)look with satisfaction on his enemies.
9 [w]He (AI)has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His (AJ)horn will be exalted in honor.
10 The (AK)wicked will see it and be [x]vexed,
He will (AL)gnash his teeth and (AM)melt away;
The (AN)desire of the wicked will perish.
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [y]Praise [z]the Lord!
(AO)Praise Him, you (AP)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (AQ)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
3 (AR)From [aa]the rising of the sun to its setting,
The (AS)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (AT)high above all nations;
His (AU)glory is above the heavens.
5 (AV)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (AW)is enthroned on high,
6 Who (AX)looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
7 He (AY)raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8 To (AZ)seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
9 He (BA)has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[ab]Praise [ac]the Lord!
36 Then Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let’s not leave a man among them alive.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good [a]to you.” So (A)the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” 37 So Saul (B)inquired of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You hand them over to Israel?” But (C)He did not answer him on that day. 38 Then Saul said, “[b](D)Come here, all you [c]leaders of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. 39 For (E)as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall assuredly die!” But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good [d]to you.” 41 Therefore, Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “(F)Give a [e]perfect lot.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected by lot, but the people [f]were exonerated. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected by lot.
43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “(G)Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “(H)I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!” 44 And Saul said, “(I)May God do the same to me and more also, for (J)you shall certainly die, Jonathan!” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, he who has [g]brought about this great [h]victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, (K)not even a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because (L)he has worked with God this day.” So the people [i]rescued Jonathan and he did not die.
Results of Justification
5 (A)Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a](B)we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have (C)obtained our introduction by faith into this grace (D)in which we stand; and [b]we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 3 (E)And not only this, but [c]we also (F)celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about (G)perseverance; 4 and (H)perseverance, (I)proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope (J)does not disappoint, because the love of God has been (K)poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still (L)helpless, (M)at the right time (N)Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous person; [d]though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. 8 But God (O)demonstrates (P)His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, (Q)Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [e](R)by His blood, we shall be saved (S)from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were (T)enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [f](U)by His life. 11 (V)And not only this, but [g]we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received (W)the reconciliation.
Parable of the Marriage Feast
22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “(A)The kingdom of heaven [a]is like [b]a king who [c]held a (B)wedding feast for his son. 3 And he (C)sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 Again he (D)sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened cattle are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went their separate ways, one to his own [d]farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and treated them abusively, and then killed them. 7 Now the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 So go to (E)the main roads, and invite whomever you find there to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with [e]dinner guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the [f]dinner guests, he saw (F)a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he *said to him, ‘(G)Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into (H)the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’ 14 For many are [g](I)called, but few are (J)chosen.”
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