Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer to Bring Israel Back
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” A song of Asaph.
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen to us.
You lead the people of Joseph like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the gold creatures with wings.
Show your greatness 2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Use your strength.
Come and save us.
3 God, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
4 Lord God of heaven’s armies,
how long will you be angry
at the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed your people tears.
You have made them drink many tears.
6 You made those around us fight over us.
Our enemies make fun of us.
7 God of heaven’s armies, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
8 You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine.
You forced out other nations and planted us in the land.
9 You cleared the land for us.
Like a vine, we took root and filled the land.
10 We covered the mountains with our shade.
We had limbs like the mighty cedar tree.
11 Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea.
And our shoots went to the Euphrates River.
12 So why did you pull down our walls?
Now everyone who passes by steals from us.
13 Like wild pigs they walk over us.
Like wild animals they feed on us.
14 God of heaven’s armies, come back.
Look down from heaven and see.
Take care of us, your vine.
15 You planted this shoot with your own hands.
You raised and strengthened this child.
16 Now it is cut down and burned with fire.
You destroyed us by your angry looks.
17 Help the man you have chosen.
Make this human being strong for your service.
18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call to you for help.
19 Lord God of heaven’s armies, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
Remembering God’s Help
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A song of Asaph.
77 I cry out loud to God.
I call to God, and he will hear me.
2 I looked for the Lord on the day of trouble.
All night long I reached out my hands.
I cannot be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I become upset.
When I think, I become afraid. Selah
4 You keep my eyes from closing.
I am too upset to say anything.
5 I keep thinking about the old days,
the years of long ago.
6 At night I remember my songs.
I think, and I ask myself:
7 “Will the Lord reject us forever?
Will he never be kind to us again?
8 Is his love gone forever?
Has he stopped speaking for all time?
9 Has God forgotten mercy?
Is he too angry to pity us?” Selah
10 Then I said, “This is what makes me sad:
For years the power of God Most High was with us.”
11 I remember what the Lord did.
I remember the miracles you did long ago.
12 I think about all the things you did.
I think about what you have done.
13 God, your ways are holy.
No god is as great as our God.
14 You are the God who did miracles.
You showed people your power.
15 By your power you have saved your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 God, the waters saw you.
They saw you and became afraid.
The deep waters shook with fear.
17 The clouds poured down their rain.
The sky thundered.
Your lightning flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder sounded in the whirlwind.
Lightning lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.
19 You made a way through the sea
and paths through the deep waters.
But your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock of sheep.
You led them by using Moses and Aaron.
The Nation Cries for Jerusalem
A song of Asaph.
79 God, nations have come against your people.
They have ruined your holy Temple.
They have turned Jerusalem into ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
as food to the wild birds.
They have given the bodies of those who worship you
to the wild animals.
3 They have spilled blood like water
all around Jerusalem.
No one was left to bury the dead.
4 We are a bad joke to the other nations.
They laugh and make fun of us.
5 Lord, how long will this last? Will you be angry forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like a fire?
6 Be angry with the nations that do not know you.
Be angry with the kingdoms that do not honor you.
7 They have destroyed the people of Jacob.
Those nations have destroyed the people’s land.
8 Don’t punish us for the sins of our ancestors.
Show your mercy to us soon.
We are helpless!
9 God our Savior, help us
so people will praise you.
Save us and forgive our sins
so people will honor you.
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Tell the other nations in our presence
that you punish those who kill your servants.
11 Hear the moans of the prisoners.
Use your great power
to save those sentenced to die.
12 Repay those around us seven times over
for their insults to you, Lord.
13 We are your people, the sheep of your flock.
We will thank you always.
Forever and ever we will praise you.
David Wants to Build a Temple
7 King David was living in his palace. And the Lord gave him peace from all his enemies around him. 2 David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar wood. But the Ark of the Covenant of God is still kept in a tent!”
3 Nathan said to the king, “Go and do what you really want to do. The Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan. The Lord said, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in. 6 I did not live in a house when I brought the Israelites out of Egypt. I have been moving around all this time with a tent as my home. 7 I have continued to move with the tribes of Israel. But I have never asked their leaders who take care of them to build me a house of cedar wood.’
8 “You must tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: I took you from the pasture when you were following the sheep. I took you to become leader of my people, the Israelites. 9 I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great men on the earth. 10 Also I will choose a place for my people, the Israelites. I will plant them so they can live in their own home. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer make them suffer as they have in the past. 11 Wicked people continued to do this even when I appointed judges. But I will give you peace from all your enemies. I also tell you that I will make your descendants kings of Israel after you.
12 “‘Your days will come to an end, and you will die. At that time I will make one of your sons the next king. 13 He will build a temple for me. I will make his kingdom strong forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips. 15 But I will not stop loving him. I took away my love and kindness from Saul. I removed Saul when I turned to you. 16 But your family and your kingdom will continue forever before me. Your rule will last forever.’”
17 Nathan told David everything he had heard.
Paul in Corinth
18 Later, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 Here he met a Jew named Aquila. Aquila was born in the country of Pontus. But Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, had recently moved to Corinth from Italy. They left Italy because Claudius[a] commanded that all Jews must leave Rome. Paul went to visit Aquila and Priscilla. 3 They were tentmakers, just as he was. He stayed with them and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath day he talked with the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue. Paul tried to persuade these people to believe in Jesus.
5 Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia and joined Paul in Corinth. After this, Paul used all his time telling people the Good News. He showed the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But they would not accept Paul’s teaching and said some evil things. So he shook off the dust from his clothes.[b] He said to them, “If you are not saved, it will be your own fault! I have done all I can do! After this, I will go to non-Jewish people!” 7 Paul left the synagogue and moved into the home of Titius Justus. It was next to the synagogue. This man worshiped the true God. 8 Crispus was the leader of that synagogue. He and all the people living in his house believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also listened to Paul. They too believed and were baptized.
9 During the night, Paul had a vision. The Lord said to him, “Don’t be afraid! Continue talking to people and don’t be quiet! 10 I am with you. No one will hurt you because many of my people are in this city.” 11 Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching God’s word to the people.
The Leaders Ask for a Miracle
11 The Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him questions. They wanted to trap him. So they asked Jesus to do a miracle to show that he was from God. 12 Jesus sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a miracle as proof? I tell you the truth. No miracle will be given to you.” 13 Then Jesus left the Pharisees. He went in the boat to the other side of the lake.
Guard Against Wrong Teachings
14 The followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. They had forgotten to bring more bread. 15 Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16 Among themselves, his disciples discussed the meaning of this. They said, “He said this because we have no bread.”
17 Jesus knew what his followers were talking about. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? You still don’t see or understand? Are your minds closed? 18 You have eyes, but you don’t really see. You have ears, but you don’t really listen. Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread? 19 I divided five loaves of bread for 5,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 12 baskets.”
20 “And remember that I divided seven loaves of bread for 4,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 7 baskets.”
21 Then Jesus said to them, “You remember these things I did, but you still don’t understand?”
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