Book of Common Prayer
Do Not Hide Your Face from Me
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and [a]pours out his complaint before Yahweh.
102 (A)O Yahweh, hear my prayer!
And let my cry for help (B)come to You.
2 (C)Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
(D)Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call (E)answer me quickly.
3 For my days (F)have [b]vanished in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
4 My heart (H)has been stricken like [c]grass and it has (I)dried up,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My (K)bones [d]cling to my flesh.
6 I resemble a (L)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the waste places.
7 I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a lonely bird on a roof.
8 My enemies (N)have reproached me all day long;
Those who [e](O)ridicule me (P)swear against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread
And (Q)mixed my drinks with weeping
10 (R)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have (S)lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like an (T)outstretched shadow,
And as for me, I (U)dry up like [f]grass.
12 But You, O Yahweh, [g](V)abide forever,
And the (W)remembrance of Your name [h]from generation to generation.
13 You will (X)arise and have (Y)compassion on Zion—
For (Z)it is time to be gracious to it,
For the (AA)appointed time has come.
14 For Your slaves [i]find pleasure in its stones
And show grace to its dust—
15 [j]So the [k](AB)nations will fear the name of Yahweh
And (AC)all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For Yahweh has (AD)built up Zion;
He has (AE)appeared in His glory.
17 He has (AF)turned toward the prayer of the [l]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.
18 [m]This will be (AG)written for the (AH)generation to come,
And (AI)a people yet to be created will praise Yah.
19 For He (AJ)looked down from His holy height;
(AK)From heaven Yahweh gazed [n]upon the earth,
20 To hear the (AL)groaning of the prisoner,
To (AM)set free [o]those who were doomed to death,
21 To (AN)recount the name of Yahweh in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When (AO)the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.
23 He has afflicted my strength in the way;
He has (AP)shortened my days.
24 I say, “O my God, (AQ)do not take me away in the [p]midst of my days,
Your (AR)years are from generation to all generations.
25 Of old You (AS)founded the earth,
And the (AT)heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 [q]Even they will (AU)perish, but You will remain;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
27 But You are [r](AV)the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 The (AW)children of Your slaves will dwell securely,
And their (AX)seed will be established before You.”
BOOK 5
Yahweh Saves in Times of Trouble
107 Oh (A)give thanks to Yahweh, for (B)He is good,
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
2 Let (C)the redeemed of Yahweh say so,
Whom He has (D)redeemed from the hand of the adversary
3 And (E)gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the [a]south.
4 They (F)wandered in the wilderness along the way of the wasteland;
They did not find an inhabited (G)city.
5 Hungry [b]and thirsty,
Their (H)soul fainted within them.
6 Then they (I)cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 He led them by a [c](J)straight way,
To go to (K)an inhabited city.
8 (L)Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness,
And for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men!
9 For He has (M)satisfied the [d]thirsty soul,
And the (N)hungry soul He has filled with what is good.
10 There were those who (O)inhabited darkness and the shadow of death,
(P)Prisoners in affliction and irons,
11 Because they had (Q)rebelled against the words of God
And (R)spurned the (S)counsel of the Most High.
12 So He subdued their heart with labor;
They stumbled and there was (T)none to help.
13 Then they (U)cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He (V)brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death
And (W)broke their bands apart.
15 (X)Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness,
And for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men!
16 For He has (Y)shattered the doors of bronze
And cut through the bars of iron.
17 [e]Ignorant fools, because of their way of transgression,
And (Z)because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their (AA)soul abhorred all kinds of food,
And they (AB)reached the (AC)gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He (AD)sent His word and (AE)healed them,
And (AF)provided them escape from their [f]destructions.
21 (AG)Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness,
And for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men!
22 Let them also offer (AH)sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And (AI)recount His works with joyful singing.
23 Those who (AJ)go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on many waters;
24 They have seen the works of Yahweh,
And His wondrous deeds in the deep.
25 He (AK)spoke and set up a (AL)stormy wind,
Which (AM)raised up the waves [g]of the sea.
26 They went up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul (AN)melted away in the [h]calamity.
27 They staggered and (AO)swayed like a drunken man,
And all their wisdom was swallowed up.
28 Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He (AP)caused the storm to stand still,
So that its waves were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He led them to their desired haven.
31 (AQ)Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness,
And for His (AR)wondrous deeds to the sons of men!
32 Let them (AS)exalt Him also (AT)in the assembly of the people,
And (AU)praise Him at the seat of the elders.
19 Then the king said to (A)Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, going about, while (B)I go where I go? Return and cause your brothers to return; (C)lovingkindness and [a]truth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely (D)wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” 22 So David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over (E)the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward (F)the way of the wilderness.
24 Now behold, (G)Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him (H)carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and (I)Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of Yahweh, then (J)He will cause me to return and show me both it and (K)His habitation. 26 But if He should say thus, ‘(L)I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, (M)let Him do to me as seems good in His sight.” 27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not (N)a seer? Return to the city in peace and your (O)two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I am going to wait (P)at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and (Q)his head was covered and he was walking (R)barefoot. And all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. 31 Now David informed them, saying, “(S)Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Yahweh, I pray, (T)make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”
32 Then it happened that as David was coming to the summit, where he used to worship God, that behold, Hushai the (U)Archite met him with his [b]coat torn and [c]dust on his head. 33 And David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be (V)a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, and (W)say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that (X)whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall inform Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, (Y)their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and (Z)by their hand you shall send me everything that you hear.” 37 So Hushai, (AA)David’s friend, came into the city, and (AB)Absalom came into Jerusalem.
Paul’s Defense Before the Jews
37 As Paul was about to be brought into (A)the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he *said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not (B)the Egyptian who some [a]time ago raised a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out (C)into the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “(D)I am a Jew of Tarsus in (E)Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on (F)the stairs, (G)motioned to the people with his hand; and when there [b]was a great hush, he spoke to them in the (H)Hebrew language, saying,
22 “(I)Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the (J)Hebrew language, they became even quieter; and he *said,
3 “(K)I am (L)a Jew, born in (M)Tarsus of (N)Cilicia, but having been brought up in this city, having been instructed at the feet of (O)Gamaliel according to the (P)strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as (Q)you all are today, 4 (R)I persecuted this (S)Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons, 5 as also (T)the high priest and all (U)the Council of the elders [c]can testify. From them I also (V)received letters to (W)the brothers, and started off for (X)Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem [d]as prisoners to be punished.
6 “(Y)But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am (Z)Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 And those who were with me (AA)beheld the light, to be sure, but (AB)did not [e]understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘(AC)What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been determined for you to do.’ 11 But since I (AD)could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “Now a certain (AE)Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and (AF)well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near, said to me, ‘(AG)Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And [f](AH)at that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘(AI)The God of our fathers has (AJ)appointed you to know His will and to (AK)see the (AL)Righteous One and to hear a [g]voice from His mouth. 15 For you will be (AM)a witness for Him to all men of (AN)what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you delay? (AO)Rise up and be baptized, and (AP)wash away your sins, (AQ)calling on His name.’
Bartimaeus Regains His Sight
46 (A)Then they *came to Jericho. And (B)as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus the (C)Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, (D)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “(E)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the blind man, saying to him, “(F)Take courage, get up! He is calling for you.” 50 And throwing off his outer garment, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered him and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “[a](G)Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; (H)your faith has [b]saved you.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
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