Book of Common Prayer
ק (Qof)
145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep[a] your rules.”
147 I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
149 Listen to me[b] because of[c] your loyal love.
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do.[d]
150 Those who are eager to do[e] wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.[f]
152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last.[g]
ר (Resh)
153 See my pain and rescue me.
For I do not forget your law.
154 Fight for me[h] and defend me.[i]
Revive me with your word.
155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance,[j]
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do.[k]
157 The enemies who chase me are numerous.[l]
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.[m]
159 See how I love your precepts.
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love.
160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.[n]
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions.[o]
162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder.[p]
163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
164 Seven times[q] a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
165 Those who love your law are completely secure;[r]
nothing causes them to stumble.[s]
166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey[t] your commands.
167 I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
168 I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do.[u]
ת (Tav)
169 Listen to my cry for help,[v] O Lord.
Give me insight by your word.
170 Listen to my appeal for mercy.[w]
Deliver me, as you promised.[x]
171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
172 May my tongue sing about your instructions,[y]
for all your commands are just.
173 May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey[z] your precepts.
174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
175 May I[aa] live and praise you.
May your regulations help me.[ab]
176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep.[ac]
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
Psalm 128[a]
A song of ascents.[b]
128 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers,[c]
each one who keeps his commands.[d]
2 You[e] will eat what you worked so hard to grow.[f]
You will be blessed and secure.[g]
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine[h]
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children[i] will be like olive branches,
as they sit all around your table.
4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way.[j]
5 May the Lord bless you[k] from Zion,
that you might see[l] Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life,
6 and that you might see[m] your grandchildren.[n]
May Israel experience peace.[o]
Psalm 129[p]
A song of ascents.[q]
129 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.
2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.
3 The plowers plowed my back;
they made their furrows long.
4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.”[r]
5 May all who hate Zion
be humiliated and turned back.
6 May they be like the grass on the rooftops,
which withers before one can even pull it up,[s]
7 which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,
or the lap of the one who gathers the grain.
8 Those who pass by will not say,[t]
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 130[u]
A song of ascents.[v]
130 From the deep water[w] I cry out to you, O Lord.
2 O Lord, listen to me.[x]
Pay attention to[y] my plea for mercy.
3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of[z] sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you?[aa]
4 But[ab] you are willing to forgive,[ac]
so that you might[ad] be honored.[ae]
5 I rely on[af] the Lord.
I rely on him with my whole being;[ag]
I wait for his assuring word.[ah]
6 I yearn for the Lord,[ai]
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.[aj]
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love,[ak]
and is more than willing to deliver.[al]
8 He will deliver[am] Israel
from all their sins.[an]
David Learns of Absalom’s Death
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.”[a] 20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today,[b] for the king’s son is dead.”
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off. 22 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.” 23 But he said,[c] “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab[d] said to him, “Then go!” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.
23 Then[a] he summoned[b] two of the centurions[c] and said, “Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea[d] along with 70 horsemen[e] and 200 spearmen[f] by[g] nine o’clock tonight,[h] 24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride[i] so that he may be brought safely to Felix[j] the governor.”[k] 25 He wrote[l] a letter that went like this:[m]
26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor[n] Felix,[o] greetings. 27 This man was seized[p] by the Jews and they were about to kill him,[q] when I came up[r] with the detachment[s] and rescued him, because I had learned that he was[t] a Roman citizen.[u] 28 Since I wanted to know[v] what charge they were accusing him of,[w] I brought him down to their council.[x] 29 I found he[y] was accused with reference to controversial questions[z] about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.[aa] 30 When I was informed[ab] there would be a plot[ac] against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges[ad] against him before you.
31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders,[ae] took[af] Paul and brought him to Antipatris[ag] during the night. 32 The next day they let[ah] the horsemen[ai] go on with him, and they returned to the barracks.[aj] 33 When the horsemen[ak] came to Caesarea[al] and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented[am] Paul to him. 34 When the governor[an] had read[ao] the letter,[ap] he asked[aq] what province he was from.[ar] When he learned[as] that he was from Cilicia,[at] 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing[au] when your accusers arrive too.” Then[av] he ordered that Paul[aw] be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[ax]
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13 Then[a] they sent some of the Pharisees[b] and Herodians[c] to trap him with his own words.[d] 14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality[e] but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.[f] Is it right[g] to pay taxes[h] to Caesar[i] or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” 15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and said[j] to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius[k] and let me look at it.” 16 So[l] they brought one, and he said to them, “Whose image[m] is this, and whose inscription?” They replied,[n] “Caesar’s.” 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”[o] And they were utterly amazed at him.
Marriage and the Resurrection
18 Sadducees[p] (who say there is no resurrection)[q] also came to him and asked him,[r] 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man[s] must marry[t] the widow and father children[u] for his brother.’[v] 20 There were seven brothers. The first one married,[w] and when he died he had no children. 21 The second married her and died without any children, and likewise the third. 22 None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again,[x] whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”[y] 24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived[z] for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels[aa] in heaven. 26 Now as for the dead being raised,[ab] have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush,[ac] how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the[ad] God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?[ae] 27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living.[af] You are badly mistaken!”
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