Book of Common Prayer
The Prayer of an Innocent Man
Of David.
26 Lord, defend me.
I have lived an innocent life.
I trusted the Lord and never doubted.
2 Lord, try me and test me.
Look closely into my heart and mind.
3 I see your love.
I live by your truth.
4 I do not spend time with liars.
I do not make friends with people who hide their sin.
5 I hate the company of evil people.
I won’t sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands to show I am innocent.
I come to your altar, Lord.
7 I raise my voice in praise.
I tell of all the miracles you have done.
8 Lord, I love the Temple where you live.
It is where your greatness is.
9 Do not kill me with those sinners.
Do not take my life with those murderers.
10 Evil is in their hands.
They do wrong for money.
11 But I have lived an innocent life.
So save me and be kind to me.
12 I stand in a safe place.
Lord, I praise you in the great meeting.
A Prayer in Troubled Times
Of David.
28 Lord, my Rock, I call out to you for help.
Do not be deaf to me.
If you are silent,
I will be like those in the grave.
2 Hear the sound of my prayer,
when I cry out to you for help.
I raise my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Don’t drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil.
They say, “Peace” to their neighbors.
But evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for what they have done.
They have done evil.
Pay them back for what they have done.
Give them their reward.
5 They don’t understand what the Lord has done
or what he has made.
So he will knock them down
and not lift them up.
6 Praise the Lord.
He heard my prayer for help.
7 The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him, and he helps me.
I am very happy.
And I praise him with my song.
8 The Lord is powerful.
He gives power and victory to his chosen one.
9 Save your people.
Bless those who are your own.
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Wicked Men and a Good God
For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
36 Sin speaks to the wicked man in his heart.
He has no fear of or respect for God.
2 He thinks too much of himself.
He doesn’t see his sin and hate it.
3 His words are wicked lies.
He is no longer wise or good.
4 At night he makes evil plans.
What he does leads to nothing good.
He doesn’t refuse things that are evil.
5 Lord, your love reaches to the heavens.
Your loyalty goes to the skies.
6 Your goodness is as high as the mountains.
Your justice is as deep as the great ocean.
Lord, you protect both men and animals.
7 God, your love is so precious!
You protect people as a bird protects her young under her wings.
8 They eat the rich food in your house.
You let them drink from your river of pleasure.
9 You are the giver of life.
Your light lets us enjoy life.
10 Continue to love those who know you.
And continue to do good to those who are good.
11 Don’t let proud people attack me.
Don’t let the wicked force me away.
12 Those who do evil have been defeated.
They are overwhelmed; they cannot do evil any longer.
Life Is Short
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A song of David.
39 I said, “I will be careful how I act.
I will not sin by what I say.
I will be careful what I say
around wicked people.”
2 So I kept very quiet.
I didn’t even say anything good.
But I became even more upset.
3 I became very angry inside.
And the more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
So I spoke:
4 “Lord, tell me when the end will come.
How long will I live?
Let me know how long I have.
5 You have given me only a short life.
My lifetime is like nothing to you.
Everyone’s life is only a breath. Selah
6 A person is like a shadow moving about.
All his work is for nothing.
He collects things, but he doesn’t know who will get them.
7 “So, Lord, what hope do I have?
You are my hope.
8 Save me from all my sins.
Don’t let wicked fools make fun of me.
9 I am quiet. I do not open my mouth.
You are the one who has done this.
10 Quit punishing me.
Your beating is about to kill me.
11 You correct and punish people for their sins.
Like a moth, you destroy what they love.
Everyone’s life is only a breath. Selah
12 “Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry.
Do not ignore my tears.
I am like a visitor with you.
Like my ancestors, I’m only here a short time.
13 Leave me alone so I can be happy.
Soon I will leave and be no more.”
65 So King Solomon and all the people of Israel also celebrated the other festival that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath in the north. And they came from as far as the brook of Egypt in the south. A great many people were there. They ate, drank and rejoiced before the Lord for a total of 14 days. 66 On the following day Solomon sent the people home. So they blessed the king and went home. They were happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and for his people, Israel.
The Lord Appears to Solomon Again
9 So Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord and his royal palace. Solomon finished building everything he wanted to build. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him again. This was just as he had done before, in Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer. I have heard what you asked me to do. You built this Temple. And I have made it a holy place. So I will be worshiped there forever. I will watch over it and protect it always.
4 “But you must serve me as your father David did. He was fair and sincere. You must obey my laws and do everything I command. 5 If you do these things, I will allow your family to rule Israel forever. I made this promise to your father David. I told him that someone from his family would always be king over Israel.
6 “But you and your children must follow me. You must obey the laws and commands I have given you. You must not go off to serve or worship other gods. 7 If you do, I will force Israel to leave the land I have given them. I made the Temple holy for people to worship me there. But if you don’t obey me, I will tear it down. Then Israel will become a bad example, a joke, to other people. 8 If the Temple is destroyed, everyone who sees it will be shocked. They will make fun of you and ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this? Why did he do this terrible thing to this land and this Temple?’ 9 Other people will answer, ‘This happened because they left the Lord their God. He brought their ancestors out of Egypt. But they decided to follow other gods. They worshiped and served those gods. That is why the Lord brought all this disaster to them.’”
Faith and Good Works
14 My brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does nothing, his faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save him? 15 A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or might need food. 16 And you say to him, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat.” You say this, but you do not give that person the things he needs. Unless you help him, your words are worth nothing. 17 It is the same with faith. If faith does nothing, then that faith is dead, because it is alone.
18 Someone might say, “You have faith, but I do things. Show me your faith! Your faith does nothing. I will show you my faith by the things I do.” 19 You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too! And they shake with fear.
20 You foolish person! Must you be shown that faith that does nothing is worth nothing? 21 Abraham is our father. He was made right with God by the things he did. He offered his son Isaac to God on the altar. 22 So you see that Abraham’s faith and the things he did worked together. His faith was made perfect by what he did. 23 This shows the full meaning of the Scripture that says: “Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.”[a] And Abraham was called “God’s friend.”[b] 24 So you see that a person is made right with God by the things he does. He cannot be made right by faith only.
25 Another example is Rahab, who was a prostitute. But she was made right with God by something she did: She helped the spies for God’s people. She welcomed them into her home and helped them escape by a different road.
26 A person’s body that does not have a spirit is dead. It is the same with faith. Faith that does nothing is dead!
Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus
66 Peter was still in the courtyard when a servant girl of the high priest came there. 67 She saw Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked closely at him.
Then the girl said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”
68 But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard.[a]
69 The servant girl saw Peter there. Again she said to the people who were standing there, “This man is one of those who followed Jesus.” 70 Again Peter said that it was not true.
A short time later, some people were standing near Peter. They said, “We know you are one of those who followed Jesus. You are from Galilee, too.”
71 Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear that I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 As soon as Peter said this, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter was very sad and began to cry.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.