Book of Common Prayer
God Judges with Equity
For the choir director. [a]Al-tashheth. A Psalm of Asaph. [b]A Song.
75 We (A)give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,
For Your name is (B)near;
Men recount (C)Your wondrous deeds.
2 “For I select an (D)appointed time,
It is I who (E)judge with equity.
3 The (F)earth and all who dwell in it [c]melt;
It is I who have firmly set its (G)pillars. [d]Selah.
4 I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
And to the wicked, ‘(H)Do not raise up the horn;
5 Do not raise up your horn on high,
(I)Nor speak with insolent [e]pride.’”
6 For one’s rising up does not come from the east, nor from the west,
And not from the [f](J)desert;
7 But (K)God is the Judge;
He (L)puts down one and raises up another.
8 For a (M)cup is in the hand of Yahweh, and the wine foams;
It is (N)full of His mixture, and He pours from this;
Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and (O)drink down its dregs.
9 But as for me, I will (P)declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And all the (Q)horns of the wicked I will cut off,
But (R)the horns of the righteous will be raised up.
God’s Name Is Great in Israel
For the choir director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
76 God is (S)known in Judah;
His name is (T)great in Israel.
2 So His [g](U)tabernacle is in (V)Salem;
His (W)dwelling place is in Zion.
3 There He (X)broke the [h]flaming arrows,
The shield and the sword and the battle. [i]Selah.
4 You are shining,
Majestic from the mountains of prey.
5 The (Y)stouthearted were plundered,
[j]They sank into sleep;
And none of the [k]warriors could use his hands.
6 At Your (Z)rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both (AA)chariot rider and horse slumbered into a deep sleep.
7 But You, You are [l](AB)fearsome;
And (AC)who can stand in Your presence when once [m]You are angry?
Yahweh Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 Yahweh is my (A)shepherd,
I [a]shall (B)not want.
2 He makes me lie down in (C)green pastures;
He (D)leads me beside [b](E)quiet waters.
3 He (F)restores my soul;
He (G)guides me in the [c](H)paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I (I)walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I (J)fear no [e]evil, for (K)You are with me;
Your (L)rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You (M)prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have (N)anointed my head with oil;
My (O)cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely (P)goodness and lovingkindness will [h]pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will [i](Q)dwell in the house of Yahweh [j]forever.
Yahweh Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
27 Yahweh is my (A)light and my (B)salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the [a](C)strong defense of my life;
(D)Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to (E)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they (F)stumbled and fell.
3 Though a (G)host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In this I (H)trust.
4 (I)One thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I shall seek:
That I may (J)dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life,
To behold (K)the [b]beauty of Yahweh
And to (L)inquire in His temple.
5 For in the (M)day of calamity He will (N)conceal me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will (O)hide me;
He will (P)lift me up on a rock.
6 And now (Q)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent (R)sacrifices with loud shouts of joy;
I will (S)sing, and I will sing praises to Yahweh.
7 (T)Hear, O Yahweh, when I call with my voice,
And be gracious to me and (U)answer me.
8 On Your behalf my heart says, “(V)Seek My face,”
“Your face, O Yahweh, (W)I shall seek.”
9 (X)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your slave away in (Y)anger;
You have been (Z)my help;
(AA)Do not abandon me and do not (AB)forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [c]For my father and (AC)my mother have forsaken me,
But (AD)Yahweh will take me up.
11 (AE)Instruct me in Your way, O Yahweh,
And lead me in a (AF)level path
Because of [d]my foes.
12 Do not give me over to the [e](AG)desire of my adversaries,
For (AH)false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as (AI)breathe out violence.
13 [f]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the (AJ)goodness of Yahweh
In the (AK)land of the living.
14 (AL)Hope in Yahweh;
Be (AM)strong and let your heart take courage;
Hope in Yahweh.
Elijah Taken to Heaven
2 Now it happened when Yahweh was about to (A)take up Elijah by a [a]whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with (B)Elisha from (C)Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “(D)Stay here please, for Yahweh has sent me as far as (E)Bethel.” But Elisha said, “(F)As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then (G)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over [b]you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
4 And Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please (H)stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to (I)Jericho.” But he said, “(J)As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 (K)Then the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “(L)Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over [c]you today?” And he [d]answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please (M)stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to (N)the Jordan.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Now (O)fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, but the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah (P)took his mantle and folded it together and (Q)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 Now it happened when they crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a (R)double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you (S)see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared (T)a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and it separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a [e]whirlwind to heaven. 12 And Elisha was seeing this and he was crying out, “(U)My father, my father, the [f]chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw [g]Elijah no more. Then (V)he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” Indeed, he himself also (W)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there! And Elisha crossed over.
Elisha Has the Spirit of Elijah
15 Then (X)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him and said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty excellent men, please let them go and search for your master, lest (Y)the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when (Z)they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. 18 So they returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
Servants of Christ
4 Let a man consider us in this manner, as (A)servants of Christ and (B)stewards of (C)the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required [a]of stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human [b]court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I (D)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this (E)acquitted. But the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore (F)do not go on [c]passing judgment before [d]the time, but wait (G)until the Lord comes who will both (H)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and make manifest the motives of hearts. And then each one’s (I)praise will come to him from God.
6 Now these things, brothers, I have applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to go beyond (J)what is written, so that no one of you will (K)become puffed up (L)on behalf of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as superior? (M)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the (A)Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, (B)until heaven and earth pass away, not [a]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [b]others to do the same, shall be called least (C)in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your (D)righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
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