Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 30
A psalm by David sung at the dedication of the temple.
1 I will honor you highly, O Yahweh,
because you have pulled me out of the pit
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Yahweh my Elohim,
I cried out to you for help,
and you healed me.
3 O Yahweh, you brought me up from the grave.
You called me back to life
from among those who had gone into the pit.
4 Make music to praise Yahweh, you faithful people who belong to him.
Remember his holiness by giving thanks.
5 His anger lasts only a moment.
His favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may last for the night,
but there is a song of joy in the morning.
6 When all was well with me, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 O Yahweh, by your favor you have made my mountain stand firm.
When you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 I will cry out to you, O Yahweh.
I will plead to Adonay for mercy:
9 “How will you profit if my blood is shed,
if I go into the pit?
Will the dust of my body give thanks to you?
Will it tell about your truth?”
10 Hear, O Yahweh, and have pity on me!
O Yahweh, be my helper!
11 You have changed my sobbing into dancing.
You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy
12 so that my soul[a] may praise you with music and not be silent.
O Yahweh my Elohim, I will give thanks to you forever.
Psalm 32
A psalm by David; a maskil.[a]
1 Blessed is the person whose disobedience is forgiven
and whose sin is pardoned.
2 Blessed is the person whom Yahweh no longer accuses of sin
and who has no deceitful thoughts.
3 When I kept silent about my sins,
my bones began to weaken because of my groaning all day long.
4 Day and night your hand laid heavily on me.
My strength shriveled in the summer heat. Selah
5 I made my sins known to you, and I did not cover up my guilt.
I decided to confess them to you, O Yahweh.
Then you forgave all my sins. Selah
6 For this reason let all godly people pray to you
when you may be found.
Then raging floodwater will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with joyous songs of salvation. Selah
8 The Lord says,
“I will instruct you.
I will teach you the way that you should go.
I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.
9 Don’t be stubborn like a horse or mule.
They need a bit and bridle in their mouth to restrain them,
or they will not come near you.”
10 Many heartaches await wicked people,
but mercy surrounds those who trust Yahweh.
11 Be glad and find joy in Yahweh, you righteous people.
Sing with joy, all whose motives are decent.
BOOK TWO
(Psalms 42–72)
Psalm 42
For the choir director; a maskil[a] by Korah’s descendants.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O Elohim.
2 My soul thirsts for Elohim, for El Chay.
When may I come to see Elohim’s face?
3 My tears are my food day and night.
People ask me all day long, “Where is your Elohim?”
4 I will remember these things as I pour out my soul:
how I used to walk with the crowd
and lead it in a procession to Elohim’s house.
I sang songs of joy and thanksgiving
while crowds of people celebrated a festival.
5 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in Elohim,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my Elohim.
6 My soul is discouraged.
That is why I will remember you
in the land of Jordan, on the peaks of Hermon, on Mount Mizar.
7 One deep sea calls to another at the roar of your waterspouts.
All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.[b]
8 Yahweh commands his mercy during the day,
and at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the El of my life.
9 I will ask Elohim, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?”
10 With a shattering blow to my bones,
my enemies taunt me.
They ask me all day long, “Where is your Elohim?”
11 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in Elohim,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my Elohim.
Psalm 43
1 Judge me, O Elohim,
and plead my case against an ungodly nation.
Rescue me from deceitful and unjust people.
2 You are my fortress, O Elohim!
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?
3 Send your light and your truth.
Let them guide me.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain
and to your dwelling place.
4 Then let me go to the altar of Elohim, to God my highest joy,
and I will give thanks to you on the lyre, O Elohim, my Elohim.
5 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in Elohim,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my Elohim.
7 Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
11 This is the copy of the letter they sent to him:
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants, the people west of the Euphrates:
12 Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place. 13 You should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls.
Ultimately, this will hurt the king’s income. 14 Now, because we are paid by your palace, it isn’t right for us to watch something happen that will dishonor the king. So we are sending this letter to inform you 15 that you should search the official records of your predecessors. You will find in those official records that this city has been rebellious and has been a threat to kings and provinces. This city has a history of rebelliousness. That’s why this city was destroyed. 16 We want the king to know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will have nothing left of your province west of the Euphrates River.
17 Then the king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their group living in Samaria, and to others west of the Euphrates River:
I wish you peace and prosperity!
18 The letter you sent me has been read word for word in my presence. 19 I gave the order, and a search was made. I discovered that this city has a long history of uprisings against kings. Its inhabitants are guilty of treason and rebellion. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings who have ruled the whole province west of the Euphrates. Taxes, fees, and tolls were paid to them. 21 So order these men to stop rebuilding. Keep this city from being rebuilt until I give the order. 22 Be careful not to neglect your duty in this matter. Why should I, the king, suffer any more harm?
23 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their group hurried to Jerusalem after hearing a copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter. They forced the Jews to stop rebuilding.
24 Then the work on Elah’s temple in Jerusalem was stopped. Nothing more was done until Darius’ second year as king of Persia.
Greeting
1 From Paul, who is a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, and our brother Timothy.
To our dear coworker Philemon, 2 our sister Apphia, our fellow soldier Archippus, and the church that meets in your house.
3 Good will[a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!
Paul’s Prayer for Philemon
4 Philemon, I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because 5 I hear about your faithfulness to the Lord Yeshua and your love for all of God’s people. 6 As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ. 7 Your love for God’s people gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God’s people.
Paul’s Advice about Onesimus
8 Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing. 9 However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, 10 appeal to you for my child Onesimus [Useful]. I became his spiritual father here in prison. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us.
12 I am sending him back to you. This is like sending you a part of myself. 13 I wanted to keep him here with me. Then he could have served me in your place while I am in prison for spreading the Good News. 14 Yet, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it.
15 Maybe Onesimus was gone for a while so that you could have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother. He is especially dear to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a Christian.
17 If you think of me as your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, promise to pay it back. I’m writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. 20 So, because we’re brothers in the Lord, do something for me. Give me some comfort because of Christ. 21 I am confident as I write to you that you will do this. And I know that you will do even more than I ask.
22 One more thing—have a guest room ready for me. I hope that, because of your prayers, God will give me back to you.
Greetings from Paul’s Coworkers
23 Epaphras, who is a prisoner because of Christ Yeshua like I am, 24 and my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send you greetings.
25 The good will of our Lord Yeshua Christ be yours.
33 “Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good. Or make a tree rotten, and then its fruit will be rotten. A person can recognize a tree by its fruit. 34 You poisonous snakes! How can you evil people say anything good? Your mouth says what comes from inside you. 35 Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them.
36 “I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say. 37 By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty.”
The Sign of Jonah(A)
38 Then some experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign.”
39 He responded, “The people of an evil and unfaithful era look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up with you at the time of judgment and will condemn you, because they turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with you. She will condemn you, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here!
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.