Book of Common Prayer
[a] A song of David.
25 Lord, I put my life in your hands.[b]
2 I trust in you, my God,
and I will not be disappointed.
My enemies will not laugh at me.
3 No one who trusts in you will be disappointed.
But disappointment will come to those who try to deceive others.
They will get nothing.
4 Lord, help me learn your ways.
Show me how you want me to live.
5 Guide me and teach me your truths.
You are my God, my Savior.
You are the one I have been waiting for.
6 Remember to be kind to me, Lord.
Show me the tender love that you have always had.
7 Don’t remember the sinful things I did when I was young.
Because you are good, Lord, remember me with your faithful love.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right.
He shows sinners the right way to live.
9 He teaches his ways to humble people.
He leads them with fairness.
10 The Lord is kind and true to those
who obey what he said in his agreement.
11 Lord, I have done many wrong things.
But I ask you to forgive them all to show your goodness.
12 When people choose to follow the Lord,
he shows them the best way to live.
13 They will enjoy good things,
and their children will get the land God promised.
14 The Lord tells his secrets to his followers.
He teaches them about his agreement.
15 I always look to the Lord for help.
Only he can free me from my troubles.[c]
16 I am hurt and lonely.
Turn to me, and show me mercy.
17 Free me from my troubles.
Help me solve my problems.
18 Look at my trials and troubles.
Forgive me for all the sins I have done.
19 Look at all the enemies I have.
They hate me and want to hurt me.
20 Protect me! Save me from them!
I come to you for protection, so don’t let me be disappointed.
21 You are good and do what is right.
I trust you to protect me.
22 God, save the people of Israel
from all their enemies.
[a] To the director: Use the Alamoth of Ben.[b] A song of David.
9 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
I will tell about the wonderful things you have done.
2 You make me happy, so I will rejoice in you.
God Most High, I praise your name.
3 My enemies turned to run from you,
but they fell and were destroyed.
4 You listened to me from your throne like a good judge,
and you decided that I was right.
5 You told the nations how wrong they were.
You destroyed those evil people.
You erased their names from our memory forever and ever.
6 The enemy is finished!
You destroyed their cities.
There is nothing left to remind us of them.
7 The Lord set up his throne to bring justice,
and he will rule forever.
8 He judges everyone on earth fairly.
He judges all nations honestly.
9 Many people are suffering—
crushed by the weight of their troubles.
But the Lord is a refuge for them,
a safe place they can run to.
10 Lord, those who know your name
come to you for protection.
And when they come,
you do not leave them without help.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who sits as King in Zion.[c]
Tell the nations about the great things he has done.
12 He punishes murderers
and remembers those who are in need.
When suffering people cry for help,
he does not ignore them.
13 I said this prayer: “Lord, be kind to me.
See how my enemies are hurting me.
Save me from the ‘gates of death.’
14 Then, at the gates of Jerusalem,[d] I can sing praises to you.
I will be so happy because you saved me.”
15 Those other nations have fallen into the pit they dug to catch others.
They have been caught in their own trap.
16 The Lord showed that he judges fairly.
The wicked were caught by what they did to hurt others. Higgayon[e] Selah
17 The wicked will go to the place of death,
as will all the nations that forget God.
18 It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten,
but God will not forget them.
He will not leave them without hope.
19 Lord, get up[f] and judge the nations.
Don’t let anyone think they can win against you.
20 Teach them a lesson, Lord.
Let them know they are only human. Selah
A song of David.
15 Lord, who can live in your Holy Tent[a]?
Who can live on your holy mountain?
2 Only those who live pure lives, do what is right,
and speak the truth from their hearts.
3 Such people don’t say bad things about others.
They don’t do things to hurt their neighbors.
They don’t tell shameful things about those close to them.
4 They hate those who fail to please God
and honor those who respect the Lord.
If they make a promise to their neighbor,
they do what they promised.[b]
5 If they loan money to someone,
they do not charge them interest.
And they refuse to testify against an innocent person,
even if someone offers them money to do it.
Whoever lives like this will always stand strong.
13 The next day, Moses had the special job of judging the people. There were so many people that they had to stand before him all day.
14 Jethro saw Moses judging the people. He asked, “Why are you doing this? Why are you the only judge? And why do people come to you all day?”
15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me and ask me to ask for God’s decision for their problem. 16 If people have an argument, they come to me, and I decide which person is right. In this way I teach the people God’s laws and teachings.”
17 But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “This isn’t the right way to do this. 18 It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too. 19 Now, listen to me. Let me give you some advice. And I pray God will be with you. You should continue listening to the problems of the people. And you should continue to speak to God about these things. 20 You should explain God’s laws and teachings to the people. Warn them not to break the laws. Tell them the right way to live and what they should do. 21 But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders.
“Choose good men you can trust—men who respect God. Choose men who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men rulers over the people. There should be rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and even over ten people. 22 Let these rulers judge the people. If there is a very important case, then they can come to you and let you decide what to do. But they can decide the other cases themselves. In this way these men will share your work with you, and it will be easier for you to lead the people. 23 If you do this as God directs you, then you will be able to do your job without tiring yourself out. And the people can still have all their problems solved before they return home.”
24 So Moses did what Jethro told him. 25 Moses chose good men from among the Israelites. He made them leaders over the people. There were rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and ten people. 26 These rulers were judges for the people. The people could always bring their arguments to these rulers, and Moses had to decide only the most important cases.
27 After a short time Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law Jethro, and Jethro went back to his own home.
The Flock of God
5 Now I have something to say to the elders in your group. I am also an elder. I myself have seen Christ’s sufferings. And I will share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to 2 take care of the group of people you are responsible for. They are God’s flock.[a] Watch over that flock because you want to, not because you are forced to do it. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money. 3 Don’t be like a ruler over those you are responsible for. But be good examples to them. 4 Then when Christ the Ruling Shepherd comes, you will get a crown—one that will be glorious and never lose its beauty.
5 Young people, I have something to say to you too. You should accept the authority of the elders. You should all have a humble attitude in dealing with each other.
“God is against the proud,
but he is kind to the humble.” (A)
6 So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.
8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. 9 Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have.
10 Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. He chose you to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever. 11 All power is his forever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 Silas will bring this letter to you. I know that he is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote this short letter to encourage you. I wanted to tell you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in that grace.
13 The church in Babylon[b] sends you greetings. They were chosen just as you were. Mark, my son in Christ, also sends his greetings. 14 Give each other a special greeting[c] of love when you meet.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
The Family History of Jesus the Messiah(A)
1 This is the family history of Jesus the Messiah. He came from the family of David, who was from the family of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. (Their mother was Tamar.)
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
4 Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz. (His mother was Rahab.)
Boaz was the father of Obed. (His mother was Ruth.)
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon. (His mother had been Uriah’s wife.)
7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the grandfather of Jehoiachin[a] and his brothers, who lived during the time that the people were taken away to Babylon.
12 After they were taken to Babylon:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the grandfather of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
14 Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Achim.
Achim was the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph.
Joseph was the husband of Mary,
and Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
17 So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen generations from David until the people were taken away to Babylon. And there were fourteen more from the time the people were taken to Babylon until the Messiah was born.
John Prepares the Way for Jesus(A)
3 When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. 2 John said, “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.[a]” 3 John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said,
“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.’” (B)
4 John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. 6 They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International