Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 75
For the Music Director. To the melody of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 We give thanks to You, O God;
we give thanks, and Your name is near;
Your wondrous works declare it.
2 When I select an appointed time,
I will judge with equity.
3 Though the earth and all its inhabitants are swaying,
I steady its pillars. Selah
4 I said to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with an arrogant neck.”
6 For neither from the east nor west,
nor from the wilderness comes victory.
7 But God is the judge;
He brings one low, and lifts up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
and it is full of mixed, foaming wine,
and He pours from it;
surely all the wicked of the earth will find and drink its dregs.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.
Psalm 76
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 In Judah God is known;
in Israel His name is great.
2 In Salem is His abode,
and His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the fiery arrows of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
than the mountains of prey.
5 The strong of heart have been plundered;
they have been put to sleep;
and none of the mighty men
could use their hands.
6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the chariot and horse lay stunned.
7 You, even You, are to be feared;
and who may stand in Your sight from the moment of Your anger?
8 From the heavens You gave their judgment,
and the earth feared and was silent,
9 when God arose to judgment,
to save all the meek of the earth. Selah
10 Surely the wrath of people shall bring You praise;
the remainder of wrath You shall put on.
11 Make your vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them;
let all who surround Him
bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.
12 He reduces the spirit of princes,
and is feared among the kings of the earth.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 27
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom will I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom will I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
to eat my flesh—
my enemies and my foes—
they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord,
that will I seek after—
for me to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to see the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He will hide me in His pavilion;
in the shelter of His tabernacle He will hide me;
He will set me up on a rock.
6 Now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies encircling me;
therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face far from me;
do not thrust Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help.
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 If my father and my mother forsake me,
then the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me in an upright path,
because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my enemies;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord;
be strong, and may your heart be stout;
wait on the Lord.
The Feast of Trumpets(A)
23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 24 Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorial with the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no regular work, and you shall offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord.
The Day of Atonement(B)
26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall humble yourselves, and offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not humbled on that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 30 And whoever does any work in that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of complete rest, and you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month starting at the evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.
The Feast of Tabernacles(C)
33 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 34 Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 36 For seven days you shall offer food offerings made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly, and you shall do no regular work.
37 These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord,
39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep a feast to the Lord for seven days. On the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 You shall take on the first day the branches of majestic trees—branches of palm trees, branches of leafy trees, and willows from a brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native children of Israel shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
44 Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
Pray for Us
3 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may quickly spread and be glorified, even as it did with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all men have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will do the things which we command you. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in idleness and not according to the tradition that he received from us. 7 For you know how you should follow us. For we were not idle among you, 8 neither did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but we worked tirelessly and toiled night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we did not have that right, but to make ourselves an example for you to follow. 10 For when we were with you, we commanded you that if any will not work, neither shall he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some among you who live in idleness, mere busybodies, not working at all. 12 Now, concerning those who are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that they quietly work and eat their own bread. 13 But you, brothers, do not be weary in doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey our word in this letter, note that man, and do not socialize with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 Still, do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Benediction
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is the distinguishing mark in every letter: So I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The Narrow Gate(A)
13 “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, 14 because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit(B)
15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore, by their fruit you will know them.
I Never Knew You(C)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.