Book of Common Prayer
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
87 The city he founded[a] is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves Zion’s city gates
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C) Selah
4 ‘I will make a record of those who know me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush –
each one was born there.’(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
‘This one and that one were born in her.’
The Most High himself will establish her.(E)
6 When he registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
‘This one was born there.’(F) Selah
7 Singers and dancers[b] alike will say,[c]
‘My whole source of joy is[d] in you.’(G)
BOOK IV
(Psalms 90–106)
Eternal God and Mortal Man
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our refuge[a]
in every generation.(A)
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, you are God.(B)
3 You return mankind to the dust,
saying, ‘Return, descendants of Adam.’(C)
4 For in your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.(D)
5 You end their lives;[b] they sleep.(E)
They are like grass that grows in the morning –
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;
by the evening it withers and dries up.(F)
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.(G)
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.(H)
9 For all our days ebb away under your wrath;
we end our years like a sigh.(I)
10 Our lives last[c] for seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
Even the best of them are[d] struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.(J)
11 Who understands the power of your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due you.(K)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.[e](L)
13 Lord – how long?
Turn and have compassion on your servants.(M)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.(N)
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.(O)
16 Let your work be seen by your servants,
and your splendour by their children.(P)
17 Let the favour of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands –
establish the work of our hands!(Q)
God’s Love Is Eternal
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.(A)
His faithful love endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.(B)
His faithful love endures for ever.
4 He alone does great wonders.(C)
His faithful love endures for ever.
5 He made the heavens skilfully.(D)
His faithful love endures for ever.
6 He spread the land on the waters.(E)
His faithful love endures for ever.
7 He made the great lights:(F)
His faithful love endures for ever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures for ever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.(G)
His faithful love endures for ever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians(H)
His faithful love endures for ever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures for ever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.(I)
His faithful love endures for ever.
13 He divided the Red Sea(J)
His faithful love endures for ever.
14 and led Israel through,(K)
His faithful love endures for ever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.(L)
His faithful love endures for ever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.(M)
His faithful love endures for ever.
17 He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures for ever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings –
His faithful love endures for ever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures for ever.
20 and Og king of Bashan –
His faithful love endures for ever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures for ever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.(N)
His faithful love endures for ever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation(O)
His faithful love endures for ever.
24 and rescued us from our foes.(P)
His faithful love endures for ever.
25 He gives food to every creature.(Q)
His faithful love endures for ever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!(R)
His faithful love endures for ever.
Seventy Elders Anointed
16 The Lord answered Moses, ‘Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and make them stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the Spirit on them.(A) They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.(B)
24 Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He brought seventy men from the elders of the people and had them stand round the tent. 25 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him.(A) He took some of the Spirit who was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied,(B) but they never did it again. 26 Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad; the Spirit rested on them – they were among those listed, but had not gone out to the tent – and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’
28 Joshua son of Nun, assistant to Moses since his youth,[a] responded, ‘Moses, my lord, stop them! ’
29 But Moses asked him, ‘Are you jealous on my account?(C) If only all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would place his Spirit on them! ’
Unity in Christ
11 So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh – called ‘the uncircumcised’ by those called ‘the circumcised’,(A) which is done in the flesh by human hands.(B) 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise,(C) without hope(D) and without God in the world. 13 But now, in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood(E) of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one(F) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create(G) in himself one(H) new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body(I) through the cross, by which he put the hostility to death.[a] 17 He came and proclaimed the good news(J) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.(K) 18 For through him we both have access(L) in one Spirit to the Father.(M) 19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,(N) with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together,(O) grows into a holy temple in the Lord.(P) 22 In him you are also being built together(Q) for God’s dwelling(R) in the Spirit.
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(A) the crowds were astonished at his teaching,(B) 29 because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
A Man Cleansed
8 When he came down from the mountain, large crowds(C) followed him. 2 Straight away(D) a man with leprosy[a] came up and knelt before him,(E) saying, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus told him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone;(F) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’(G)
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