Book of Common Prayer
1 [a]Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in accord with the law[b] of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who observe his statutes
and seek him with their whole heart.[c]
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.[d]
4 [e]You have ordained
that your commands be diligently observed.
5 May my ways be steadfast
in the observance of your decrees.
6 Then I will never be put to shame
when I take note of all your precepts.
7 I will praise you in sincerity of heart
as I ponder your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your decrees;
do not forsake me completely.
Beth
9 [f]How can a young man lead a spotless life?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;[g]
do not let me stray from your precepts.
11 I treasure your word in my heart[h]
for fear that I may sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recite
all the judgments you have announced.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
more than I would rejoice in endless riches.
15 I will meditate on your commands
and respect your ways.
16 I find my delight in your decrees;
I will never forget your word.
Gimel
17 [i]Be good to your servant
so that I may live[j] and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes so that I may clearly see
the wonders to be found in your law.
19 I am only a wayfarer on earth,
but do not hide your precepts from me.[k]
20 My soul is ever consumed
with longing for your judgments.
21 You rebuke the arrogant,[l] the accursed,
who stray from your precepts.
22 Set me free from scorn and contempt,
for I have observed your statutes.
23 Even though princes assemble and slander me,
your servant meditates on your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight,
for they offer me counsel.
Daleth
Psalm 12[a]
Prayer against the Arrogance of Sinners
1 For the director.[b] “Upon the eighth.” A psalm of David.
2 Help, O Lord, for there are no godly left;
the faithful have vanished from the human race.
3 Neighbors utter lies to each other;
they speak with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.[c]
4 May the Lord destroy all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue,
5 those who say, “We will prevail by our tongues;
with our lips as our ally,
who can lord it over us?”
6 “The poor have been oppressed,
and those who are needy groan.
Therefore, I will rise up now,” says the Lord;
“I will grant them the safety
for which they long.”
7 And the promises of the Lord are certain;
they are like silver refined in a furnace
and purified seven times.[d]
8 [e]You, O Lord, will watch over us
and preserve us from this generation forever.
9 For the wicked prowl on every side,
and what is vile is exalted by mankind.
Psalm 13[f]
Prayer of One in Sorrow
1 For the director.[g] A psalm of David.
2 How long,[h] O Lord—will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 How long must I suffer anguish in my soul
and sorrow in my heart[i] day and night?
How long will my enemy lord it over me?
4 Look upon me, O Lord, my God, and answer me;
enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
5 lest my enemy say, “I have defeated him,”
and my foes exult in my collapse.
6 As for me, I trust in your kindness;[j]
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
7 I will sing to the Lord
because he has been good to me.[k]
Psalm 14[l]
Corruption and Punishment of the Godless
1 For the director.[m] Of David.
The fool says in his heart,[n]
“There is no God.”
People are depraved and their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does what is right.
2 The Lord[o] looks down from heaven
upon the entire human race,
to see if there are any who act with wisdom,
if even a single one seeks God.
3 But they have all left the right path;
all alike are corrupt.
There is no one who does what is right,
not even one.[p]
4 Have all these evildoers[q] no understanding?
They devour my people as they eat bread,
and they never call upon the Lord.
5 But later they will be filled with terror,
for God is on the side of the righteous.[r]
6 They sought to crush the hopes of the poor,[s]
but the Lord is their refuge.
7 Who will accomplish the salvation of Israel
that is to come out of Zion?[t]
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will exult.
Four Recommendations[a]
Chapter 6
Do Not Take on Impossible Tasks[b]
1 My son, if you have guaranteed the debt of your neighbor
or the bond of a stranger,
2 you have been trapped by the utterance of your lips,
ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3 To extricate yourself from this situation,
this is what you must do, my son.
Since you have fallen into his power,
go directly to your neighbor and plead with him.
4 Give your eyes no sleep,
your eyelids no slumber.
5 Break free like a gazelle from a trap
or like a bird from the grasp of a fowler.
Contemplate the Ant, You Sluggard[c]
6 Contemplate the ant, you sluggard;[d]
observe its ways and gain wisdom.
7 Even though it has no chief,
no governor or ruler,
8 it stores its provisions throughout the summer
and gathers its food at the time of harvest.
9 How long do you intend to lie there, you sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,
11 and poverty will overtake you like a robber,
and scarcity like an armed man.
Portrait of a Scoundrel[e]
12 A scoundrel,[f] a villainous man, is he
who specializes in crooked talk.
13 He winks with his eyes,
gives signals with his feet,
and makes gestures with his fingers.
14 His perverted heart is ever bent toward devising evil
as he constantly sows discord.
15 Therefore, disaster will strike him suddenly;
in an instant he will be crushed beyond recovery.
Six Things That the Lord Hates[g]
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are abhorrent to him:
17 haughty eyes,[h] a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,[i]
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness[j] who spews out lies,
and one who sows dissension among brothers.
Chapter 5
Believe in the Son of God[a]
Faith Conquers the World
1 Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ
is born of God,
and everyone who loves the parent
loves the one begotten of him as well.
2 This is how we know
that we love the children of God:
by loving God and obeying his commandments.
3 For the love of God is this:
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
4 for everyone born of God
conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world
is our faith.
5 Who indeed conquers the world
except the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is the one
who came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ—
not by water alone,
but by water and blood.
And to this the Spirit bears witness,
for the Spirit is truth.[b]
7 Thus, there are three[c] witnesses,
8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood,
and these three are as one.[d]
9 If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is greater.
For it is the testimony of God,
the testimony that he has given about his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony in himself,
but those who do not believe in God
have made him out to be a liar
by refusing to believe the testimony
that God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever possesses the Son
possesses life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God
does not possess life.
16 Indecisive Children.[a]“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another:
17 ‘We played the flute for you,
but you would not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you refused to mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
20 Woe to the Cities of Galilee.[b] Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty deeds had been performed because they had refused to repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum:
‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will be cast down to the netherworld.’
For if the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would be standing to this day. 24 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
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