Book of Common Prayer
A psalm of David.
26 Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor.
I have lived without blame.
I have trusted in the Lord.
I have never doubted him.
2 Lord, test me. Try me out.
Look deep down into my heart and mind.
3 I have always remembered your love that never fails.
I have always depended on the fact that you are faithful.
4 I don’t spend time with people who tell lies.
I don’t keep company with pretenders.
5 I hate to be with a group of sinful people.
I refuse to spend time with those who are evil.
6 I wash my hands to show that I’m not guilty.
Lord, I come near your altar.
7 I shout my praise to you.
I tell about all the wonderful things you have done.
8 Lord, I love the house where you live.
I love the place where your glory is.
9 Don’t destroy me together with sinners.
Don’t take away my life along with murderers.
10 Their hands are always planning to do evil.
Their right hands are full of money that has bought their help.
11 But I live without blame.
Save me from harm and treat me with kindness.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
In the whole community I will praise the Lord.
A psalm of David.
28 Lord, my Rock, I call out to you.
Pay attention to me.
If you remain silent, I will die.
I will be like those who go down into the grave.
2 Hear my cry for your favor
when I call out to you for help.
Hear me when I lift up my hands in prayer
toward your Most Holy Room.
3 Don’t drag me away with sinners.
Don’t drag me away with those who do evil.
They speak in a friendly way to their neighbors.
But their hearts are full of hate.
4 Pay them back for their evil actions.
Pay them back for what their hands have done.
Give them exactly what they should get.
5 They don’t care about the Lord’s mighty acts.
They don’t care about what his hands have done.
So he will tear them down.
He will never build them up again.
6 Give praise to the Lord.
He has heard my cry for his favor.
7 The Lord gives me strength. He is like a shield that keeps me safe.
My heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart jumps for joy.
With my song I praise him.
8 The Lord gives strength to his people.
He guards and saves his anointed king.
9 Save your people. Bless those who belong to you.
Be their shepherd. Take care of them forever.
For the director of music. A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
36 I have a message from God in my heart.
It is about the evil ways of anyone who sins.
They don’t have any respect for God.
2 They praise themselves so much
that they can’t see their sin or hate it.
3 Their mouths speak words that are evil and false.
They do not act wisely or do what is good.
4 Even as they lie in bed they make evil plans.
They commit themselves to a sinful way of life.
They never say no to what is wrong.
5 Lord, your love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithful love reaches up to the skies.
6 Your holiness is as great as the height of the highest mountains.
You are as honest as the oceans are deep.
Lord, you keep people and animals safe.
7 How priceless your faithful love is!
People find safety in the shadow of your wings.
8 They eat well because there is more than enough in your house.
You let them drink from your river that flows with good things.
9 You have the fountain of life.
We are filled with light because you give us light.
10 Keep on loving those who know you.
Keep on doing right to those whose hearts are honest.
11 Don’t let the feet of those who are proud step on me.
Don’t let the hands of those who are evil drive me away.
12 See how those who do evil have fallen!
They are thrown down and can’t get up.
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will be careful about how I live.
I will not sin by what I say.
I will keep my mouth closed
when I am near sinful people.”
2 So I was completely silent.
I didn’t even say anything good.
But the pain inside me grew worse.
3 My heart was deeply troubled.
As I thought about what was happening to me,
I became even more troubled.
Then I spoke out.
4 I said, “Lord, show me when my life will end.
Show me how many days I have left.
Tell me how short my life will be.
5 You have given me only a few days to live.
My whole life doesn’t seem like anything to you.
No one lasts any longer than a breath.
This is true even for those who feel secure.
6 People are only shadows as they go here and there.
They rush around, but it doesn’t mean anything.
They pile up wealth, but they don’t know who will finally get it.
7 “Lord, what can I look forward to now?
You are the only hope I have.
8 Save me from all the wrong things I’ve done.
Don’t let foolish people make fun of me.
9 I keep silent. I don’t open my mouth.
You are the one who has caused all this to happen.
10 Please stop beating me.
I’m about to die from the blows of your hand.
11 You correct and punish people for their sin.
Then, just as a moth eats cloth, you destroy their wealth.
No one lasts any longer than a breath.
12 “Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my weeping.
I’m like an outsider in your home.
I’m just a stranger, like all my family who lived before me.
13 Leave me alone.
Let me enjoy life again before I die.”
16 It is better to have respect for the Lord and have little
than to be rich and have trouble.
17 A few vegetables where there is love
are better than the finest meat where there is hatred.
18 A person with a bad temper stirs up conflict.
But a person who is patient calms things down.
19 The way of people who don’t want to work is blocked with thorns.
But the path of honest people is a wide road.
20 A wise son makes his father glad.
But a foolish son hates his mother.
21 A person who has no sense enjoys doing foolish things.
But a person who has understanding walks straight ahead.
22 Plans fail without good advice.
But they succeed when there are many advisers.
23 Joy is found in giving the right answer.
And how good is a word spoken at the right time!
24 The path of life leads up for those who are wise.
It keeps them from going down to the place of the dead.
25 The Lord tears down the proud person’s house.
But he keeps the widow’s property safe.
26 The Lord hates the thoughts of sinful people.
But he considers kind words to be pure.
27 Those who always want more bring ruin to their households.
But a person who refuses to be paid to lie will live.
28 The hearts of those who do right think about how they will answer.
But the mouths of those who do wrong pour out evil.
29 The Lord is far away from those who do wrong.
But he hears the prayers of those who do right.
30 The cheerful look of a messenger brings joy to your heart.
And good news gives health to your body.
31 Whoever listens to a warning that gives life
will be at home among those who are wise.
32 Those who turn away from correction hate themselves.
But anyone who accepts correction gains understanding.
33 Wisdom teaches you to have respect for the Lord.
So don’t be proud if you want to be honored.
Paul Commands Timothy
18 My son Timothy, I am giving you this command. It is in keeping with the prophecies once made about you. By remembering them, you can fight the battle well. 19 Then you will hold on to faith. You will hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong. Some have not accepted this knowledge of right and wrong. So they have destroyed their faith. They are like a ship that has sunk. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have handed them over to Satan. That will teach them not to speak evil things against God.
Teachings About Worship
2 First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. 2 Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior. 4 He wants all people to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth. 5 There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. We have been told this message at just the right time. 7 I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I’m not lying. God appointed me to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
8 So I want the men in every place to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don’t want them to be angry when they pray. I don’t want them to argue.
33 “If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. If you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell a tree by its fruit. 34 You nest of poisonous snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. 35 A good man says good things. These come from the good that is stored up inside him. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is stored up inside him. 36 But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, everyone will have to account for every empty word they have spoken. 37 By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law came to Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “Evil and unfaithful people ask for a sign! But none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights. Something like that will happen to the Son of Man. He will spend three days and three nights in the grave. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that these people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now something more important than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And now something more important than Solomon is here.
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