Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38
Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger
Heading
A psalm by David. To bring to remembrance.
Opening Plea
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in anger.
Do not discipline me in wrath.
The Greatness of David’s Burden
2 Indeed, your arrows have stuck in me.
Your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no health in my flesh because of your rage.
There is no wellness in my bones because of my sin,
4 because my guilt has gone over my head.
Like a heavy burden, it is too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and ooze because of my folly.
6 I am drooping. I am completely bent over.
All day long I go around mourning.
7 Even my back burns with pain.[a]
My whole body[b] is unhealthy.
8 I have become numb. I am totally crushed.
I groan loudly because of my anxious thoughts.
9 Lord, all my needs lie before you.
My sighs are not hidden from you.
10 My heart beats quickly. My strength leaves me.
Even the light of my eyes is gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand far away
because of the blow I have suffered.
My neighbors stand at a distance.
12 Those who pursue my life set traps.
Those who seek to harm me talk about my ruin.
All day long they plot deception.
13 I am deaf. I cannot hear.
Like a mute person, I cannot open my mouth.
14 I am like a man who cannot hear.
No response comes from his mouth.
David’s Confidence of Delivery
15 Yet I wait for you, Lord.
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 So I said, “Do not let them celebrate because of me.
Do not let them gloat when my foot slips.”
17 Look! I am about to fall,
and I am always in pain,
18 so I declare my guilt,
and I am troubled by my sin.
19 My aggressive enemies are numerous.
Those who hate me for no reason are many.
20 Those who repay evil for good
slander me because I pursue what is good.
Closing Plea
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord.
My God, do not be far from me.
22 Hurry to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Dalet: A Changed Heart
25 My soul[a] is stuck in the dust.
Revive my life according to your words.
26 I told you about my ways and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes.
27 Make me understand the meaning of your precepts.
Then I will meditate on your wonders.
28 My soul melts with sorrow.
By your words make me stand firm.
29 Turn me away from false ways,
and be gracious to me through your law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth.
I accept[b] your judgments.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord.
Do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run the way of your commandments,
for you have strengthened my heart.[c]
He: That You May Be Feared
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.
Then I will guard it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will guard your law.
I will keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk on the path of your commandments,
for I take pleasure in it.
36 Direct my heart toward your testimonies
and not toward material gain.
37 Keep my eyes from looking at worthless things.
Give me life according to your ways.[d]
38 Confirm your sayings to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away my disgrace which I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Give me life in your righteousness.
Vav: Speak Before Kings
41 So let your mercies come to me, O Lord,
and let your salvation come according to your sayings.
42 Then I will give an answer to those who insult me,
because I trust in your words.
43 But do not tear away the word of truth from my mouth,
because I wait confidently for your judgments.
44 Then I will continually keep your law forever and ever.
45 Then I will walk around freely,
because I have sought your precepts.
46 Then I will speak of your testimonies before kings,
and I will not be put to shame.
47 For I delight in your commandments, which I love.
48 I lift up my hands to your commandments, which I love,
and I meditate on your statutes.
More Advice for a Son
17 Better a piece of dry bread with peace
than a house full of feasting with quarreling.
2 A wise slave will rule over a shameful son.
He will share the inheritance with the brothers.
3 There is a crucible for refining silver and a smelter for gold.
In the same way the Lord examines hearts.
4 An evildoer pays attention to wicked lips.
A liar feeds upon[a] a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks a poor person insults his Maker.
A person who rejoices over calamity will not escape.
6 Grandchildren are a crown for the elderly,
and parents are a source of pride for their children.
Introduction to Fools and Foolishness:
The Consequences of Being a Fool
7 Eloquent lips are[b] not fitting for a fool.
How much less lying lips for a ruler!
8 A bribe works like a charm for the person who gives it.
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 A person who covers an offense pursues love,
but one who repeats the matter separates friends.
10 A reprimand impresses a discerning person
more than receiving a hundred lashes impresses a fool.
11 An evil person promotes only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool in his stupidity.
13 A person who repays evil for good—
evil will never leave his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop the dispute before it gets started.
15 Acquitting a guilty person
and convicting an innocent person—
both of these are disgusting[c] to the Lord.
16 Why hand a fool money to buy wisdom,
since he has no aptitude for using it?
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of trouble.
18 A person without sense shakes hands
to guarantee a loan for his neighbor.
19 A person who loves sin loves conflict.
A person who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 A crooked mind does not find good.
A perverted tongue will fall into disaster.
Qualifications of Overseers
3 This saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to become an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 It is necessary, then, for the overseer to be above reproach, the husband of only one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not a violent man but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 It is necessary that he manage his own household well, with all dignity making sure that his children obey him. 5 (If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he might become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the Devil. 7 In addition, he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the Devil’s trap.
Qualifications of Deacons
8 In the same way, it is necessary that deacons be dignified, not deceitful,[a] not devoted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain— 9 men who hold on to the mystery of the faith with a clean conscience. 10 Let them also be tested first. Then let them serve as deacons, if they are found to be blameless. 11 In the same way women[b] must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in everything. 12 Let each deacon be the husband of only one wife, managing his children and his own household well. 13 Certainly, those who serve well as deacons gain for themselves good standing and great boldness in the faith they have in Christ Jesus.
Summary and Doxology
14 I am writing these things to you even though I hope to come to you shortly. 15 But if I am delayed, I wanted you to know how it is necessary to behave in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Undeniably, great is the mystery of godliness:
43 “When an unclean spirit has gone out of someone, it passes through dry places looking for rest, but it does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I came from.’ And when it has returned, it finds the place empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it takes along with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter in and live there. So the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is how it will be for this evil generation too.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46 While he was still speaking to the crowd, his mother and his brothers happened to be standing outside, wanting to talk to him. 47 Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to talk to you.”
48 But he replied to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” 49 He reached out his hand toward his disciples and said, “See, my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.