Book of Common Prayer
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
24 The (A)earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The (B)world, and those who live in it.
2 For He has (C)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may (D)ascend onto the (E)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy (F)place?
4 One who has (G)clean hands and a (H)pure heart,
Who has not (I)lifted up his soul to deceit
And has not (J)sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive a (K)blessing from the Lord
And [b](L)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [c]This is the generation of those who (M)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah
7 (N)Lift up your heads, you gates,
And be lifted up, you [d]ancient doors,
That the King of (O)glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord (P)strong and mighty,
The Lord (Q)mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates,
And lift them up, you [e]ancient doors,
That the King of (R)glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of (S)armies,
He is the King of glory. Selah
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 (A)Ascribe to the Lord, [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due His name;
Worship the Lord (B)in holy attire.
3 The (C)voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory (D)thunders,
The Lord is over [c](E)many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is (F)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks (G)the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
6 He makes Lebanon (H)skip like a calf,
And (I)Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides [d]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [e]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of (J)Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes (K)the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And (L)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
The Lord’s Glory and Mankind’s Dignity.
For the music director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
You who have [a](A)displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 (B)From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established [b](C)strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with (D)the enemy and the revengeful.
3 When I [c](E)consider (F)Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The (G)moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 (H)What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a (I)little lower than [d]God,
And (J)You crown him with (K)glory and majesty!
6 You have him (L)rule over the works of Your hands;
You have (M)put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 (N)Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the music director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your (A)dwelling places,
Lord of armies!
2 My (B)soul longed and even yearned for the courtyards of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the (C)living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may put her young:
Your (D)altars, Lord of armies,
(E)My King and my God.
4 (F)Blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are (G)ever praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the person whose (H)strength is in You,
In [b]whose heart are the (I)roads to Zion!
6 Passing through the Valley of [c]Baca they make it a [d]spring;
The (J)early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They (K)go from strength to strength,
[e]Every one of them (L)appears before God in Zion.
8 (M)Lord God of armies, hear my prayer;
Listen, (N)God of Jacob! Selah
9 See our (O)shield, God,
And look at the face of (P)Your anointed.
10 For (Q)a day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than live in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is (R)a sun and (S)shield;
The Lord gives grace and (T)glory;
(U)He withholds no good thing [f]from those who walk with integrity.
12 Lord of armies,
(V)Blessed is the person who trusts in You!
The Futility of Life
6 There is an (A)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread [a]among mankind: 2 a person to whom God has (B)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul (C)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to [b]enjoy these things, but a foreigner [c]enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [d]they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper (D)burial, then I say, “Better (E)the miscarriage than he, 4 for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. 5 It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet [e]it is better off than that man. 6 Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—(F)do not all go to one and the same place?”
7 (G)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet [f]his appetite is not [g]satisfied. 8 For (H)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes (I)see is better than what the soul [h]desires. This too is (J)futility and striving after wind.
10 Whatever (K)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he (L)cannot dispute with the [i]one who is mightier than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? 12 For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few [j]years of his futile life? He will [k]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person (M)what will happen after him under the sun?
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, (A)Peter went up on (B)the [a]housetop about [b](C)the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he (D)fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw (E)the sky opened up, and an [c]object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and [d]crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, [e]kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, (F)Lord, for (G)I have never eaten anything [f]unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “(H)What God has cleansed, no longer [g]consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the [h]object was taken up into the sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in [i]mind as to what (I)the vision which he had seen might [j]mean, behold, (J)the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on (K)the vision, (L)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, [k]three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and (M)accompany them [l]without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and (N)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, (O)was divinely directed by a (P)holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear [m](Q)a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
Peter in Caesarea
Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and (R)some of (S)the brothers from (T)Joppa accompanied him.
32 [a](A)Do not be afraid, (B)little flock, because (C)your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.
33 “(D)Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, (E)an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For (F)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be in Readiness
35 “[b](G)Be prepared, and keep your (H)lamps lit. 36 You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (I)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (J)he will [c]prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 (K)Whether he comes in the [d]second watch, or even in the [e]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “(L)But [f]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be (M)broken into. 40 (N)You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.