Book of Common Prayer
To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
140 Free me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man:
2 Who devise mischiefs in [their] heart; every day are they banded together for war.
3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked [man], preserve me from the violent man, who devise to overthrow my steps.
5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way-side; they have set traps for me. Selah.
6 I have said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: give ear, O Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications.
7 Jehovah, the Lord, is the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah.
9 [As for] the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall on them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep waters, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not the man of [evil] tongue be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the man of violence to [his] ruin.
12 I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted one, the right of the needy.
13 Yea, the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
An instruction of David; when he was in the cave: a prayer.
142 I cry unto Jehovah with my voice: with my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.
2 I pour out my plaint before him; I shew before him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then *thou* knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they hidden a snare for me.
4 Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.
A Psalm of David.
141 Jehovah, I have called upon thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening oblation.
3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise deeds of wickedness with men that are workers of iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me, it is kindness; and let him reprove me, it is an excellent oil which my head shall not refuse: for yet my prayer also is [for them] in their calamities.
6 When their judges are thrown down from the rocks, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth.
8 For unto thee, Jehovah, Lord, are mine eyes; in thee do I trust: leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that *I* withal pass over.
A Psalm of David.
143 Jehovah, hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.
3 For the enemy persecuteth my soul: he hath crushed my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4 And my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old: I meditate on all thy doing; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul, as a parched land, [thirsteth] after thee. Selah.
7 Answer me speedily, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, or I shall be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, for in thee do I confide; make me to know the way wherein I should walk, for unto thee do I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: unto thee do I flee for refuge.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: let thy good Spirit lead me in a plain country.
11 Revive me, O Jehovah, for thy name's sake; in thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble;
12 And in thy loving-kindness cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my soul: for I am thy servant.
24 And Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling [in tents] according to his tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith,
4 He saith, who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!
6 Like valleys are they spread forth, like gardens by the river side, Like aloe-trees which Jehovah hath planted, like cedars beside the waters.
7 Water shall flow out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in great waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite [them] in pieces.
9 He stooped, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness: who will stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed [them] these three times!
11 And now flee thou to thy place; I said I would very highly honour thee, and behold, Jehovah has kept thee back from honour.
12 And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying,
13 If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah to do good or bad out of my heart: what Jehovah shall say, that will I speak?
12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to flesh;
13 for if ye live according to flesh, ye are about to die; but if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live:
14 for as many as are led by [the] Spirit of God, *these* are sons of God.
15 For ye have not received a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.
17 And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ's joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with [him], that we may also be glorified with [him].
15 Then went the Pharisees and held a council how they might ensnare him in speaking.
16 And they send out to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one, for thou regardest not men's person;
17 tell us therefore what thou thinkest: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, Why tempt ye me, hypocrites?
19 Shew me the money of the tribute. And they presented to him a denarius.
20 And he says to them, Whose [is] this image and superscription?
21 They say to him, Caesar's. Then he says to them, Pay then what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God.
22 And when they heard [him], they wondered, and left him, and went away.
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