Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38[a]
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(A)
2 Your arrows(B) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health(C) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones(D) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed(E) me
like a burden too heavy to bear.(F)
5 My wounds(G) fester and are loathsome(H)
because of my sinful folly.(I)
6 I am bowed down(J) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.(K)
7 My back is filled with searing pain;(L)
there is no health(M) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;(N)
I groan(O) in anguish of heart.(P)
9 All my longings(Q) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing(R) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(S) my strength fails(T) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.(U)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(V)
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(W)
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(X)
all day long they scheme and lie.(Y)
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(Z)
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(AA) for you;
you will answer,(AB) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(AC)
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(AD)
17 For I am about to fall,(AE)
and my pain(AF) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(AG)
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(AH) without cause[b];
those who hate me(AI) without reason(AJ) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(AK)
lodge accusations(AL) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
ד Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust;(A)
preserve my life(B) according to your word.(C)
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.(D)
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.(E)
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;(F)
strengthen me(G) according to your word.(H)
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;(I)
be gracious to me(J) and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen(K) the way of faithfulness;(L)
I have set my heart(M) on your laws.
31 I hold fast(N) to your statutes, Lord;
do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
ה He
33 Teach me,(O) Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.[a]
34 Give me understanding,(P) so that I may keep your law(Q)
and obey it with all my heart.(R)
35 Direct me(S) in the path of your commands,(T)
for there I find delight.(U)
36 Turn my heart(V) toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.(W)
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life(X) according to your word.[b](Y)
38 Fulfill your promise(Z) to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace(AA) I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long(AB) for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.(AC)
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love(AD) come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;(AE)
42 then I can answer(AF) anyone who taunts me,(AG)
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,(AH)
for I have put my hope(AI) in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,(AJ)
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.(AK)
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings(AL)
and will not be put to shame,(AM)
47 for I delight(AN) in your commands
because I love them.(AO)
48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,
that I may meditate(AP) on your decrees.
Crossing the Jordan
3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim(A) and went to the Jordan,(B) where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days(C) the officers(D) went throughout the camp,(E) 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant(F) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical(G) priests(H) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits[a](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,(J) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things(K) among you.”
6 Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you(L) in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.(M) 8 Tell the priests(N) who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God(O) is among you(P) and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites,(Q) Hivites, Perizzites,(R) Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.(S) 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth(T) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.(U) 12 Now then, choose twelve men(V) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth(W)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream(X) will be cut off(Y) and stand up in a heap.(Z)”
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 I do not want you to be ignorant(A) of this mystery,(B) brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:(C) Israel has experienced a hardening(D) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,(E) 26 and in this way[a] all Israel will be saved.(F) As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[b] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”[c](G)
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies(H) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,(I) 29 for God’s gifts and his call(J) are irrevocable.(K) 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient(L) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[d] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience(M) so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches(N) of the wisdom and[e] knowledge of God!(O)
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!(P)
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”[f](Q)
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”[g](R)
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.(S)
To him be the glory forever! Amen.(T)
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes(A) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.(B) 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate(C) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.(D) 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom(E) prepared for you since the creation of the world.(F) 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,(G) 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me,(H) I was sick and you looked after me,(I) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’(J)
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’(K)
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,(L) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire(M) prepared for the devil and his angels.(N) 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’(O)
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.(P)”(Q)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.