Book of Common Prayer
Qof
Waiting in Hope
145 I have cried out with all of my heart.
Answer me, Lord!
I will observe your statutes.
146 I have called out to you, “Save me,
so I may keep your decrees.”
147 I get up before dawn and cry for help;
I place my hope in your word.
148 I look forward to the night watches,
when I may meditate on what you have said.
149 Hear my voice according to your gracious love.
Lord, revive me in keeping with your justice.
150 Those who pursue wickedness draw near;
they remain far from your instruction.[a]
151 You are near, Lord,
and all of your commands are true.
152 I discovered long ago about your decrees
that you have confirmed them forever.
Resh
God’s Word is Truth
153 Look on my misery, and rescue me,
for I do not ignore your instruction.[b]
154 Defend my case and redeem me;
revive me according to your promise.
155 Deliverance remains remote from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Your mercies are magnificent, Lord;
revive me according to your judgments.
157 Though my persecutors and adversaries are numerous,
I do not turn aside from your decrees.
158 I watch the treacherous, and despise them,
because they do not do what you have said.
159 Look how I love your precepts, Lord;
revive me according to your gracious love.
160 The sum[c] of your word[d] is truth,
and each righteous ordinance of yours is everlasting.
Sin/Shin
Loving God’s Instruction
161 Though nobles persecute me for no reason,
my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I find joy at what you have said
like one who has discovered a great treasure.
163 I despise and hate falsehood,
but[e] I love your instruction.[f]
164 I praise you seven times a day
because of your righteous ordinances.
165 Great peace belongs to those who love your instruction,[g]
and nothing makes them stumble.
166 I am looking in hope for your deliverance, Lord,
as I carry out your commands.
167 My soul treasures[h] your decrees,
and I love them deeply.
168 I keep your precepts and your decrees
because all of my ways are before you.
Tav
The Joy of God’s Word
169 May my cry arise before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 Let my request come before you;
deliver me, as you have promised.
171 May my lips utter praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
172 May my tongue sing about your promise,
for all of your commands are right.
173 May your hand stand ready to assist me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I am longing for your deliverance, Lord,
and your instruction[i] is my joy.
175 Let me live, and I will praise you;
let your ordinances[j] help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come find your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
A Song of Ascents
The Blessings of Fearing God
128 How blessed[a] are all who fear the Lord
as they follow in his ways.
2 You will eat from the work of your hands;
you will be happy, and it will go well for you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children[b] like olive shoots surrounding your table.
4 See how the man will be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
and may you observe the prosperity of Jerusalem
every day that you live!
6 And may you see your children’s children!
Peace be on Israel!
A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies
129 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,”
let Israel repeat it,
2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,
yet they haven’t defeated me.
3 Wicked people[c] plowed over my back,
creating long-lasting wounds.”[d]
4 The Lord is righteous—
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be turned away and be ashamed.
6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top,
that withers before it takes root—
7 not enough to fill one’s hand
or to bundle in one’s arms.
8 And may those who pass by never tell them,
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy
130 I cry to you from the depths, Lord,
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears pay attention
to what I ask of you![e]
3 Lord,[f] if you were to record iniquities,
Lord, who could remain standing?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits,
and I will hope in his word.
6 My soul looks to the Lord
more than watchmen look for the morning—
more, indeed, than[g] watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is gracious love,
along with abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
16 While the 600 Danite soldiers, armed with military weapons, stood guard at the entrance to the gate, 17 the five men who had gone to scout out the land arrived, entered Micah’s home[a] and confiscated the carved image, the ephod, the household idols,[b] and the cast image. Meanwhile, the priest stood outside by the entrance to the gate with the 600 men armed with military weapons. 18 After they went into Micah’s home and took possession of the carved image, the ephod, the household idols,[c] and the cast image, the priest challenged them. “What are you doing?” he asked them.
19 They told him, “Shut up and keep quiet.[d] Come with us and be our spiritual[e] father and priest. It’s better for you, isn’t it, to be a priest to an entire[f] tribe and family in Israel than to be priest to the home of one man?”
20 The priest was happy to oblige,[g] so he took the ephod, the household idols,[h] and the carved image and went along with the army. 21 Then they turned around and left, sending their little ones, their livestock, and their valuables on ahead. 22 When they had been gone a short distance from Micah’s home, some of Micah’s neighbors assembled a search party and overtook the descendants of Dan. 23 They yelled at the descendants of Dan, who turned around to face Micah and asked, “What’s wrong[i] with you? You’ve assembled together…?”
24 Micah[j] replied, “You took my gods that I crafted, along with the priest, and left! What do I have left? So what’s with this ‘What’s wrong with you?’”
25 The descendants of Dan answered him, “You had better not talk to us about this,[k] or else these bad guys here will attack you. You will lose your life, along with the lives of your whole[l] household.”
26 Then the descendants of Dan went on their way. Because Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back home. 27 But the descendants of Dan[m] took what Micah had made, along with the priest who had worked for him, and went to Laish, to a quiet and carefree people, and killed them with swords. Then they set fire to the city. 28 They had no one else to deliver them,[n] because they lived far from Sidon and had no dealings with anyone.[o] It lay in the valley near Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 They renamed the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who had been born in Israel. The former name of the city was Laish. 30 The descendants of Dan set up the carved image, and Gershom’s son Jonathan, a descendant of Manasseh, served along with his descendants as priests to the tribe of Dan until the land was taken captive. 31 Micah’s carved image, that he himself had crafted, was in place during the entire time that God’s tent was set up at Shiloh.
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John[a] laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s free gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in what we’re saying, because your heart isn’t right with God. 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness!”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray[b] to the Lord for me that none of the things you have said will happen to me.”
25 After they had given their testimony and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, continuing to proclaim the good news in many Samaritan villages.
Jesus Feeds More than Five Thousand(A)
6 After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, to Tiberias). 2 A large crowd kept following him because they had seen the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 3 But Jesus went up on a hillside and sat down there with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 Jesus[a] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii[b] worth of bread isn’t enough for each of them to have a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter’s brother, told him, 9 “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many people?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was plenty of grass in that area, so they sat down, numbering about 5,000 men.
11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated. He also distributed[c] as much fish as they wanted. 12 When they were completely satisfied, Jesus[d] told his disciples, “Collect the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they collected and filled twelve baskets full of pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign[e] that he had done, they kept saying, “Truly this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” 15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew[f] again to the hillside by himself.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.