Book of Common Prayer
Prayer of a Suffering Man
38 O Lord, do not speak sharp words to me when You are angry. Do not punish me in Your burning anger. 2 For Your arrows have cut deep into me. And Your hand has come down upon me. 3 My body is in pain because of Your anger. There is no strength in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my sins are gone over my head. Like a heavy load, they weigh too much for me. 5 My sores smell and grow bigger because I do foolish things. 6 I cannot stand straight but keep my head down. I have sorrow all day long 7 for my body is filled with burning pain. There is no strength in my body. 8 I am weak and broken. I cry because of the pain in my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before You. And my breathing deep within is not hidden from You. 10 My heart beats fast. My strength leaves me. Even the light of my eyes has gone from me. 11 My loved ones and my friends stay away from me because of my sickness. My family stands far away. 12 Those who want to take my life set their traps. And those who want to destroy me talk about ways to do it. They make their sinful plans all day long.
13 But like a deaf man, I do not hear. I am like one who cannot speak and does not open his mouth. 14 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, and whose mouth does not argue. 15 For I hope in You, O Lord. You will answer, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, “Do not let them be happy and raise themselves up against me when my foot trips.” 17 For I am ready to fall. And my sorrow is always with me. 18 For I tell my wrong-doings. I am full of sorrow because of my sin. 19 But those who fight against me are full of action and strength. There are many who hate me without reason. 20 They pay what is bad for what is good. They are against me because I follow what is good. 21 Do not leave me alone, O Lord! O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Hurry to help me, O Lord, Who saves me!
25 My soul is laid in the dust. Give me new life because of Your Word. 26 I have told about my ways, and You have answered me. Teach me Your Law. 27 Make me understand the way of Your Law so I will talk about Your great works. 28 My soul cries because of sorrow. Give me strength because of Your Word. 29 Take the false way from me. Show Your loving-favor by giving me Your Law. 30 I have chosen the faithful way. I have set Your Law in front of me. 31 I hold on to Your Law, O Lord. Do not put me to shame. 32 I will run the way of Your Law, for You will give me a willing heart.
33 O Lord, teach me the way of Your Law and I will obey it to the end. 34 Give me understanding. Then I will listen to Your Word and obey it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your Word, for I find joy in it. 36 Turn my heart toward Your Law, so I will not earn money in a wrong way. 37 Turn my eyes away from things that have no worth, and give me new life because of Your ways. 38 Keep Your promise to Your servant, the promise You made to those who fear and worship You. 39 Turn away the shame that I do not want to come to me, for Your Law is good. 40 O, how I desire Your Law! Give me new life because of Your right and good way.
41 May Your loving-kindness also come to me, O Lord. May You save me as Your Word says. 42 Then I will have an answer for the one who puts me to shame, for I trust in Your Word. 43 Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth, for I hope in Your Law. 44 I will always obey Your Law, forever and ever. 45 I will walk as a free man, for I look for Your Law. 46 I will speak of Your Law in front of kings and will not be ashamed. 47 I will be glad in Your Law, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands to Your Word, which I love, and I will think about Your Law.
Job Talks
12 Then Job answered,
Job Keeps On Talking—Death Is Sure
14 “Man who is born of woman lives only a short time and is full of trouble. 2 He grows up and dries like a flower. He leaves like a shadow and does not stay. 3 You open Your eyes on him and decide about him. 4 Who can make clean what is unclean? No one! 5 A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set. 6 So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.
7 “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing. 8 Its roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground. 9 But with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant. 10 But man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he? 11 As water goes into the air from the sea, and the river wastes away and dries up, 12 so man lies down and does not get up again. Until the heavens are no more, he will not wake up or come out of his sleep.
13 “If only You would hide me in the place of the dead! If only You would hide me until Your anger is past, and set a time for me and remember me! 14 If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my trouble until a change comes. 15 You will call and I will answer You. You will wait for the work of Your hands. 16 For now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin. 17 My sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.
18 “But the mountain falls and breaks apart to nothing. The rock moves from its place. 19 Water wears away the stones. Its floods wash away the dust of the earth. So You destroy man’s hope. 20 You have power over him forever, and he leaves. You change what he looks like and send him away. 21 His sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it. 22 His body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself.”
The Death of Herod
18 In the morning the soldiers were very troubled about what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod looked for him but could not find him. He asked the soldiers who watched the prison about Peter. Herod said that the soldiers must be killed because Peter got away. Then Herod went down from the country of Judea to the city of Caesarea to stay for awhile.
20 Herod was very angry with the people of the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They went to him and asked for peace to be made between them and the king. They asked this because their country got food from the king’s country. The people made friends with Blastus, the king’s helper. 21 A day was set aside. On that day Herod put on purple clothes a king wears. He sat on his throne and spoke to the people. 22 They all started to speak with a loud voice, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 The angel of the Lord knocked him down because he did not give honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.
24 The Word of God was heard by many people and went into more places. 25 Saul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem after they had finished their work. They took John Mark with them.
47 Whoever is born of God listens to God’s Word. You do not hear His Word because you are not born of God.”
The Jews Say Jesus Has a Demon
48 The Jews said to Jesus, “Are we not right when we say You are from the country of Samaria, and You have a demon?” 49 Jesus said, “No, I do not have a demon. I honor My Father. You do not honor Me. 50 I am not looking for honor for Myself. There is One Who is looking for it. He says what is right from wrong. 51 For sure, I tell you, if anyone keeps My Word, that one will never die.”
52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died. The early preachers died. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My Word, that one will never die.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and the early preachers died. Who do You think You are?” 54 Jesus said, “If I honor Myself, My honor would be worth nothing. My Father honors Me. You say He is your God. 55 You have never known Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know the Father and obey His Word. 56 Your father Abraham was glad that he was to see My coming. He saw it and was happy.”
57 The Jews said to Jesus, “You are not even fifty years old. How could you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, before Abraham was born, I was and am and always will be!”
59 Then they picked up stones to throw at Him. Jesus hid Himself *and left the house of God.
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