Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 56[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(A) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(B)
all day long they press their attack.(C)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(D)
in their pride many are attacking me.(E)
3 When I am afraid,(F) I put my trust in you.(G)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(I)
What can mere mortals do to me?(J)
5 All day long they twist my words;(K)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(L) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(M)
hoping to take my life.(N)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;(O)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(P)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[d](Q)—
are they not in your record?(R)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(S)
when I call for help.(T)
By this I will know that God is for me.(U)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(V) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(W)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(X)
Psalm 57[e](Y)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(Z)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(AA)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(AB)
until the disaster has passed.(AC)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(AD)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(AE)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[g](AF)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(AG)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(AH)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(AI)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(AJ)
6 They spread a net for my feet(AK)—
I was bowed down(AL) in distress.
They dug a pit(AM) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(AN)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(AO)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(AP)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(AQ)
Psalm 58[h]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(AT)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(AU)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(AV)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(AW)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(AX) the tune of the charmer,(AY)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(AZ)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(BA)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(BB)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(BC)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(BD)
like a stillborn child(BE) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(BF)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[j](BG)
10 The righteous will be glad(BH) when they are avenged,(BI)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(BJ)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(BK)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(BL)
Psalm 64[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy(C) of the wicked,(D)
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords(E)
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(F)
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(G)
they shoot suddenly, without fear.(H)
5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;(I)
they say, “Who will see it[b]?”(J)
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them(K)
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads(L) in scorn.(M)
9 All people will fear;(N)
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.(O)
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(P)
and take refuge in him;(Q)
all the upright in heart will glory in him!(R)
Psalm 65[c]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[d] you, our God, in Zion;(S)
to you our vows will be fulfilled.(T)
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.(U)
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,(V)
you forgave[e] our transgressions.(W)
4 Blessed are those you choose(X)
and bring near(Y) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(Z)
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(AA)
God our Savior,(AB)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(AC)
and of the farthest seas,(AD)
6 who formed the mountains(AE) by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,(AF)
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,(AG)
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.(AH)
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.(AI)
9 You care for the land and water it;(AJ)
you enrich it abundantly.(AK)
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,(AL)
for so you have ordained it.[f]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers(AM) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(AN)
and your carts overflow with abundance.(AO)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(AP)
the hills are clothed with gladness.(AQ)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(AR)
and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AS)
they shout for joy and sing.(AT)
40 The Lord said to Job:(A)
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty(B) correct him?(C)
Let him who accuses God answer him!”(D)
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy(E)—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.(F)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer(G)—
twice, but I will say no more.”(H)
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(I)
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(J)
8 “Would you discredit my justice?(K)
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(L)
9 Do you have an arm like God’s,(M)
and can your voice(N) thunder like his?(O)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(P)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(Q)
look at all who are proud and bring them low,(R)
12 look at all who are proud(S) and humble them,(T)
crush(U) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(V)
shroud their faces in the grave.(W)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.(X)
15 “Look at Behemoth,
which I made(Y) along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.(Z)
16 What strength(AA) it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!(AB)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(AC)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs(AD) like rods of iron.(AE)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(AF)
yet its Maker(AG) can approach it with his sword.(AH)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(AI)
and all the wild animals play(AJ) nearby.(AK)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds(AL) in the marsh.(AM)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream(AN) surround it.
23 A raging river(AO) does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan(AP) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?(AQ)
Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns(A) where we preached the word of the Lord(B) and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,(C) with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them(D) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas(E) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.(F) 41 He went through Syria(G) and Cilicia,(H) strengthening the churches.(I)
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(J) where a disciple named Timothy(K) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(L) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(M) at Lystra and Iconium(N) spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(O) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(P) in Jerusalem(Q) for the people to obey.(R) 5 So the churches were strengthened(S) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(T)
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(A) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing(B) before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus,(C) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
Jesus Anointed at Bethany(D)
12 Six days before the Passover,(E) Jesus came to Bethany,(F) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,(G) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;(H) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.(I) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,(J) objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,(K) he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.(L) 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c](M) but you will not always have me.”
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