Book of Common Prayer
God Puts Down the Proud and Lifts Up Those Who Are Right with Himself
75 We give thanks to You, O God. We give thanks that Your name is near. Men tell about the great things You have done. 2 You say, “When the right time has come, I will be right and fair in deciding who is guilty or not. 3 When the earth and all its people shake, it is I Who will hold it together. 4 I said to the proud, ‘Do not speak with pride.’ And I said to the sinful, ‘Do not lift up the horn. 5 Do not lift your horn up high. Do not speak in your pride.’”
6 For honor does not come from the east or the west or from the desert. 7 But God is the One Who decides. He puts down one and brings respect to another. 8 For there is a cup in the Lord’s hand. It is full of strong wine that is well mixed. He pours out from it, and all the sinful people of the earth must drink all of it.
9 But as for me, I will tell of it forever. I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 He will cut off all the horns of the sinful. But the horns of those who are right with God will be lifted up.
The Power That Wins
76 God is known in Judah. His name is great in Israel. 2 His holy tent of worship is in Salem. He lives in Zion. 3 There He broke the burning arrows, the iron covering and the sword, and all the things used for fighting in war.
4 You are shining with greatness, more beautiful than the mountains with many animals. 5 Strong men have been robbed. They sleep their last sleep. Not one of the soldiers can lift his hands. 6 O God of Jacob, both soldier and horse were put in a dead sleep because of Your sharp words. 7 You alone are to be feared. Who may stand before You when You are angry?
8 You said from heaven who is guilty or not. The earth was afraid and quiet 9 when God stood up to say who is guilty or not, and to save all the people of the earth who are not proud. 10 For the anger of man will praise You. And You will keep what is left of anger around You.
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them. Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him, Who is to be feared. 12 He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.
The Lord—Our Shepherd
23 The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. 3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. 4 Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. 5 You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. 6 For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.
Prayer of Trust in God
27 The Lord is my light and the One Who saves me. Whom should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom should I be afraid? 2 When sinful men, and all who hated me, came against me to destroy my flesh, they tripped and fell. 3 Even if an army gathers against me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if war rises against me, I will be sure of You.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I will look for: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to look upon the beauty of the Lord, and to worship in His holy house. 5 For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His holy tent. In the secret place of His tent He will hide me. He will set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be lifted up above all those around me who hate me. I will give gifts in His holy tent with a loud voice of joy. I will sing. Yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 O Lord, listen to my cry. Show loving-kindness to me and answer me. 8 You have said, “Look for My face.” My heart said to You, “O Lord, Your face will I look for.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me. Do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my Helper. Do not turn away from me or leave me alone, O God Who saves me! 10 For my father and my mother have left me. But the Lord will take care of me.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord. Lead me in a straight path, because of those who fight against me. 12 Do not give me over to the desire of those who hate me. For people who tell lies about me rise against me, and breathe a desire to hurt me. 13 I would have been without hope if I had not believed that I would see the loving-kindness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart be strong. Yes, wait for the Lord.
5 Now in the city of Susa where the king lived there was a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 6 He had been taken from Jerusalem with the people who had been taken away with King Jeconiah of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. 7 He had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father’s brother. For she did not have a father or mother. The young lady was beautiful in body and face. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
8 The words of the king were made known, and many young ladies were gathered to the city of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. So Esther was taken to the king’s house into the care of Hegai, who cared for the women.
15 Now the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the brother of the father of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king. She did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s servant who took care of the women, said she should take. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
16 So Esther was taken to the beautiful house of King Ahasuerus in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule. 17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women. She found favor and kindness with him more than all the young women, so that he set the queen’s crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great supper for all his princes and leaders. It was a special supper for Esther. He also made a special day for the nation, and gave many gifts.
Mordecai Saves the King’s Life
19 When the young women were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Esther had not yet told who her family or her people were, as Mordecai had said. For she did what Mordecai told her just as she had done when she was under his care. 21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s servants from those who watched over the door, became angry. And they planned to kill King Ahasuerus. 22 But their plan became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther. And Esther told the king what Mordecai had heard. 23 When the plan was learned and found to be true, both men were hanged on a tree. It was written down in the Book of the Chronicles in front of the king.
16 While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, his spirit was troubled as he saw the whole city worshiping false gods. 17 He talked to the Jews and other people who were worshiping in the Jewish place of worship. Every day he talked with people who gathered in the center of town.
18 Some men from two different groups were arguing with Paul. The one group thought that men might as well get all the fun out of life that they can. The other group thought that wisdom alone makes men happy. Some of them said, “This man has lots of little things to talk about. They are not important. What is he trying to say?” Others said, “He preaches about strange gods.” It was because he preached of Jesus and of His being raised from the dead.
19 Then they took him to Mars’ Hill and said, “We want to hear of this new teaching of yours. 20 Some of the things you are telling us are strange to our ears. We want to know what these things mean.” 21 The people of Athens and those visiting from far countries used all their time in talking or hearing some new thing. 22 Then Paul stood up on Mars’ Hill and said, “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way. 23 As I was walking around and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar where you worship with the words written on it, TO THE GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You are worshiping Him without knowing Him. He is the One I will tell you about.
24 “The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in buildings made by hands. 25 No one needs to care for Him as if He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath and everything to everyone. 26 He made from one blood all nations who live on the earth. He set the times and places where they should live.
27 “They were to look for God. Then they might feel after Him and find Him because He is not far from each one of us. 28 It is in Him that we live and move and keep on living. Some of your own men have written, ‘We are God’s children.’ 29 If we are God’s children, we should not think of Him as being like gold or silver or stone. Such gods made of gold or silver or stone are planned by men and are made by them.
30 “God did not remember these times when people did not know better. But now He tells all men everywhere to be sorry for their sins and to turn from them. 31 He has set a day when He will say in the right way if the people of the world are guilty. This will be done by Jesus Christ, the One He has chosen. God has proven this to all men by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.”
32 Some people laughed and made fun when they heard Paul speak of Christ being raised from the dead. Others said, “We want to listen to you again about this.” 33 So Paul went away from the people. 34 Some people followed him and became Christians. One was Dionysius, a leader in the city. A woman named Damaris believed. And there were others also.
Jesus and His Father Are One
44 Then Jesus spoke with a loud voice, “Anyone who puts his trust in Me, puts his trust not only in Me, but in Him Who sent Me. 45 Anyone who sees Me, sees Him Who sent Me. 46 I came to the world to be a Light. Anyone who puts his trust in Me will not be in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My Words but does not believe them, I do not say he is guilty. I did not come to say the world is guilty. I came to save the world from the punishment of sin. 48 Anyone who does not receive Me and does not receive My teaching has One Who will say he is guilty. The Word that I have spoken will say he is guilty on the last day. 49 I have not spoken by My own power. The Father Who sent Me has told Me what to say and speak. 50 I know that His Word is life that lasts forever. I speak the things the Father has told Me to speak.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.