Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 80[a]
Prayer for the Persecuted People
1 For the director.[b] According to “Lilies.” Eduth. A psalm of Asaph.
2 [c]Listen to us, O shepherd of Israel,[d]
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
As you sit enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
3 over Ephraim,[e] Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Stir up your power
and come to save us.
4 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine[f] upon us,
and we will be saved.
5 O Lord of hosts,[g]
how long will you be angry
at your people’s prayers?
6 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and made them drink tears beyond measure.
7 You have made us an object of contention to our neighbors,
a source of mockery to our enemies.
8 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine upon us,
and we will be saved.
9 [h]You brought a vine[i] out of Egypt;
you dispersed the nations and planted it.
10 You prepared the ground for it;
then it took root and filled the land.
11 The mountains were covered with its shade
and the cedars of God[j] with its shoots.
12 It sent out its boughs as far as the Sea,[k]
its shoots as far as the river.
13 [l]Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pluck its grapes?[m]
14 The boars from the forest ravage it,
and wild beasts of the field feed on it.
15 Turn once again to us, O Lord of hosts;[n]
look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
16 this shoot[o] that your right hand has planted,
the son that you yourself made strong.
17 Let those who would burn it or cut it down
perish when confronted by your rebuke.
18 Let your hand rest upon the man at your right,[p]
the son of man that you yourself made strong.
19 Then we will never again turn away from you;
give us life and we will call upon your name.[q]
20 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine upon us,
and we will be saved.
Psalm 77[a]
Lament and Consolation in Distress
1 For the director.[b] For Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.
2 [c]I cry aloud to God,
for when I cry out to God, he hears me.[d]
3 In the time of my distress I seek the Lord;
at night I stretch out my hands unceasingly,
and my soul refuses to be consoled.
4 [e]I groan as I think of God;
my spirit grows faint as I meditate on him. Selah
5 You keep my eyes from closing in sleep;
I am much too distraught to speak.
6 I reflect on the days of old
and recall the years long past.
7 At night I meditate in my heart,[f]
and as I reflect, my spirit questions:
8 [g]“Will the Lord cast us off forever
and never again show us his favor?
9 Has his kindness[h] vanished forever?
Has his promise ceased for all time?
10 Has God forgotten how to be merciful?
Has he shut up his compassion in anger?” Selah
11 [i]And I say: “This is my grief—
that the right hand[j] of the Most High has changed.”
12 I will remember the works of the Lord;
I will call to mind your wonders in the past.
13 I will reflect on all your deeds
and ponder your wondrous works.[k]
14 O God, your way is holy.[l]
What god is as great as our God?
15 You are the God who works wonders;
you have displayed your might to the nations.
16 With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.[m] Selah
17 [n]When the waters[o] beheld you, O God,
when the waters beheld you, they writhed;
the very depths trembled.
18 The clouds poured forth their water,
the skies thundered,
your arrows[p] flashed back and forth.
19 The crash of your thunder resounded in the heavens;
your flashes of lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.[q]
20 Your path led through the sea,
your way, through the mighty waters,
though none could trace your footsteps.[r]
21 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.[s]
Psalm 79[a]
Prayer for Restoration
1 A psalm of Asaph.[b]
[c]O God, the nations have invaded your heritage;
they have profaned your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of your saints
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and no one is left to bury them.[d]
4 We have become the scorn of our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.[e]
5 [f]How long, O Lord?[g] Will you be angry forever?
How long will your rage continue to blaze like a fire?
6 [h]Pour out your wrath on the nations
that refuse to acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that fail to call on your name.[i]
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and ravaged his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of our ancestors;
let your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate straits.[j]
9 [k]Help us, O God, our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and wipe away our sins
for your name’s sake.[l]
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes make it clearly known among those nations
that you avenge[m] the blood of your servants.
11 Let the groans of the captives come before you;
through your great power
save those who have been sentenced to death.[n]
12 Repay our neighbors sevenfold[o] in their breasts, O Lord,
for the insults with which they taunted you.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will offer thanks to you[p] forever;
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
4 When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs went to her and told her about Mordecai, she became deeply troubled. She sent clothes for him to wear in place of the sackcloth, but he refused to do so. 5 Esther then called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been assigned to her service, and ordered him to find out what this action of Mordecai meant and why it was being done.
6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the public square in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to put in the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.
8 [a]“Remember the days of your lowly estate,” Mordecai had Hathach say, “when you were brought up in my charge; for Haman, who stands next to the king, has asked for our death.9 Invoke the Lord and speak to the king on our behalf; save us from death.”
8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the edict that had been published in Susa, for the annihilation of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther. Hathach was to urge her to go into the king’s presence to plead for mercy and intercede with him for her people.9 Hathach went back to Esther and told her what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she gave him a message for Mordecai: 11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the royal provinces are aware that any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner palace without being summoned suffers automatic death. The sole exception to this rule is if the king extends to such a person the golden scepter, which spares his life. Yet as for me, I have not been summoned by the king for thirty days.”
12 When Esther’s words reached Mordecai, 13 he sent back this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 Even if you remain silent now, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place;[b] but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows? Perhaps it was for just such a time as this that you obtained the royal dignity.”
15 Then Esther sent back this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same thing. After that, I will go to the king—against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
17 Then Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Chapter C
The Prayer of Mordecai.1 [c]Calling to mind everything that the Lord had done, Mordecai prayed to him in these words:
2 “O Lord God, King and ruler of all things, the entire universe is subject to your power, and no one can thwart you in your intention to save Israel.3 You made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under the firmament.4 You are Lord of all, and there is no one, O Lord, who can resist you.5 Since you know all things, O Lord, you realize that it was not because of insolence or pride or a desire for glory that I so acted in refusing to bow down to this haughty Haman.6 To ensure the salvation of Israel, I would gladly have kissed the soles of his feet.7 But I acted in this way so as not to place human glory above the glory of God. I will not bow down to anyone but you, my Lord, and I will not act in this way out of pride.
8 “Now, Lord, my God and King, O God of Abraham, spare your people, for our enemies are determined to exterminate us and to destroy the inheritance that has been yours from times of old.9 Do not forsake your people whom you redeemed and brought out of Egypt for yourself.10 Hear my prayer and have mercy on your heritage. Turn our sorrow into joy so that we may live to sing praise to your name, O Lord. Do not silence the lips of those who praise you.”
11 And all the Israelites also cried aloud with all their strength, since death was before their eyes.
The Prayer of Esther.12 Queen Esther, too, was seized with great anguish and sought recourse from the Lord.13 Removing her splendid robes, she put on garments of sadness and mourning. Instead of rich perfumes, she covered her head with dirt and ashes. She greatly mortified her body, and every part that she used to adorn elegantly, she now covered with her disheveled hair.
14 Then Esther prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, and said: “O my Lord, you alone are our King. Come to my assistance, for I am alone and have no one to help me but you.15 My life is in great danger.16 From my earliest days I was taught by my family that you, O Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our fathers from among all their forebearers, as an everlasting heritage, and that you have fulfilled all the promises you made to them.17 But now we have sinned against you, and you have handed us over to our enemies18 because we paid honor to their gods. You are just, O Lord.
19 “However, now our enemies are not satisfied with our bitter slavery. They have vowed to their idols20 to annul the decree you have proclaimed and destroy your heritage, to silence the mouths of those who praise you and to destroy your altar and the glory of your house,[d]21 and instead, to open the mouths of the nations to praise their worthless idols and to offer an earthly king everlasting praise.
22 “O Lord, do not consign your scepter to gods who do not exist. Do not let our enemies exult in our downfall, but turn their designs against them and make an example of the chief of our persecutors.23 Remember us, O Lord. Reveal yourself in this time of our tribulation, and give me courage, O King of gods and Master of every dominion.24 Give me the power of persuasive speech when I face the lion and enable me to turn his heart to hatred of the one who is our enemy so that he and all those who share his feelings may perish.25 Save us by your arm and come to my aid, for I am alone and have no one on whom to rely but you, O Lord.
“You know all things.26 You are fully aware that I hate the honors offered by the wicked and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any alien.27 You know the straits I am in. I loathe the symbol of my proud position that I wear on my head on days when I appear in public. I detest it as if it were an unclean rag, and I do not wear it on days when I am in private.28 I, your servant, have never eaten at Haman’s table, nor have I attended any banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations.29 From the day I changed my state until now, I have experienced no joy except in you, O Lord, God of Abraham.30 O God all-powerful, give heed to the pleas of those in despair. Deliver us from the power of the wicked and rescue me from my fear.”
Chapter D
Esther Appears before the King.1 [e]On the third day, having finished her prayers, Esther removed her penitential garments and arrayed herself in the splendor due to her state.2 Thus beautifully adorned, she invoked the aid of God, who watches over and saves all, and took her two maids with her.3 One of them provided gentle support for her,4 while the other followed, bearing her train.5 She was radiant in the splendor of her beauty, and her countenance was joyous as though permeated with love, but her heart was filled with fear.6 She passed through one door after another and finally stood in the presence of the king. He was seated on his royal throne, clothed in all his kingly regalia adorned with gold and precious stones, so that his appearance was terrifying.
7 He looked up, and his face blazed with anger when he saw her. The queen grew faint, turned pale, and steadied herself against the head of the maid who preceded her.8 Then God changed the king’s mood from anger to one of gentleness. In alarm he sprang from his throne, held her in his arms until she revived, and soothed her with comforting words.9 “What is the matter, Esther?” he said to her. “I am your husband. Take courage.10 You shall not die, for our decree applies only to the common folk.11 Come near!”12 Then he raised his gold scepter and, touching her neck with it, embraced her and said: “Speak to me.”
13 She replied: “My lord, when I approached you, you looked like an angel of God, and I was filled with fear at your majestic presence.14 You are wonderful, my lord, and your face is enchanting.”15 As she said this, she fell in a faint.16 Then the king became troubled as his attendants sought to revive her.
Chapter 18
Paul in Corinth.[a] 1 At that point, Paul departed from Athens and moved on to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius[b] had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them, 3 and because they were tentmakers just as he was, he stayed with them and they worked together.[c] 4 Every Sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convert both Jews and Greeks.
5 After Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his efforts to preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 When they opposed him and began to hurl insults, he shook out his garments in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I have a clear conscience. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 With that, he left and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, who lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord along with his entire household. Many Corinthians who heard Paul came to believe and were baptized.
9 One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision[d] and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” 11 And so he remained there for eighteen months, teaching the word of God to them.
Prologue[a]
Chapter 1
1 Since many different individuals have undertaken the task to set down an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 in accordance with their transmission to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, 3 I too, after researching all the evidence anew with great care, have decided to write an orderly account for you, Theophilus, who are so greatly revered, 4 so that you may learn the unquestioned authenticity of the teachings you have received.
The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry[a]
Chapter 3
The Ministry of John the Baptist. 1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias[b] was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,[c] the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He journeyed throughout the entire region of the Jordan valley, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
and every mountain and hill shall be leveled;
the winding roads shall be straightened
and the rough paths made smooth,
6 and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
7 He admonished the crowds who came out to be baptized by him: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Produce good fruits as proof of your repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 When the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 he said to them in reply, “Anyone who has two coats must share with the person who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors were coming to him to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He answered them, “Cease collecting more than the amount prescribed.” 14 Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What should we do?” He replied, “Do not extort money from anyone, do not falsely accuse or threaten anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
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