Book of Common Prayer
145 Lord, I call to you with all my heart.
Answer me,
and I will keep your demands.
146 I call to you. Save me
so I can obey your rules.
147 I wake up early in the morning and cry out.
I trust your word.
148 I stay awake all night
so I can think about your promises.
149 Listen to me because of your love.
Lord, give me life by your laws.
150 Those who love evil are near.
They are far from your teachings.
151 But, Lord, you are also near.
And all your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your rules
that you made them to continue forever.
153 See my suffering and save me
because I have not forgotten your teachings.
154 Argue my case and save me.
Let me live by your promises.
155 Wicked people are far from being saved
because they do not want to obey your demands.
156 Lord, you are very kind.
Give me life by your laws.
157 Many enemies are after me.
But I have not rejected your rules.
158 I see those traitors, and I hate them
because they do not obey what you say.
159 See how I love your orders.
Lord, give me life by your love.
160 Your words are true from the start.
And all your laws will be fair forever.
161 Leaders attack me for no reason.
But I fear your law in my heart.
162 I am as happy over your promises
as if I had found a great treasure.
163 I hate and despise lies.
But I love your teachings.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your fair laws.
165 Those who love your teachings will find true peace.
Nothing will defeat them.
166 I am waiting for you to save me, Lord.
I will obey your commands.
167 I keep your rules.
I love them very much.
168 I keep your orders and rules.
You know everything I do.
169 Hear my cry to you, Lord.
Let your word help me understand.
170 Listen to my prayer.
Save me as you promised.
171 Let me speak your praise.
You have taught me your demands.
172 Let me sing about your promises.
All your commands are fair.
173 Always be ready to help me
because I have chosen to obey your commands.
174 I want you to save me, Lord.
I love your teachings.
175 Let me live so I can praise you.
Your laws will help me.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep.
Look for your servant because I have not forgotten your commands.
The Happy Home
A song for going up to worship.
128 Happy are those who respect the Lord
and obey him.
2 You will enjoy what you work for.
You will be blessed with good things.
3 Your wife will give you many children.
She will be like a vine that produces a lot of fruit.
Your children will bring you much good.
They will be like olive branches that produce many olives.
4 This is how the man who respects the Lord
will be blessed.
5 May the Lord bless you from Mount Zion.
May you enjoy the good things of Jerusalem all your life.
6 May you see your grandchildren.
Let there be peace in Israel.
A Prayer Against the Enemies
A song for going up to worship.
129 They have treated me badly all my life.
(Let Israel repeat this.)
2 They have treated me badly all my life.
But they have not defeated me.
3 Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back,
making long wounds.
4 But the Lord does what is right.
He has set me free from those wicked people.
5 Let those who hate Jerusalem
be turned back in shame.
6 Let them be like the grass on the roof.
It dries up before it has grown.
7 There is not enough of it to fill a man’s hand
or to make into a bundle to fill his arms.
8 Let those who pass by them not say,
“May the Lord bless you.
We bless you by the power of the Lord.”
A Prayer for Mercy
A song for going up to worship.
130 Lord, I am in great trouble.
So I call out to you for help.
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Listen to my prayer for help.
3 Lord, if you punished people for all their sins,
no one would be left.
4 But you forgive us.
So you are respected.
5 I wait for the Lord to help me.
I trust his word.
6 I wait for the Lord to help me
more than night watchmen wait for the dawn,
more than night watchmen wait for the dawn.
7 People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord
because he is loving
and able to save.
8 He will save Israel
from all their sins.
The Evil Plans of People
2 How terrible it will be for people who plan wickedness.
They lie on their beds and make evil plans.
When the morning light comes, they do the things they planned.
They do them just because they have the power to do so.
2 They want fields; so they take them.
They want houses; so they take them.
They cheat a man and take his house.
They cheat a man and take his property.
3 That is why the Lord says:
“Look, I am planning trouble against such people.
You won’t be able to save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,
because it will be a terrible time.
4 At that time people will make fun of you.
They will sing this sad song about you:
‘We are completely ruined.
The Lord has taken away our land.
Yes, he has taken our land away from us.
He has divided our fields among our enemies!’”
5 So you will have no land for people to measure.
They will not throw lots to divide the land among the Lord’s people.
Micah Is Asked Not to Prophesy
6 People say, “Don’t prophesy to us!
Don’t say those bad things about us!
Nothing like that will happen to us!”
7 But I must say this, people of Jacob.
The Lord is becoming angry about what you have done.
If you lived right,
I could say nice words to you.
8 But recently, my people have become my enemy.
You take the coats from people who pass by.
They think they are safe.
But you rob them
as if they were prisoners of war.
9 You’ve forced the women of my people
from their nice houses.
You’ve taken my glory
from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave.
This is not your promised place of rest anymore.
You have made this place unclean.
It is doomed to destruction.
11 But you people want a false prophet
who will tell you nothing but lies.
You want one who promises to prophesy good things for you
if you give him wine and beer.
He’s just the prophet for you.
The Lord Promises to Rescue His People
12 “Yes, people of Jacob, I will bring all of you together.
I will bring together all those left alive in Israel.
I’ll put them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture.
Then the place will be filled with many people.
13 Someone will open the way and lead the people out.
The people will break through the gate and leave the city where they were held captive.
Their king will go out in front of them.
The Lord will lead his people.”
Paul Is Sent to Caesarea
23 Then the commander called two officers. He said to them, “I need some men to go to Caesarea. Get 200 soldiers ready. Also, get 70 horsemen and 200 men with spears. Be ready to leave at nine o’clock tonight. 24 Get some horses for Paul to ride. He must be taken to Governor Felix safely.” 25 And he wrote a letter that said:
26 From Claudius Lysias.
To the Most Excellent Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 The Jews had taken this man, and they planned to kill him. But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and saved him. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him. So I brought him before their council meeting. 29 I learned that the Jews said Paul did some things that were wrong. But these charges were about their own laws. And no charge was worthy of jail or death. 30 I was told that some of the Jews were planning to kill Paul. So I sent him to you at once. I also told those Jews to tell you what they have against him.
31 So the soldiers did what they were told. They took Paul and brought him to the city of Antipatris that night. 32 The next day the horsemen went with Paul to Caesarea. But the other soldiers went back to the army building in Jerusalem. 33 The horsemen came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor. Then they turned Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter. Then he asked Paul, “What area are you from?” He learned that Paul was from Cilicia. 35 He said, “I will hear your case when those who are against you come here too.” Then the governor gave orders for Paul to be kept under guard in the palace. (This building had been built by Herod.)
John Asks a Question
18 John’s followers told him about all these things. He called for two of his followers. 19 He sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?”
20 So the men came to Jesus. They said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the One who is coming, or should we wait for another?’”
21 At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits. He healed many blind people so that they could see again. 22 Then Jesus said to John’s followers, “Go tell John the things that you saw and heard here. The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with a harmful skin disease are healed. The deaf can hear, and the dead are given life. And the Good News is told to the poor. 23 The person who does not lose faith is blessed!”
24 When John’s followers left, Jesus began to tell the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed[a] blown by the wind? 25 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. People who have fine clothes live in kings’ palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. 27 This was written about John:
‘I will send my messenger ahead of you.
He will prepare the way for you.’ Malachi 3:1
28 I tell you, John is greater than any other man ever born. But even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John.”
29 (When the people heard this, they all agreed that God’s teaching was good. Even the tax collectors agreed. These were people who were already baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and teachers of the law refused to accept God’s plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
31 Then Jesus said, “What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other group and says,
‘We played music for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
33 John the Baptist came and did not eat like other people or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon in him.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating like other people and drinking wine. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of the tax collectors and “sinners”!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.