Book of Common Prayer
145 I cried with all my heart. Answer me, O Lord! I will keep Your Law. 146 I cried to You. Save me, and I will keep Your Word. 147 I rise before the morning comes and cry for help. I have put my hope in Your Word. 148 My eyes wait for the night hours, so I may think about Your Word. 149 Hear my voice because of Your loving-kindness. O Lord, give me new life again because of Your Law. 150 Those who follow sinful ways come near. But they are far from Your Law. 151 You are near, O Lord. And all of Your Word is truth. 152 I learned from Your Law long ago that You made it to last forever.
153 Look upon my suffering and take me from it. For I do not forget Your Law. 154 Stand by me and set me free. Give me life again because of Your Word. 155 Your saving help is far from the sinful, for they do not look to Your Law. 156 Your loving-kindness is great, O Lord. Give me life again because of Your Law. 157 There are many who hate me and make it hard for me. Yet I do not turn from Your Law. 158 I look with hate on those who cannot be trusted, because they do not keep Your Word. 159 Think about how I love Your Law. Give me life again, O Lord, because of Your loving-kindness. 160 All of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your laws, which are always right, will last forever.
161 Rulers make it hard for me for no reason, but my heart honors Your Words with fear. 162 I am made happy by Your Word, like one who finds great riches. 163 I hate what is false, but I love Your Law. 164 I praise You seven times a day, because Your Law is right. 165 Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing will cause them to be hurt in their spirit. 166 I hope for Your saving power, O Lord, and I follow Your Word. 167 I obey Your Law, for I love it very much. 168 I obey Your Word and Laws, for You know all my ways.
Men of Anathoth Want to Kill Jeremiah
18 The Lord made it known to me and I knew it. You showed me the sinful things they did. 19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to be killed. I did not know that they had made plans against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit. Let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” 20 But, O Lord of All, Who is right as He judges, Who tests the heart and the mind, let me see You punish them. For I have put my cause before You.
21 So the Lord speaks about the men of Anathoth who want to kill you. These men say, “Do not speak in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand.” 22 So the Lord of All says, “See, I am about to punish them! The young men will die by the sword. And their sons and daughters will die from hunger. 23 None of them will be left. For I will bring much trouble to the men of Anathoth, in the year of their punishment.”
16 “I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves. 17 But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship. 18 They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me. 19 When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes. 20 It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.
21 “A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved.
Good Comes to the Person Who Honors the Lord
112 Praise the Lord! How happy is the man who honors the Lord with fear and finds joy in His Law! 2 His children will be powerful in the land. Each family who is right will be happy. 3 Riches and well-being are in his house. And his right-standing with God will last forever. 4 Light rises even in darkness for the one who is right. He is kind and has loving-pity and does what is right. 5 Good will come to the man who is ready to give much, and fair in what he does. 6 He will never be shaken. The man who is right and good will be remembered forever. 7 He will not be afraid of bad news. His heart is strong because he trusts in the Lord. 8 His heart will not be shaken. He will not be afraid and will watch those lose who fight against him. 9 He has given much to the poor. His right-standing with God lasts forever. His horn will be lifted high in honor.
10 The sinful man will see it and be troubled and angry. He will grind his teeth and waste away. The desire of the sinful will come to nothing.
God’s People Are Safe
125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but stands forever. 2 The Lord is around His people like the mountains are around Jerusalem, now and forever. 3 For the sinful will not rule over the land of those who are right with God. So those who are right and good may not use their hands to do wrong.
4 O Lord, do good to those who are good, and to those who are right in their hearts. 5 But the Lord will let all those who turn aside to their sinful ways go with those who are sinners. Peace be upon Israel.
12 So lift up your hands that have been weak. Stand up on your weak legs. 13 Walk straight ahead so the weak leg will not be turned aside, but will be healed.
14 Be at peace with all men. Live a holy life. No one will see the Lord without having that kind of life. 15 See that no one misses God’s loving-favor. Do not let wrong thoughts about others get started among you. If you do, many people will be turned to a life of sin. 16 None of you should fall into sex sins or forget God like Esau did. He had a right to get all Isaac had because he was the oldest son. But for one plate of food he sold this right to his brother. 17 You know that later he would have received everything. But he did not get it even when he asked for it with tears. It was too late to make right the wrong he had done.
18 For you have not come close to a mountain that you can touch. You have not come to worship where there is burning fire and darkness and storm and wind. 19 The sound of a horn was heard and God’s voice spoke. The people cried out to Moses to have God stop speaking to them. 20 They could not stand to listen to His strong words, “Even if an animal comes to the mountain, it must be killed.” (A) 21 What Moses saw was so hard to look at that he said, “I am full of fear and am shaking.” (B)
22 But instead, you have come to the mountain of Jerusalem. It is the city of the living God. It is the Jerusalem of heaven with its thousands of angels. 23 You have gathered there with God’s children who were born long ago. They are citizens of heaven. God is there. He will judge all men. The spirits of all those right with God are there. They have been made perfect. 24 Jesus is there. He has made a way for man to go to God. He gave His blood that men might worship God the New Way. The blood of Jesus tells of better things than that which Abel used.
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