Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 55[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.
55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore[c] my appeal for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset[d] and distressed,[e] I am beside myself,[f]
3 because of what the enemy says,[g]
and because of how the wicked[h] pressure me,[i]
for they hurl trouble[j] down upon me[k]
and angrily attack me.
4 My heart beats violently[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.[m]
5 Fear and panic overpower me;[n]
terror overwhelms[o] me.
6 I say,[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind[q] and the gale.”
9 Confuse them,[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls,[t]
while wickedness and destruction[u] are within it.
11 Disaster is within it;
violence[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
12 Indeed,[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,[x]
or else I could hide from him.
13 But it is you,[y] a man like me,[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.[aa]
14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
15 May death destroy them.[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,[ae]
and he will hear[af] me.[ag]
18 He will rescue[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,[ai]
even though[aj] they greatly outnumber me.[ak]
19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.[am]
20 He[an] attacks[ao] his friends;[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.[aq]
21 His words are as smooth as butter,[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.[at]
22 Throw your burden[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.[aw]
23 But you, O God, will bring them[ax] down to the deep Pit.[ay]
Violent and deceitful people[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 138[a]
By David.
138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly[b] I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.[c]
3 When[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.[e]
4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.[g]
5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.[i]
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles[j] the proud.
7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord avenges me.[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.[n]
Psalm 139[o]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[p] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[q]
you are aware of everything I do.[r]
4 Certainly[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[t]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[u]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[v]
8 If I were to ascend[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[x] in Sheol, there you would be.[y]
9 If I were to fly away[z] on the wings of the dawn,[aa]
and settle down on the other side[ab] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[ad]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[ae]
and the night is as bright as[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[ag]
13 Certainly[ah] you made my mind and heart;[ai]
you wove me together[aj] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;[al]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[an]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ap]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![aq]
How vast is their sum total.[ar]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[as]
19 If only[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![au]
20 They[av] rebel against you[aw] and act deceitfully;[ax]
your enemies lie.[ay]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[az]
22 I absolutely hate them;[ba]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.[bc]
11 Then[a] I saw another beast[b] coming up from the earth. He[c] had two horns like a lamb,[d] but[e] was speaking like a dragon. 12 He[f] exercised all the ruling authority[g] of the first beast on his behalf,[h] and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. 13 He[i] performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people[j] 14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told[k] those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 15 The second beast[l] was empowered[m] to give life[n] to the image of the first beast[o] so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He also caused[p] everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave[q]) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 Thus no one was allowed to buy[r] or sell things[s] unless he bore[t] the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number.[u] 18 This calls for wisdom:[v] Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number,[w] and his number is 666.[x]
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased[a] to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions[b] and give to the poor.[c] Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out—a treasure in heaven[d] that never decreases,[e] where no thief approaches and no moth[f] destroys. 34 For where your treasure[g] is, there your heart will be also.
Call to Faithful Stewardship
35 “Get dressed for service[h] and keep your lamps burning;[i] 36 be like people[j] waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration,[k] so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 Blessed are those slaves[l] whom their master finds alert[m] when he returns! I tell you the truth,[n] he will dress himself to serve,[o] have them take their place at the table,[p] and will come[q] and wait on them![r] 38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night[s] and finds them alert,[t] blessed are those slaves![u] 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief[v] was coming, he would not have let[w] his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”[x]
41 Then[y] Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”[z] 42 The Lord replied,[aa] “Who then is the faithful and wise manager,[ab] whom the master puts in charge of his household servants,[ac] to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave[ad] whom his master finds at work[ae] when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth,[af] the master[ag] will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if[ah] that[ai] slave should say to himself,[aj] ‘My master is delayed[ak] in returning,’ and he begins to beat[al] the other[am] slaves, both men and women,[an] and to eat, drink, and get drunk, 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two,[ao] and assign him a place with the unfaithful.[ap] 47 That[aq] servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked[ar] will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know his master’s will[as] and did things worthy of punishment[at] will receive a light beating.[au] From everyone who has been given much, much will be required,[av] and from the one who has been entrusted with much,[aw] even more will be asked.[ax]
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