Book of Common Prayer
93 The Lord rules.
He puts on majesty as if it were clothes.
The Lord puts on majesty and strength.
Indeed, the world has been set in place.
It is firm and secure.
2 Lord, you began to rule a long time ago.
You have always existed.
3 Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice.
They have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 But Lord, you are more powerful than the roar of the ocean.
You are stronger than the waves of the sea.
Lord, you are powerful in heaven.
5 Your laws do not change, Lord.
Your temple will be holy
for all time to come.
96 Sing a new song to the Lord.
All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord.
2 Sing to the Lord. Praise him.
Day after day tell about how he saves us.
3 Tell the nations about his glory.
Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done.
4 The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise.
People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all.
5 All the gods of the nations are like their statues.
They can’t do anything.
But the Lord made the heavens.
6 Glory and majesty are all around him.
Strength and glory can be seen in his temple.
7 Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise the Lord for his glory and strength.
8 Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him.
Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple.
9 Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness.
All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him.
10 Say to the nations, “The Lord rules.”
The world is firmly set in place. It can’t be moved.
The Lord will judge the people of the world fairly.
11 Let the heavens be full of joy. Let the earth be glad.
Let the ocean and everything in it roar.
12 Let the fields and everything in them be glad.
Let all the trees in the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation be full of joy in front of the Lord,
because he is coming to judge the earth.
He will faithfully judge the people of the world
in keeping with what is right.
148 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heavens above.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his angels in heaven.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens.
Praise him, you waters above the skies.
5 Let all of them praise the name of the Lord,
because at his command they were created.
6 He established them for ever and ever.
He gave them laws they will always have to obey.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all the deepest parts of the ocean.
8 Praise him, lightning and hail, snow and clouds.
Praise him, you stormy winds that obey him.
9 Praise him, all you mountains and hills.
Praise him, all you fruit trees and cedar trees.
10 Praise him, all you wild animals and cattle.
Praise him, you small creatures and flying birds.
11 Praise him, you kings of the earth and all nations.
Praise him, all you princes and rulers on earth.
12 Praise him, young men and women.
Praise him, old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord.
His name alone is honored.
His glory is higher than the earth and the heavens.
14 He has given his people a strong king.
All his faithful people praise him for that gift.
All the people of Israel are close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
150 Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his holy temple.
Praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his powerful acts.
Praise him because he is greater than anything else.
3 Praise him by blowing trumpets.
Praise him with harps and lyres.
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing.
Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes.
5 Praise him with clashing cymbals.
Praise him with clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
17 People of Judah, you will see the king in all his glory and majesty.
You will view his kingdom spreading far and wide.
18 You will think about what used to terrify you.
You will say to yourself,
“Where is that chief officer of Assyria?
Where is the one who forced us to send gifts to his king?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers
that were used when we were attacked?”
19 You won’t see those proud people anymore.
They spoke a strange language.
None of us could understand it.
20 Just look at Zion! It’s the city
where we celebrate our regular feasts.
Turn your eyes toward Jerusalem.
It will be a peaceful place to live in.
It will be like a tent that will never be moved.
Its stakes will never be pulled up.
None of its ropes will be broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of wide rivers and streams.
No boat with oars will travel on them.
No mighty ship will sail on them.
22 That’s because the Lord is our judge.
The Lord gives us our law.
The Lord is our king.
He will save us.
John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me, “You can trust these words. They are true. The Lord is the God who gives messages to the prophets. He sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look! I am coming soon! Words of prophecy are written in this book. Blessed is the person who obeys them.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. After that, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel. He is the one who had been showing me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God’s servant, just like the other prophets. And I serve God along with all who obey the words of this book. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book. These things are about to happen. 11 Let the person who does wrong keep on doing wrong. Let the evil person continue to be evil. Let the person who does right keep on doing what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy.”
18 I am warning everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. Suppose someone adds anything to them. Then God will add to that person the plagues told about in this book. 19 Suppose someone takes away any words from this book of prophecy. Then God will take away from that person the blessings told about in this book. God will take away their share in the tree of life. God will also take away their place in the Holy City.
20 Jesus is a witness about these things. He says, “Yes. I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
John the Baptist Is Born
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby. She gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her. They shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day, they came to have the child circumcised. They were going to name him Zechariah, like his father. 60 But his mother spoke up. “No!” she said. “He must be called John.”
61 They said to her, “No one among your relatives has that name.”
62 Then they motioned to his father. They wanted to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. 64 Right away Zechariah could speak again. Right away he praised God. 65 All his neighbors were filled with fear and wonder. Throughout Judea’s hill country, people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it. And because the Lord was with John, they asked, “What is this child going to be?”
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