Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 40[a]
Thanksgiving and Prayer for Help
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David.
2 [c]I waited patiently for the Lord;
then he stooped down and heard my cry.
3 He raised me up from the desolate pit,
out of the mire of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a rock,
giving me a firm footing.
4 He put a new song[d] in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will look on and be awestruck,
and they will place their trust in the Lord.
5 Blessed[e] is the man
who places his trust in the Lord,
who does not follow the arrogant
or those who go astray after falsehoods.
6 How innumerable, O Lord, my God,
are the wonders you have worked;
no one can compare with you
in the plans you have made for us.
I would proclaim them and recount them,
but there are far too many to enumerate.
7 [f]Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but you have made my ears receptive.[g]
Burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not demand.
8 [h]Then I said, “Behold I come;
it is written of me in the scroll of the book.
9 To do your will, O God, is my delight;
your law is in my heart.”[i]
10 I have proclaimed your righteousness in the great assembly;
I did not seal my lips,
as you well know, O Lord.
11 I have not concealed your righteousness within the depths of my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and salvation.
I have not concealed your kindness and your truth
in the great assembly.
12 O Lord, do not withhold your mercy from me;
may your kindness[j] and your truth keep me safe forever.
13 I am surrounded by evils without number;
my sins have so engulfed me that I cannot see.
They outnumber the hairs on my head,
and my heart sinks within me.[k]
14 [l]Be pleased, O Lord, to rescue me
O Lord, come quickly to my aid.
15 [m]May all those who seek to take my life
endure shame and confusion.
May all those who desire my ruin
be turned back and humiliated.
16 May those who cry out to me, “Aha, aha!”[n]
be overcome with shame and dismay.
17 But may all who seek you
rejoice in you and be jubilant.
May those who love your salvation
cry out forever, “The Lord be magnified.”
18 Even though I am poor and needy,[o]
the Lord keeps me in his thoughts.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.
Psalm 54[a]
Prayer in Time of Danger
1 For the director.[b] On stringed instruments. A maskil of David. 2 When the Ziphites came to Saul and said, “David is hiding among us.”
3 O God, save me by your name;[c]
vindicate me by your power.
4 Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
5 Strangers[d] have risen against me;
those who are ruthless seek my life,
and they have no thought of God. Selah
6 Surely God is my helper;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
7 May their own evil recoil on my foes:
you who are faithful, destroy them.[e]
8 [f]I will freely offer sacrifice to you,
and I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
9 For you have rescued me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies.
Psalm 51[a]
The “Miserere”: Repentance for Sin
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David. 2 When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.
3 Have mercy on me, O God,
in accord with your kindness;[c]
in your abundant compassion
wipe away my offenses.
4 Wash me completely from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I am fully aware of my offense,
and my sin is ever before me.
6 Against you, you alone,[d] have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
Therefore, you are right in accusing me
and just in passing judgment.
7 Indeed, I was born in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.[e]
8 But you desire sincerity of heart;[f]
and you endow my innermost being with wisdom.
9 Sprinkle me with hyssop[g] so that I may be cleansed;
wash me until I am whiter than snow.
10 Let me experience joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed exult.
11 Hide your face from my sins,
and wipe out all my offenses.
12 Create[h] in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a resolute spirit within me.
13 Do not cast me out from your presence
or take away from me your Holy Spirit.[i]
14 Restore to me the joy of being saved,
and grant me the strength of a generous spirit.
15 I will teach your ways to the wicked,
and sinners will return to you.
16 Deliver me from bloodguilt,[j] O God,
the God of my salvation,
and I will proclaim your righteousness.
17 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
18 For you take no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to make a burnt offering,
you would refuse to accept it.[k]
19 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a contrite and humble heart,[l] O God,
you will not spurn.
20 [m]In your kindness, deal favorably with Zion;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
21 Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole oblations,
and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
Chapter 50
God’s Offer of Salvation Remains
1 [a]Thus says the Lord:
Where is your mother’s bill of divorce
by which I repudiated her?
Or which creditor of mine was it
to whom I sold you?
No, you were sold because of your sins,
and your mother was repudiated,
because of your rebellious acts.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
Why did no one answer when I called?
Is my hand too short to redeem?
Have I no power to deliver?
By my rebuke I can dry up the sea
and turn the rivers into a desert.
Their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 Did I not clothe the heavens in black
and cover them with sackcloth?
4 [b]The Lord God has given me
the tongue of one who has been well taught
so that I am able to console the weary
with a message of encouragement.
Morning after morning he opens my ears
so that I may listen to their concerns.
5 And I have not rebelled,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard.
I did not shield my face
from insults and spitting.
7 The Lord God is my help;
therefore I have not been disgraced.
Rather, I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who upholds me is near;
thus, if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us confront each other.
Is there anyone who has a case against me?
Let him come forward.
9 The Lord God is my defender;
who then will dare to condemn me?
All of them will wear out like a garment
the moth will devour them.
10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant’s voice?
Who among you walks in darkness
without any light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
11 But all of you kindle a fire
and arm yourselves with firebrands.
Walk by the light of your fire
and the firebrands that you have set ablaze.
This is what you will receive from my hand:
you will lie down in torment.
15 The Promise of the Covenant. Brethren, allow me to give you an everyday example. Once a human will has been ratified, no one can make further additions to it or set it aside. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and his descendant. It does not say “and to your descendants,” as referring to many, but it says “and to your descendant,” that is, to one person, who is Christ.
17 This is what I am saying: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot invalidate a covenant that had been previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 Obviously, if the inheritance comes from the Law, it no longer comes from the promise. However, God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise.
19 The Purpose of the Law. Why then? It was added because of transgressions[a] until the descendant appeared to whom the promise had been made, and it was promulgated by angels through an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary is not necessary when there is only one party, and God is one.
21 Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! If the Law that had been given had the power to bestow life, then righteousness would have come through the Law. 22 But according to Scripture all things have been confined under sin, so that through faith in Jesus Christ what was promised might be given to those who believe.
47 When evening came, the boat was far out on the water while he was alone on the shore. 48 He could see that the disciples were having difficulty in rowing the boat in the face of a headwind. Around the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the water. He was going to pass by them, 49 but when the disciples saw him walking on the water they thought it was a ghost and they cried out, 50 for they all had seen him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Have courage! It is I![a] Do not be afraid!” 51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves. Their minds were closed.
53 Jesus Heals the Sick at Gennesaret.[b] After they had completed the crossing, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they disembarked, the people recognized Jesus immediately. 55 They rushed throughout the entire countryside, and began to bring the sick to him on pallets wherever they heard he was. 56 Everywhere he went, whether to village or town or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it were completely healed.
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