Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 66
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
2 Sing the glory of his name;(B)
make his praise glorious.(C)
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
4 All the earth bows down(F) to you;
they sing praise(G) to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”[a]
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
7 He rules forever(L) by his power,
his eyes watch(M) the nations—
let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.
8 Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives(P)
and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)
16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Psalm 67[b]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—[c](AF)
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation(AG) among all nations.(AH)
Psalm 19[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens(A) declare(B) the glory of God;(C)
the skies(D) proclaim the work of his hands.(E)
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.(F)
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.(G)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(H) for the sun.(I)
5 It is like a bridegroom(J) coming out of his chamber,(K)
like a champion(L) rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens(M)
and makes its circuit to the other;(N)
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord(O) is perfect,(P)
refreshing the soul.(Q)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(R)
making wise the simple.(S)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,(T)
giving joy(U) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.(V)
9 The fear of the Lord(W) is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.(X)
10 They are more precious than gold,(Y)
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(Z)
than honey from the honeycomb.(AA)
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.(AB)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(AC)
may they not rule over me.(AD)
Then I will be blameless,(AE)
innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 46[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.
1 God is our refuge(A) and strength,(B)
an ever-present(C) help(D) in trouble.(E)
2 Therefore we will not fear,(F) though the earth give way(G)
and the mountains fall(H) into the heart of the sea,(I)
3 though its waters roar(J) and foam(K)
and the mountains quake(L) with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river(M) whose streams(N) make glad the city of God,(O)
the holy place where the Most High(P) dwells.(Q)
5 God is within her,(R) she will not fall;(S)
God will help(T) her at break of day.
6 Nations(U) are in uproar,(V) kingdoms(W) fall;
he lifts his voice,(X) the earth melts.(Y)
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,(AD)
the desolations(AE) he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars(AF) cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(AG) and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.(AH)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(AI)
I will be exalted(AJ) among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
6 I have posted watchmen(A) on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,(B)
7 and give him no rest(C) till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise(D) of the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn(E) by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain(F)
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but those who harvest it will eat(G) it
and praise the Lord,(H)
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”(I)
10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(J)
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(K)
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(L) for the nations.
11 The Lord has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:(M)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(N)
‘See, your Savior comes!(O)
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”(P)
12 They will be called(Q) the Holy People,(R)
the Redeemed(S) of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.(T)
Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers
3 We know(A) that we have come to know him(B) if we keep his commands.(C) 4 Whoever says, “I know him,”(D) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(E) 5 But if anyone obeys his word,(F) love for God[a] is truly made complete in them.(G) This is how we know(H) we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.(I)
7 Dear friends,(J) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(K) This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command;(L) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(M) and the true light(N) is already shining.(O)
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b](P) is still in the darkness.(Q) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light,(R) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(S) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(T) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(U) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(V)
Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am(A) the light of the world.(B) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(C)
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”(D)
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.(E) But you have no idea where I come from(F) or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards;(G) I pass judgment on no one.(H) 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.(I) 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.(J) 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”(K)
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,”(L) Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(M)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.