Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 93
1 The Lord reigns,(A) he is robed in majesty;(B)
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;(C)
indeed, the world is established,(D) firm and secure.(E)
2 Your throne was established(F) long ago;
you are from all eternity.(G)
Psalm 96(A)
1 Sing to the Lord(B) a new song;(C)
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(D)
proclaim his salvation(E) day after day.
3 Declare his glory(F) among the nations,
his marvelous deeds(G) among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(H)
he is to be feared(I) above all gods.(J)
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,(K)
but the Lord made the heavens.(L)
6 Splendor and majesty(M) are before him;
strength and glory(N) are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord,(O) all you families of nations,(P)
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering(Q) and come into his courts.(R)
9 Worship the Lord(S) in the splendor of his[a] holiness;(T)
tremble(U) before him, all the earth.(V)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(W)”
The world is firmly established,(X) it cannot be moved;(Y)
he will judge(Z) the peoples with equity.(AA)
11 Let the heavens rejoice,(AB) let the earth be glad;(AC)
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest(AD) sing for joy.(AE)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge(AF) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(AG)
and the peoples in his faithfulness.(AH)
Psalm 34[a][b]
Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory(C) in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
3 Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
let us exalt(F) his name together.
4 I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
7 The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers(M) them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
9 Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
seek peace(Z) and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Seven Angels With Seven Plagues
15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:(A) seven angels(B) with the seven last plagues(C)—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass(D) glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious(E) over the beast(F) and its image(G) and over the number of its name.(H) They held harps(I) given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant(J) Moses(K) and of the Lamb:(L)
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,(M)
Lord God Almighty.(N)
Just and true are your ways,(O)
King of the nations.[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,(P)
and bring glory to your name?(Q)
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,(R)
for your righteous acts(S) have been revealed.”[b]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple(T)—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law(U)—and it was opened.(V) 6 Out of the temple(W) came the seven angels with the seven plagues.(X) They were dressed in clean, shining linen(Y) and wore golden sashes around their chests.(Z) 7 Then one of the four living creatures(AA) gave to the seven angels(AB) seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.(AC) 8 And the temple was filled with smoke(AD) from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple(AE) until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven(A)
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(B) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(C) 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(D) 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.(E)
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.(F) 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!(G) 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,(H) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(I) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.(J)
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep(K)
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels(L) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a]
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
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