Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 119[a]
א (Alef)
119 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,[b]
who obey[c] the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.[d]
4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.[e]
5 If only I were predisposed[f]
to keep your statutes.
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if[g] I were focused on[h] all your commands.
7 I will give you sincere thanks,[i]
when I learn your just regulations.
8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me.[j]
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young person[k] maintain a pure life?[l]
By guarding it according to your instructions.[m]
10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
11 In my heart I store up[n] your words,[o]
so I might not sin against you.
12 You deserve praise,[p] O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.[q]
14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules[r]
as if[s] they were riches of all kinds.[t]
15 I will meditate on[u] your precepts
and focus on[v] your behavior.[w]
16 I find delight[x] in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.[y]
ג (Gimel)
17 Be kind to your servant.
Then I will live[z] and keep[aa] your instructions.[ab]
18 Open[ac] my eyes so I can truly see[ad]
the marvelous things in your law.
19 I am a resident foreigner in this land.[ae]
Do not hide your commands from me.
20 I desperately long to know[af]
your regulations at all times.
21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.[ag]
22 Spare me[ah] shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
23 Though rulers plot and slander me,[ai]
your servant meditates on your statutes.
24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.[aj]
Psalm 12[a]
For the music director, according to the sheminith style;[b] a psalm of David.
12 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly[c] have disappeared;[d]
people of integrity[e] have vanished.[f]
2 People lie to one another;[g]
they flatter and deceive.[h]
3 May the Lord cut off[i] all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts![j]
4 They say,[k] “We speak persuasively;[l]
we know how to flatter and boast.[m]
Who is our master?”[n]
5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed,[o]
because of the painful cries[p] of the needy,
I will spring into action,”[q] says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”[r]
6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable.[s]
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined.[t]
7 You, Lord, will protect them;[u]
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people,[v]
8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere,[w]
when people promote evil.[x]
Psalm 13[y]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
13 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?[z]
How long will you pay no attention to me?[aa]
2 How long must I worry,[ab]
and suffer in broad daylight?[ac]
How long will my enemy gloat over me?[ad]
3 Look at me![ae] Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,[af] or else I will die.[ag]
4 Then[ah] my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.”
Then[ai] my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I[aj] trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance.[ak]
6 I will sing praises[al] to the Lord
when he vindicates me.[am]
Psalm 14[an]
For the music director, by David.
14 Fools say to themselves,[ao] “There is no God.”[ap]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[aq]
none of them does what is right.[ar]
2 The Lord looks down from heaven[as] at the human race,[at]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[au] and seeks God.[av]
3 Everyone rejects God;[aw]
they are all morally corrupt.[ax]
None of them does what is right,[ay]
not even one.
4 All those who behave wickedly[az] do not understand—[ba]
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to the Lord.
5 They are absolutely terrified,[bb]
for God defends the godly.[bc]
6 You want to humiliate the oppressed,[bd]
even though[be] the Lord is their[bf] shelter.
7 I wish the deliverance[bg] of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people,[bh]
may Jacob rejoice,[bi]
may Israel be happy![bj]
Samuel Anoints David as King
16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.[a] Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”[b]
2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you[c] and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out[d] to you.”
4 Samuel did what the Lord told him.[e] When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They[f] said, “Do you come in peace?” 5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel[g] noticed[h] Eliab and said to himself,[i] “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.”[j] 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by[k] his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do.[l] People look on the outward appearance,[m] but the Lord looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel.[n] But Samuel[o] said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Then Jesse presented[p] Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel.[q] But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse[r] replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
12 So Jesse had him brought in.[s] Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
Peter Visits Cornelius
10 Now there was a man in Caesarea[a] named Cornelius, a centurion[b] of what was known as the Italian Cohort.[c] 2 He[d] was a devout, God-fearing man,[e] as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people[f] and prayed to God regularly. 3 About three o’clock one afternoon[g] he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God[h] who came in[i] and said to him, “Cornelius.” 4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius[j] replied,[k] “What is it, Lord?” The angel[l] said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity[m] have gone up as a memorial[n] before God. 5 Now[o] send men to Joppa[p] and summon a man named Simon,[q] who is called Peter. 6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner,[r] whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius[s] called two of his personal servants[t] and a devout soldier from among those who served him,[u] 8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 About noon[v] the next day, while they were on their way and approaching[w] the city, Peter went up on the roof[x] to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.[y] 11 He[z] saw heaven[aa] opened[ab] and an object something like a large sheet[ac] descending,[ad] being let down to earth[ae] by its four corners. 12 In it[af] were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles[ag] of the earth and wild birds.[ah] 13 Then[ai] a voice said[aj] to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter[ak] and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”[al] 15 The voice[am] spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider[an] ritually unclean!”[ao] 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.[ap]
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb.[a] He bent down[b] and saw only the strips of linen cloth;[c] then he went home,[d] wondering[e] what had happened.[f]
Jesus Walks the Road to Emmaus
13 Now[g] that very day two of them[h] were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[i] from Jerusalem. 14 They[j] were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. 15 While[k] they were talking and debating[l] these things,[m] Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them 16 (but their eyes were kept[n] from recognizing[o] him).[p] 17 Then[q] he said to them, “What are these matters[r] you are discussing so intently[s] as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him,[t] “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know[u] the things that have happened there[v] in these days?” 19 He[w] said to them, “What things?” “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied, “a man[x] who, with his powerful deeds and words, proved to be a prophet[y] before God and all the people; 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over[z] to be condemned to death, and crucified[aa] him. 21 But we had hoped[ab] that he was the one who was going to redeem[ac] Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Furthermore, some women of our group amazed us.[ad] They[ae] were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels,[af] who said he was alive. 24 Then[ag] some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”[ah] 25 So[ai] he said to them, “You[aj] foolish people[ak]—how slow of heart[al] to believe[am] all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t[an] it necessary[ao] for the Christ[ap] to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then[aq] beginning with Moses and all the prophets,[ar] he interpreted to them the things written about[as] himself in all the scriptures.
28 So they approached the village where they were going. He acted as though he wanted to go farther,[at] 29 but they urged him,[au] “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening and the day is almost done.” So[av] he went in to stay with them.
30 When[aw] he had taken his place at the table[ax] with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it,[ay] and gave it to them. 31 At this point[az] their eyes were opened and they recognized[ba] him.[bb] Then[bc] he vanished out of their sight. 32 They[bd] said to each other, “Didn’t[be] our hearts[bf] burn within us[bg] while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining[bh] the scriptures to us?” 33 So[bi] they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They[bj] found the eleven and those with them gathered together 34 and[bk] saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!”[bl] 35 Then they told what had happened on the road,[bm] and how they recognized him[bn] when he broke the bread.
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