Book of Common Prayer
מ Mem
97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandments have made me wiser than my enemies,
for they are continually with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the elders,
because I keep Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
that I might keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your judgments,
for You have taught me.
103 How sweet are Your words to the taste of my mouth!
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Your precepts I receive understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
106 I have sworn, and I will perform it,
that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am greatly afflicted;
revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
108 Accept the freewill offerings of my praise, O Lord,
and teach me Your judgments.
109 My soul is continually in my hand,
yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a trap for me,
yet I do not depart from Your precepts.
111 Your testimonies are my inheritance forever,
for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes always,
even unto the end.
ס Samekh
113 I hate those who are double-minded,
but I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield,
I hope in Your word.
115 Depart from me, you who are wicked,
for I keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live,
and let me not be ashamed with my hope.
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
and I will have respect for Your statutes continually.
118 You have rejected all those who stray from Your statutes,
for their deceit is falsehood.
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My body trembles for fear of You,
and I am afraid of Your judgments.
Psalm 81
For the Music Director. According to The Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength;
make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Lift up a melody, and sound the tambourine,
the pleasant lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the New Moon,
at the full moon on our feast day.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
a decree of the God of Jacob.
5 This He ordained in Joseph as a decree
when He went out against the land of Egypt.
I heard a voice that I had not known:
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were released from holding the basket.
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O My people, and I will testify against you.
O Israel, if you would listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
neither shall you bow down to any strange god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But My people would not listen to My voice;
Israel would not submit to Me.
12 So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts,
to walk in their own counsels.
13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
and Israel would follow in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
and turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 Let those who hate the Lord cower before Him
and their fate might last forever.
16 But I would feed them with the finest of wheat,
and with honey out of the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 82
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God stands among the divine council;
He renders judgment among the gods.
2 “How long will you all judge unjustly
and accept partiality of the wicked? Selah
3 Defend the poor and fatherless;
vindicate the afflicted and needy.
4 Grant escape to the abused and the destitute,
pluck them out of the hand of the false.
5 “They have neither knowledge nor understanding;
they walk in darkness:
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
6 I have said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you,
7 but you all shall die like men,
and fall like a man, O princes.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for You shall inherit all nations.
The Floating Axe Head
6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we are living with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and take from there one beam per man, and let us make for ourselves a place to live there.”
And Elisha said, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”
And he said, “I will come.” 4 So he went with them.
And they came to the Jordan and cut down trees. 5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the axe head fell into the water. He cried, “Ah, master! It was borrowed.”
6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and he made the iron float. 7 So Elisha said, “Pick it up.” And he reached out his hand and took it.
The Blinded Arameans Captured
8 Then the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place will be my camp.”
9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Take care not to pass through this place, for the Arameans are marching down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. He warned him and was on his guard there more than once.
11 The mind of the king of Aram was troubled by this, so he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among us sides with the king of Israel?”
12 Then one of his servants said, “No one, my lord, O king. Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 He said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send for him and take him.” And it was told to him, “He is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When a servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, a force surrounded the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What will we do?”
16 And he said, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.
18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this people with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and let me bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.
20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men and let them see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 And he said, “You shall not kill them. Did you capture with your sword and with your bow those whom you want to kill? Set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink and then go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great banquet. When they had eaten and had drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the Aramean raiders did not enter into the land of Israel again.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I did not mean the sexually immoral people of this world, or the covetous and extortioners, or the idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11 But I have written to you not to keep company with any man who is called a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Do not even eat with such a person.
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But God judges those who are outside. Therefore “put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”[a]
Going to Law Before Unbelievers
6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to the law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint as judges those who are least esteemed in the church? 5 I speak to your shame. Is it true that there is not even one wise man among you who shall be able to judge between his brothers? 6 But brother goes to the law against brother, and before unbelievers, at that.
7 Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and do this to your brothers.
Teaching About Revenge(A)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[a] 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other as well. 40 And if anyone sues you in a court of law and takes away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go a mile,[b] go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who would borrow from you do not turn away.
Love for Enemies(B)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[c] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.