Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 87
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
1 The city of His foundation is on the holy mountain.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah.
4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon
to those who know Me;
look, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia;
“This man was born there.”
5 But of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,”
for the Most High shall make her secure.
6 The Lord shall count when He registers the people,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 As well the singers and the players of instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”
BOOK FOUR
Psalms 90–106
Psalm 90
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or You had formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.
3 You return man to the dust
and say, “Return, you children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a night watch in the night time.
5 You carry them away as with a flood;
they are as a dream, like renewed grass in the morning:
6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are consumed by Your anger,
and by Your wrath we are terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before You,
even our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days pass away in your wrath;
we end our years with a groan.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
and if by reason of strength eighty;
yet their length is toil and sorrow,
for they soon end, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
Or Your wrath according to Your fear?
12 So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord, how long?
Have mercy on Your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the early morning with Your mercy,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days that You have afflicted us,
and the years that we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work be displayed to Your servants
and Your glory to their children.
17 Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands among us;
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 136
1 Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
for His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks unto the God of gods,
for His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His mercy endures forever:
4 to Him who alone does great wonders,
for His mercy endures forever;
5 to Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
for His mercy endures forever;
6 to Him who stretched out the earth above the waters,
for His mercy endures forever;
7 to Him who made the great heavenly lights,
for His mercy endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for His mercy endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for His mercy endures forever;
10 to Him who struck down in Egypt their firstborn,
for His mercy endures forever;
11 and brought out Israel from among them,
for His mercy endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm,
for His mercy endures forever;
13 to Him who divided the Red Sea into two,
for His mercy endures forever;
14 and made Israel to pass through the midst of it,
for His mercy endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for His mercy endures forever;
16 to Him who led His people through the wilderness,
for His mercy endures forever;
17 to Him who struck down great kings,
for His mercy endures forever;
18 and slew mighty kings,
for His mercy endures forever;
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
for His mercy endures forever;
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for His mercy endures forever;
21 and gave their land for a possession,
for His mercy endures forever;
22 even an inheritance to Israel His servant,
for His mercy endures forever.
23 Who remembered us in our low place,
for His mercy endures forever;
24 and has redeemed us from our enemies,
for His mercy endures forever;
25 who gives food to all people,
for His mercy endures forever.
26 Give thanks unto the God of heaven,
for His mercy endures forever.
Athaliah Reigns in Judah(A)
11 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal descendants. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash[a] the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. 3 He was with her, hidden in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Anointed King of Judah
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent word and took the captains of hundreds from the Carites and the guards and brought them to him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them, put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and then showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: One-third of your unit, those who come on duty on the Sabbath, will guard the king’s house. 6 One-third will be at the gate of Sur, and one-third will be at the gate behind the guards. You will take turns guarding the house. 7 Two of your companies from all who go out on the Sabbath will keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king. 8 You will encircle the king, each man with his weapons in his hand, and the one that comes within the ranks must be killed. They must be with the king when he goes out and comes in.”
9 The captains of hundreds did according to everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his men, those who came on duty on the Sabbath, with those that went off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds spears and shields which belonged to King David that were in the house of the Lord. 11 The guards stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, along the altar and the house, surrounding the king.
12 Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. They made him king and anointed him. Then they clapped their hands and said, “Live, O king!”
The Death of Athaliah
13 Then Athaliah heard the sound of the guards and the people, so she came to the people in the house of the Lord. 14 Then she looked, and the king was standing by a pillar according to custom, the captains and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Conspiracy, conspiracy!”
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, those appointed over the forces, “Bring her out of the house to the ranks, and kill with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Let her not be killed in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her, and she came through the horses’ entrance into the king’s house. Then she was put to death there.
17 Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord, and also between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land entered the house of Baal and broke down its altars. His images they thoroughly broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
The priest put appointees over the house of the Lord. 19 He took the captains of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land. Then they brought down the king from the house of the Lord and marched through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne of the kings. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had killed Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.
10 Now to the married I command, not I, but the Lord, do not let the wife depart from her husband. 11 But if she departs, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And do not let the husband divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife who consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 And if the woman has an unbelieving husband who consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean. But now they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let that one depart. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
Living as God Called You
17 But as God has given to every man and as the Lord has called every man, so let him walk. This I command in all churches. 18 Is any man called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is any man called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God is everything. 20 Let each man remain in the same condition in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a servant? Do not worry about it. But if you may become free, do so. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a servant is the Lord’s freeman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ’s servant. 23 You were bought at a price. Do not be the servants of men. 24 Brothers, let every man, in whatever condition he is called, remain there with God.
Treasures in Heaven(A)
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in nor steal, 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Light of the Body(B)
22 “The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is unclear, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
God and Money
24 “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.