Book of Common Prayer
To the Music Director: A Davidic Song
A Prayer for Deliverance
140 [a]Deliver me, Lord, from evil people,
preserve me from violent men,
2 who craft evil plans in their minds,
inciting wars every day.[b]
3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
the venom of vipers is on their lips.
4 Protect me, Lord, from the control of evil people,
from violent men who have planned to trip me.
5 The arrogant have laid a trap for me;
they have spread a net with ropes,
lining it with snares along the way.
6 So I say to the Lord, “You are my God;
listen to my voice
as I plead for mercy, Lord.
7 Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
you have protected my head in the time[c] of battle.
8 Never grant, Lord, the desires of the wicked;
never condone their plans
so they cannot exalt themselves.
9 May those who surround me discover
that the trouble they talk about falls on their own head!
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be cast into fire,
and into miry pits, never to rise again.
11 Let not the slanderer[d] become established in the land.
May evil quickly hunt down the violent man.
12 I know that the Lord will act on behalf of the tormented,
providing justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name,
while the upright live in your presence.
A Davidic Song, when he was in the cave.[a] A prayer.
A Call to God for Help
142 My voice cries out to the Lord;
my voice pleads for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint to him,
telling him all of my troubles.
3 Though my spirit grows faint within me,
you are aware of my path.
Wherever I go,
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 I look to my right[b] and observe—
no one is concerned about me.
There is nowhere I can go for refuge,
and no one cares for me.
5 So I cry to you, Lord,
declaring, “You are my refuge,
my only[c] possession while I am on this earth.”[d]
6 Pay attention to my cry,
for I have been brought very low.
Deliver me from my tormentors,
for they are far too strong for me.
7 Break me out of this prison,
so I can give thanks to your name.
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal generously with me.
A Davidic Song
A Prayer for Maturity
141 Lord, I call to you,
be quick to listen to me when I cry out!
2 Let my prayer be like incense offered before you,
and my uplifted hands like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, set a guard over my mouth;
keep watch over the door to my lips.
4 Don’t let my heart turn toward evil
or involve itself in wicked activities
with men who practice iniquity.
Let me not feast on their delicacies.
5 Let one who is righteous strike me;
It is an act of gracious love.
Let him rebuke me,
because it is oil for my head;
do not let my head refuse it.
My prayers continuously will be
against their wicked activities.
6 When their judges are thrown off the cliff,
the people[a] will hear my words,
for they are appropriate.
7 Just as one plows and breaks up the earth,
our[b] bones are scattered
near the entrance to the place of the dead.[c]
8 Nevertheless, my eyes are on you, Lord God,
as I seek protection in you.
Don’t leave me defenseless!
9 Protect me from the trap laid for me
and from the snares of those who practice evil.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I come through.
A Davidic Song
Longing for God
143 Lord, hear my prayer;
pay attention to my request, because you are faithful;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no living person is righteous in your sight.
3 For those who oppose me are pursuing my life,
crushing me to the ground,
making me sit in darkness
like those who died long ago.
4 As a result, my spirit is desolate within me,
and my mind within me is appalled.
5 I remember the former times,
meditating on everything you have done.
I think about the work[a] of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands toward you,
longing for you like a parched land.
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit is failing.
Do not hide your face from me;
otherwise, I will become like those who descend to the Pit.[b]
8 In the morning let me hear of your gracious love,
for in you I trust.
Cause me to know the way I should take,
because I have set my hope on you.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, Lord.
I have taken refuge in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
preserve my life.
Because you are righteous,
bring me out of trouble.
12 Because of your gracious love,
you will cut off my enemies.
You will destroy all who oppose me,
for I am your servant.
36 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Zebidah. She was the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 Eliakim practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, just as his ancestors had done.
Jehoiakim Serves Nebuchadnezzar
24 During his lifetime, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jehoiakim, who became his vassal for three years, after which he turned against Nebuchadnezzar[a] and rebelled. 2 The Lord sent raiding parties from the Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, in keeping with the message from the Lord that he had spoken through his servants, the prophets. 3 It was truly by the command of the Lord against Judah that it came, in order to remove them from his sight, because of every sin that Manasseh had committed, 4 as well as for the innocent blood that he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not forgive them.[b] 5 Now the rest of Jehoiakim’s actions, and everything that he undertook, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 6 Jehoiakim died, as did[c] his ancestors, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. 7 The king of Egypt did not leave his territory again, because the king of Babylon had taken everything that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Wadi[d] of Egypt to the Euphrates River.
Jehoiachin Becomes King
8 Jehoiachin became king at the age of eighteen years, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother was named Hausa. She was the daughter of Elzaphan of Jerusalem. 9 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, just as his ancestors had done. 10 At that time, the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem and the city was placed under siege. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against the city, along with his servants, who besieged it. 12 King Jehoiachin of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon (as did his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers) during the eighth year of his reign.
Jerusalem’s Citizens are Sent into Exile
13 Nebuchadnezzar[e] carried off from there all of the treasures of the Lord’s Temple, along with the treasures in the king’s palace. He cut into pieces all the gold vessels in the Lord’s Temple that King Solomon of Israel had made, just as the Lord had said would happen.[f] 14 Then Nebuchadnezzar sent away into exile all of Jerusalem—all the captains, all the valiant soldiers, 10,000 captives, and all of the craftsmen and ironworkers. Nobody remained except the poorest people of the land. 15 He sent Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon, along with the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 All 7,000 of the most valiant soldiers and 1,000 of the craftsmen and ironworkers—all physically fit and trained for battle—were brought by the king of Babylon into exile in Babylon.
Zedekiah is Installed as King
17 The king of Babylon installed Jehoiachin’s[g] uncle Mattaniah as king in his place and then changed his name to Zedekiah.
The Unity and Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, form a single body, so it is with the Messiah.[a] 13 For by[b] one Spirit all of us—Jews and Greeks, slaves and free—were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of only one part, but of many. 15 If the foot says, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? 16 And if the ear says, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body[c] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, every one of them, in the body according to his plan.[d] 19 Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn’t be a body, would there? 20 So there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or the head to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable, 23 and the parts of the body that we think are less honorable are treated with special honor, and we make our less attractive parts more attractive. 24 However, our attractive parts don’t need this. But God has put the body together and has given special honor to the parts that lack it, 25 so that there might be no disharmony in the body, but that its parts should have the same concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is praised, every part rejoices with it.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 As Jesus was traveling on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him.
Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can do this?”
They told him, “Yes, Lord!”[a]
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done for you!” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly told them, “See to it that nobody knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that region.
Jesus Heals a Man who Couldn’t Talk
32 As the men[b] were going out, a man who couldn’t talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him. 33 As soon as the demon had been driven out, the man[c] began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees kept saying, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”[d]
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