Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 120
A Cry for Truth and Peace
A song of ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.(A)
2 “Lord, rescue me from lying lips
and a deceitful tongue.”(B)
3 What will he give you,
and what will he do to you,
you deceitful tongue?(C)
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows
with burning charcoal
5 What misery that I have stayed in Meshech,[b](E)
that I have lived among the tents of Kedar
6 I have dwelt too long
with those who hate peace.(G)
7 I am for peace; but when I speak,
they are for war.(H)
Psalm 121
The Lord Our Protector
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?(I)
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(J)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.(K)
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.(L)
5 The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side.[d](M)
6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.(N)
7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.(O)
8 The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.(P)
Psalm 122
A Prayer for Jerusalem
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”(Q)
2 Our feet were standing
within your gates, Jerusalem(R)—
3 Jerusalem, built as a city should be,
solidly united,(S)
4 where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.(T)
(This is an ordinance for Israel.(U))
5 There, thrones for judgment are placed,
thrones of the house of David.(V)
6 Pray for the well-being[e] of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure;(W)
7 may there be peace within your walls,
security within your fortresses.”(X)
8 Because of my brothers and friends,
I will say, “May peace be in you.”[f](Y)
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will pursue your prosperity.(Z)
Psalm 123
Looking for God’s Favor
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(AA)
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(AB)
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(AC)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(AD)
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side(AE)
when people attacked us,(AF)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(AG)
4 Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging water would have swept over us.(AH)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.(AI)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.(AJ)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(AK)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(AL)
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem
and the Lord surrounds his people,
both now and forever.(AM)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(AN)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(AO)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(AP)
Peace be with Israel.(AQ)
Psalm 126
Zion’s Restoration
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[g]
we were like those who dream.(AR)
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,(AS)
and our tongues with shouts of joy.(AT)
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”(AU)
3 The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.(AV)
4 Restore our fortunes,[h] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.(AW)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.(AX)
6 Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.(AY)
Psalm 127
The Blessing of the Lord
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 The pronouncement(A) concerning Nineveh.(B) The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Vengeance
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in[a] wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against his foes;(C)
he is furious with his enemies.(D)
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.(E)
His path is in the whirlwind and storm,(F)
and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.(G)
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up,
and he makes all the rivers run dry.(H)
Bashan and Carmel wither;(I)
even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him,
and the hills melt;
the earth trembles[b][c] at his presence—
the world and all who live in it.(J)
6 Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his burning anger?(K)
His wrath is poured out like fire;(L)
even rocks are shattered before him.
Destruction of Nineveh
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in a day of distress;
he cares for those who take refuge(M) in him.
8 But he will completely destroy Nineveh[d]
with an overwhelming flood,(N)
and he will chase his enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you[e] plot against the Lord,
he will bring it to complete destruction;(O)
oppression will not rise up a second time.
10 For they will be consumed
like entangled thorns,(P)
like the drink of a drunkard
and like straw that is fully dry.[f]
11 One has gone out from you,[g]
who plots evil against the Lord,
and is a wicked counselor.
Promise of Judah’s Deliverance
12 This is what the Lord says:
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action,(A) be sober-minded(B) and set your hope(C) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation(D) of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children,(E) do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you(F) is holy,(G) you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.[a](H) 17 If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially(I) according to each one’s work,(J) you are to conduct yourselves in reverence(K) during your time living as strangers. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life(L) inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,(M) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ,(N) like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.(O) 20 He was foreknown(P) before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times(Q) for you. 21 Through him you believe in God,(R) who raised him from the dead(S) and gave him glory,(T) so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth,[b] so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other,(U) from a pure[c] heart love one another constantly,[d](V) 23 because you have been born again(W)—not of perishable seed(X) but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.(Y) 24 For
All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory(Z) like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.[e](AA)
And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.
Blessing the Children
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.(A) 14 Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”[a](B) 15 After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich Young Ruler
16 Just then someone came up and asked him,(C) “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” (D)
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?”[b] he said to him. “There is only one who is good.[c] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”(E)
18 “Which ones?” he asked him.
Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;(F) 19 honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.[d](G)
20 “I have kept all these,”[e] the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”
21 “If you want to be perfect,”[f] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,(H) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
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