Book of Common Prayer
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His (A)foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord (B)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (C)Glorious things are spoken of you,
(D)City of God. Selah
4 “I shall mention [a](E)Rahab and Babylon [b]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (F)Tyre with [c](G)Cush:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (H)establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He (I)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 Then those who (J)sing as well as those who [d](K)play the flutes will say,
“All my (L)springs of joy are in you.”
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have (P)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our (Q)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [i]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [j]life, [k]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (T)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (U)disappear.
11 Who [l]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [m]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [n](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [o]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 (AC)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [p]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [q]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [r]to their children.
17 May the (AI)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [s](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [t]confirm the work of our hands.
Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.
136 (A)Give thanks to the Lord, for (B)He is good,
For (C)His [a]faithfulness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the (D)God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the (E)Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
4 To Him who (F)alone does great [b]wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
5 To Him who (G)made the heavens [c](H)with skill,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
6 To Him who (I)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
7 To Him who (J)made the great lights,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
8 The (K)sun to rule [d]by day,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
9 The (L)moon and stars to rule [e]by night,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
10 To Him who (M)struck [f]the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
11 And (N)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
12 With a (O)strong hand and an (P)outstretched arm,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
13 To Him who (Q)divided the [g]Red Sea in parts,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
14 And (R)allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
15 But (S)He [h]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the [i]Red Sea,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
16 To Him who (T)led His people through the wilderness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
17 To Him who (U)struck great kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
18 And (V)brought death to [j]mighty kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
19 (W)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
20 And (X)Og, king of Bashan,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
21 And (Y)gave their land as an inheritance,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
22 An inheritance to His (Z)servant Israel,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
23 Who (AA)remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
24 And has (AB)rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
25 Who (AC)gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the (AD)God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 Then Jacob [a]set out on his journey, and went to the land of (A)the [b]people of the east. 2 He looked, and [c]saw (B)a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from (C)Haran.” 5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban the (D)son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is his daughter (E)Rachel coming with the sheep.” 7 Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11 Then Jacob (F)kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a (G)relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and (H)she ran and told her father.
13 So when (I)Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and (J)embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “You certainly are (K)my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall (L)your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was (M)beautiful in figure and appearance. 18 Now Jacob (N)loved Rachel, so he said, “(O)I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days (P)because of his love for her.
Principles of Conscience
14 Now (A)accept the one who is (B)weak [a]in faith, but not [b]to have quarrels over opinions. 2 (C)One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is (D)weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats is not to (E)regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to (F)judge the one who eats, for God has (G)accepted him. 4 (H)Who are you to judge the [c]servant of another? To his own [d]master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 (I)One person [e]values one day over another, another [f]values every day the same. Each person must be (J)fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, [g]does so with regard to the Lord, for he (K)gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us (L)lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore (M)whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end (N)Christ died and lived again, that He might be (O)Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you (P)regard your brother or sister with contempt? For (Q)we will all appear before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written:
“(R)As I live, says the Lord, (S)to Me every knee will bow,
And every tongue will [h]give praise to God.”
12 So then (T)each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let’s not (U)judge one another anymore, but rather [i]determine this: (V)not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way. 14 I know and am convinced [j]in the Lord Jesus that (W)nothing is [k]unclean in itself; but to the one who (X)thinks something is [l]unclean, to that person it is [m]unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother or sister is hurt, you are no longer (Y)walking in accordance with love. (Z)Do not destroy with your choice of food that person for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore (AA)do not let what is for you a good thing be [n]spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God (AB)is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and (AC)peace and (AD)joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For the one who (AE)serves Christ in this way is (AF)acceptable to God and approved by other people. 19 So then we (AG)pursue the things [o]which make for peace and the (AH)building up of one another. 20 (AI)Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. (AJ)All things indeed are clean, but (AK)they are evil for the person who eats [p]and causes offense. 21 (AL)It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother or sister stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have [q]as your own conviction before God. Happy is the one who (AM)does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But (AN)the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
47 (A)The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
48 (B)The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a (C)Samaritan, and You (D)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not (E)have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But (F)I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone (G)follows My word, he will never (H)see death.” 52 (I)The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You (J)have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone (K)follows My word, he will never (L)taste of death.’ 53 You (M)are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “(N)If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; (O)it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and (P)you have not come to know Him, (Q)but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be (R)a liar like you; (S)but I do know Him, and I (T)follow His word. 56 (U)Your father Abraham was (V)overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” 57 (W)So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham [a]was born, [b](X)I am.” 59 Therefore they (Y)picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus (Z)hid Himself and left the temple grounds.
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