Book of Common Prayer
A Hymn About the Lord’s Power
97 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. Let the earth rejoice;
·faraway lands [or islands; or coastlands] should be glad.
2 Thick, dark clouds surround him.
His ·kingdom [L throne] is ·built [established] on ·what is right [righteousness] and ·fair [justice].
3 A fire goes before him
and ·burns up [flames] his enemies all around.
4 His lightning ·lights up [illuminates] the world;
when the ·people [earth] see it, they ·tremble [writhe].
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens ·tell about [declare] his ·goodness [righteousness],
and all the people see his glory [C his manifest presence].
7 Those who ·worship [serve] idols should be ·ashamed [embarrassed; Is. 42:17; 45:16];
they brag about their ·gods [worthless things].
All the gods should ·worship [bow down to] the Lord.
8 When ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] hears this, she is glad,
and the ·towns [L daughters] of Judah rejoice.
They are happy because of your judgments, Lord.
9 You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
you are ·supreme [exalted] over all gods.
10 People who love the Lord hate evil.
The Lord ·watches over [keeps; guards] ·those who follow him [his loyal ones/saints]
and ·frees [rescues] them from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked.
11 Light ·shines [L is sown] on ·those who do right [the righteous];
joy belongs to those who are ·honest [L virtuous/upright in heart].
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who ·do right [are righteous].
Praise his ·holy name [or unforgettable holiness].
The Lord, the Fair and Holy King
99 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; Rev. 19:6].
Let the peoples ·shake [tremble; C with fear].
He sits between the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; C above the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:17–22; 1 Kin. 8:7].
Let the earth shake.
2 The Lord in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] is great;
he is ·supreme [exalted] over all the peoples.
3 Let them ·praise [thank] your name;
it is great, holy and ·to be feared [awesome].
4 The King is ·powerful [strong] and loves justice.
Lord, you ·made [established] things fair;
you have done what is ·fair [righteous] and ·right [just]
for the people of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
5 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at the footstool of his feet [C the Ark located in the Temple].
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel was among ·his worshipers [L those who called on his name].
They called to the Lord,
and he answered them [Ex. 32:11–13, 30–32; Num. 12:13; 14:13–19; 1 Sam. 7:5, 8–9; 12:16–18; Jer. 15:1].
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud [Ex. 13:21].
They ·kept [observed; guarded] the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and ·laws [decrees; testimonies] he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You showed them that you are a forgiving God,
but you ·punished them [are an avenger] for their wrongs [Deut. 32:35; Is. 34:8; Ezek. 24:8; 25:14–17; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6].
9 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at his holy mountain,
because the Lord our God is holy.
A Call to Praise the Lord
A psalm of thanks.
100 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us [Gen. 1–2], and ·we belong to him [or not ourselves];
we are his people, the sheep ·he tends [L of his pasture; 74:1; 79:13; John 10:11–14].
4 Come into his ·city [L gates] with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.
5 The Lord is good. His ·love [loyalty] is forever,
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] ·goes on and on [L for all generations].
God Will Pay Back His Enemies
94 The Lord is a God ·who punishes [of vengeance; Deut. 32:35; Is. 34:8; Ezek. 24:8; 25:14–17; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6].
·God, show your greatness and punish [L God of vengeance, shine forth]!
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth,
and give the ·proud [arrogant] ·what they deserve [their due].
3 How long will the wicked be ·happy [joyful]?
How long, Lord?
4 They ·are full of [L bubble forth, speaking] ·proud [insolent] words;
those who do evil ·brag about what they have done [L talk a lot].
5 Lord, they crush your people
and ·make your children suffer [L afflict your inheritance].
6 They kill widows and ·foreigners [sojourners; wanderers]
and murder orphans [Ex. 22:21–24].
7 They say, “The Lord doesn’t see;
the God of Jacob [C another name for Israel] doesn’t ·notice [understand].”
8 You ·stupid [senseless; dull witted] ones among the people, ·pay attention [L understand].
You fools, when will you ·understand [get insight]?
9 Can’t the ·creator [L planter] of ears hear?
Can’t the ·maker [former; shaper] of eyes see?
10 Won’t the one who ·corrects [instructs; disciplines] nations ·punish [reprimand; reprove] you?
Doesn’t the teacher of people know everything?
11 The Lord knows ·what people think [L the thoughts of humans].
He knows their thoughts are ·just a puff of wind [a bubble/vapor/meaningless/futile; Eccl. 1:2].
12 Lord, those you ·correct [instruct; discipline] are ·happy [blessed];
you teach them from your ·law [instruction; teaching].
13 You give them ·rest [peace; quiet] from ·times [L days] of ·trouble [harm; evil]
until a pit is dug for the wicked [Prov. 26:7; Eccl. 10:8].
14 The Lord won’t ·leave [abandon; cast off] his people
nor ·give up [abandon; forsake] his ·children [L inheritance].
15 Judgment will again be ·fair [just; righteous],
and all who are ·honest [L upright/virtuous of heart] will follow it.
16 Who will ·help me fight [L rise up with me] against the wicked?
Who will stand with me against those who do evil?
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have ·died in a minute [L quickly dwelled in silence].
18 I said, “·I am about to fall [L My feet totter],”
but, Lord, your ·love [loyalty] ·kept me safe [steadied/supported me].
19 ·I was very worried [L In my many disquieting thoughts in my insides],
but you comforted me and ·made me happy [cheered me up].
20 ·Crooked leaders [L Ruinous thrones] cannot be your ·friends [allies].
They use the ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] to cause ·suffering [distress].
21 They ·join forces [band together] against ·people who do right [righteous people]
and ·sentence [condemn] to death the innocent.
22 But the Lord is my ·defender [stronghold; fortress];
my God is the rock [28:1; 42:9; 62:2; Deut. 32:4] of my ·protection [refuge].
23 God will pay them back for their ·sins [guilt; iniquity]
and will destroy them for their evil.
The Lord our God will destroy them.
A Call to Praise and Obedience
95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord.
Let’s shout praises to the Rock [28:1; 42:9; 62:2; Deut. 32:4] who ·saves us [gives us victory].
2 Let’s ·come [present ourselves] to him with ·thanksgiving [praise].
Let’s ·sing songs [shout psalms] to him,
3 because the Lord is the great God,
the great King over all gods [Ex. 15:11].
4 The deepest places on earth are ·his [L in his hand],
and the ·highest [peaks of the] mountains belong to him.
5 The sea is his because he made it,
and he created the ·land [dry ground] with his own hands.
6 Come, let’s ·worship him [bow down] and ·bow down [bend the knee].
Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us,
7 because he is our God
and we are the people ·he takes care of [L of his pasture],
the sheep ·that he tends [L of his hand; 74:1; 79:13; 100:3; John 10:11–14].
Today listen to ·what he says [L his voice]:
8 “Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your heart], as at Meribah [C “contending”; 81:7; 106:32; Ex. 17:1–17; Num. 20:1–13],
as that day at Massah [C “testing”] in the ·desert [wilderness; Heb. 4:7].
9 There your ·ancestors [fathers] tested me
and tried me even though they saw what I did.
10 I ·was angry with [felt disgust for] ·those people [L that generation] for forty years.
I said, ‘They are ·not loyal to me [L a people whose hearts wander/go astray]
and have not understood my ways.’
11 I was angry and made a promise,
‘They will never enter my rest.’”
29 Then Israel gave them a command and said, “I am about to ·die [L be gathered to my people/relatives; 25:8]. Bury me with my ·ancestors [fathers] in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite [23:7–20; 25:9]. 30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron the Hittite for a ·burying place [burial site]. 31 Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah there. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people.” 33 After Jacob finished ·talking to [or instructing] his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and ·died [L was gathered to his people/relatives; 25:8].
Jacob’s Burial
50 When Jacob died, Joseph ·hugged [L fell on the face of] his father and cried over him and kissed him. 2 He commanded the doctors who served him to ·prepare his father’s body [embalm his father], so the doctors ·prepared Jacob’s body to be buried [L embalmed Israel; C another name for Jacob; 32:28]. 3 It took the doctors forty days to ·prepare his body [embalm him] (the usual time it took). And the Egyptians ·had a time of sorrow for Jacob that lasted [L wept over him for] seventy days.
4 When this time of ·sorrow had ended [L weeping passed], Joseph spoke to ·the king’s officers [L household of Pharaoh] and said, “If ·you think well of me [L I have found grace in your eyes], please ·tell this to the king [L speak now in the ear of Pharaoh]: 5 ‘When my father was near death, ·I made a promise to him [L my father made me swear] that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan, in a burial place that he cut out for himself. So please let me go and bury my father, and then I will return.’ ”
6 ·The king [L Pharaoh] answered, “·Keep your promise. Go [L As he made you swear, go] and bury your father.”
7 So Joseph went to bury his father. All ·the king’s officers [L servants of Pharaoh], the elders of his ·court [L house], and all the elders of Egypt went with Joseph. 8 ·Everyone who lived with [L All the house of] Joseph and his brothers went with him, as well as ·everyone who lived with [L all the house of] his father. They left only their ·children [little ones], their flocks, and their herds in the land of Goshen [45:10]. 9 They went with Joseph in chariots and on horses. It was a very large ·group [camp].
10 When they came to ·the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or the threshing floor of the bramble], near the Jordan River, they ·cried loudly and bitterly for his father [L lamented there with a great and exceedingly strong lament]. Joseph’s time of ·sorrow [mourning] continued for seven days. 11 The people that lived in Canaan saw the ·sadness [mourning] at the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or threshing floor of the bramble] and said, “Those Egyptians are ·showing great sorrow [intense in their mourning]!” So now that place is named ·Sorrow of the Egyptians [or Abel-mizraim].
12 So Jacob’s sons did as their father commanded. 13 His sons carried ·his body [L him] to the land of Canaan and buried ·it [or him] in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought this cave and field from Ephron the Hittite to use as a burial ·place [site]. 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone who had gone with him to bury his father.
The Lord’s Supper
17 In the ·things [instructions; commands] I tell you now I do not praise you, because ·when you come together you [your meetings as a congregation] do more harm than good. 18 First, I hear that when you meet together as a church ·you are divided [there are divisions among you], and I believe some of this. 19 (It is necessary to have ·differences [factions] among you so that it may be clear which of you really have God’s approval [C controversy is necesssary because error must be opposed].) 20 When you ·come together [meet as a congregation], you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper [C the worship meal Jesus told his followers to celebrate to remember his death; Luke 22:14–20]. 21 This is because when you eat, each person eats without waiting for the others [C the wealthy church members were arriving early to avoid sharing with the poorer members; such social distinctions were common throughout the Greco-Roman world]. Some people do not get enough to eat, while others ·have too much to drink [get drunk]. 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you ·despise [have contempt for; have no regard for] God’s church and so ·embarrass [humiliate] those who ·are poor [have nothing]? What should I tell you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for doing this [C the Corinthians were turning a time meant for unity into one of discrimination].
23 [L For] The teaching I ·gave [passed on to] you is the same teaching I received from the Lord: On the night when the Lord Jesus was ·handed over to be killed [betrayed], he took bread 24 and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and said, “This is my body; it is[a] for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, after ·they ate [the meal; supper], Jesus took the cup. He said, “This cup is the new ·agreement [covenant; Ex. 24:8; Jer. 31:31–34] ·that is sealed with the blood of my death [L in my blood]. When you drink this, do it to remember me [Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19, 20].” 26 [L For] Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you ·are telling others about [proclaim; announce] the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So a person who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in ·a way that is not worthy of it [or an inappropriate manner] will be ·guilty of sinning against [or held responsible for; liable for; L guilty of] the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 ·Look into your own hearts [L Let a person examine himself] before you eat the bread and drink the cup, 29 because all who eat the bread and drink the cup without ·recognizing [discerning; careful regard for] the body eat and drink judgment against themselves. 30 That is why many in your group are sick and weak, and ·some [a number] of you have ·died [L fallen asleep; C a euphemism for death]. 31 But if we ·judged ourselves in the right way [evaluated/examined ourselves], ·God would not judge us [L we would not be judged/punished]. 32 But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we will not be ·destroyed [condemned] along with the world.
33 So my brothers and sisters, when you ·come together [gather as a congregation] to eat, wait for each other. 34 Anyone who is too hungry should eat at home so that in meeting together you will not bring God’s judgment on yourselves. I will tell you what to do about ·the other things [additional matters] when I come.
More than Four Thousand People Fed(A)
8 ·Another time [About this time] there was ·a [another] great crowd with Jesus that had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his ·followers [disciples] and said, 2 “I ·feel sorry [have compassion] for these people, because they have already been with me for three days, and they have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will ·faint [collapse] on the way. Some of them ·live a long way from here [have come from far away].”
4 Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] answered, “·How [L From where] can ·we [L anyone] get enough bread in this ·remote place [desolate place; desert] to feed them?”
5 Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven.”
6 Jesus told the people to ·sit [recline] on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks to God, and ·divided [broke] the bread. He gave the pieces to his ·followers [disciples] to give to the people, and they did so. 7 ·The followers [L They] also had a few small fish. After Jesus ·gave thanks for [blessed] the fish, he told his ·followers [disciples] to give them to the people also. 8 All the people ate and were satisfied. Then ·his followers [L they] filled seven ·baskets [large baskets; C a different word than in the feeding of the 5,000; 6:43] with the leftover pieces of food. 9 There were about four thousand people who ate. After they had eaten, Jesus ·sent them home [dismissed them]. 10 Then ·right away [immediately] he got into a boat with his ·followers [disciples] and went to the area of Dalmanutha. [C This place is unknown; it was probably on the western shore of Lake Galilee.]
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