Book of Common Prayer
A Song of Victory
For the director of music. By the Lord’s servant, David. David sang this song to the Lord ·when [L on the day] the Lord had ·saved [rescued; T delivered] him from Saul and all his other enemies [C the occasion is unknown; 2 Sam. 22 parallels this psalm]. He said:
18 I love you, Lord. You are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my ·protection [L fortress], my ·Savior [rescuer; T deliverer].
My God is my rock.
·I can run to him for safety [L …in whom I find protection/take refuge].
He is my shield and ·my saving strength [L the horn of my salvation; C symbolizing strength based on an animal lifting its head triumphantly], my ·defender [stronghold].
3 I ·will call to [call upon] the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I ·will be [or am] saved from my enemies.
4 The ·ropes [cords] of death ·came around [swirled about; encompassed] me;
the ·deadly rivers [floods/torrents of destruction] overwhelmed me.
5 The ·ropes [cords] of death ·wrapped around [entangled; coiled around] me.
The ·traps [snares] of death ·were before [confronted; lay ahead of] me.
6 In my ·trouble [distress; anguish] I ·called [cried out] to the Lord.
I ·cried out [called] to my God for help.
From his ·Temple [sanctuary] he heard my voice;
my ·call for help [cry] reached his ears.
7 The earth ·trembled [reeled; quaked] and ·shook [rocked].
The foundations of the mountains began to ·shake [shudder].
They ·trembled [reeled; quaked] because the Lord was angry.
8 Smoke ·came out of his nose [poured/rose from his nostrils],
and ·burning [devouring] fire came out of his mouth.
Burning coals ·went before [blazed/flamed out from] him.
9 He ·tore open [parted] the ·sky [heavens] and came down
with ·dark clouds [storm clouds; thick darkness] under his feet.
10 He rode a ·creature with wings [L cherub; C a mighty spiritual being/angel; Ezek. 1] and flew.
·He raced […soaring] on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his ·shelter [canopy; shroud] around him,
surrounded by ·fog [thick rain] and clouds.
12 Out of the brightness ·of his presence [before him] came clouds
with hail and ·lightning [L fiery coals].
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the ·Most High raised his voice [voice of the Most High resounded],
and there was hail and ·lightning [L fiery coals].
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.
His many bolts of lightning ·confused them with fear [routed them].
15 ·Lord, you spoke strongly [L At your rebuke, O Lord…].
·The wind blew from your nose [L …at the blast of breath from your nostrils…].
Then the ·valleys [floor; channels] of the sea ·appeared [were exposed],
and the foundations of the earth were ·seen [laid bare].
16 The Lord reached down from ·above [heaven; on high] and ·took [rescued] me;
he ·pulled me from the deep water [drew me out of mighty waters].
17 He ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.
18 They ·attacked [confronted] me ·at my time of trouble [L in the day of my distress/calamity/disaster],
but the Lord ·supported me [was my stay].
19 He took me to a ·safe [spacious; open; L broad] place.
Because he delights in me, he ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me.
20 The Lord ·spared [rewarded] me ·because I did what was right [L according to my righteousness].
Because ·I have not done evil [of my innocence; L of the cleanness of my hands], he has ·rewarded [restored] me.
21 I have ·followed [obeyed; kept; L guarded] the ways of the Lord;
I have not done evil by turning away from my God.
22 I ·remember [follow; L have before me] all his ·laws [regulations]
and have not ·broken [abandoned; L turned aside from] his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
23 I am ·innocent [blameless] before him;
I have kept myself from ·doing evil [sin; guilt; iniquity].
24 The Lord ·rewarded [repaid] me ·because I did what was right [L according to my righteousness],
·because I did what the Lord said was right [L according to my cleanness/purity in his sight].
25 Lord, you ·are [show yourself] ·loyal [faithful; kind] to those who are ·loyal [faithful; kind],
and you are good to those who are good.
26 You ·are [show yourself] ·pure [sincere] to those who are ·pure [sincere],
but you ·are [show yourself] ·against [hostile/shrewd/cunning/perverse to] those who are ·bad [perverse; devious; crooked].
27 You ·save [rescue; T deliver] the ·humble [afflicted],
but you ·bring down [watch and humiliate] ·those who are proud [the haughty].
28 Lord, you give light to my lamp.
My God ·brightens the darkness around me [lights up/illuminates my darkness].
29 With your help I can ·attack [crush] an army.
With God’s help I can ·jump over [scale] a wall.
30 The ·ways [way; path] of God are ·without fault [blameless; perfect].
The Lord’s ·words [promises] are ·pure [tested; flawless; proven true].
He is a shield to those who ·trust [seek protection/take refuge in] him.
31 Who is God? Only the Lord.
Who is the Rock? Only our God.
32 God ·is my protection [is my strong fortress; or girds me with strength].
He makes my way ·free from fault [perfect; secure; a wide path].
33 He makes ·me [L my feet] like a deer that does not stumble [C sure-footed];
he ·helps me stand [sets me] on the ·steep mountains [heights].
34 He trains my hands for battle
so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
35 You ·protect me with your saving shield [L have given me the shield of your salvation/victory].
You support me with your right hand.
·You have stooped to make [Your help makes] me great.
36 You ·give me a better way to live [broaden my path; L widen my steps beneath me],
so ·I live as you want me to [my feet do not slip; L my ankles do not weaken].
37 I ·chased [pursued] my enemies and ·caught [exterminated] them.
I did not ·quit [turn back] until they were ·destroyed [annihilated; consumed].
38 I ·crushed them [shattered them; struck them down] so they couldn’t ·rise [get] up again.
They fell beneath my feet.
39 You ·gave me [L armed/girded me with] strength ·in [for] battle.
You ·made my enemies bow [humbled/subdued my enemies] ·before me [or under my feet].
40 You made my enemies ·turn back [turn their backs; retreat],
and I destroyed ·those who hated me [my foes].
41 They ·called for help [looked around],
but no one came to ·save [rescue; T deliver] them.
They ·called [looked] to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
42 I ·beat my enemies into pieces [ground/pulverized them], like dust in the wind.
I poured them out like ·mud [mire] in the streets.
43 You ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me when the people ·attacked me [quarreled; fought].
You made me the ·leader [ruler; head] of nations.
People I never knew serve me.
44 As soon as they hear ·me [or of me], they obey me.
Foreigners ·obey [cower/cringe before] me.
45 They all ·become afraid [lose heart/their courage]
and ·tremble in [come trembling from] their ·hiding places [fortresses; strongholds].
46 The Lord lives!
May my Rock be ·praised [blessed].
Praise the God ·who saves me […of my salvation]!
47 God gives me ·victory [revenge; vengeance] over my enemies
and brings ·people [nations] under ·my rule [me].
48 He ·saves [rescues; T delivers] me from my enemies.
You ·set me over those who hate me [exalt/lift me above my enemies].
You ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from violent people.
49 So I will ·praise [extol] you, Lord, among the nations.
I will sing praises to your name.
50 The Lord ·gives great victories [is a tower of salvation] to his king.
He ·is loyal [shows kindness/faithful love] to his ·appointed king [anointed],
to David and his descendants forever.
The Woman of Adultery
7 My son, ·remember what I say [guard my speech], and ·treasure [store/hide in you] my commands.
2 ·Obey [Guard] my commands, and you will live.
Guard my ·teachings [instructions] ·as you would your own [L like the apple of your] eyes.
3 ·Remind yourself of them [L Bind them on your fingers];
write them on your heart as if on a tablet.
4 ·Treat wisdom as a sister [L Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister”; 1:20–33; 8:1—9:6],
and ·make understanding your closest friend [L call Understanding “Friend”].
5 ·Wisdom and understanding [L She] will ·keep you away [guard you] from ·adultery [L the strange woman],
away from the ·unfaithful wife [L foreign woman] and her ·pleasing [flattering] words.
6 Once while I was at the window of my house
I looked out through the ·shutters [lattice; curtains]
7 and saw some ·foolish [simpleminded; immature; naive], young men.
I noticed one of them ·had no wisdom [had no sense; L lacked heart].
8 He was ·walking down [crossing] the street near the corner
on the road leading to her house.
9 It was the twilight of the evening;
the darkness of the night was just beginning.
10 Then the woman ·approached [or propositioned] him,
dressed like a prostitute
and ·planning to trick him [L with a guarded heart].
11 She was ·loud [boisterous; noisy] and ·stubborn [defiant]
and ·never stayed at [L her feet do not rest in her own] home.
12 ·She was always out [L A foot] in the streets ·or in [L a foot in] the city squares,
·waiting around [lurking] on the corners of the streets.
13 She grabbed him and kissed him.
·Without shame [L Her face was brazen as] she said to him,
14 “I made my fellowship offering [Lev. 3; 7:11–21; C the offerer ate the meat of the offering].
Today I have ·kept [paid back] my ·special promises [vows].
15 So I have come out to meet you;
I have been ·looking for you [L seeking your face] and have found you.
16 I have ·covered [ornamented] my bed
with colored sheets from Egypt.
17 I have ·made my bed smell sweet [L sprinkled my bed]
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s ·make [be intoxicated with] love until morning.
Let’s ·enjoy each other’s [rejoice in] love.
19 My husband is not home;
he has gone on a ·long [faraway] trip.
20 He took a ·lot of money with him [L pouch of money in his hand]
and won’t be home ·for weeks [L until the new moon].”
21 By her clever words she ·made him give in [seduces him];
by ·her pleasing words [L the flattery of her lips] she ·led him into doing wrong [persuades/compels him].
22 All at once he followed her,
like an ox led to the ·butcher [slaughter],
like a ·deer caught in a trap [or fool to the stocks]
23 ·and shot through the liver with an arrow [until an arrow pierces his liver].
Like a bird ·caught in [L hurrying to] a trap,
he didn’t know ·what he did would kill him [it would cost him his life].
24 Now, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to ·what I say [L the speech of my mouth].
25 Don’t ·let yourself be tricked by such a woman [L turn your heart to her paths];
don’t ·go where she leads you [wander onto her paths].
26 She has ·ruined many good men [L caused many corpses to fall],
and many ·have died because of her [are those she has killed].
27 Her house is on the ·road [path] to ·death [L Sheol; C the grave or the underworld],
·the road that leads down to the grave [L going down to the chambers of death].
We Have Eternal Life Now
13 ·I write this letter [L I have written these things] to you who believe in the [L name of the] Son of God so you will know you have eternal life. 14 And this is the ·boldness [confidence] we have ·in God’s presence [L before God; 3:21]: that if we ask God for anything ·that agrees with what he wants [L according to his will], he hears us. 15 [L And] If we know he hears us ·every time we ask him [in whatever we ask], we know we have what we ask from him [3:21–22; Mark 11:24].
16 If anyone sees a brother or sister [C fellow believer] sinning (sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]), that person should ·pray [ask; intercede], and God will give the sinner life. I am talking about people whose sin does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]. There is ·sin [or a sin] that leads to [eternal] death [C probably referring to the false teachers, their rejection of the Spirit’s work having put them beyond repentance; compare Mark 3:29]. I do not mean that a person should ·pray [ask; intercede] about that sin. 17 ·Doing wrong is always sin [L All unrighteousness is sin], but there is sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death].
18 We know that those who ·are God’s children [L are born of/begotten by God] do not ·continue to sin [L sin; 3:6, 9]. The ·Son of God [L the one born of/begotten by God; C Jesus] ·keeps them safe [protects them], and the Evil One [C the Devil] cannot ·touch [harm] them. 19 We know that we ·belong to God [or are children of God; L are of God], but the Evil One controls the whole world. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the True One. And ·our lives [L we] are in the True One and in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the eternal life.
21 So, dear children [2:1], ·keep yourselves away [guard yourselves] from ·false gods [L idols; C either literal idols or false ideas about God].
Jesus Offers Rest to People(A)
25 At that time Jesus said, “I ·praise [bless; thank; acknowledge] you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and ·smart [learned; intelligent]. But you have ·shown [revealed] them to ·those who are like little children [L little children; infants; C those with a childlike faith]. 26 Yes, Father, [L because] this is what ·you really wanted [pleased you].
27 “My Father has ·given [entrusted/committed to] me all things. No one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and those whom the Son ·chooses [desires; intends] to ·tell [reveal it].
28 “Come to me, all of you who are ·tired [weary] and ·have heavy loads [overburdened; T heavy-laden] and I will give you rest. 29 ·Accept my teachings [L Take my yoke upon you] and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in ·spirit [heart], and you will find rest for your ·lives [souls; Jer. 6:16]. 30 ·The burden that I ask you to accept [L …because my yoke] is easy; ·the load I give you to carry [L and my burden] is light.”
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