Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 18[a]
For the music director, by the Lord’s servant David, who sang[b] to the Lord the words of this song when[c] the Lord rescued him from the power[d] of all his enemies, including Saul.[e]
18 He said:[f]
“I love[g] you, Lord, my source of strength![h]
2 The Lord is my high ridge,[i] my stronghold,[j] my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where[k] I take shelter,[l]
my shield, the horn that saves me,[m] and my refuge.[n]
3 I called[o] to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,[p]
and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The waves[q] of death engulfed me,
the currents[r] of chaos[s] overwhelmed me.[t]
5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,[u]
the snares of death trapped me.[v]
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God.[w]
From his heavenly temple[x] he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.[y]
7 The earth heaved and shook.[z]
The roots of the mountains[aa] trembled;[ab]
they heaved because he was angry.
8 Smoke ascended from[ac] his nose;[ad]
fire devoured as it came from his mouth.[ae]
He hurled down fiery coals.[af]
9 He made the sky sink[ag] as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
10 He mounted[ah] a winged angel[ai] and flew;
he glided[aj] on the wings of the wind.[ak]
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,[al]
in thick rain clouds.[am]
12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals.[an]
13 The Lord thundered[ao] in[ap] the sky;
the Most High[aq] shouted.[ar]
14 He shot his[as] arrows and scattered them,[at]
many lightning bolts[au] and routed them.[av]
15 The depths[aw] of the sea[ax] were exposed;
the inner regions[ay] of the world were uncovered
by[az] your battle cry,[ba] Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose.[bb]
16 He reached down[bc] from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water.[bd]
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,[be]
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted[bf] me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me.[bg]
19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me.[bh]
20 The Lord repaid[bi] me for my godly deeds;[bj]
he rewarded[bk] my blameless behavior.[bl]
21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;[bm]
I have not rebelled against my God.[bn]
22 For I am aware of all his regulations,[bo]
and I do not reject his rules.[bp]
23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning.[bq]
24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;[br]
he took notice of my blameless behavior.[bs]
25 You prove to be loyal[bt] to one who is faithful;[bu]
you prove to be trustworthy[bv] to one who is innocent.[bw]
26 You prove to be reliable[bx] to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive[by] to one who is perverse.[bz]
27 For you deliver oppressed[ca] people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look.[cb]
28 Indeed,[cc] you light my lamp, Lord.[cd]
My God[ce] illuminates the darkness around me.[cf]
29 Indeed,[cg] with your help[ch] I can charge against[ci] an army;[cj]
by my God’s power[ck] I can jump over a wall.[cl]
30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;[cm]
the Lord’s promise[cn] is reliable.[co]
He is a shield to all who take shelter[cp] in him.
31 Indeed,[cq] who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector[cr] besides our God?[cs]
32 The one true God[ct] gives[cu] me strength;[cv]
he removes[cw] the obstacles in my way.[cx]
33 He gives me the agility of a deer;[cy]
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.[cz]
34 He trains my hands for battle;[da]
my arms can bend even the strongest bow.[db]
35 You give me your protective shield;[dc]
your right hand supports me.[dd]
Your willingness to help[de] enables me to prevail.[df]
36 You widen my path;[dg]
my feet[dh] do not slip.
37 I chase my enemies and catch[di] them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
38 I beat them[dj] to death;[dk]
they fall at my feet.[dl]
39 You give me strength[dm] for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me.[dn]
40 You make my enemies retreat;[do]
I destroy those who hate me.[dp]
41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them;[dq]
they cry out to the Lord,[dr] but he does not answer them.
42 I grind them as fine windblown dust;[ds]
I beat them underfoot[dt] like clay[du] in the streets.
43 You rescue me from a hostile army.[dv]
You make me[dw] a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.[dx]
44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.[dy]
Foreigners are powerless[dz] before me.
45 Foreigners lose their courage;[ea]
they shake with fear[eb] as they leave[ec] their strongholds.[ed]
46 The Lord is alive![ee]
My Protector[ef] is praiseworthy.[eg]
The God who delivers me[eh] is exalted as king.[ei]
47 The one true God[ej] completely vindicates me;[ek]
he makes nations submit to me.[el]
48 He delivers me[em] from my enemies.
You snatch me away[en] from those who attack me;[eo]
you rescue me from violent men.
49 So I will give you thanks before the nations,[ep] O Lord.
I will sing praises to you.[eq]
50 He[er] gives his king magnificent victories;[es]
he is faithful[et] to his chosen ruler,[eu]
to David and his descendants[ev] forever.”[ew]
Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress[a]
7 My child,[b] devote yourself to my words
and store up my commands inside yourself.[c]
2 Keep my commands[d] so that you may live,[e]
and obey[f] my instruction as your most prized possession.[g]
3 Bind them on your forearm;[h]
write them on the tablet of your heart.[i]
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”[j]
and call understanding a close relative,
5 so that they may keep you from the adulterous woman,[k]
from the loose woman[l] who has flattered[m] you[n] with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
through my window lattice I looked out
7 and I saw among the naive[o]—
I discerned among the youths[p]—
a young man[q] who lacked sense.[r]
8 He was passing by the street near her corner,
making his way[s] along the road to her house[t]
9 in the twilight, the evening,[u]
in the dark of the night.[v]
10 Suddenly[w] a woman came out to meet him!
She was dressed like a prostitute[x] and with secret intent.[y]
11 (She is loud and rebellious,
she[z] does not remain[aa] at home—
12 at one time outside, at another[ab] in the wide plazas,
and by every corner she lies in wait.)
13 So she grabbed him and kissed him,
and with a bold expression[ac] she said to him,
14 “I have meat from my peace offerings at home;[ad]
today I have fulfilled my vows!
15 That is why I came out to meet you,
to look for you,[ae] and I found you!
16 I have spread my bed with elegant coverings,[af]
with richly colored fabric[ag] from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply[ah] of lovemaking[ai] until morning,
let’s delight ourselves[aj] with love’s pleasures.
19 For my husband[ak] is not at home;[al]
he has gone on a journey of some distance.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him;[am]
he will not return until[an] the end of the month.”[ao]
21 She turned him aside[ap] with her persuasions;[aq]
with her smooth talk[ar] she was enticing him along.[as]
22 Suddenly he was going[at] after her
like an ox that goes to the slaughter,
like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare[au]
23 till an arrow pierces his liver[av]—
like a bird hurrying into a trap,
and he does not know that it will cost him his life.[aw]
24 So now, sons,[ax] listen to me,
and pay attention to the words I speak.[ay]
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways—
do not wander into her pathways;
26 for she has brought down[az] many fatally wounded,
and all those she has slain are many.[ba]
27 Her house is the way to the grave,[bb]
going down to the chambers of death.
Assurance of Eternal Life
13 I have written these things[a] to you who believe[b] in the name of the Son of God so that[c] you may know that you have eternal life.
14 And this is the confidence that we have before him: that[d] whenever[e] we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know[f] that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. 16 If[g] anyone sees his fellow Christian[h] committing a sin not resulting in death,[i] he should ask, and God[j] will grant[k] life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death.[l] There is a sin[m] resulting in death.[n] I do not say that he should ask about that. 17 All unrighteousness[o] is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.[p]
18 We know that everyone fathered[q] by God does not sin, but God[r] protects[s] the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him. 19 We know that we are from God,[t] and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know[u] him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one[v] is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.[w]
Jesus’ Invitation
25 At that time Jesus said,[a] “I praise[b] you, Father, Lord[c] of heaven and earth, because[d] you have hidden these things from the wise[e] and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children.[f] 26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.[g] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father.[h] No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides[i] to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke[j] on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
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