Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 69
A Plea for Rescue
For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”(A) Of David.
1 Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.(B)
2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep water,
and a flood sweeps over me.(C)
3 I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.(D)
4 Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.(E)
Though I did not steal, I must repay.(F)
5 God, you know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from you.(G)
6 Do not let those who put their hope in you
be disgraced because of me,
Lord God of Armies;
do not let those who seek you
be humiliated because of me,
God of Israel.(H)
7 For I have endured insults because of you,
and shame has covered my face.(I)
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother’s sons(J)
9 because zeal for your house has consumed me,(K)
and the insults of those who insult you
have fallen on me.(L)
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.(M)
11 I wore sackcloth as my clothing,
and I was a joke to them.
12 Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,
and drunkards make up songs about me.(N)
13 But as for me, Lord,
my prayer to you is for a time of favor.
In your abundant, faithful love, God,
answer me with your sure salvation.(O)
14 Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep water.(P)
15 Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up;
don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me.(Q)
16 Answer me, Lord,
for your faithful love is good.
In keeping with your abundant compassion,
turn to me.(R)
17 Don’t hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me quickly!(S)
18 Come near to me and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.(T)
19 You know the insults I endure—
my shame and disgrace.
You are aware of all my adversaries.(U)
20 Insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
I waited for sympathy,
but there was none;
for comforters, but found no one.(V)
21 Instead, they gave me gall for my food,
and for my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink.(W)
22 Let their table set before them be a snare,
and let it be a trap for their allies.(X)
23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see,
and let their hips continually quake.(Y)
24 Pour out your rage on them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.(Z)
25 Make their fortification desolate;
may no one live in their tents.(AA)
26 For they persecute the one you struck
and talk about the pain of those you wounded.(AB)
27 Charge them with crime on top of crime;
do not let them share in your righteousness.(AC)
28 Let them be erased from the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.(AD)
29 But as for me—poor and in pain—
let your salvation protect me, God.(AE)
30 I will praise God’s name with song
and exalt him with thanksgiving.(AF)
31 That will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with horns and hooves.(AG)
32 The humble will see it and rejoice.
You who seek God, take heart!(AH)
33 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise
his own who are prisoners.(AI)
BOOK III
(Psalms 73–89)
Psalm 73
God’s Ways Vindicated
A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 God is indeed good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.(B)
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my steps nearly went astray.(C)
3 For I envied the arrogant;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(D)
4 They have an easy time until they die,[a]
and their bodies are well fed.[b](E)
5 They are not in trouble like others;
they are not afflicted like most people.(F)
6 Therefore, pride is their necklace,
and violence covers them like a garment.(G)
7 Their eyes bulge out from fatness;
the imaginations of their hearts run wild.(H)
8 They mock, and they speak maliciously;
they arrogantly threaten oppression.(I)
9 They set their mouths against heaven,
and their tongues strut across the earth.(J)
10 Therefore his people turn to them[c]
and drink in their overflowing words.[d](K)
11 The wicked say, “How can God know?
Does the Most High know everything?” (L)
12 Look at them—the wicked!
They are always at ease,
and they increase their wealth.(M)
13 Did I purify my heart
and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?(N)
14 For I am afflicted all day long
and punished every morning.(O)
15 If I had decided to say these things aloud,
I would have betrayed your people.[e](P)
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it seemed hopeless[f](Q)
17 until I entered God’s sanctuary.
Then I understood their destiny.(R)
18 Indeed, you put them in slippery places;
you make them fall into ruin.(S)
19 How suddenly they become a desolation!
They come to an end, swept away by terrors.(T)
20 Like one waking from a dream,
Lord, when arising, you will despise their image.(U)
21 When I became embittered
and my innermost being[g] was wounded,(V)
22 I was stupid and didn’t understand;
I was an unthinking animal toward you.(W)
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold my right hand.(X)
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me up in glory.[h](Y)
25 Who do I have in heaven but you?
And I desire nothing on earth but you.(Z)
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[i] of my heart,
my portion forever.(AA)
27 Those far from you will certainly perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.(AB)
28 But as for me, God’s presence is my good.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so I can tell about all you do.(AC)
9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young,
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
And walk in the ways of your heart
and in the desire of your eyes;(A)
but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.
10 Remove sorrow from your heart,
and put away pain from your flesh,(B)
because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
The Twilight of Life
12 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:
Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,(C)
“I have no delight in them”;
2 before the sun and the light are darkened,(D)
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after[a] the rain;
3 on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,(E)
4 the doors at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades;(F)
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
5 Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,[b]
and the caper berry has no effect;
for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,(G)
and mourners will walk around in the street;(H)
6 before the silver cord is snapped,[c]
and the gold bowl is broken,(I)
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.(J)
8 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”(K)
The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion
9 In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.(L) 10 The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately. 11 The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods,(M) and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails.(N) The sayings are given by one Shepherd.[d]
12 But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books,(O) and much study wearies the body.(P) 13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God(Q) and keep his commands, because this is for all[e] humanity.(R) 14 For God will bring every act to judgment,(S) including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
25 If we live(A) by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.(B)
Carry One Another’s Burdens
6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle(C) spirit,[a](D) watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.(E) 2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(F) 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing,(G) he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work,(H) and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share(I) all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit(J) will reap eternal life(K) from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired(L) of doing good,(M) for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work(N) for the good(O) of all, especially for those who belong to the household(P) of faith.(Q)
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
21 From(A) then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.(B) 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no,[a] Lord! This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns[b] but human concerns.”(C)
Take Up Your Cross
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.(D) 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.(E) 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?(F) 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,(G) and then he will reward each according to what he has done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”(H)
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