Book of Common Prayer
First Book—Psalms 1–41
Psalm 1[a]
True Happiness in God’s Law
I
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the way[b] of sinners,
nor sit in company with scoffers.(A)
2 Rather, the law of the Lord[c] is his joy;
and on his law he meditates day and night.(B)
3 He is like a tree(C)
planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever he does prospers.
II
4 But not so are the wicked,[d] not so!
They are like chaff driven by the wind.(D)
5 Therefore the wicked will not arise at the judgment,
nor will sinners in the assembly of the just.
6 Because the Lord knows the way of the just,(E)
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
Psalm 2[e]
A Psalm for a Royal Coronation
1 Why do the nations protest
and the peoples conspire in vain?(F)
2 Kings on earth rise up
and princes plot together
against the Lord and against his anointed one:[f](G)
3 “Let us break their shackles
and cast off their chains from us!”(H)
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord derides them,(I)
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger,
in his wrath he terrifies them:
6 “I myself have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord,
he said to me, “You are my son;
today I have begotten you.(J)
8 Ask it of me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
and, as your possession, the ends of the earth.
9 With an iron rod you will shepherd them,
like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”(K)
10 And now, kings, give heed;
take warning, judges on earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear;
exult with trembling,
Accept correction
lest he become angry and you perish along the way
when his anger suddenly blazes up.(L)
Blessed are all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 3[g]
Threatened but Trusting
1 A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.[h](M)
I
2 How many are my foes, Lord!
How many rise against me!
3 [i]How many say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”(N)
Selah
4 But you, Lord, are a shield around me;
my glory, you keep my head high.(O)
II
5 With my own voice I will call out to the Lord,
and he will answer me from his holy mountain.
Selah
6 I lie down and I fall asleep,
[and] I will wake up, for the Lord sustains me.(P)
7 I do not fear, then, thousands of people
arrayed against me on every side.
III
8 Arise, Lord! Save me, my God!
For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes;
you break the teeth of the wicked.(Q)
9 Salvation is from the Lord!
May your blessing be upon your people!(R)
Selah
Psalm 4[j]
Trust in God
1 For the leader;[k] with stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
I
2 Answer me when I call, my saving God.
When troubles hem me in, set me free;
take pity on me, hear my prayer.(S)
II
3 How long, O people, will you be hard of heart?
Why do you love what is worthless, chase after lies?[l](T)
Selah
4 Know that the Lord works wonders for his faithful one;
the Lord hears when I call out to him.
5 Tremble[m] and sin no more;
weep bitterly within your hearts,
wail upon your beds,(U)
6 Offer fitting sacrifices
and trust in the Lord.(V)
III
Psalm 7[a]
God the Vindicator
1 A plaintive song of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, the Benjaminite.
I
2 Lord my God, in you I trusted;
save me; rescue me from all who pursue me,(A)
3 Lest someone maul me like a lion,
tear my soul apart with no one to deliver.
II
4 Lord my God, if I have done this,[b]
if there is guilt on my hands,
5 If I have maltreated someone treating me equitably—
or even despoiled my oppressor without cause—
6 Then let my enemy pursue and overtake my soul,
trample my life to the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust.(B)
Selah
III
7 Rise up, Lord, in your anger;
be aroused against the outrages of my oppressors.(C)
Stir up the justice, my God, you have commanded.
8 Have the assembly of the peoples gather about you;
and return on high above them,
9 the Lord will pass judgment on the peoples.
Judge me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
and my integrity.
10 Let the malice of the wicked end.
Uphold the just one,
O just God,(D)
who tries hearts and minds.
IV
11 God is a shield above me
saving the upright of heart.(E)
12 God is a just judge, powerful and patient,[c]
not exercising anger every day.
13 If one does not repent,
God sharpens his sword,
strings and readies the bow,(F)
14 Prepares his deadly shafts,
makes arrows blazing thunderbolts.(G)
V
15 Consider how one conceives iniquity;
is pregnant with mischief,
and gives birth to deception.(H)
16 He digs a hole and bores it deep,
but he falls into the pit he has made.(I)
17 His malice turns back upon his head;
his violence falls on his own skull.
VI
18 I will thank the Lord in accordance with his justice;
I will sing the name of the Lord Most High.(J)
Chapter 32
Request of Gad and Reuben. 1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead[a] was a place suited to livestock, 2 the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community and said, 3 [b]“The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon— 4 the land which the Lord has laid low before the community of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 They continued, “If we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
Moses’ Rebuke. 6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: “Are your kindred, then, to go to war, while you remain here?
Counter Proposal. 16 But they approached him and said: “We will only build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our families; 17 but we ourselves will march as troops in the vanguard before the Israelites,(A) until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families will remain in the fortified towns because of the land’s inhabitants. 18 We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have taken possession of their heritage. 19 (B)But we will not claim any heritage with them across the Jordan and beyond, because we have received a heritage for ourselves on the eastern side of the Jordan.”
Agreement Reached. 20 [a]Moses said to them in reply: “If you do this—if you march as troops before the Lord into battle 21 and cross the Jordan in full force before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out of his way 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then you may return here, free from every obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land will be your possession before the Lord.(C) 23 But if you do not do this, you will have sinned against the Lord, and you can be sure that the consequences of your sin will overtake you. 24 Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but fulfill what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 (D)While our wives and children, our livestock and other animals remain there in the towns of Gilead, 27 all your servants will go across as armed troops before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”
26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.(A)
God’s Indomitable Love in Christ. 28 [a]We know that all things work for good for those who love God,[b] who are called according to his purpose.(B) 29 [c]For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.(C) 30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.(D)
Chapter 23[a]
Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees. 1 (A)Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 [b]saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4 (B)They tie up heavy burdens[c] [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. 5 [d](C)All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 [e](D)They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7 greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ 8 [f]As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10 Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah. 11 (E)The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 (F)Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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