Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 24
The King of Glory
A psalm of David.
1 The earth and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants,
belong to the Lord;(A)
2 for he laid its foundation on the seas
and established it on the rivers.(B)
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?(C)
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,(D)
who has not appealed to[a] what is false,(E)
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord,(F)
and righteousness[b] from the God of his salvation.(G)
6 Such is the generation of those who inquire of him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[c](H)Selah
7 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.(I)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.(J)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord of Armies,
he is the King of glory.(K)Selah
Psalm 29
The Voice of the Lord
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.[b](A)
3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,(B)
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.(C)
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.(D)
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,(E)
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.(F)
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.(G)
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(H)
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[c](I)
and strips the woodlands bare.(J)
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
Psalm 8
God’s Glory, Human Dignity
For the choir director: on the Gittith.(A) A psalm of David.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!(B)
You have covered the heavens with your majesty.[a](C)
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,(D)
you have established a stronghold[b]
on account of your adversaries
in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I observe your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you set in place,(E)
4 what is a human being that you remember him,
a son of man[c] that you look after him?(F)
5 You made him little less than God[d][e]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:(G)
7 all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
8 the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.(H)
9 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
Psalm 84
Longing for God’s House
For the choir director: on the Gittith.(A) A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord of Armies.(B)
2 I long and yearn
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out for[a] the living God.(C)
3 Even a sparrow finds a home,
and a swallow, a nest for herself
where she places her young—
near your altars, Lord of Armies,
my King and my God.(D)
4 How happy are those who reside in your house,
who praise you continually.(E)Selah
5 Happy are the people whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(F)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,[b]
they make it a source of spring water;
even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings.[c](G)
7 They go from strength to strength;
each appears before God in Zion.(H)
8 Lord God of Armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.(I)Selah
9 Consider our shield,[d] God;(J)
look on the face of your anointed one.(K)
10 Better a day in your courts
than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than live in the tents of wicked people.(L)
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield.(M)
The Lord grants favor and honor;
he does not withhold the good
from those who live with integrity.(N)
12 Happy is the person who trusts in you,
Lord of Armies!(O)
Review of Israel’s History
24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem(A) and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.(B) 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah,(C) the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants.(D) I gave him Isaac,(E) 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.(F) I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession.(G)
“‘Jacob and his sons, however, went down to Egypt.(H) 5 I sent Moses and Aaron,(I) and I defeated Egypt by what I did within it, and afterward I brought you out. 6 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea,(J) the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the sea. 7 Your ancestors cried out to the Lord, so he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them, engulfing them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After that, you lived in the wilderness a long time.
8 “‘Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan.(K) They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you. 9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab,(L) set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he repeatedly blessed you, and I rescued you from him.
11 “‘You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho.(M) Jericho’s citizens—as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—fought against you, but I handed them over to you. 12 I sent hornets[a](N) ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kings(O) before you. It was not by your sword or bow. 13 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build,(P) though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
The Covenant Renewal
14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth.(Q) Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped(R) beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living?(S) As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”
The Response to Paul’s Message
23 After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From dawn to dusk he expounded and testified about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.(A) 24 Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe.(B)
25 Disagreeing among themselves, they began to leave after Paul made one statement:[a] “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your[b] ancestors through the prophet Isaiah 26 when he said,
Go to these people and say:
You will always be listening,
but never understanding;
and you will always be looking,
but never perceiving.
27 For the hearts of these people
have grown callous,
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their heart
and turn,
and I would heal them.[c](C)
28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”[d]
Paul’s Ministry Unhindered
30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God(D) and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness(E) and without hindrance.
Lord of the Sabbath
23 On(A) the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples(B) began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees(C) said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful(D) on the Sabbath?”
25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David(E) and those who were with him did when he was in need(F) and hungry(G) — 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar(H) the high priest(I) and ate the bread of the Presence(J) —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests(K) —and also gave some to his companions?” 27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for[a] man and not man for the Sabbath.(L) 28 So then, the Son of Man(M) is Lord(N) even of the Sabbath.”(O)
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