Book of Common Prayer
God Implored to Confound His Enemies.
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
83 God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
3 They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (H)let’s wipe them out [d]as a nation,
So that the (I)name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
5 For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
They make a covenant against You:
6 The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
7 (O)Gebal, (P)Ammon, and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
8 (T)Assyria also has joined them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. Selah
9 Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became like dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb,
And all their leaders like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let’s possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”
13 My God, make them like the [g](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest,
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your heavy gale,
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
So that they will seek Your name, Lord.
17 May they be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And may they be humiliated and perish,
18 So that they will (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.
The Lord Exalted for His Goodness.
A Psalm of Praise, of David.
145 I will (A)exalt You, (B)my God, the King,
And I will (C)bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will (D)praise Your name forever and ever.
3 (E)Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;
And His (F)greatness is unsearchable.
4 One (G)generation will praise Your works to another,
And will declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the (H)glorious [a]splendor of Your majesty
And (I)on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 People will speak of the [b]power of Your (J)awesome acts,
And I will (K)tell of Your greatness.
7 They will burst forth [c]in speaking of Your (L)abundant goodness,
And will (M)shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 The Lord is (N)gracious and compassionate;
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is (O)good to all,
And His (P)mercies are over all His works.
10 (Q)All Your works will give thanks to You, Lord,
And Your (R)godly ones will bless You.
11 They will speak of the (S)glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your might,
12 To (T)make known to the sons of mankind [d]Your mighty acts,
And the (U)glory of the majesty of [e]Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is [f]an (V)everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[g]The Lord is faithful in His words,
And holy in all His works.
14 The Lord (W)supports all who fall,
And (X)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all [h]look to You,
And You (Y)give them their food in due time.
16 You (Z)open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is (AA)righteous in all His ways,
And kind in all His works.
18 The Lord is (AB)near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him (AC)in truth.
19 He will (AD)fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also (AE)hear their cry for help and save them.
20 The Lord (AF)watches over all who love Him,
But He will destroy all the (AG)wicked.
21 My (AH)mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And (AI)all flesh will (AJ)bless His holy name forever and ever.
Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
85 Lord, You showed (A)favor to Your land;
You (B)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You (C)forgave the guilt of Your people;
You (D)covered all their sin. Selah
3 You (E)withdrew all Your fury;
You (F)turned away from Your burning anger.
4 (G)Restore us, God of our salvation,
And (H)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will (I)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to [a]all generations?
6 Will You not [b](J)revive us again,
So that Your people may (K)rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And (L)grant us Your salvation.
8 [c]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (M)speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
And may they not (N)turn back to [d]foolishness.
9 Certainly (O)His salvation is near to those who [e]fear Him,
That (P)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (Q)Graciousness and [f]truth have met together;
(R)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [g]Truth (S)sprouts from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (T)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (U)land will yield its produce.
13 (V)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
Pleading and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 (W)Incline Your ear, Lord, and answer me;
For I am (X)afflicted and needy.
2 (Y)Protect my [h]soul, for I am (Z)godly;
You my God, save Your servant who (AA)trusts in You.
3 Be (AB)gracious to me, Lord,
For (AC)I call upon You all day long.
4 Make the soul of Your servant joyful,
For to You, Lord, (AD)I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are (AE)good, and (AF)ready to forgive,
And (AG)abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.
6 (AH)Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
And give Your attention to the sound of my pleading!
7 On (AI)the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For (AJ)You will answer me.
8 There is (AK)no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works (AL)like Yours.
9 (AM)All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,
And they will glorify Your name.
10 For You are (AN)great, and You (AO)do [i]wondrous deeds;
You alone (AP)are God.
11 (AQ)Teach me Your way, Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
(AR)Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will (AS)give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your graciousness toward me is great,
And You have (AT)saved my soul from the [j]depths of [k]Sheol.
14 God, arrogant men have (AU)risen up against me,
And a gang of violent men have sought my [l]life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, Lord, are a (AV)compassionate and gracious God,
Slow to anger and abundant in mercy and [m]truth.
16 (AW)Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
(AX)Grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the (AY)son of Your maidservant.
17 (AZ)Show me a sign of good,
That those who hate me may (BA)see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, (BB)have helped me and comforted me.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, your son’s son as well, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian!” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; (A)the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would [a]request of you, that each of you give me [b]an earring from his plunder.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were (B)Ishmaelites.) 25 And they said, “We will certainly give them to you.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them tossed an earring there from his plunder. 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets, the ear pendants, and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the neck chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made it into (C)an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah; but all Israel [c]committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
Forty Years of Peace
28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Then (D)Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had (E)seventy sons who [d]were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he [e]named him Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, (F)that the sons of Israel again [f]committed infidelity with the Baals, and made (G)Baal-berith their god. 34 So the sons of Israel (H)did not remember the Lord their God, who had saved them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 (I)nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accordance with all the good that he had done for Israel.
Peter and John Arrested
4 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and (A)the captain of the temple guard and (B)the Sadducees (C)came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming [a](D)in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and (E)put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the [b]message believed; and (F)the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 On the next day, their (G)rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and (H)Annas the high priest was there, and (I)Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, [c](J)filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[d](K)Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [e]on trial today for (L)a benefit done to a sick man, as to [f]how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [g](M)by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom (N)God raised from the dead—[h]by [i]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [j](O)He is the (P)stone which was (Q)rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in (R)no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
43 (A)The next day He [a]decided to go to (B)Galilee, and He *found (C)Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “(D)Follow Me.” 44 Now (E)Philip was from (F)Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 (G)Philip *found (H)Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom (I)Moses wrote in the Law, and (J)the prophets also wrote: Jesus (K)the son of Joseph, from (L)Nazareth!” 46 Nathanael said to him, “(M)Can anything good be from Nazareth?” (N)Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Here is truly an (O)Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before (P)Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “(Q)Rabbi, You are (R)the Son of God; You are the (S)King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see (T)heaven opened and (U)the angels of God ascending and descending on (V)the Son of Man.”
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