Book of Common Prayer
ק Qof
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord.
I will obey Your statutes.(A)
146 I call to You; save me,
and I will keep Your decrees.(B)
147 I rise before dawn and cry out for help;(C)
I put my hope in Your word.
148 I am awake through each watch of the night
to meditate on Your promise.(D)
149 In keeping with Your faithful love, hear my voice.
Lord, give me life in keeping with Your justice.(E)
150 Those who pursue evil plans[a](F) come near;
they are far from Your instruction.
151 You are near, Lord,(G)
and all Your commands are true.(H)
152 Long ago I learned from Your decrees
that You have established them forever.(I)
ר Resh
153 Consider my affliction and rescue me,(J)
for I have not forgotten Your instruction.(K)
154 Defend my cause and redeem me;(L)
give me life as You promised.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked
because they do not seek Your statutes.(M)
156 Your compassions are many, Lord;(N)
give me life according to Your judgments.
157 My persecutors and foes are many.(O)
I have not turned from Your decrees.(P)
158 I have seen the disloyal(Q) and feel disgust(R)
because they do not keep Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Lord, give me life according to Your faithful love.(S)
160 The entirety of Your word is truth,
and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.(T)
שׂ Sin/ שׁ Shin
161 Princes have persecuted me without cause,
but my heart fears only Your word.(U)
162 I rejoice over Your promise(V)
like one who finds vast treasure.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,(W)
but I love Your instruction.(X)
164 I praise You seven times a day
for Your righteous judgments.(Y)
165 Abundant peace belongs to those(Z)
who love Your instruction;
nothing makes them stumble.(AA)
166 Lord, I hope for Your salvation(AB)
and carry out Your commands.
167 I obey Your decrees
and love them greatly.(AC)
168 I obey Your precepts and decrees,
for all my ways are before You.(AD)
ת Tav
169 Let my cry reach You, Lord;(AE)
give me understanding according to Your word.(AF)
170 Let my plea reach You;(AG)
rescue me according to Your promise.(AH)
171 My lips pour out praise,(AI)
for You teach me Your statutes.(AJ)
172 My tongue sings about Your promise,(AK)
for all Your commands are righteous.(AL)
173 May Your hand be ready to help me,(AM)
for I have chosen Your precepts.(AN)
174 I long for Your salvation, Lord,
and Your instruction is my delight.(AO)
175 Let me live, and I will praise You;(AP)
may Your judgments help me.
176 I wander like a lost sheep;(AQ)
seek Your servant,(AR)
for I do not forget Your commands.(AS)
Psalm 128
Blessings for Those Who Fear God
A song of ascents.
1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in His ways!(A)
2 You will surely eat
what your hands have worked for.(B)
You will be happy,
and it will go well for you.(C)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house,
your sons, like young olive trees
around your table.(D)
4 In this very way
the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.(E)
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
so that you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life(F)
6 and will see your children’s children!
Peace be with Israel.(G)
Psalm 129
Protection of the Oppressed
A song of ascents.
1 Since my youth they have often attacked me—
let Israel say—
2 Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not prevailed against me.(H)
3 Plowmen plowed over my back;
they made their furrows long.(I)
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut the ropes of the wicked.(J)
5 Let all who hate Zion
be driven back in disgrace.(K)
6 Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up[a](L)
7 and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.(M)
8 Then none who pass by will say,
“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.”
We bless you in the name of Yahweh.(N)
Psalm 130
Awaiting Redemption
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!(O)
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.(P)
3 Yahweh, if You considered sins,
Lord, who could stand?(Q)
4 But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered.(R)
16 The 600 Danite men were standing by the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. 17 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image overlaid with silver,[a] the ephod, and the household idols, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.
18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the carved image overlaid with silver,[b] the ephod, and the household idols, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 They told him, “Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut.[c](A) Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” 20 So the priest was pleased and took his ephod, household idols, and carved image, and went with the people. 21 They prepared to leave, putting their small children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.
22 After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men who were in the houses near it mobilized and caught up with the Danites. 23 They called to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you mobilized the men?”
24 He said, “You took the gods I had made and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” 26 The Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were stronger than he was.
27 After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They killed them with their swords and burned down the city.(B) 28 There was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no alliance with anyone. It was in a valley that belonged to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 They named the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. The city was formerly named Laish.
30 The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,[d] and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land.(C) 31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.
Simon’s Sin
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them.(A) 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet come down on[a] any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(B) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Holy[b] Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money!(C) 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.(D) 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”(E)
24 “Please pray[c] to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”(F)
25 Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.
The Fourth Sign: Feeding 5,000
6 After(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee(B) (or Tiberias(C)). 2 And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. 3 So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,(D) He asked Philip,(E) “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him,(F) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.
7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii(G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew,(H) Simon(I) Peter’s(J) brother, said to Him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.(K) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.(L)
12 When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”(M) 13 So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign[a] He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet(N) who was to come(O) into the world!”(P) 15 Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,(Q) He withdrew again[b] to the mountain by Himself.
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