Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.[a](A)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(B)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(C)
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(D)
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(E)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(F)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.(G)
7 The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(H)
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(I)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
He burns up the chariots.[b](J)
10 “Stop your fighting—and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(K)
11 Yahweh of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(L)
Psalm 87
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 His foundation is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C)
4 “I will mention those who know Me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High Himself will establish her.(E)
6 When He registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.”(F)
7 Singers and dancers alike will say,
“My whole source of joy is[a] in you.”(G)
Solomon’s Prayer
22 Then Solomon stood(A) before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.(B) 23 He said:
Lord God of Israel,
there is no God like You
in heaven above or on earth below,(C)
keeping the gracious covenant
with Your servants who walk before You
with their whole heart.(D)
24 You have kept what You promised
to Your servant, my father David.
You spoke directly to him
and You fulfilled Your promise by Your power
as it is today.(E)
25 Therefore, Lord God of Israel,
keep what You promised
to Your servant, my father David:
You will never fail to have a man
to sit before Me on the throne of Israel,(F)
if only your sons guard their walk before Me
as you have walked before Me.(G)
26 Now Lord[a] God of Israel,
please confirm what You promised
to Your servant, my father David.(H)
27 But will God indeed live on earth?
Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You,
much less this temple I have built.(I)
28 Listen[b] to Your servant’s prayer and his petition,(J)
Lord my God,
so that You may hear the cry and the prayer
that Your servant prays before You today,
29 so that Your eyes may watch over this temple night and day,(K)
toward the place where You said:
My name will be there,(L)
and so that You may hear the prayer
that Your servant prays toward this place.
30 Hear the petition of Your servant(M)
and Your people Israel,
which they pray toward this place.(N)
May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.
May You hear and forgive.
Unity in Christ
11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,”(A) which is done in the flesh by human hands.(B) 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,(C) without hope(D) and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood(E) of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one(F) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create(G) in Himself one(H) new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body(I) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.[a] 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news(J) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.(K) 18 For through Him we both have access(L) by one Spirit to the Father.(M) 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,(N) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together(O) by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.(P) 22 You also are being built together(Q) for God’s dwelling(R) in the Spirit.
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