Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 55[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.
55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore[c] my appeal for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset[d] and distressed,[e] I am beside myself,[f]
3 because of what the enemy says,[g]
and because of how the wicked[h] pressure me,[i]
for they hurl trouble[j] down upon me[k]
and angrily attack me.
4 My heart beats violently[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.[m]
5 Fear and panic overpower me;[n]
terror overwhelms[o] me.
6 I say,[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind[q] and the gale.”
9 Confuse them,[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls,[t]
while wickedness and destruction[u] are within it.
11 Disaster is within it;
violence[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
12 Indeed,[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,[x]
or else I could hide from him.
13 But it is you,[y] a man like me,[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.[aa]
14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
15 May death destroy them.[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,[ae]
and he will hear[af] me.[ag]
18 He will rescue[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,[ai]
even though[aj] they greatly outnumber me.[ak]
19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.[am]
20 He[an] attacks[ao] his friends;[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.[aq]
21 His words are as smooth as butter,[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.[at]
22 Throw your burden[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.[aw]
23 But you, O God, will bring them[ax] down to the deep Pit.[ay]
Violent and deceitful people[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 138[a]
By David.
138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly[b] I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.[c]
3 When[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.[e]
4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.[g]
5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.[i]
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles[j] the proud.
7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord avenges me.[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.[n]
Psalm 139[o]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[p] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[q]
you are aware of everything I do.[r]
4 Certainly[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[t]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[u]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[v]
8 If I were to ascend[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[x] in Sheol, there you would be.[y]
9 If I were to fly away[z] on the wings of the dawn,[aa]
and settle down on the other side[ab] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[ad]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[ae]
and the night is as bright as[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[ag]
13 Certainly[ah] you made my mind and heart;[ai]
you wove me together[aj] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;[al]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[an]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ap]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![aq]
How vast is their sum total.[ar]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[as]
19 If only[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![au]
20 They[av] rebel against you[aw] and act deceitfully;[ax]
your enemies lie.[ay]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[az]
22 I absolutely hate them;[ba]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.[bc]
VI. The Divine Speeches (38:1-42:6)
The Lord’s First Speech[a]
38 Then the Lord answered[b] Job out of the whirlwind:[c]
2 “Who is this[d] who darkens counsel[e]
with words without knowledge?
3 Get ready for a difficult task[f] like a man;
I will question you
and you will inform me.
God’s questions to Job
4 “Where were you
when I laid the foundation[g] of the earth?
Tell me,[h] if you possess understanding.
5 Who set its measurements—if[i] you know—
or who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what[j] were its bases[k] set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 when the morning stars[l] sang[m] in chorus,[n]
and all the sons of God[o] shouted for joy?
8 “Who shut up[p] the sea with doors
when it burst forth,[q] coming out of the womb,
9 when I made[r] the storm clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,[s]
10 when I prescribed[t] its limits,
and set in place[u] its bolts and doors,
11 when I said, ‘To here you may come[v]
and no farther,[w]
here your proud waves will be confined’?[x]
12 Have you ever in your life[y] commanded the morning,
or made the dawn know[z] its place,
13 that it might seize the corners of the earth,[aa]
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;[ab]
its features[ac] are dyed[ad] like a garment.
15 Then from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm raised in violence[ae] is broken.[af]
16 Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea,[ag]
or walked about in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?[ah]
Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness?[ai]
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided[a] to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas,[b] leaders among the brothers, to Antioch[c] with Paul and Barnabas. 23 They sent this letter with them:[d]
From the apostles[e] and elders, your brothers,[f] to the Gentile brothers and sisters[g] in Antioch,[h] Syria,[i] and Cilicia, greetings! 24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused[j] you, upsetting[k] your minds[l] by what they said,[m] 25 we have unanimously[n] decided[o] to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 26 who[p] have risked their lives[q] for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.[r] 27 Therefore we are sending[s] Judas and Silas[t] who will tell you these things themselves in person.[u] 28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us[v] not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules:[w] 29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols[x] and from blood and from what has been strangled[y] and from sexual immorality.[z] If you keep yourselves from doing these things,[aa] you will do well. Farewell.[ab]
30 So when they were dismissed,[ac] they went down to Antioch,[ad] and after gathering the entire group[ae] together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they read it aloud,[af] the people[ag] rejoiced at its encouragement.[ah] 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech.[ai] 33 After[aj] they had spent some time there,[ak] they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.[al] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch,[am] teaching and proclaiming (along with many others)[an] the word of the Lord.[ao]
The Response of the Jewish Leaders
45 Then many of the people,[a] who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus[b] did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees[c] and reported to them[d] what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees[e] called the council[f] together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way,[g] everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary[h] and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said,[i] “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize[j] that it is more to your advantage to have one man[k] die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”[l] 51 (Now he did not say this on his own,[m] but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,[n] 52 and not for the Jewish nation[o] only,[p] but to gather together[q] into one the children of God who are scattered.)[r] 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
54 Thus Jesus no longer went[s] around publicly[t] among the Judeans,[u] but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim,[v] and stayed there with his disciples.
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