Book of Common Prayer
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts].
16 Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge.
2
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3
As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land,
They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.
4
The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry];
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need];
You support my lot.
6
The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7
I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night.
8
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices;
My body too will dwell [confidently] in safety,
10
For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.(A)
11
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.(B)
Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.
A Prayer of David.
17 Hear the just (righteous) cause, O Lord; listen to my loud [piercing] cry;
Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips.
2
Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence;
May Your eyes look with equity and behold things that are just.
3
You have tried my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tested me and You find nothing [evil in me];
I intend that my mouth will not transgress.
4
Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept away from the paths of the violent.
5
My steps have held closely to Your paths;
My feet have not staggered.
6
I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
7
Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
8
Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the [b]apple of Your eye;
Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings
9
From the wicked who despoil and deal violently with me,
My deadly enemies who surround me.
10
They have closed their [c]unfeeling heart [to kindness and compassion];
With their mouths they speak proudly and make presumptuous claims.
11
They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to force us to the ground,
12
He is like a lion eager to tear [his prey],
And like a young lion lurking in hiding places.
13
Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down;
Save my soul from the wicked with Your sword,
14
From men with Your hand, O Lord,
From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life—idle and vain,
And whose belly You fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children.
15
As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness;
I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.
A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar (The Doe of the Dawn). A Psalm of David.
22 [a]My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?(A)
2
O my God, I call out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I find no rest nor quiet.
3
But You are holy,
O You who are enthroned in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].
4
In You our fathers trusted [leaned on, relied on, and were confident];
They trusted and You rescued them.
5
They cried out to You and were delivered;
They trusted in You and were not disappointed or ashamed.
6
But I am [treated as] a worm [insignificant and powerless] and not a man;
I am the scorn of men and despised by the people.(B)
7
All who see me laugh at me and mock me;
They [insultingly] open their lips, they shake their head, saying,(C)
8
“He trusted and committed himself to the Lord, let Him save him.
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”(D)
9
Yet You are He who pulled me out of the womb;
You made me trust when on my mother’s breasts.
10
I was cast upon You from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my God.
11
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near;
And there is no one to help.
12
Many [enemies like] bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.(E)
13
They open wide their mouths against me,
Like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14
I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax;
It is melted [by anguish] within me.
15
My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery;
And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws;
And You have laid me in the dust of death.(F)
16
For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me;
A gang of evildoers has encircled me,
They pierced my hands and my feet.(G)
17
I can count all my bones;
They look, they stare at me.(H)
18
They divide my clothing among them
And cast lots for my [b]garment.(I)
19
But You, O Lord, do not be far from me;
O You my help, come quickly to my assistance.
20
Rescue my life from the sword,
My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner).
21
Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
22
I will tell of Your name to my countrymen;
In the midst of the congregation I will praise You.(J)
23
You who fear the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence], praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.
Fear Him [with submissive wonder], all you descendants of Israel.
24
For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He listened.
25
My praise will be of You in the great assembly.
I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him.
26
The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You,
28
For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
29
All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30
Posterity will serve Him;
They will tell of the Lord to the next generation.
31
They will come and declare His righteousness
To a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].(K)
Safe at Malta
28 After we were safe [on land], we found out that the island was called [a]Malta. 2 And the [b]natives showed us extraordinary kindness and hospitality; for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, since it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a [c]viper crawled out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, Justice [the avenging goddess] has not permitted him to live.” 5 Then Paul [simply] shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 But they stood watching and expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began saying that he was a god.
7 In the vicinity of that place there were estates belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was sick [in bed] with recurring attacks of fever and dysentery; and Paul went to him, and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 After this occurred, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being healed. 10 They also gave us many honors [gifts and courtesies expressing respect]; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all the things we needed.
Paul Arrives at Rome
11 At the end of three months we set sail on a ship which had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the [d]Twin Brothers [Castor and Pollux] as its figurehead. 12 We landed at Syracuse [on Sicily] and stayed there three days. 13 From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium [on Italy’s southern tip]; and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at [e]Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers and sisters, having heard news about us, came from as far away as the [f]Forum of Appius and [g]Three Inns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.
16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself [in rented quarters] with the soldier who was guarding him.
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these teachings, He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.(A) 29 As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His departure [from earthly life], which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and splendor and majesty, and the two men who were standing with Him. 33 And as these [men, Moses and Elijah] were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is delightful and good for us to be here; we should make three [sacred] tents; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were [greatly] afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then [a]a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept silent, and told no one at that time any of the things which they had seen [concerning the divine manifestation].(B)
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