Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer for the King[a]
72 Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God;
share with him your own justice,
2 so that he will rule over your people with justice
and govern the oppressed with righteousness.
3 May the land enjoy prosperity;
may it experience righteousness.
4 May the king judge the poor fairly;
may he help the needy
and defeat their oppressors.
5 May your people worship you as long as the sun shines,
as long as the moon gives light, for ages to come.
6 May the king be like rain on the fields,
like showers falling on the land.
7 May righteousness flourish in his lifetime,
and may prosperity last as long as the moon gives light.
8 (A)His kingdom will reach from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
9 The peoples of the desert will bow down before him;
his enemies will throw themselves to the ground.
10 The kings of Spain and of the islands will offer him gifts;
the kings of Sheba and Seba[b] will bring him offerings.
11 All kings will bow down before him;
all nations will serve him.
12 He rescues the poor who call to him,
and those who are needy and neglected.
13 He has pity on the weak and poor;
he saves the lives of those in need.
14 He rescues them from oppression and violence;
their lives are precious to him.
15 Long live the king!
May he be given gold from Sheba;[c]
may prayers be said for him at all times;
may God's blessings be on him always!
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may the hills be covered with crops,
as fruitful as those of Lebanon.
May the cities be filled with people,
like fields full of grass.
17 May the king's name never be forgotten;
may his fame last as long as the sun.
May all nations ask God to bless them
as he has blessed the king.[d]
18 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He alone does these wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
May his glory fill the whole world.
Amen! Amen!
20 This is the end of the prayers of David son of Jesse.
The Justice of the Law of the Lord
73 You created me, and you keep me safe;
give me understanding, so that I may learn your laws.
74 Those who honor you will be glad when they see me,
because I trust in your promise.
75 I know that your judgments are righteous, Lord,
and that you punished me because you are faithful.
76 Let your constant love comfort me,
as you have promised me, your servant.
77 Have mercy on me, and I will live
because I take pleasure in your law.
78 May the proud be ashamed for falsely accusing me;
as for me, I will meditate on your instructions.
79 May those who honor you come to me—
all those who know your commands.
80 May I perfectly obey your commandments
and be spared the shame of defeat.
A Prayer for Deliverance
81 I am worn out, Lord, waiting for you to save me;
I place my trust in your word.
82 My eyes are tired from watching for what you promised,
while I ask, “When will you help me?”
83 I am as useless as a discarded wineskin;
yet I have not forgotten your commands.
84 How much longer must I wait?
When will you punish those who persecute me?
85 The proud, who do not obey your law,
have dug pits to trap me.
86 Your commandments are all trustworthy;
people persecute me with lies—help me!
87 They have almost succeeded in killing me,
but I have not neglected your commands.
88 Because of your constant love be good to me,
so that I may obey your laws.
Faith in the Law of the Lord
89 Your word, O Lord, will last forever;
it is eternal in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures through all the ages;
you have set the earth in place, and it remains.
91 All things remain to this day because of your command,
because they are all your servants.
92 If your law had not been the source of my joy,
I would have died from my sufferings.
93 I will never neglect your instructions,
because by them you have kept me alive.
94 I am yours—save me!
I have tried to obey your commands.
95 The wicked are waiting to kill me,
but I will meditate on your laws.
96 I have learned that everything has limits;
but your commandment is perfect.
23 By his wisdom he calmed the great oceans
and placed the islands there.
24 Sailors tell about the dangers of the sea,
and we listen to their tales in amazement.
25 In the sea are strange and marvelous creatures:
huge monsters and all kinds of living things.
26 Each of the Lord's messengers succeeds at its task.
Everything is held together by his word.
27 We could say much more and never finish,
but it all means this: the Lord is everything.
28 How can we find the power to praise him?
He is greater than all his creation.
29 The Lord is awesome in his greatness;
his power is overwhelming.
30 Though you do your best to praise him,
he is greater than you can ever express.
Though you honor him tirelessly and with all your strength,
you still cannot praise him enough.
31 No one has seen him, no one can describe him;
no one can praise him as he deserves.
32 Mysteries greater than these are still unknown;
we know only a fraction of his works.
33 The Lord made the universe
and then gave wisdom to devout people.
The Bowls of God's Anger
16 Then I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels: “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth!”
2 (A)The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Terrible and painful sores appeared on those who had the mark of the beast and on those who had worshiped its image.
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. The water became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in the sea died.
4 (B)Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “The judgments you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were! 6 They poured out the blood of God's people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. They are getting what they deserve!” 7 Then I heard a voice from the altar saying, “Lord God Almighty! True and just indeed are your judgments!”
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fiery heat. 9 They were burned by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues. But they would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness.
10 (C)Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. Darkness fell over the beast's kingdom, and people bit their tongues because of their pain, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. 11 A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free from your sickness!” 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.
14 (A)The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, “There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. 16 Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?” 17 His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.