Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 88
A song; a psalm by Korah’s descendants; for the choir director; according to mahalath leannoth;[a] a maskil by Heman the Ezrahite.
1 O Yahweh Elohim, my savior,
I cry out to you during the day and at night.
2 Let my prayer come into your presence.
Turn your ear to hear my cries.
3 My soul is filled with troubles,
and my life comes closer to the grave.
4 I am numbered with those who go into the pit.
I am like a man without any strength—
5 abandoned with the dead,
like those who have been killed and lie in graves,
like those whom you no longer remember,
who are cut off from your power.
6 You have put me in the bottom of the pit—in deep, dark places.
7 Your rage lies heavily on me.
You make all your waves pound on me. Selah
8 You have taken my friends far away from me.
You made me disgusting to them.
I’m shut in, and I can’t get out.
9 My eyes grow weak because of my suffering.
All day long I call out to you, O Yahweh.
I stretch out my hands to you in prayer.
10 Will you perform miracles for those who are dead?
Will the spirits of the dead rise and give thanks to you? Selah
11 Will anyone tell about your mercy in Sheol
or about your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Will anyone know about your miracles in that dark place
or about your righteousness in the place where forgotten people live?
13 I cry out to you for help, O Yahweh,
and in the morning my prayer will come into your presence.
14 Why do you reject my soul, O Yahweh?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and near death.
I have endured your terrors, and now I am in despair.[b]
16 Your burning anger has swept over me.
Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They swirl around me all day long like water.
They surround me on all sides.
18 You have taken my loved ones and friends far away from me.
Darkness is my only friend![c]
Psalm 91
1 Whoever lives under the shelter of Elyon
will remain in the shadow of Shadday.
2 I will say to Yahweh,
“You are my Machseh and my Metsuda, my Elohim in whom I trust.”
3 He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps
and from deadly plagues.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge.
His truth is your shield and armor.
5 You do not need to fear
terrors of the night,
arrows that fly during the day,
6 plagues that roam the dark,
epidemics that strike at noon.
7 They will not come near you,
even though a thousand may fall dead beside you
or ten thousand at your right side.
8 You only have to look with your eyes
to see the punishment of wicked people.
9 You, O Yahweh, are my Machseh!
You have made Elyon your home.
10 No harm will come to you.
No sickness will come near your house.
11 He will put his angels in charge of you
to protect you in all your ways.
12 They will carry you in their hands
so that you never hit your foot against a rock.
13 You will step on lions and cobras.
You will trample young lions and snakes.
14 Because you love me, I will rescue you.
I will protect you because you know my name.
15 When you call to me, I will answer you.
I will be with you when you are in trouble.
I will save you and honor you.
16 I will satisfy you with a long life.
I will show you how I will save you.
Psalm 92
A psalm; a song; for the day of worship.
1 It is good to give thanks to Yahweh,
to make music to praise your name, O Elyon.
2 It is good to announce your mercy in the morning
and your faithfulness in the evening
3 on a ten-stringed instrument and a harp
and with a melody on a lyre.
4 You made me find joy in what you have done, O Yahweh.
I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.
5 How spectacular are your works, O Yahweh!
How very deep are your thoughts!
6 A stupid person cannot know
and a fool cannot understand
7 that wicked people sprout like grass
and all troublemakers blossom like flowers,
only to be destroyed forever.
8 But you, O Yahweh, are highly honored forever.
9 Now look at your enemies, O Yahweh.
Now look at your enemies.
They disappear, and all troublemakers are scattered.
10 But you make me as strong as a wild bull,
and soothing lotion is poured on me.
11 My eyes gloat over those who spy on me.
My ears hear the cries of evildoers attacking me.
12 Righteous people flourish like palm trees
and grow tall like the cedars in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in Yahweh’s house.
They blossom in Elohim’s courtyards.
14 Even when they are old, they still bear fruit.
They are always healthy and fresh.
15 They make it known that Yahweh is decent.
He is my rock.
He is never unfair.
The Lord Will Pour His Spirit on All People
28 “After this, I will pour my Ruach on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29 In those days I will pour my Ruach on servants,
on both men and women.
30 I will work miracles in the sky and on the earth:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will become as red as blood
before the terrifying day of Yahweh comes.”
32 Then whoever calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved.
Those who escape will be on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.
Among the survivors will be those whom Yahweh calls,
as Yahweh has promised.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
3 [a]“In those days and at that time,
I will bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem.
2 I will gather all the nations.
I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.[b]
I will judge them there.
They scattered the Israelites, the people who belong to me,
among the nations.
They divided my land.
3 They threw dice for my people.
They traded boys for prostitutes.
They sold girls so that they could buy wine to drink.
4 “Now what do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon
and all the regions of Philistia?
Are you paying me back for something I have done?
If you are paying me back,
I will quickly pay you back for what you have done.
5 You took my silver and my gold.
You brought my finest treasures to your temples.
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks.
That way you could send them far away from their land.
7 I am going to make them leave the place where you sold them.
I will pay you back for what you have done.
8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah.
They will sell them to the people of Sheba,
a nation that is far away.”
Yahweh has spoken.
16 My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. 17 Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.
19 Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily. 20 An angry person doesn’t do what God approves of. 21 So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you.
22 Do what God’s word says. Don’t merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves. 23 If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, 24 studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 However, the person who continues to study God’s perfect laws that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s laws say.
26 If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.
Jesus Speaks about Dishonesty
16 Then Yeshua said to his disciples, “A rich man had a business manager. The manager was accused of wasting the rich man’s property. 2 So the rich man called for his manager and said to him, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Let me examine your books. It’s obvious that you can’t manage my property any longer.’
3 “The manager thought, ‘What should I do? My master is taking my job away from me. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I’ll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I’ve lost my job.’
5 “So the manager called for each one of his master’s debtors. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “The debtor replied, ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.’
“The manager told him, ‘Take my master’s ledger. Quick! Sit down, and write “four hundred!” ’
7 “Then he asked another debtor, ‘How much do you owe?’
“The debtor replied, ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’
“The manager told him, ‘Take the ledger, and write “eight hundred!” ’
8 “The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others.”
9 Yeshua continued, “I’m telling you that although wealth is often used in dishonest ways, you should use it to make friends for yourselves. When life is over, you will be welcomed into an eternal home.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.