Book of Common Prayer
Do Not Hide Your Face from Me
A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is (A)faint and (B)pours out his complaint before the Lord.
102 (C)Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry (D)come to you!
2 (E)Do not hide your face from me
in (F)the day of my distress!
(G)Incline your ear to me;
(H)answer me speedily (I)in the day when I call!
3 For my days (J)pass away like smoke,
and my (K)bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is (L)struck down like grass and (M)has withered;
I (N)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
my (O)bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like (P)a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl[a] of the waste places;
7 I (Q)lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who (R)deride me (S)use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
and (T)mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
for you have (U)taken me up and (V)thrown me down.
11 My days are like (W)an evening shadow;
I (X)wither away like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are (Y)enthroned forever;
you (Z)are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will (AA)arise and have (AB)pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
(AC)the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her (AD)stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will (AE)fear the name of the Lord,
and all (AF)the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the Lord (AG)builds up Zion;
he (AH)appears in his glory;
17 he (AI)regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be (AJ)recorded for (AK)a generation to come,
so that (AL)a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19 that he (AM)looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear (AN)the groans of the prisoners,
to set free (AO)those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may (AP)declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when (AQ)peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he (AR)has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” (AS)I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
(AT)you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”
25 (AU)Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and (AV)the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 (AW)They will perish, but (AX)you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but (AY)you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 (AZ)The children of your servants (BA)shall dwell secure;
(BB)their offspring shall be established before you.
Book Five
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So
107 (A)Oh give thanks to the Lord, (B)for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let (C)the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has (D)redeemed from trouble[a]
3 and (E)gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 Some (F)wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way (G)to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul (H)fainted within them.
6 Then they (I)cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by (J)a straight way
till they reached (K)a city to dwell in.
8 (L)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he (M)satisfies the longing soul,
(N)and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10 (O)Some sat in darkness and in (P)the shadow of death,
prisoners in (Q)affliction and in irons,
11 for they (R)had rebelled against the words of God,
and (S)spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, (T)with none to help.
13 (U)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of (V)darkness and the shadow of death,
and (W)burst their bonds apart.
15 (X)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he (Y)shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17 Some were (Z)fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 (AA)they loathed any kind of food,
and they (AB)drew near to (AC)the gates of death.
19 (AD)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He (AE)sent out his word and (AF)healed them,
and (AG)delivered them from their destruction.
21 (AH)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them (AI)offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and (AJ)tell of his deeds in (AK)songs of joy!
23 Some (AL)went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he (AM)commanded and (AN)raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage (AO)melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and (AP)staggered like drunken men
and (AQ)were at their wits' end.[b]
28 (AR)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He (AS)made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters[c] were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 (AT)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them (AU)extol him in (AV)the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
3 (A)“Behold, I send (B)my messenger, and (C)he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord (D)whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and (E)the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But (F)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For (G)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit (H)as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring (I)offerings in righteousness to the Lord.[a] 4 (J)Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be (K)a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those (L)who oppress the hired worker in his wages, (M)the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Robbing God
6 “For (N)I the Lord do not change; (O)therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 (P)From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. (Q)Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. (R)But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. (S)But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ (T)In your tithes and contributions. 9 (U)You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 (V)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby (W)put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open (X)the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke (Y)the devourer[b] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then (Z)all nations will call you blessed, for you will be (AA)a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives (A)the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. (B)Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord (C)is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, (D)so that you may not be judged; behold, (E)the Judge is standing (F)at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take (G)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of (H)the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen (I)the purpose of the Lord, how (J)the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, (K)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought (A)always to pray and not (B)lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who (C)neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, (D)‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And (E)will not God give justice to (F)his elect, (G)who cry to him day and night? (H)(I)Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them (J)speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, (K)will he find faith on earth?”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.