Book of Common Prayer
Child-Like Trust in the Lord
131 O Lord, my heart is not proud. My eyes are not filled with pride. And I do not trouble myself with important things or in things too great for me. 2 For sure I have made my soul quiet like a child who no longer nurses while he is with his mother. My soul within me is like a child who no longer nurses. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.
A Prayer for the House of God
132 O Lord, remember David and all of his suffering. 2 Remember how he swore to the Lord, and how he made a promise to the Powerful One of Jacob: 3 “For sure I will not go into my house or lie on my bed, 4 or let sleep come and close my eyes, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a house of worship for the Powerful One of Jacob.”
6 See, we heard about it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar. 7 Let us go into the House of God. Let us worship at His feet. 8 Rise up, O Lord. Go to the place where You can rest, You and the special box of the Way of Worship which is Your strength. 9 Let Your religious leaders be dressed with what is right and good. And let those who belong to You sing for joy.
10 Because of David Your servant, do not turn away from Your chosen one. 11 The Lord has made a sure promise to David that He will never break: “I will set upon your throne your own children. 12 If your sons will keep My Law and My Word which I will teach them, then their sons will sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has wanted it for a place to live: 14 “This is the place where I can rest forever. Here I will live, for I have wanted it. 15 I will give her many good things. I will give her poor people much bread. 16 I will dress her religious leaders with saving power. And those in her that belong to Me will sing for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow and will make a lamp ready for My chosen one. 18 I will dress those who hate him with shame. But the crown on him will shine.”
A Song of Praise
133 See, how good and how pleasing it is for brothers to live together as one! 2 It is like oil of great worth poured on the head, flowing down through the hair on the face, even the face of Aaron, and flowing down to his coat. 3 It is like the morning water of Hermon coming down upon the hills of Zion. For there the Lord has given the gift of life that lasts forever.
A Call to Praise
134 See, give honor and thanks to the Lord, all who work for the Lord, who stand during the night in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and give thanks to the Lord. 3 May the Lord bring good to you from Zion. He is the One Who made heaven and earth.
A Song of Praise
135 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise Him, O servants of the Lord, 2 you who stand in the house of the Lord, within the walls of the house of our God. 3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Sing praises to His name, for it is sweet. 4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself. Israel belongs to Him.
5 I know that the Lord is great. He is greater than all gods. 6 The Lord does whatever is pleasing to Him, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all waters. 7 He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning come with the rain. He brings the wind out from where He stores His riches.
8 He killed the first-born of Egypt, both man and animal. 9 He sent special things to see and did great works among you, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He crushed many nations and killed powerful kings, 11 King Sihon of the Amorites, King Og of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan. 12 And He gave their land as a gift, a gift to Israel His people. 13 O Lord, Your name lasts forever. O Lord, You will be remembered for all time. 14 For the Lord will decide in favor of His people. He will have loving-pity on His servants. 15 The gods of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 16 They have mouths but they do not speak. They have eyes but they do not see. 17 They have ears but they do not hear. And there is no breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them and those who trust in them will be like them.
19 O house of Israel, give honor and thanks to the Lord. O house of Aaron, give honor and thanks to the Lord. 20 O house of Levi, give honor and thanks to the Lord. You who fear the Lord, give honor and thanks to the Lord. 21 Honor and thanks be to the Lord from Zion, Who lives in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
False Gods and False Preachers
13 “On that day a well of water will be opened for the family of David and for the people of Jerusalem to make them clean from their sin.
2 “On that day,” says the Lord of All, “I will destroy the names of the false gods from the land. They will no longer be remembered. And I will take away from the land those who tell what will happen in the future and the unclean spirit. 3 If anyone still tells what will happen in the future, his father and mother who gave birth to him will tell him, ‘You must not live, because you have lied in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who gave birth to him will kill him when he speaks false words. 4 On that day those who tell what will happen in the future will each be ashamed of his special dream when he speaks. He will not put on clothing made from hair to fool the people. 5 But he will say, ‘I am not a man who speaks for God. I am a farmer. A man sold me as a servant when I was young.’ 6 If someone asks him, ‘What are these sores on your back?’ he will answer, ‘They are the sores I received in the house of my friends.’
The Shepherd Who Saves
7 “Wake up, O sword, against My shepherd and against the man who is close to Me,” says the Lord of All. “Kill the shepherd, and the sheep will go everywhere. And I will turn My hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land,” says the Lord, “two-thirds will die, but one-third will be left alive. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire. I will make them pure like silver is made pure. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Paul’s Prayer for the Christians in Ephesus
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all Christians. 16 Since then, I always give thanks for you and pray for you. 17 I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. 18 I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him. 19 I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven. 21 This place was given to Christ. It is much greater than any king or leader can have. No one else can have this place of honor and power. No one in this world or in the world to come can have such honor and power. 22 God has put all things under Christ’s power and has made Him to be the head leader over all things of the church. 23 The church is the body of Christ. It is filled by Him Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.
The Picture-Story of the Ten Servants and the Money
11 As they heard these things, Jesus told them a picture-story. Because He was near Jerusalem, they thought the holy nation of God would come at once. 12 So Jesus said, “A leader of a country went to another country far away. A nation was to be given to him, then he would return home. 13 He called ten of the servants he owned. He gave them ten pieces of money and said to them, ‘Put this money to use until I return.’ 14 But other men in his country hated him. They sent men after him to tell him they did not want him as their king. 15 After he had been given the other nation, he returned as king. He asked for his servants who had received the money to come to him. He wanted to know how much more they had after putting it to use. 16 The first one came and said, ‘Lord, the piece of money you gave me has made ten more pieces of money.’ 17 He said to him, ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful in using a little. Now you will be leader over ten cities.’
18 “The second man came to him and said, ‘Lord, the piece of money you gave me has made five more pieces of money.’ 19 He said to him, ‘You are to be leader over five cities.’
20 “Another one came saying, ‘Lord, look! Here is your piece of money. I have kept it hid in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take what you have not put down. You gather where you have not planted.’ 22 The king said to him, ‘By the words from your own mouth I must say that you are guilty. You are a sinful servant. You knew I was a hard man. You knew I take what I have not put down. You knew I gather where I have not planted. 23 Why did you not put my money in the bank? Then when I came back I could have had my own money and what the bank paid for using it.’
24 “Then he said to those who were standing by, ‘Take the piece of money from him and give it to the one who has ten pieces of money.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he already has ten pieces of money.’”
26 Jesus said, “I tell you, he who has, to him will be given more. To him who does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him. 27 ‘Bring here those who hated me and did not want me to be their king and kill them in front of me.’”
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