Book of Common Prayer
ז (Zayin)
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 This[a] is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.[b]
51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me.[c]
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
52 I remember your ancient regulations,[d]
O Lord, and console myself.[e]
53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs[f]
in the house where I live.[g]
55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep[h] your law.
56 This[i] has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
57 The Lord is my source of security.[j]
I have determined[k] to follow your instructions.[l]
58 I seek your favor[m] with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised.[n]
59 I consider my actions[o]
and follow[p] your rules.
60 I keep your commands eagerly
and without delay.[q]
61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around[r] me,
but I do not forget your law.
62 In the middle of the night I arise[s] to thank you
for your just regulations.
63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers,[t]
and to those who keep your precepts.
64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
ט (Tet)
65 You are good[u] to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised.[v]
66 Teach me proper discernment[w] and understanding.
For I consider your commands to be reliable.[x]
67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off,[y]
but now I keep your instructions.[z]
68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes.
69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies,[aa]
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are calloused,[ab]
but I find delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.[ac]
Psalm 49[a]
For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.
49 Listen to this, all you nations.
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world.[b]
2 Pay attention, all you people,[c]
both rich and poor.
3 I will declare a wise saying;[d]
I will share my profound thoughts.[e]
4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;
I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp.[f]
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble,[g]
when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me?[h]
6 They trust[i] in their wealth
and boast[j] in their great riches.
7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother;[k]
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price[l]
8 (the ransom price for a human life[m] is too high,
and people go to their final destiny),[n]
9 so that he might continue to live[o] forever
and not experience death.[p]
10 Surely[q] one sees[r] that even wise people die;[s]
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away[t]
and leave their wealth to others.[u]
11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place.[v]
They name their lands after themselves,[w]
12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last.[x]
They are like animals[y] that perish.[z]
13 This is the destiny of fools,[aa]
and of those who approve of their philosophy.[ab] (Selah)
14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep,[ac]
with death as their shepherd.[ad]
The godly will rule[ae] over them when the day of vindication dawns.[af]
Sheol will consume their bodies, and they will no longer live in impressive houses.[ag]
15 But[ah] God will rescue[ai] my life[aj] from the power[ak] of Sheol;
certainly[al] he will pull me to safety.[am] (Selah)
16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich[an]
and his wealth multiplies.[ao]
17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.[ap]
18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well.”
19 But he will join his ancestors;[aq]
they will never again see the light of day.[ar]
20 Wealthy people do not understand;[as]
they are like animals[at] that perish.[au]
Psalm 53[a]
For the music director, according to the machalath style;[b] a well-written song[c] by David.
53 Fools say to themselves,[d] “There is no God.”[e]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[f]
none of them does what is right.[g]
2 God looks down from heaven[h] at the human race,[i]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[j] and seeks God.[k]
3 Everyone rejects God;[l]
they are all morally corrupt.[m]
None of them does what is right,[n]
not even one!
4 All those who behave wickedly[o] do not understand[p]—
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
5 They are absolutely terrified,[q]
even by things that do not normally cause fear.[r]
For God annihilates[s] those who attack you.[t]
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.[u]
6 I wish the deliverance[v] of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people,[w]
may Jacob rejoice,[x]
may Israel be happy![y]
Delivery of the Exiles
49 Listen to me, you coastlands![a]
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth;[b]
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.[c]
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened[d] arrow,
he hid me in his quiver.[e]
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”[f]
4 But I thought,[g] “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.”[h]
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me.[i]
5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth[j] to be his servant—
he did this[k] to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored[l] in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength[m]—
6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant[n] of Israel?[o]
I will make you a light to the nations,[p]
so you can bring[q] my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord,
the Protector[r] of Israel, their Holy One,[s] says
to the one who is despised[t] and rejected[u] by nations,[v]
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect,[w]
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you[x] and make you a covenant mediator for people,[y]
to rebuild[z] the land[aa]
and to reassign the desolate property.
9 You will say[ab] to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
and to those who are in dark dungeons,[ac] ‘Emerge.’[ad]
They will graze beside the roads;
on all the slopes they will find pasture.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;
the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them,[ae]
for one who has compassion on them will guide them;
he will lead them to springs of water.
11 I will make all my mountains into a road;
I will construct my roadways.”
12 Look, they come from far away!
Look, some come from the north and west,
and others from the land of Sinim.[af]
Paul Rebukes Peter
11 But when Cephas[a] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong.[b] 12 Until[c] certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this[d] and separated himself[e] because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.[f] 13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them[g] by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force[h] the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
The Justification of Jews and Gentiles
15 We are Jews by birth[i] and not Gentile sinners,[j] 16 yet we know[k] that no one[l] is justified by the works of the law[m] but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.[n] And[o] we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ[p] and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one[q] will be justified. 17 But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages[r] sin? Absolutely not! 18 But if I build up again those things I once destroyed,[s] I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law.[t] 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ,[u] and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So[v] the life I now live in the body,[w] I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God,[x] who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside[y] God’s grace, because if righteousness[z] could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing![aa]
13 They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.
The Death of John the Baptist
14 Now[a] King Herod[b] heard this, for Jesus’[c] name had become known. Some[d] were saying, “John the baptizer[e] has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[f] had married her. 18 For John had repeatedly told[g] Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”[h] 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But[i] she could not 20 because Herod stood in awe of[j] John and protected him, since he knew that John[k] was a righteous and holy man. When Herod[l] heard him, he was thoroughly baffled,[m] and yet[n] he liked to listen to John.[o]
21 But[p] a suitable day[q] came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias[r] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her,[s] “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”[t] 24 So[u] she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said,[v] “The head of John the baptizer.”[w] 25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request:[x] “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 Although it grieved the king deeply,[y] he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 27 So[z] the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s[aa] head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s[ab] disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
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