Book of Common Prayer
Lead Me to the Rock
To the choirmaster: with (A)stringed instruments. Of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God,
(B)listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is (C)faint.
Lead me to (D)the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been (E)my refuge,
a strong (F)tower against the enemy.
4 Let me (G)dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under (H)the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 (I)Prolong (J)the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint (K)steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I (L)perform my vows day after day.
My Soul Waits for God Alone
To the choirmaster: according to (M)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 For God alone (N)my soul (O)waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 (P)He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my (Q)fortress; (R)I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like (S)a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his (T)high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
(U)They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O (V)my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 (W)He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my (X)salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, (Y)my refuge is God.
8 (Z)Trust in him at all times, O people;
(AA)pour out your heart before him;
God is (AB)a refuge for us. Selah
God Shall Scatter His Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 (A)God shall arise, his enemies shall be (B)scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As (C)smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
(D)as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But (E)the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, (F)sing praises to his name;
(G)lift up a song to him who (H)rides through (I)the deserts;
his name is (J)the Lord;
exult before him!
5 (K)Father of the fatherless and (L)protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God (M)settles the solitary in a home;
he (N)leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but (O)the rebellious dwell in (P)a parched land.
7 O God, when you (Q)went out before your people,
(R)when you marched through (S)the wilderness, Selah
8 (T)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,[a] the God of Israel.
9 (U)Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock[b] found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you (V)provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives (W)the word;
(X)the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 (Y)“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home (Z)divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among (AA)the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on (AB)Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked[c] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God (AC)desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 (AD)The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 (AE)You ascended on high,
(AF)leading a host of captives in your train
and (AG)receiving gifts among men,
even among (AH)the rebellious, (AI)that the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily (AJ)bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
(AK)and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 (AL)But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
“I will bring them back (AM)from Bashan,
(AN)I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may (AO)strike your feet in their blood,
that (AP)the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is[d] seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 (AQ)the singers in front, (AR)the musicians last,
between them (AS)virgins playing tambourines:
26 (AT)“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you[e] who are of (AU)Israel's fountain!”
27 There is (AV)Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of (AW)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 (AX)Summon your power, O God,[f]
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall (AY)bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke (AZ)the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of (BA)bulls with the calves of the peoples.
(BB)Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.[g]
31 Nobles shall come from (BC)Egypt;
(BD)Cush shall hasten to (BE)stretch out her hands to God.
32 (BF)O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him (BG)who rides in (BH)the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he (BI)sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 (BJ)Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose (BK)power is in (BL)the skies.
35 (BM)Awesome is God from his[h] (BN)sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives (BO)power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
The Lord's Coming Salvation
52 (A)Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
(B)put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, (C)the holy city;
(D)for there shall no more come into you
the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 (E)Shake yourself from the dust and arise;
be seated, O Jerusalem;
(F)loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the Lord: (G)“You were sold for nothing, and (H)you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: (I)“My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.[a] 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and (J)continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. (K)Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”
7 (L)How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, (M)who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 The voice of (N)your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
(O)for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 (P)Break forth together into singing,
(Q)you waste places of Jerusalem,
for (R)the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 (S)The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
(T)and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
11 (U)Depart, depart, go out from there;
touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,
(V)you who bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you shall not (W)go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
(X)for the Lord will go before you,
(Y)and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
12 Brothers,[a] (A)I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. (B)You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was (C)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you (D)at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me (E)as an angel of God, (F)as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by (G)telling you the truth?[b] 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and (H)not only when I am present with you, 19 (I)my little children, (J)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ (K)is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
8 (A)In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 (B)“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, (C)“Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and (D)having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And (E)having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And (F)they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, (G)seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into (H)the boat with his disciples and went to the district of (I)Dalmanutha.[a]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.