Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 97
1 The Lord reigns,(A) let the earth be glad;(B)
let the distant shores(C) rejoice.
2 Clouds(D) and thick darkness(E) surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(F)
3 Fire(G) goes before(H) him
and consumes(I) his foes on every side.
4 His lightning(J) lights up the world;
the earth(K) sees and trembles.(L)
5 The mountains melt(M) like wax(N) before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.(O)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(P)
and all peoples see his glory.(Q)
7 All who worship images(R) are put to shame,(S)
those who boast in idols(T)—
worship him,(U) all you gods!(V)
8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad(W)
because of your judgments,(X) Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High(Y) over all the earth;(Z)
you are exalted(AA) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(AB)
for he guards(AC) the lives of his faithful ones(AD)
and delivers(AE) them from the hand of the wicked.(AF)
11 Light shines[a](AG) on the righteous(AH)
and joy on the upright in heart.(AI)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(AJ) you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.(AK)
Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns,(A)
let the nations tremble;(B)
he sits enthroned(C) between the cherubim,(D)
let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord(E) in Zion;(F)
he is exalted(G) over all the nations.
3 Let them praise(H) your great and awesome name(I)—
he is holy.(J)
4 The King(K) is mighty, he loves justice(L)—
you have established equity;(M)
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.(N)
5 Exalt(O) the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.
6 Moses(P) and Aaron(Q) were among his priests,
Samuel(R) was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
and he answered(S) them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;(T)
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
8 Lord our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,(U)
though you punished(V) their misdeeds.[a]
9 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
Psalm 94
1 The Lord is a God who avenges.(A)
O God who avenges, shine forth.(B)
2 Rise up,(C) Judge(D) of the earth;
pay back(E) to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, Lord, will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?(F)
4 They pour out arrogant(G) words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.(H)
5 They crush your people,(I) Lord;
they oppress your inheritance.(J)
6 They slay the widow(K) and the foreigner;
they murder the fatherless.(L)
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;(M)
the God of Jacob(N) takes no notice.”
8 Take notice, you senseless ones(O) among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?(P)
10 Does he who disciplines(Q) nations not punish?
Does he who teaches(R) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(S)
he knows that they are futile.(T)
12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(U) Lord,
the one you teach(V) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(W)
till a pit(X) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(Y)
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(Z)
and all the upright in heart(AA) will follow it.
16 Who will rise up(AB) for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(AC)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(AD)
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(AE)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(AF)”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(AG) was great within me,
your consolation(AH) brought me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne(AI) be allied with you—
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(AJ)
21 The wicked band together(AK) against the righteous
and condemn the innocent(AL) to death.(AM)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God the rock(AN) in whom I take refuge.(AO)
23 He will repay(AP) them for their sins
and destroy(AQ) them for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
Psalm 95
1 Come,(AR) let us sing for joy(AS) to the Lord;
let us shout aloud(AT) to the Rock(AU) of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him(AV) with thanksgiving(AW)
and extol him with music(AX) and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God,(AY)
the great King(AZ) above all gods.(BA)
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,(BB)
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.(BC)
6 Come, let us bow down(BD) in worship,(BE)
let us kneel(BF) before the Lord our Maker;(BG)
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,(BH)
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts(BI) as you did at Meribah,[a](BJ)
as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(BK)
9 where your ancestors tested(BL) me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years(BM) I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,(BN)
and they have not known my ways.’(BO)
11 So I declared on oath(BP) in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”(BQ)
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(A) of the Lord,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(B)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(C) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(D)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(E)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(F) of his presence(G) saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(H) them;
he lifted them up and carried(I) them
all the days of old.(J)
10 Yet they rebelled(K)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(L)
So he turned and became their enemy(M)
and he himself fought(N) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[b] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(O)
with the shepherd of his flock?(P)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(Q) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(R) of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(S) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(T)
13 who led(U) them through the depths?(V)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(W)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(X) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
The Charge to Timothy Renewed
18 Timothy, my son,(A) I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,(B) so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,(C) 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience,(D) which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.(E) 20 Among them are Hymenaeus(F) and Alexander,(G) whom I have handed over to Satan(H) to be taught not to blaspheme.
Instructions on Worship
2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,(I) intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority,(J) that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness(K) and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases(L) God our Savior,(M) 4 who wants(N) all people(O) to be saved(P) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.(Q) 5 For there is one God(R) and one mediator(S) between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,(T) 6 who gave himself as a ransom(U) for all people. This has now been witnessed to(V) at the proper time.(W) 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying(X)—and a true and faithful teacher(Y) of the Gentiles.(Z)
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands(AA) without anger or disputing.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts(A)(B)(C)
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.(D) 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]?(E) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”(F)
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,(G) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.(H)
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.(I)
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,(J) look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.(K) 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.(L) 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”(M) [26] [e]
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