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.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “For behold, (A)I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, (B)I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19 (C)I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
(D)no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for (E)the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and (F)the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 (G)They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 (H)They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
(I)for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy[a] the work of their hands.
23 (J)They shall not labor in vain
(K)or bear children for calamity,[b]
for (L)they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
and their descendants with them.
24 (M)Before they call I will answer;
(N)while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 (O)The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and (P)dust shall be the serpent's food.
(Q)They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
17 Let the elders (A)who rule well be considered worthy of (B)double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, (C)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, (D)“The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except (E)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, (F)rebuke them in the presence of all, (G)so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels (H)I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, (I)doing nothing from partiality. 22 (J)Do not be hasty in the (K)laying on of hands, nor (L)take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but (M)use a little wine (N)for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and (O)even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
The Great Commandment
28 (A)And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, (B)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, (C)the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 (D)The second is this: (E)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment (F)greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that (G)he is one, and (H)there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all (I)the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, (J)is much more than all (K)whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (L)And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.