Book of Common Prayer
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His (A)foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord (B)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (C)Glorious things are spoken of you,
(D)City of God. Selah
4 “I shall mention [a](E)Rahab and Babylon [b]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (F)Tyre with [c](G)Cush:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (H)establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He (I)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 Then those who (J)sing as well as those who [d](K)play the flutes will say,
“All my (L)springs of joy are in you.”
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have (P)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our (Q)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [i]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [j]life, [k]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (T)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (U)disappear.
11 Who [l]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [m]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [n](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [o]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 (AC)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [p]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [q]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [r]to their children.
17 May the (AI)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [s](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [t]confirm the work of our hands.
Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.
136 (A)Give thanks to the Lord, for (B)He is good,
For (C)His [a]faithfulness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the (D)God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the (E)Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
4 To Him who (F)alone does great [b]wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
5 To Him who (G)made the heavens [c](H)with skill,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
6 To Him who (I)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
7 To Him who (J)made the great lights,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
8 The (K)sun to rule [d]by day,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
9 The (L)moon and stars to rule [e]by night,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
10 To Him who (M)struck [f]the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
11 And (N)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
12 With a (O)strong hand and an (P)outstretched arm,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
13 To Him who (Q)divided the [g]Red Sea in parts,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
14 And (R)allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
15 But (S)He [h]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the [i]Red Sea,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
16 To Him who (T)led His people through the wilderness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
17 To Him who (U)struck great kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
18 And (V)brought death to [j]mighty kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
19 (W)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
20 And (X)Og, king of Bashan,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
21 And (Y)gave their land as an inheritance,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
22 An inheritance to His (Z)servant Israel,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
23 Who (AA)remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
24 And has (AB)rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
25 Who (AC)gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the (AD)God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
The Ruined Undergarment
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and (A)buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought the undergarment in accordance with the (B)word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the undergarment that you bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the (C)Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, (D)as the Lord had commanded me. 6 After many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the undergarment which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the undergarment from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the undergarment was ruined, it was completely useless.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘To the same extent I will destroy the (E)pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people, who (F)refuse to listen to My words, who (G)walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have followed other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this undergarment which is completely useless. 11 For as the undergarment clings to the waist of a man, so I made the entire household of Israel and the entire household of Judah (H)cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that they might be My people, for [a](I)renown, for (J)praise, and for glory; but they (K)did not listen.’
12 Therefore sin is not to (A)reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on (B)presenting [a]the parts of your body to sin as [b]instruments of unrighteousness; but (C)present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and [c]your body’s parts as [d]instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For (D)sin shall not (E)be master over you, for (F)you are not under [e]the Law but (G)under grace.
15 What then? (H)Are we to sin because we are not under [f]the Law but under grace? [g](I)Far from it! 16 Do you not (J)know that the one to whom you present yourselves as (K)slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of (L)sin [h]resulting in death, or of obedience [i]resulting in righteousness? 17 But (M)thanks be to God that [j]though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that [k](N)form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and after being (O)freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. 19 (P)I am speaking [l]in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just (Q)as you presented [m]the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, [n]resulting in further lawlessness, so now present [o]your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, [p]resulting in sanctification.
20 For (R)when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. 21 Therefore what [q](S)benefit were you then [r]deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is (T)death. 22 But now having been (U)freed from sin and (V)enslaved to God, you [s]derive your [t](W)benefit, [u]resulting in sanctification, and (X)the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of (Y)sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is (Z)eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
47 (A)The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
48 (B)The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a (C)Samaritan, and You (D)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not (E)have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But (F)I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone (G)follows My word, he will never (H)see death.” 52 (I)The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You (J)have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone (K)follows My word, he will never (L)taste of death.’ 53 You (M)are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “(N)If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; (O)it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and (P)you have not come to know Him, (Q)but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be (R)a liar like you; (S)but I do know Him, and I (T)follow His word. 56 (U)Your father Abraham was (V)overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” 57 (W)So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham [a]was born, [b](X)I am.” 59 Therefore they (Y)picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus (Z)hid Himself and left the temple grounds.
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