Book of Common Prayer
Thanksgiving for Escaping Death
A psalm of David. A song for ·giving the Temple to the Lord [L the dedication of the Temple; C perhaps written by David in anticipation of the dedication of the Temple under Solomon; the connection with healing is uncertain].
30 I will ·praise [L exalt] you, Lord,
because you ·rescued me [L brought me up].
You did not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
2 Lord, my God, I ·prayed to you [cried to you for help],
and you healed me.
3 You lifted me out of ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol];
you spared me from going down to the ·place of the dead [L Pit; 16:10].
4 Sing praises to the Lord, you ·who belong to him [loyal ones; saints];
·praise [give thanks to] his holy name.
5 His anger lasts only a moment,
but his ·kindness [favor] lasts for a lifetime.
Crying may last for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
6 When I ·felt safe [or was prosperous], I said,
“I will never ·fear [L be moved].”
7 Lord, in your ·kindness [favor] you made my mountain ·safe [L stand; C God made him prosperous and safe].
But when you ·turned away [L hid your face; C because he became self-reliant, v. 6], I was ·frightened [terrified; or discouraged].
8 I ·called [prayed] to you, Lord,
and ·asked you to have mercy on me [made supplication].
9 I said, “What ·good will it do if I die [profit is there for you in my blood]
or if I go down to ·the grave [corruption; destruction]?
·Dust cannot [L Will the dust…?; Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7] ·praise [thank] you;
·it cannot [L will it…?] speak about your ·truth [faithfulness].
10 Lord, hear me and have mercy on me.
Lord, help me.”
11 You changed my ·sorrow [mourning] into dancing.
You took away my ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth],
and clothed me in ·happiness [joy].
12 I will sing to you and not be silent.
Lord, my God, I will ·praise you [give you thanks] forever.
It Is Better to Confess Sin
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David.
32 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whose ·sins [transgressions] are forgiven,
whose ·wrongs [sins] are ·pardoned [L covered].
2 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whom the Lord ·does not consider guilty [imputes no guilt to]
and in ·whom [L whose spirit] there is nothing ·false [deceptive].
3 When I kept ·things to myself [silent],
·I felt weak deep inside me [L my bones wasted away].
I ·moaned [sighed] all day long.
4 Day and night ·you punished me [L your hand was heavy on me].
My strength was ·gone [dried up; sapped] as in the summer heat. ·
5 Then I ·confessed [made known; disclosed] my sins to you
and didn’t ·hide [cover up] my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my ·sins [transgressions] to the Lord,”
and you forgave ·my guilt [L the guilt of my sin]. ·
6 For this reason, all ·who obey you [your saints/holy ones]
should pray to you while ·they still can [or you may be found; L at a time of finding only; Prov. 1:24–27].
When troubles rise like a flood,
they will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from ·my troubles [distress]
and ·fill [L surround] me with ·songs [loud cries] of ·salvation [rescue; T deliverance]. ·
8 The Lord says, “I will ·make you wise [instruct you] and ·show [teach] you ·where to [L the way you should] go.
I will ·guide [counsel] you and ·watch over [L my eye will be on] you.
9 So don’t be like a horse or donkey,
that doesn’t understand.
·They must be led [L …whose temper/or gallop must be restrained] with bits and reins,
or they will not come near you.”
10 Wicked people have many ·troubles [pains; torments; woes],
but the Lord’s ·love [loyalty; covenant love] surrounds those who ·trust [have confidence in] him.
11 ·Good [Righteous] people, rejoice and be happy in the Lord.
·Sing [Shout joyfully] all you whose hearts are ·right [upright; virtuous].
Book 2: Psalms 42–72
Wishing to Be Near God
For the director of music. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
42 As a deer ·thirsts [longs; T pants] for streams of water,
so ·I [T my soul] ·thirst [L longs] for you, God.
2 ·I [T My soul] thirst for the living God.
When can I go to ·meet with [L see] ·him [L the face of God]?
3 Day and night, my tears have been my food.
People are always saying,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I ·speak with a broken heart [L pour out my soul].
I used to walk with the ·crowd [throng]
and lead them to ·God’s Temple [L the house of God]
with ·songs of praise [L the sound of praise and thanks, a crowd in procession].
5 Why ·am I so sad [L are you cast down, my soul]?
Why ·am I so upset [L are you groaning/in an uproar]?
I ·should [or will] ·put my hope in [wait for] God
and ·keep praising [or will again praise] him,
my ·Savior [Victor] and 6 my God.
·I am very sad [My soul is cast down].
So I remember you ·where the Jordan River begins [L from the land of Jordan],
·near the peaks of [L and from] Hermon and Mount Mizar [C far from the Temple where God made his presence known].
7 ·Troubles have come again and again [L Deep calls to deep], ·sounding like waterfalls [L at the sound of your torrents; C waters represent distress; 69:1–2].
Your waves and your breakers ·are crashing all around [L pass over] me.
8 The Lord ·shows [commands] his ·true love [loyalty; covenant love] every day.
At night I have a song,
and I pray to my living God.
9 I say to God, my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why am I ·sad [L going around in mourning]
and ·troubled [oppressed] by my enemies?”
10 My enemies’ ·insults [scorn] make me feel
as if my bones were ·broken [L murdered].
They are always saying,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why ·am I so sad [L are you cast down, my soul]?
Why ·am I so upset [are you groaning/in an uproar]?
I ·should [or will] ·put my hope in [wait for] God
and ·keep praising [or will again praise] him,
my ·Savior [Victor] and my God.
A Prayer for Protection
43 God, defend me.
·Argue my case [L Vindicate me, O God, and contend for/defend me] against ·those who don’t follow you [L a godless nation].
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from ·liars [deceivers] and those who ·do evil [are unjust].
2 God, you are my ·strength [L refuge].
Why have you rejected me?
Why am I ·sad [L going around in mourning]
and ·troubled [oppressed] by my enemies?
3 Send me your light and ·truth [faithfulness]
to ·guide [lead] me.
Let them ·lead [bring] me to your holy mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple],
to ·where you live [your dwelling].
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God who is my joy and happiness.
I will praise you with a ·harp [lyre],
God, my God.
5 Why ·am I so sad [L are you downcast, my soul]?
Why ·am I so upset [are you groaning/in an uproar]?
I ·should [or will] ·put my hope in [wait for] God
and ·keep praising [or will again praise] him,
my ·Savior [Victor] and my God.
16 So King Darius gave the order, and Daniel was brought in and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you ·serve [fear; Prov. 1:7] all the time ·save [rescue] you!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the ·opening [L mouth] of the lions’ den. Then the king used his signet ring and the rings of his ·royal [noble; important] officers to put special seals on the rock [C rings with personal identification symbols that could be pressed into soft clay]. This ensured that ·no one would move the rock and bring Daniel out [L nothing would be changed with Daniel]. 18 Then King Darius went back to his palace. He ·did not eat [fasted] that night, ·he did not have any entertainment [L nothing was; C referring to food and/or women] brought to him, and he could not sleep.
19 The next morning King Darius got up at dawn and ·hurried [or in agitation went] to the lions’ den. 20 As he came near the den, he was worried. He called out to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God that you always ·worship [fear; serve; Prov. 1:7] been able to ·save [rescue] you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his ·angel [or messenger] to close the lions’ mouths [Heb. 11:33]. They have not ·hurt [injured] me, because my God knows I am ·innocent [blameless]. I never did anything ·wrong to [to injure] you, O king.”
23 King Darius was very happy and told his servants to lift Daniel out of the lions’ den. So they lifted him out and did not find any injury on him, because Daniel had trusted in his God.
24 Then the king commanded that the men who had ·accused [conspired against; L eaten pieces of] Daniel be brought to the lions’ den. They, their wives, and their children were thrown into the den. The lions ·grabbed [overpowered] them before they ·hit [reached] the floor of the den and ·crushed their bones [or tore their bodies into pieces; Prov. 28:10].
25 Then King Darius wrote a letter to all people and all nations, ·to those who spoke every language [L and tongues] in the world:
I wish you great ·peace and wealth [prosperity].
26 I ·am making a new law [L set a decree] for people in every part of my ·kingdom [kingly dominion]. All of you must ·fear [tremble] and ·respect [fear] the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God;
he ·lives [endures] forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his ·rule [sovereignty] will never end.
27 God rescues and ·saves [delivers] people
and does ·mighty miracles [signs and wonders]
in heaven and on earth.
He is the one who ·saved [rescued] Daniel
from the ·power [L hand] of the lions.
28 So Daniel was ·successful [prosperous] during the time Darius was king ·and [or even] when Cyrus the Persian was king [C may be two different names for the same king].
Help Christians Who Teach Truth
1 From the Elder [or old man; C Greek: presbyteros, referring to advanced age, a church office, or both; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1; see 2 John 1].
To ·my dear friend [L the beloved] Gaius [C an otherwise unknown Christian leader], whom I love in the truth [C the truth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ]:
2 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], I pray that you are ·doing well [prospering] in ·every way [all respects] and that your health is good, just as ·your soul is doing fine [it is well with your soul; your soul is prospering]. 3 [L For] I was very happy when some brothers and sisters came and ·told me [testified] about the truth in your life and how you are ·following [L walking in] the way of truth [2 John 4]. 4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children [C members of the church under his spiritual care] are ·following the way of truth [walking in the truth].
5 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], ·it is good that [you are living out your faith when] you help the brothers and sisters, even those ·you do not know [L who are strangers]. 6 They ·told [testified before] the church about your love. ·Please help them [You will do well] to continue their trip [C as missionaries] in a way worthy of God. 7 [L For] They ·started out in service to Christ [L departed for the sake of the name], and they have been accepting ·nothing [no support] from nonbelievers [L Gentiles; pagans]. 8 So we should ·help [show hospitality to; support] such people; when we do, we ·share in their work [become coworkers] for the truth.
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be ·their leader [first], will not ·listen to us [receive us; or accept our authority]. 10 So if I come, I will ·talk about [call to mind; bring attention to] what Diotrephes [C nothing further is known about this man] is doing, about how he ·lies and says evil things about us [slanders us with evil/malicious words]. But ·more than [not satisfied with] that, he refuses to ·accept [welcome; receive] the other brothers and sisters; he even ·stops [prevents] those who do want to ·accept [welcome; receive] them and ·puts them out of [expels them from] the church.
11 ·My dear friend [Beloved], do not ·follow [imitate] what is ·bad [evil]; ·follow [imitate] what is good [1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14; 2 Thess. 3:7; Heb. 6:12; 13:7]. The one who does good ·belongs to [is from] God. But the one who does evil has never ·known [L seen] God.
12 Everyone ·says [witnesses/testifies to] good things about Demetrius [C likely the bearer of the letter to Gaius; otherwise unknown], and the truth agrees with what they say. We also ·speak [witness; testify] well of him, and you know ·what we say [our witness/testimony] is true.
13 I have many things I want to write you, but I do not want to use pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon and talk face to face. 15 Peace to you. The friends here greet you. Please greet each friend there by name [2 John 12–13].
Levi Follows Jesus(A)
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax collector’s booth [C probably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Then Levi gave a ·big dinner [great banquet] for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were ·eating there [L reclining; C around a low table, the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party], too. 30 But the Pharisees and ·the men who taught the law for the Pharisees [L their scribes] began to ·complain [grumble] to Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” [C Tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion.]
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to ·invite [call] ·good people [the righteous; C meaning the “self-righteous” who feel no need to repent] but sinners to ·change their hearts and lives [repentance].”
Jesus Answers a Question(B)
33 They said to Jesus, “John’s ·followers [disciples] often fast [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes] and pray, just as the ·Pharisees [or disciples of the Pharisees] do. But your ·followers [disciples] eat and drink all the time.”
34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the ·friends of the bridegroom [or wedding guests; L children of the wedding hall] fast while he is still with them. 35 But the ·time [L days] will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and ·then [L in those days] they will fast.”
36 Jesus told them this ·story [parable]: “No one ·takes [tears] cloth off a new ·coat [garment] to cover a hole in an old ·coat [garment]. If he does, he ·ruins [tears] the new ·coat [garment], and the cloth from the new will not match the old. 37 Also, no one pours new wine into old ·leather bags [wineskins]. Otherwise, the new wine will ·break [tear; burst; C because the fermenting new wine expands] the ·bags [wineskins], the wine will spill out, and the ·leather bags [wineskins] will be ruined. 38 [L But; Rather] New wine must be put into ·new [fresh] ·leather bags [wineskins]. 39 No one after drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is ·better [fine; good].’” [C The religious leaders are content with the old ways of Judaism and not interested in the “new wine” (salvation blessings) of the Kingdom.]
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