Book of Common Prayer
ז Zayin
49 Remember your word(A) to your servant,
for you have given me hope.(B)
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.(C)
51 The arrogant mock me(D) unmercifully,
but I do not turn(E) from your law.
52 I remember,(F) Lord, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
53 Indignation grips me(G) because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.(H)
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song(I)
wherever I lodge.
55 In the night, Lord, I remember(J) your name,
that I may keep your law.(K)
56 This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts.(L)
ח Heth
57 You are my portion,(M) Lord;
I have promised to obey your words.(N)
58 I have sought(O) your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me(P) according to your promise.(Q)
59 I have considered my ways(R)
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
60 I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.(S)
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will not forget(T) your law.
62 At midnight(U) I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.(V)
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,(W)
to all who follow your precepts.(X)
64 The earth is filled with your love,(Y) Lord;
teach me your decrees.(Z)
ט Teth
65 Do good(AA) to your servant
according to your word,(AB) Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge(AC) and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted(AD) I went astray,(AE)
but now I obey your word.(AF)
68 You are good,(AG) and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.(AH)
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,(AI)
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous(AJ) and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted(AK)
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.(AL)
Psalm 49[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear(A) this, all you peoples;(B)
listen, all who live in this world,(C)
2 both low and high,(D)
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(E)
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(F)
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;(G)
with the harp(H) I will expound my riddle:(I)
5 Why should I fear(J) when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth(K)
and boast(L) of their great riches?(M)
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom(N) for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—(O)
9 so that they should live on(P) forever
and not see decay.(Q)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(R)
that the foolish and the senseless(S) also perish,
leaving their wealth(T) to others.(U)
11 Their tombs(V) will remain their houses[b] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,(W)
though they had[c] named(X) lands after themselves.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(AA)
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(AB) to die;(AC)
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(AE)
he will surely take me to himself.(AF)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(AG) with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.(AH)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(AI)
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(AJ)
who will never again see the light(AK) of life.
Psalm 53[a](A)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.
1 The fool(B) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven(D)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
any who seek God.(F)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(G)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.(H)
God scattered the bones(I) of those who attacked you;(J)
you put them to shame,(K) for God despised them.(L)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.(A) 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(B) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool(C),(D) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed(E) and from avenging(F) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.(G) 27 And let this gift,(H) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
28 “Please forgive(I) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting(J) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,(K) and no wrongdoing(L) will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,(M) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl(N) away as from the pocket of a sling.(O) 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler(P) over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember(Q) your servant.”(R)
32 David said to Abigail, “Praise(S) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(T) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(U) would have been left alive by daybreak.”
35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted(V) your request.”
36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high(W) spirits and very drunk.(X) So she told(Y) him nothing at all until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.(Z) 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck(AA) Nabal and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”
Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”
41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Abigail(AB) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam(AC) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.(AD) 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel[a](AE) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(AF)
19 Then some Jews(A) came from Antioch and Iconium(B) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul(C) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples(D) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 They preached the gospel(E) in that city and won a large number(F) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium(G) and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.(H) “We must go through many hardships(I) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a](J) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,(K) committed them to the Lord,(L) in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,(M) 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,(N) where they had been committed to the grace of God(O) for the work they had now completed.(P) 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them(Q) and how he had opened a door(R) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.(S)
Jesus Calms the Storm(A)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(B) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(C)
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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