Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 89
Perplexity about God’s Promises
A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.(A)
1 I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever;(B)
I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations
with my mouth.(C)
2 For I will declare,
“Faithful love is built up forever;
You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”(D)
3 The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with My chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David My servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever
and build up your throne for all generations.’”(E)
5 Lord, the heavens praise Your wonders(F)—
Your faithfulness also—
in the assembly of the holy ones.(G)
6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings[a] is like the Lord?(H)
7 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
more awe-inspiring than[b] all who surround Him.(I)
8 Lord God of Hosts,
who is strong like You, Lord?(J)
Your faithfulness surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging sea;
when its waves surge, You still them.(K)
10 You crushed Rahab like one who is slain;(L)
You scattered Your enemies with Your powerful arm.(M)
11 The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours.
The world and everything in it—You founded them.(N)
12 North and south—You created them.(O)
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.(P)
13 You have a mighty arm;
Your hand is powerful;
Your right hand is lifted high.(Q)
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation
of Your throne;(R)
faithful love and truth go before You.(S)
15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shout;(T)
Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence.(U)
16 They rejoice in Your name all day long,
and they are exalted by Your righteousness.(V)
17 For You are their magnificent strength;(W)
by Your favor our horn is exalted.(X)
18 Surely our shield[c] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.(Y)
19 You once spoke in a vision to Your loyal ones
and said: “I have granted help to a warrior;
I have exalted one chosen[d] from the people.(Z)
20 I have found David My servant;
I have anointed him with My sacred oil.(AA)
21 My hand will always be with him,
and My arm will strengthen him.(AB)
22 The enemy will not afflict[e] him;
no wicked man will oppress him.(AC)
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike those who hate him.(AD)
24 My faithfulness and love will be with him,
and through My name
his horn will be exalted.(AE)
25 I will extend his power to the sea
and his right hand to the rivers.(AF)
26 He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father,(AG)
my God, the rock of my salvation.’(AH)
27 I will also make him My firstborn,
greatest of the kings of the earth.(AI)
28 I will always preserve My faithful love for him,
and My covenant with him will endure.(AJ)
29 I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as heaven lasts.[f](AK)
30 If his sons forsake My instruction
and do not live by My ordinances,(AL)
31 if they dishonor My statutes
and do not keep My commands,(AM)
32 then I will call their rebellion
to account with the rod,
their sin with blows.(AN)
33 But I will not withdraw
My faithful love from him
or betray My faithfulness.(AO)
34 I will not violate My covenant
or change what My lips have said.(AP)
35 Once and for all
I have sworn an oath by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.(AQ)
36 His offspring will continue forever,
his throne like the sun before Me,(AR)
37 like the moon, established forever,
a faithful witness in the sky.”(AS)
38 But You have spurned and rejected him;
You have become enraged with Your anointed.(AT)
39 You have repudiated the covenant with Your servant;
You have completely dishonored his crown.[g](AU)
40 You have broken down all his walls;
You have reduced his fortified cities to ruins.(AV)
41 All who pass by plunder him;(AW)
he has become an object of ridicule
to his neighbors.(AX)
42 You have lifted high the right hand of his foes;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.(AY)
43 You have also turned back his sharp sword
and have not let him stand in battle.(AZ)
44 You have made his splendor[h] cease
and have overturned his throne.(BA)
45 You have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered him with shame.(BB)
46 How long, Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your anger keep burning like fire?(BC)
47 Remember how short my life is.
Have You created everyone for nothing?(BD)
48 What man can live and never see death?
Who can save himself from the power of Sheol?(BE)
49 Lord, where are the former acts of Your faithful love
that You swore to David in Your faithfulness?(BF)
50 Remember, Lord, the ridicule against Your servants—
in my heart I carry abuse from all the peoples—
51 how Your enemies have ridiculed, Lord,
how they have ridiculed every step of Your anointed.(BG)
52 May the Lord be praised forever.
Amen and amen.(BH)
23 Two years later, Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 Then he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired sheepshearers. Will the king and his servants please come with your servant?”
25 The king replied to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he wasn’t willing to go, though he did bless him.
26 “If not,” Absalom said, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.”
The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons.[a]
28 Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and courageous!”(A) 29 So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the rest of the king’s sons got up, and each fled on his mule.
30 While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom struck down all the king’s sons; not even one of them survived!” 31 In response the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.(B)
32 But Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shimeah,(C) spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, because only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this[b] ever since the day Amnon disgraced his sister Tamar. 33 So now, my lord the king, don’t take seriously the report that says all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain.[c] 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons have come! It’s exactly like your servant said.” 36 Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept bitterly.
37 Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur.(D) And David mourned for his son[d] every day. 38 Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur where he stayed three years. 39 Then King David[e] longed to go to Absalom, for David had finished grieving over Amnon’s death.
Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders
17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time(A)— 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews(B)— 20 and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God(C) and faith in our Lord Jesus.(D)
22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit,[a] not knowing what I will encounter there,(E) 23 except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.(F) 24 But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course[b] and the ministry(G) I received from the Lord Jesus,(H) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
25 “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent[c] of everyone’s blood,(I) 27 for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God.(J) 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock(K) that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers,(L) to shepherd the church of God,[d] which He purchased with His own blood.(M) 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.(N) 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.(O)
32 “And now[e] I commit you to God and to the message of His grace,(P) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance(Q) among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(R) 34 You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me.(S) 35 In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.(T) 37 There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.(U)
Warnings from Jesus
42 “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me(A)—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone[a](B) were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off.(C) It is better for you to enter life maimed(D) than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,(E) [44 where
45 And if your foot causes your downfall,(G) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame(H) than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire,(I) 46 where
47 And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God(K) with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown(L) into hell,(M) 48 where
Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.[f]
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.[g](N)[h] 50 Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you make it salty?(O) Have salt(P) among yourselves and be at peace(Q) with one another.”
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