Book of Common Prayer
ק Qof
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord.
I will obey Your statutes.(A)
146 I call to You; save me,
and I will keep Your decrees.(B)
147 I rise before dawn and cry out for help;(C)
I put my hope in Your word.
148 I am awake through each watch of the night
to meditate on Your promise.(D)
149 In keeping with Your faithful love, hear my voice.
Lord, give me life in keeping with Your justice.(E)
150 Those who pursue evil plans[a](F) come near;
they are far from Your instruction.
151 You are near, Lord,(G)
and all Your commands are true.(H)
152 Long ago I learned from Your decrees
that You have established them forever.(I)
ר Resh
153 Consider my affliction and rescue me,(J)
for I have not forgotten Your instruction.(K)
154 Defend my cause and redeem me;(L)
give me life as You promised.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked
because they do not seek Your statutes.(M)
156 Your compassions are many, Lord;(N)
give me life according to Your judgments.
157 My persecutors and foes are many.(O)
I have not turned from Your decrees.(P)
158 I have seen the disloyal(Q) and feel disgust(R)
because they do not keep Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Lord, give me life according to Your faithful love.(S)
160 The entirety of Your word is truth,
and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.(T)
שׂ Sin/ שׁ Shin
161 Princes have persecuted me without cause,
but my heart fears only Your word.(U)
162 I rejoice over Your promise(V)
like one who finds vast treasure.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,(W)
but I love Your instruction.(X)
164 I praise You seven times a day
for Your righteous judgments.(Y)
165 Abundant peace belongs to those(Z)
who love Your instruction;
nothing makes them stumble.(AA)
166 Lord, I hope for Your salvation(AB)
and carry out Your commands.
167 I obey Your decrees
and love them greatly.(AC)
168 I obey Your precepts and decrees,
for all my ways are before You.(AD)
ת Tav
169 Let my cry reach You, Lord;(AE)
give me understanding according to Your word.(AF)
170 Let my plea reach You;(AG)
rescue me according to Your promise.(AH)
171 My lips pour out praise,(AI)
for You teach me Your statutes.(AJ)
172 My tongue sings about Your promise,(AK)
for all Your commands are righteous.(AL)
173 May Your hand be ready to help me,(AM)
for I have chosen Your precepts.(AN)
174 I long for Your salvation, Lord,
and Your instruction is my delight.(AO)
175 Let me live, and I will praise You;(AP)
may Your judgments help me.
176 I wander like a lost sheep;(AQ)
seek Your servant,(AR)
for I do not forget Your commands.(AS)
Psalm 128
Blessings for Those Who Fear God
A song of ascents.
1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in His ways!(A)
2 You will surely eat
what your hands have worked for.(B)
You will be happy,
and it will go well for you.(C)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house,
your sons, like young olive trees
around your table.(D)
4 In this very way
the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.(E)
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
so that you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life(F)
6 and will see your children’s children!
Peace be with Israel.(G)
Psalm 129
Protection of the Oppressed
A song of ascents.
1 Since my youth they have often attacked me—
let Israel say—
2 Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not prevailed against me.(H)
3 Plowmen plowed over my back;
they made their furrows long.(I)
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut the ropes of the wicked.(J)
5 Let all who hate Zion
be driven back in disgrace.(K)
6 Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up[a](L)
7 and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.(M)
8 Then none who pass by will say,
“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.”
We bless you in the name of Yahweh.(N)
Psalm 130
Awaiting Redemption
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!(O)
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.(P)
3 Yahweh, if You considered sins,
Lord, who could stand?(Q)
4 But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered.(R)
19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok(A) said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies.”
20 Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Joab then said to the Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22 However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”
Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?”
23 “No matter what, I want to run!”
“Then run!” Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
To Caesarea by Night
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get 200 soldiers ready with 70 cavalry and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[a](A) 24 Also provide mounts so they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote a letter of this kind:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.(B)
27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.(C) 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were about disputed matters in their law,(D) and that there was no charge that merited death or chains.(E) 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[b](F) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers(G) to state their case against him in your presence.[c]
31 Therefore, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.(H) 34 After he[d] read it, he asked what province he was from. So when he learned he was from Cilicia,(I) 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers get here too.” And he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.(J)
God and Caesar
13 Then(A) they sent some of the Pharisees(B) and the Herodians(C) to Him to trap Him by what He said.[a](D) 14 When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality[b](E) but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes(F) to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?”
But knowing their hypocrisy,(G) He said to them, “Why are you testing(H) Me? Bring Me a denarius(I) to look at.” 16 So they brought one. “Whose image(J) and inscription(K) is this?” He asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they said.
17 Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”(L) And they were amazed(M) at Him.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
18 Some(N) Sadducees,(O) who say there is no resurrection,(P) came to Him and questioned Him: 19 “Teacher,(Q) Moses(R) wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaves his wife behind, and leaves no child,(S) his brother should take the wife(T) and produce offspring for his brother.(U)[c] 20 There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying, left no offspring. 21 The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 So the seven[d] left no offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise,[e] whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”[f]
24 Jesus told them, “Are you not deceived because you don’t know the Scriptures(V) or the power(W) of God?(X) 25 For when they rise(Y) from the dead,(Z) they neither marry nor are given in marriage(AA) but are like angels(AB) in heaven. 26 Now concerning the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him: I(AC) am the God of Abraham(AD) and the God of Isaac(AE) and the God of Jacob?(AF)[g] 27 He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are badly deceived.”
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