Book of Common Prayer
Qoph
145 I call with my whole heart; answer me, O Yahweh.
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you. Save me,
and I will heed your testimonies.
147 I rise early in the dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your word.[a]
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches,
that I may meditate on your word.
149 Hear my voice according to your loyal love;
O Yahweh, preserve my life according to your justice.
150 Those who pursue a wicked purpose draw near;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Yahweh,
and all your commands are truth.
152 Concerning your testimonies, I knew long ago
that you have established them forever.
Resh
153 See my misery and rescue me,
for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your word.[b]
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Your mercies are great, O Yahweh;
preserve my life according to your ordinances.
157 My persecutors and enemies are many,
yet I do not turn aside from your testimonies.
158 I see the treacherous and I feel disgust,
because they do not heed your word.
159 Consider[c] that I love your precepts;
O Yahweh, according to your loyal love preserve my life.
160 The whole[d] of your word is truth,
and your every righteous judgment endures forever.
Sin/Shin
161 Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles because of your word.[e]
162 I am rejoicing over your word,
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood;
I love your law.
164 I praise you seven times in the day
for your righteous ordinances.
165 Great peace is for those who love your law,
and they do not have a cause for stumbling.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Yahweh,
and do your commands.
167 My soul heeds your testimonies,
and I love them exceedingly.
168 I heed your precepts and testimonies,
because all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my cry come before you, O Yahweh;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 Let my plea come before you;
Deliver me according to your word.[f]
171 Let my lips pour out praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing of your word,[g]
because all your commands are right.
173 Let your hand be my help,[h]
because I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O Yahweh,
and your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul[i] live that it may praise you,
and let your ordinances help me.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
because I do not forget your commands.
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears Yahweh
A song of ascents.[a]
128 Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,
who walks in his ways.
2 You will indeed eat of the labor of your hands;
you will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within[b] your house.
Your children[c] will be like olive shoots
about your table.
4 Look, for thus shall a man be blessed
who fears Yahweh.[d]
5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion,
that you may see the good of Jerusalem
all the days of your life,
6 and that you may see your children’s children.
May peace be upon Israel.
Victory Over the Enemies of Zion
A song of ascents.[e]
129 “Too often[f] they have attacked me from my youth.”
Let Israel say,
2 “Too often[g] they have attacked me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 On my back plowmen have plowed.
They have made their furrows[h] long.”
4 Yahweh is righteous.
He has cut the ropes[i] of the wicked.
5 Let all be put to shame and repulsed
who hate Zion.
6 Let them be like grass on the housetops,
that withers before it grows up,
7 with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,[j]
8 so that passersby do not say,
“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.
We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”
Hope for the Redemption of Yahweh
A song of ascents.[k]
130 Out of the depths I call to you, O Yahweh.
2 “O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications.
3 If you, O Yah,[l] should keep track of[m] iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.”
5 I await Yahweh; my soul awaits,
and I wait[n] for his word.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning.
Yes, more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, wait[o] for Yahweh.
For with Yahweh there is loyal love,
and with him there is abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
19 Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the good news to the king that Yahweh has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies.” 20 Joab said to him, “You will not be a man bringing[a] good news this day! You may bring good news on another day, but today you will not be bringing good news because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen”; then the Cushite bowed down to Joab and ran off. 22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may,[b] please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab asked, “Why are you wanting to run, my son, when for you there is no messenger’s reward?”[c] 23 “Come what may,[d] I want to run.” He said to him, “Run,” so Ahimaaz ran on the road on the plain, and he passed the Cushite.
23 And he summoned two of the centurions and[a] said, “Make ready from the third hour of the night two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen,[b] in order that they may proceed as far as Caesarea. 24 And provide mounts so that they can put Paul on them and[c] bring him[d] safely to Felix the governor.” 25 He wrote[e] a letter that had this form:[f]
26 Claudius Lysias.
To his excellency Governor Felix.
Greetings!
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I[g] came upon them[h] with the detachment and[i] rescued him,[j] because I[k] learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And because I[l] wanted to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him[m] down to their Sanhedrin.[n] 29 I found he[o] was accused concerning controversial questions of their law, but having no charge deserving death or imprisonment. 30 And when it[p] was made known to me there would be a plot against the man, I sent him[q] to you immediately, also ordering his[r] accusers to speak against him[s] before you.
31 Therefore the soldiers, in accordance with their orders,[t] took Paul and[u] brought him[v] to Antipatris during the night. 32 And on the next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and[w] they returned to the barracks.[x] 33 The horsemen,[y] when they[z] came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him. 34 So after[aa] reading the letter[ab] and asking what province he was from, and learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be guarded in the praetorium[ac] of Herod.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13 And they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him so that they could catch him unawares in a statement. 14 And when they[a] came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and you do not care what anyone thinks,[b] because you do not regard the opinion of people[c] but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” 15 But because he[d] knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at it!”[e] 16 So they brought one.[f] And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” And they were utterly amazed at him.
A Question About Marriage and the Resurrection
18 And Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and began to ask[g] him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone’s brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and father[h] descendants for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife. And when he[i] died, he did not leave descendants. 21 And the second took her, and he died without leaving descendants. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven did not leave descendants. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose[j] wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife. 24 Jesus said to them, “Are you not deceived because of this, because you[k] do not know the scriptures or the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 Now concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the bush[l] how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’?[m] 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken!”
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software