Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
61 God, hear my cry;
·listen [pay attention] to my prayer.
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth [C far from the Temple]
when ·I am afraid [L my heart grows faint].
·Carry [Lead] me away to ·a high mountain [L the rock that is higher than I am; C a place of refuge, perhaps referring to God as the rock; 18:2, 46; 19:14; 62:2].
3 You have been my ·protection [refuge],
like a strong tower against my enemies.
4 Let me ·live [sojourn] in your ·Holy Tent [L tent; C the sanctuary] forever.
Let me find ·safety [refuge] in the shelter of your wings [C an image of compassion, or perhaps referring to the cherubim whose wings cover the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:20]. ·
5 God, you have heard my ·promises [vows].
You have given me what belongs to those who fear ·you [L your name].
6 ·Give the king a long life [L Add days to the days of the king];
let ·him live many years [L his years be forever and ever].
7 Let him ·rule [reign] in the presence of God forever.
Protect him with your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness].
8 Then I will ·praise [sing a psalm to] your name forever,
and every day I will ·keep my promises [fulfill my vows].
Trust Only in God
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C a Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of David.
62 I ·find rest [wait quietly] in God;
only he can ·save me [give me victory].
2 He is my rock [61:2] and my ·salvation [victory].
He is my ·defender [fortress];
I will not be ·defeated [shaken].
3 How long will you ·attack [assault] someone?
Will all of you ·kill [murder] that person?
Who is like a leaning wall, like a fence ·ready to fall [that totters; C the wicked take advantage of the weak]?
4 They are planning to make that person ·fall [totter].
They enjoy telling lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their ·hearts [L innards] they curse. ·
5 I ·find rest [wait quietly] in God;
·only he gives me hope [L for my hope is in him].
6 He is my rock [61:2] and my ·salvation [victory].
He is my ·defender [fortress];
I will not be ·defeated [shaken].
7 My ·honor [glory] and ·salvation [victory] come from God.
He is my ·mighty [strong] rock and my ·protection [refuge].
8 People, ·trust [have confidence in] God all the time.
·Tell him all your problems [L Pour out your heart before him],
because God is our ·protection [refuge]. ·
9 The least of people are only a ·breath [vapor; bubble; vanity],
and even the greatest are just a ·lie [delusion].
On the scales, they ·weigh nothing [L go up];
together they are only a ·breath [vapor; bubble; vanity].
10 Do not ·trust [have confidence] in ·force [oppression; extortion].
Stealing is ·of no use [meaningless].
Even if you gain more riches,
don’t ·put your trust in [L set your heart on] them.
11 God has said this once,
and I have heard it ·over and over [L twice]:
God is strong.
12 The Lord is ·loving [loyal].
You ·reward [repay] people for what they have done [1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 20:12–13; 22:12].
Praise God Who Saved the Nation
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
68 Let God rise up and scatter his enemies;
let those who hate him ·run away [flee] from him.
2 Blow them away as smoke
is ·driven [blown] away by the wind [Hos. 13:3].
As wax melts before a fire,
let the wicked ·be destroyed [perish] before God [Mic. 1:4].
3 But ·those who do right [the righteous] should be glad
and should rejoice before God;
they should be happy and glad.
4 Sing to God; ·sing praises [make a psalm] to his name.
Prepare the way for him
who rides ·through the desert [on the clouds; C as on a chariot; 18:10–19; 104:3; Is. 19:1; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7],
whose name is the Lord.
Rejoice before him.
5 God is in his holy ·Temple [L abode].
He is a father to orphans [10:14; 146:9],
and he defends the widows [146:9].
6 God gives the lonely a home.
He leads prisoners out ·with joy [with singing; or to prosperity],
but ·those who turn against God [L the rebellious] will live in a dry land.
7 God, you led your people out
when you marched through the ·desert [wasteland; wilderness]. ·
8 The ·ground [earth; land] shook
and the ·sky [heavens] poured down rain
before God, the God of Mount Sinai [Ex. 19],
before God, the God of Israel.
9 God, you sent much rain;
you ·refreshed [restored] your ·tired [withering] ·land [L inheritance].
10 Your people settled there.
God, in your goodness
you took care of the poor.
11 The Lord gave the command,
and a great ·army [or company of women] told the news:
12 “Kings and their ·armies [hosts] ·run away [L flee].
·In camp they [L The abode of the house; C may indicate the women] divide the ·wealth taken in war [plunder].
13 Those who stayed ·by the campfires [L between the saddlebags/or sheepfolds]
will share the ·riches taken in battle [L wings of a dove covered with silver and its feathers with green gold; C specific precious items among the plunder].”
14 The Almighty scattered kings
like snow on Mount Zalmon [C perhaps near Shechem; Judg. 9:48].
15 The mountains of Bashan [C in the Golan heights, east of the Sea of Galilee] are ·high [mighty];
the mountains of Bashan have many peaks.
16 Why do you mountains with many peaks look with ·envy [or hostility]
on the mountain that God ·chose [L desired] for his home [C Zion, the location of the Temple]?
The Lord will live there forever.
17 God comes with ·millions [L twice ten thousand, thousands of thousands] of chariots;
the Lord ·comes from Mount Sinai to his holy place [L is among them Sinai in holiness].
18 When you went up to the heights,
you led a parade of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
even from those who ·turned [rebelled] against you [2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:8].
And the Lord God will live there.
19 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, God our ·Savior [Victor],
who ·helps us [L bears our burdens] every day. ·
20 Our God is a God who ·saves us [gives us victory];
the Lord God ·saves us [L brings us out] from death.
21 God will ·crush [shatter] his enemies’ heads,
the hairy ·skulls [pates; C tops of their heads] of those who continue to ·sin [L walk in their guilt].
22 The Lord said, “I will bring ·the enemy [L them] back from Bashan [v. 15];
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea [C representing chaos].
23 Then you can ·stick [bathe; or shatter] your feet in their blood,
and ·your dogs can lick [L the tongues of your dogs can have] their share.”
24 God, people have seen your victory ·march [procession];
God my King marched into the holy place [C the Tabernacle].
25 The singers are in front and the ·instruments [musicians] are behind.
In the middle are the girls with the tambourines.
26 ·Praise [Bless] God in the ·meeting place [assembly];
·praise [bless] the Lord ·in the gathering [or the fountain] of Israel.
27 There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, ·leading them [L bringing them down].
And there are the ·leaders [princes] of Judah with their group.
There also are the ·leaders [princes] of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
28 God, ·order up [command] your power;
show the mighty power you have used for us before.
29 Kings will bring their ·wealth [L presents; gifts] to you,
·to [or because of] your Temple in Jerusalem.
30 ·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] the beast in the ·tall grass along the river [L reed; C crocodile or hippopotamus representing Egypt].
·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] ·those bulls among the cows [L the herd of bulls among the calves of the peoples; C leaders of other nations].
·Defeated [Trampled], they will bring you their silver.
Scatter those ·nations [peoples] that ·love [delight in] war.
31 Messengers will come from Egypt;
the people of ·Cush [Ethiopia] will ·pray [L stretch their hands] to God.
32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
·sing praises [make a psalm] to the Lord. ·
33 Sing to the one who rides through the ·skies [heavens], ·which are from long ago [the ancient heavens; v. 4].
He ·speaks with a thundering voice [L puts forth his voice, his strong voice].
34 ·Announce [Ascribe] that God is ·powerful [strong].
·He rules [L His majesty is] over Israel,
and his power is in the ·skies [clouds].
35 God, you are ·wonderful [awesome] in your ·Temple [sanctuary; L Holy Place].
The God of Israel gives his people strength and power.
·Praise [Bless] God!
17 At this time the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to the prophet Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said, 18 “Go to Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is at Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take ·it as his own [possession of it]. 19 Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘·You have [L Have you not…?] murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I tell you this: In the same place the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, they will also lick up your blood [1 Kin. 22:37–38]!’”
20 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So you have found me, my enemy!”
Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You ·have always chosen to do what the Lord says is wrong [L sold yourself to do evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. 21 So the Lord says to you, ‘I will ·soon destroy you [bring evil/disaster on you]. I will ·kill you [sweep you away] and ·every [L cut off every] ·male [L one who urinates against the wall] in your ·family [L house], both slave and free. 22 Your ·family [L house] will be like the ·family [L house] of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the ·family [L house] of King Baasha son of Ahijah. I will destroy you, because you have ·made me angry [provoked/aroused me to anger] and have led the people of Israel to sin.’
23 “And the Lord also says, ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the ·city [fields; boundaries] of Jezreel [2 Kin. 9:30–37].’
24 “Anyone in Ahab’s ·family [L house] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the ·fields [country] will be eaten by ·birds [vultures; L birds of the air/sky; 16:4].”
25 There was no one like Ahab who ·had chosen so often [L sold himself] to do ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], ·because his wife Jezebel influenced him to do evil [urged on by his wife Jezebel]. 26 Ahab ·sinned terribly [acted most detestably/abominably] by ·worshiping [following; going after] idols, just as the Amorites did. And the Lord had ·taken away their land and given it to [driven them out before] the people of Israel.
27 After Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes. He put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; C indicating sorrow and contrition] and fasted, and even slept in ·the rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and walked about ·dejectedly [despondently; with slow steps].
28 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “·I see that [L Have you seen how…?] Ahab ·is now sorry for what he has done [has now humbled himself before me]. So I will not ·cause the trouble to come to him during his life [L bring this evil/disaster on him during his days], but I will wait until his son is king. Then I will bring this ·trouble [evil; disaster] to Ahab’s ·family [L house].”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the ·educated person [scholar; or scribe; teacher of the law]? Where is the ·skilled talker [orator; debater; philosopher] of this ·world [age]? ·God has [L Has not God…?] made the wisdom of the world foolish. 21 ·In the wisdom of God the world did [or God wisely determined that the world would] not know God through its own wisdom. So God ·chose [was pleased] to use the ·message that sounds foolish [L folly/foolishness of what was preached] to save those who believe. 22 [L For; Since] The Jews ·ask for [demand] ·miracles [L signs], and the Greeks ·want [seek; look for] wisdom. 23 But we preach ·that Christ was crucified [Christ crucified; or a crucified Messiah]. This ·causes the Jews to stumble [is a stumbling block/offense/obstacle to Jews] and is ·foolishness [folly] to Gentiles. 24 But to those people God has called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 [L For] Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise ·in the way the world judges wisdom [by human standards; L according to the flesh]. Not many of you ·had great influence [were powerful/strong]. Not many of you ·came from important families [were well-born; were of high social status]. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose what the world thinks is ·unimportant [insignificant; lowly] and what the world ·looks down on [despises] and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is ·important [something special]. 29 God did this so that no one can ·brag [boast] in his presence. 30 Because of God you are ·in [united with; in relationship with] Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. ·In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin [L …and became for us righteousness, holiness, and redemption]. 31 So, as the Scripture says, “If people want to ·brag [boast], they should ·brag [boast] only about the Lord [Jer. 9:24].”
Jesus Begins Work in Galilee(A)
12 When Jesus heard that John had been ·put in prison [arrested], he ·went back [withdrew] to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, ·a town near Lake Galilee [L by the sea], in the ·area near [region of] Zebulun and Naphtali [C two northern tribes of Israel]. 14 Jesus did this to ·bring about [fulfill] what the prophet Isaiah had said:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali
·along [on the road by; L the way of] the sea,
beyond the Jordan River.
·This is Galilee where the Gentiles live [L Galilee of the Gentiles/nations].
16 These people who ·live [dwell; sit] in darkness
·will see [L have seen] a great light.
And on those ·living [dwelling; sitting] in ·a place covered with the shadows of death [a land overshadowed by death; L a/the region and shadow of death],
a light ·will shine [L has dawned] on them [Is. 9:1–2].”
Jesus Chooses Some Followers(B)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “·Change your hearts and lives [Repent], because the kingdom of heaven is ·near [at hand].”
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