Book of Common Prayer
A Sad Complaint
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22]. For the director of music. By the ·mahalath [C perhaps “sickness”; Ps. 53] ·leannoth [C perhaps related to a word for “affliction” or a word for “chant”]. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of Heman the Ezrahite [C perhaps a wise man (1 Kin. 4:31) or a Levitical singer (1 Chr. 6:16, 33, 39, 43–44; 15:17, 19)].
88 Lord, you are the God who ·saves me [gives me victory].
I cry out to you day and night.
2 Receive my prayer,
and ·listen [L extend your ear] to my cry.
3 My life is full of ·troubles [hurt; harm],
and ·I am nearly dead [L my life approaches/touches Sheol; C the grave or the underworld].
4 They think I am ·on the way to my grave [L like someone who goes down into the Pit].
I am like a man with no strength.
5 I have been ·left as dead [L freed among the dead],
like a ·body [corpse] lying in a grave
whom you don’t remember anymore,
cut off from your ·care [L hand].
6 You have ·brought me close to death [L set me in a Pit below];
·I am almost in the dark place of the dead [L …in the deepest darkness].
7 You have ·been very angry with [L put your wrath on] me;
·all your waves crush me [L you have afflicted me with all your breakers]. ·
8 You have ·taken [moved] my friends away from me
and have made ·them hate me [me an abomination to them].
I am ·trapped [imprisoned] and cannot ·escape [get out].
9 My eyes ·are weak [waste away] from ·crying [affliction].
Lord, I have ·prayed [called] to you every day;
I have ·lifted [spread out] my hands to you [C in prayer].
10 Do you ·show [L do] your ·miracles [wonderful acts] for the dead?
Do their ·spirits [shades; departed] rise up and ·praise [thank] you? ·
11 Will your ·love [loyalty] be ·told [recounted] in the grave?
Will your ·loyalty [faithfulness] be told in ·the place of death [L Abaddon/Destruction]?
12 Will your ·miracles [wonderful acts] be known in the ·dark grave [L darkness]?
Will your ·goodness [righteousness] be known in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But, Lord, I have called out to you for help;
every morning ·I pray to you [L my prayer comes before you].
14 Lord, why do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 I have been ·weak [afflicted] and dying since I was young.
I suffer from your terrors, and I am ·helpless [or depressed].
16 ·You have been angry with me [L Your wrath has passed over me],
and your terrors have ·destroyed [or silenced] me.
17 They surround me daily like ·a flood [water; C representing chaos];
they ·are [go] all around me.
18 You have ·taken away [removed me from] my loved ones and friends.
Darkness is my only friend.
Safe in the Lord
91 Those who ·go to God Most High for safety [L dwell/sit in the shelter of God Most High]
will ·be protected by [lodge in the shade/shadow of] the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “You are my ·place of safety [refuge] and ·protection [fortress].
You are my God and I ·trust [have confidence in] you.”
3 God will ·save [protect] you from ·hidden traps [L the snare of the fowler]
and from deadly ·diseases [pestilence].
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you ·can hide [will find refuge; Deut. 32:11; Is. 31:5; Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34].
His ·truth [faithfulness] will be your shield and ·protection [buckler; C a small shield].
5 You will not fear any ·danger by [terror at] night
or an arrow that flies during the day.
6 ·You will not be afraid of diseases [L …or the pestilence] that ·come [walks; stalks] in the dark
or ·sickness [L stings] that ·strikes [devastates; overpowers] at noon.
7 At your side one thousand people may ·die [L fall],
or even ten thousand ·right beside you [L at your right hand],
but ·you will not be hurt [L it will not touch you].
8 You will only ·watch [L look with your eyes]
and see the wicked ·punished [recompensed].
9 ·The Lord is your protection [L For you, Lord, are my refuge];
you have made God Most High your ·place of safety [dwelling place].
10 Nothing ·bad [evil; harmful] will ·happen to [befall] you;
no ·disaster [blow; or plague] will ·come to [approach] your ·home [L tent].
11 He has ·put his angels in charge of [L commanded his angels/messengers concerning] you
to ·watch over [keep; guard] ·you wherever you go [L all your ways].
12 They will ·catch you [lift you up] in their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock [Matt. 4:6; Luke 4:10–11].
13 You will ·walk [tread] on lions and cobras;
you will ·step on [trample] strong lions and snakes.
14 The Lord says, “Whoever ·loves [desires] me, I will ·save [rescue].
I will ·protect [lift to safety] those who know ·me [L my name].
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them.
I will be with them in ·trouble [distress];
I will rescue them and ·honor [glorify] them.
16 I will ·give them a long, full life [L satisfy them with length of days],
and ·they will see how I can save [L show them my salvation/victory].”
Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day [Ex. 20:8–11; Deut. 5:12–15].
92 It is good to ·praise [thank] you, Lord,
to ·sing praises to [L make a psalm to the name of] God Most High.
2 It is good to ·tell of [proclaim] your ·love [loyalty] in the morning
and of your ·loyalty [faithfulness] at night.
3 It is good to praise you with the ten-stringed lyre
and ·with the soft-sounding [melody of the] harp.
4 Lord, you have made me ·happy [rejoice] by what you have done;
I will ·sing [shout] for joy about ·what your hands have done [L the works of your hand].
5 Lord, ·you have done such great things [L how great are your works]!
How deep are your thoughts [Is. 55:8; Rom. 11:33–34]!
6 ·Stupid [Senseless; Dull-witted] people don’t know these things,
and fools don’t understand.
7 Wicked people ·grow [may sprout] like the grass.
Evil people ·seem to do well [may blossom/flourish],
but they will be ·destroyed [doomed] forever.
8 But, Lord, you will be ·honored [exalted] forever.
9 Lord, surely your enemies,
surely your enemies will ·be destroyed [perish],
and all who do evil will be scattered.
10 But you have ·made me as strong as [exalted my horn like; C symbol of strength] an ox.
You have poured ·fine [rich; fresh] oils on me [C a gesture of hospitality].
11 When ·I [L my eyes] looked, I saw my enemies;
I heard the cries of those who ·are against me [L rose against me with evil; C he sees and hears the defeat of his enemies].
12 But ·good [righteous] people will ·grow [sprout] like palm trees [1:3; 52:8];
they will ·be tall [grow great] like the cedars of Lebanon [C trees that are strong, majestic, and long-lived].
13 Like trees planted in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord,
they will ·grow strong [sprout] in the courtyards of our God.
14 When they are old, they will still produce fruit;
they will be healthy and ·fresh [green; verdant].
15 They will ·say [proclaim] that the Lord is ·good [virtuous; full of integrity; upright].
He is my Rock [28:1; 42:9; 62:2; Deut. 32:4], and there is no wrong in him.
17 The lookout was standing on the watchtower in Jezreel when he saw Jehu’s troops coming. He said, “I see ·some [a company of] soldiers!”
Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them. Tell him to ask, ‘·Is all in order [Do you come in peace; L Is it peace]?’”
18 The horseman rode out to meet Jehu, and he said, “This is what the king says: ‘·Is all in order [Do you come in peace; L Is it peace]?’”
Jehu said, “·Why bother yourself with order [What is peace to you]? ·Come along [Fall in] behind me.”
The lookout reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
19 Then Joram sent out a second horseman. This rider came to Jehu’s group and said, “This is what the king says: ‘·Is all in order [Do you come in peace; L Is it peace]?’”
Jehu answered, “·Why bother yourself with order [What is peace to you]? ·Come along [Fall in] behind me.”
20 The lookout reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. The man in the chariot is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi. He drives ·as if he were crazy [like a madman/maniac]!”
21 Joram said, “Get my chariot ready.” Then the servant got Joram’s chariot ready. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu at the ·property of [plot of ground belonging to] Naboth the Jezreelite [1 Kin. 21:1–19].
22 When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “·Is all in order [Do you come in peace; L Is it peace], Jehu?”
Jehu answered, “There will never be any ·order [peace] as long as your mother ·Jezebel worships idols and uses witchcraft [Jezebel’s prostitutions/harlotries and witchcraft/sorceries abound].”
23 Joram turned the horses to run away and yelled to Ahaziah, “·It’s a trick [Treason; Treachery], Ahaziah!”
24 Then Jehu drew his bow with all his strength and shot Joram between his shoulders. The arrow ·went through [pierced] Joram’s heart, and he ·fell [sank; slumped] down in his chariot.
25 Jehu ordered Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick up Joram’s body, and throw it into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember when you and I rode together ·with [behind] Joram’s father Ahab. The Lord ·made this prophecy [pronounced this oracle; 1 Kin. 19:17, 21:19–29] against him: 26 ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons, says the Lord, so I will ·punish [repay] Ahab in his field, says the Lord.’ Take Joram’s body and throw it into the field, ·as the Lord has said [L in accordance with the word of the Lord].”
27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he ·ran away [fled] toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, saying, “Shoot Ahaziah, too!” Ahaziah was wounded in his chariot ·on the way up to [at the Ascent of] Gur near Ibleam. He got as far as Megiddo but died there. 28 Ahaziah’s servants carried his body in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his ·ancestors [fathers] in his tomb in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. 29 (Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year Joram son of Ahab was king.)
Death of Jezebel
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She ·put on her eye makeup [painted her eyes] and ·fixed her hair [adorned her head]. Then she ·looked out [appeared/sat at] the window. 31 When Jehu entered the city gate, Jezebel said, “·Have you come in peace [L Is it peace], ·you Zimri [L Zimri; C a sarcastic reference to a previous king who had assassinated his predecessor; 1 Kin. 16:8–12], you who ·killed [murdered] your ·master [lord]?”
32 Jehu looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three ·servants [officials] looked ·out the window [down] at Jehu. 33 He said to them, “Throw her down.” So they threw Jezebel down, and the horses ·ran over [trampled] her. Some of her blood ·splashed [spattered] on the wall and on the horses.
34 Jehu went into the house and ate and drank. Then he said, “Now see about this cursed woman. Bury her, because she is a king’s daughter.”
35 The men went to bury Jezebel, but they found only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told Jehu, he said, “The ·Lord [word of the Lord] said this through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh at Jezreel [1 Kin. 21:23; 2 Kin. 9:7–10]. 37 Her body will be like ·manure [dung] on the field in the land at Jezreel. No one will be able to say that this is Jezebel.’”
About Marriage
7 Now ·I will discuss [L concerning] the things you wrote me about [C in a letter from the Corinthians; see 8:1; 12:1; 16:1]. It is good for a man not to ·have sexual relations with [L touch; C a euphemism for sex] a woman [C probably another slogan (6:12; 8:1, 4; 10:23) asserting that a celibate lifestyle was spiritually superior]. 2 But because ·sexual sin is a danger [of sexual temptations; L of sexual sins], each man should ·have [or have sexual relations with] his own wife, and each woman should ·have [or have sexual relations with] her own husband. 3 The husband should give his wife all that he owes her as his wife [C meet her sexual needs]. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes him as her husband [C meet his sexual needs]. 4 The wife does not have ·full rights [L authority] over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have ·full rights [authority] over his own body; his wife shares them [C revolutionary teaching in the first century, when wives were generally viewed as the possession of their husbands]. 5 Do not ·refuse to give your bodies to [refuse sex to; L deprive] each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can ·give your time [devote yourselves] to prayer. Then ·come together again [resume your sexual relationship] so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control. 6 I say this ·to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time [L as a concession/allowance]. It is not a command to do so. 7 I wish that everyone were like me [C unmarried], but each person has his own gift from God. One has one gift, another has another gift.
8 Now for those who are not married and for the widows I say this: It is good for them to stay unmarried as I am. 9 But if they cannot ·control themselves [exercise self-control], they should marry. It is better to marry than ·to burn with sexual desire [L to burn].
7 “And when you pray, don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [L they will be heard; C the passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. 9 So when you pray, you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
·may your name always be kept holy [T Hallowed be your name].
10 May your kingdom come
·and what you want [Your will] be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us ·the food we need for each day [T today our daily bread].
12 Forgive us for our ·sins [L debts],
just as we have forgiven ·those who sinned against us [L our debtors; C sin is pictured as a debt owed].
13 And ·do not cause us to be tempted [T lead us not into temptation; or do not put us to the test],
but ·save [rescue; deliver] us from ·the Evil One [or evil].’
|The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.|[a]
14 ·Yes, [For] if you forgive others for their ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses], your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses].
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