Book of Common Prayer
Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
140 Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
Protect me from violent men.
2
They devise evil things in their hearts;
They continually [gather together and] stir up wars.
3
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent’s;
Poison of a viper is under their lips.(A) Selah.
4
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Protect me from violent men
Who intend to trip up my steps.
5
The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah.
6
I said to the Lord, “You are my God;
Listen to the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
7
“O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.
8
“Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further their evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.
9
“Those who surround me raise their heads;
May the mischief of their own lips come upon them.
10
“Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be thrown into the fire,
Into deep [water] pits from which they cannot rise.
11
“Do not let a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil quickly hunt the violent man [to overthrow him and stop his evil acts].”
12
I know [with confidence] that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And [will secure] justice for the poor.
13
Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The upright will dwell in Your presence.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David; when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.
3
When my spirit was overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness],
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.
4
Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;
For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].
Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;
No one cares about my life.
5
I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
6
“Give attention to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
7
“Bring my soul out of prison (adversity),
So that I may give thanks and praise Your name;
The righteous will surround me [in triumph],
For You will look after me.”
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me.
Listen to my voice when I call to You.
2
Let my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.(A)
3
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].
4
Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing,
Or to practice deeds of wickedness
With men who plan and do evil;
And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).
5
Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity].
It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head;
Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it;
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.(B)
6
Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff,
And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just).
7
As when the one plows and breaks open the ground [and the soil scatters behind him],
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol [by the injustices of the wicked].(C)
8
For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.
9
Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do evil.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by and safely escape [from danger].
Prayer for Help and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Listen to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, and in Your righteousness.
2
And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous or justified.(A)
3
For the enemy has persecuted me,
He has crushed my life down to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
4
Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness];
My heart grows numb within me.
5
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that You have done;
I ponder the work of Your hands.
6
I reach out my hands to You;
My throat thirsts for You, as a parched land [thirsts for water]. Selah.
7
Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down into the pit (grave).
8
Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For I trust in You.
Teach me the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
9
Rescue me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.
10
Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You],
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11
Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake;
In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble.
12
In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my life,
For I am Your servant.
36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his forefathers had done.
Babylon Controls Jehoiakim
24 In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent marauding bands of Chaldeans, Arameans (Syrians), Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came on Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of [King] Manasseh, in accordance with everything that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not pardon it. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
Jehoiachin Reigns
6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers [in death], and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. 7 The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, because the [a]king of Babylon had taken everything that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.
8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned [only] three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father had done.
Deportation to Babylon
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his [palace] officials. So the king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his [own] reign. 13 He carried out of there (Jerusalem) all the treasures of the house (temple) of the Lord, and the treasures of the house (palace) of the king, and cut in pieces all the articles of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, just as the Lord had said. 14 He led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the brave men, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.
15 Nebuchadnezzar led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also he took the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land [including Ezekiel] as exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon.(A) 16 And the king of Babylon brought as exiles to Babylon all the brave men, seven thousand [of them], and the craftsmen and the smiths, a thousand [of them], all strong and fit for war.
Zedekiah Made King
17 Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so [a]it is with Christ. 13 For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].(A)
14 For the [human] body does not consist of one part, but of many [limbs and organs]. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function]. 19 If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be? 20 But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary; 23 and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, “Have mercy and compassion on us, [a]Son of David (Messiah)!” 28 When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus [b]sternly warned them: “See that no one knows this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.
32 While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, “Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons.”
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