Book of Common Prayer
A Song of Victory
For the director of music. By the Lord’s servant, David. David sang this song to the Lord ·when [L on the day] the Lord had ·saved [rescued; T delivered] him from Saul and all his other enemies [C the occasion is unknown; 2 Sam. 22 parallels this psalm]. He said:
18 I love you, Lord. You are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my ·protection [L fortress], my ·Savior [rescuer; T deliverer].
My God is my rock.
·I can run to him for safety [L …in whom I find protection/take refuge].
He is my shield and ·my saving strength [L the horn of my salvation; C symbolizing strength based on an animal lifting its head triumphantly], my ·defender [stronghold].
3 I ·will call to [call upon] the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I ·will be [or am] saved from my enemies.
4 The ·ropes [cords] of death ·came around [swirled about; encompassed] me;
the ·deadly rivers [floods/torrents of destruction] overwhelmed me.
5 The ·ropes [cords] of death ·wrapped around [entangled; coiled around] me.
The ·traps [snares] of death ·were before [confronted; lay ahead of] me.
6 In my ·trouble [distress; anguish] I ·called [cried out] to the Lord.
I ·cried out [called] to my God for help.
From his ·Temple [sanctuary] he heard my voice;
my ·call for help [cry] reached his ears.
7 The earth ·trembled [reeled; quaked] and ·shook [rocked].
The foundations of the mountains began to ·shake [shudder].
They ·trembled [reeled; quaked] because the Lord was angry.
8 Smoke ·came out of his nose [poured/rose from his nostrils],
and ·burning [devouring] fire came out of his mouth.
Burning coals ·went before [blazed/flamed out from] him.
9 He ·tore open [parted] the ·sky [heavens] and came down
with ·dark clouds [storm clouds; thick darkness] under his feet.
10 He rode a ·creature with wings [L cherub; C a mighty spiritual being/angel; Ezek. 1] and flew.
·He raced […soaring] on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his ·shelter [canopy; shroud] around him,
surrounded by ·fog [thick rain] and clouds.
12 Out of the brightness ·of his presence [before him] came clouds
with hail and ·lightning [L fiery coals].
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the ·Most High raised his voice [voice of the Most High resounded],
and there was hail and ·lightning [L fiery coals].
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.
His many bolts of lightning ·confused them with fear [routed them].
15 ·Lord, you spoke strongly [L At your rebuke, O Lord…].
·The wind blew from your nose [L …at the blast of breath from your nostrils…].
Then the ·valleys [floor; channels] of the sea ·appeared [were exposed],
and the foundations of the earth were ·seen [laid bare].
16 The Lord reached down from ·above [heaven; on high] and ·took [rescued] me;
he ·pulled me from the deep water [drew me out of mighty waters].
17 He ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.
18 They ·attacked [confronted] me ·at my time of trouble [L in the day of my distress/calamity/disaster],
but the Lord ·supported me [was my stay].
19 He took me to a ·safe [spacious; open; L broad] place.
Because he delights in me, he ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me.
20 The Lord ·spared [rewarded] me ·because I did what was right [L according to my righteousness].
Because ·I have not done evil [of my innocence; L of the cleanness of my hands], he has ·rewarded [restored] me.
21 I have ·followed [obeyed; kept; L guarded] the ways of the Lord;
I have not done evil by turning away from my God.
22 I ·remember [follow; L have before me] all his ·laws [regulations]
and have not ·broken [abandoned; L turned aside from] his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
23 I am ·innocent [blameless] before him;
I have kept myself from ·doing evil [sin; guilt; iniquity].
24 The Lord ·rewarded [repaid] me ·because I did what was right [L according to my righteousness],
·because I did what the Lord said was right [L according to my cleanness/purity in his sight].
25 Lord, you ·are [show yourself] ·loyal [faithful; kind] to those who are ·loyal [faithful; kind],
and you are good to those who are good.
26 You ·are [show yourself] ·pure [sincere] to those who are ·pure [sincere],
but you ·are [show yourself] ·against [hostile/shrewd/cunning/perverse to] those who are ·bad [perverse; devious; crooked].
27 You ·save [rescue; T deliver] the ·humble [afflicted],
but you ·bring down [watch and humiliate] ·those who are proud [the haughty].
28 Lord, you give light to my lamp.
My God ·brightens the darkness around me [lights up/illuminates my darkness].
29 With your help I can ·attack [crush] an army.
With God’s help I can ·jump over [scale] a wall.
30 The ·ways [way; path] of God are ·without fault [blameless; perfect].
The Lord’s ·words [promises] are ·pure [tested; flawless; proven true].
He is a shield to those who ·trust [seek protection/take refuge in] him.
31 Who is God? Only the Lord.
Who is the Rock? Only our God.
32 God ·is my protection [is my strong fortress; or girds me with strength].
He makes my way ·free from fault [perfect; secure; a wide path].
33 He makes ·me [L my feet] like a deer that does not stumble [C sure-footed];
he ·helps me stand [sets me] on the ·steep mountains [heights].
34 He trains my hands for battle
so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
35 You ·protect me with your saving shield [L have given me the shield of your salvation/victory].
You support me with your right hand.
·You have stooped to make [Your help makes] me great.
36 You ·give me a better way to live [broaden my path; L widen my steps beneath me],
so ·I live as you want me to [my feet do not slip; L my ankles do not weaken].
37 I ·chased [pursued] my enemies and ·caught [exterminated] them.
I did not ·quit [turn back] until they were ·destroyed [annihilated; consumed].
38 I ·crushed them [shattered them; struck them down] so they couldn’t ·rise [get] up again.
They fell beneath my feet.
39 You ·gave me [L armed/girded me with] strength ·in [for] battle.
You ·made my enemies bow [humbled/subdued my enemies] ·before me [or under my feet].
40 You made my enemies ·turn back [turn their backs; retreat],
and I destroyed ·those who hated me [my foes].
41 They ·called for help [looked around],
but no one came to ·save [rescue; T deliver] them.
They ·called [looked] to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
42 I ·beat my enemies into pieces [ground/pulverized them], like dust in the wind.
I poured them out like ·mud [mire] in the streets.
43 You ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me when the people ·attacked me [quarreled; fought].
You made me the ·leader [ruler; head] of nations.
People I never knew serve me.
44 As soon as they hear ·me [or of me], they obey me.
Foreigners ·obey [cower/cringe before] me.
45 They all ·become afraid [lose heart/their courage]
and ·tremble in [come trembling from] their ·hiding places [fortresses; strongholds].
46 The Lord lives!
May my Rock be ·praised [blessed].
Praise the God ·who saves me […of my salvation]!
47 God gives me ·victory [revenge; vengeance] over my enemies
and brings ·people [nations] under ·my rule [me].
48 He ·saves [rescues; T delivers] me from my enemies.
You ·set me over those who hate me [exalt/lift me above my enemies].
You ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from violent people.
49 So I will ·praise [extol] you, Lord, among the nations.
I will sing praises to your name.
50 The Lord ·gives great victories [is a tower of salvation] to his king.
He ·is loyal [shows kindness/faithful love] to his ·appointed king [anointed],
to David and his descendants forever.
Jeremiah Is Thrown into a Well
38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, ·Jehucal [L Jucal; 37:3] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah [21:1] heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people. He said: 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Everyone who stays in this city [C Jerusalem] will die ·from war [L by sword], or ·hunger [famine], or ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence]. But everyone who ·surrenders [L goes out] to the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] will live; ·they will escape with their lives and [L their lives will be plunder and they will] live.’ 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He will capture this city!’”
4 Then the officers said to the king, “This man [C Jeremiah] must be put to death! He is ·discouraging [demoralizing; L weakening the hands of] the soldiers who are still in the city, and all the people, by what he is saying to them. He ·does not want good to happen to us [L is not seeking our welfare/peace]; ·he wants to ruin us [L …only harm/trouble/evil].”
5 King Zedekiah said to them, “·Jeremiah is in your control [L He is in your hands]. ·I cannot do anything [L The king is powerless] to stop you.”
6 So they [C the officers] took Jeremiah and put him into the ·well [cistern; pit] of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guards. The officers used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the ·well [cistern; pit], which did not have any water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7 But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite [C an Ethiopian] and a ·servant [or eunuch] in the ·palace [L house of the king], heard that the officers had put Jeremiah into the ·well [cistern; pit]. As King Zedekiah was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-Melech left the ·palace [L house of the king] and went to the king. Ebed-Melech said to him, 9 “My master and king, these rulers have acted in an evil way. They have treated Jeremiah the prophet badly. They have thrown him into a ·well [cistern; pit] and left him there to die! ·When there [or There] is no more bread in the city, he will starve to death.”
10 Then King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from the palace and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the ·well [cistern; pit] before he dies.”
11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the storeroom in the palace. He took some ·old rags [tattered] and worn-out clothes from that room. Then he let those rags down with some ropes to Jeremiah in the ·well [cistern; well]. 12 Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these ·old rags [tattered] and worn-out clothes under your arms to be pads for the ropes.” So Jeremiah did as Ebed-Melech said. 13 The men pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the ·well [cistern; pit; Ps. 30:1–3]. And Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard [39:15–18].
Meetings Should Help the Church
26 So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a ·song [psalm; hymn], and another has a teaching. Another has a ·new truth from God [L revelation]. Another speaks ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; L tongue], and another person ·interprets that language [L an interpretation]. The purpose of all these things should be ·to help the church grow strong [L for edification/building up]. 27 When you meet together, if anyone speaks ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; L in a tongue], it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other, and someone should interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, then they should ·be quiet [remain silent] in the church meeting. They should speak only to themselves and to God.
29 Only two or three prophets should speak, and the others should ·judge [evaluate; consider; weigh] what they say. 30 If a ·message from God [L revelation] comes to another person who is sitting, the first speaker should stop. 31 [L For] You can all prophesy one after the other. In this way all the people can be taught and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are ·under the control of [subject to] the prophets themselves [C unlike in pagan religions, where a spirit would seize control of a speaker, causing frenzy, mania or ecstasy]. 33 [L For] God is not a God of ·confusion [disorder] but a God of peace.
As is true in all the ·churches [assemblies] of ·God’s people [T the saints; C some commentators take this clause as part of the previous sentence],
37 Those who think they are prophets or spiritual persons should ·understand [or acknowledge] that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 Those who ignore this will ·be ignored by God [or themselves be ignored].[a]
39 So my brothers and sisters, you should ·truly want [be eager] to prophesy. And do not ·stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages [L forbid/hinder speaking in tongues]. 40 But let everything be done in a ·right [proper; fitting] and orderly way.
Divisions Within Households(A)
34 “Don’t ·think [suppose] that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 [L For] I have come ·so that
‘a son will be [L to turn a man] against his father,
a daughter ·will be against [against] her mother,
a daughter-in-law ·will be against [against] her mother-in-law.
36 A person’s enemies will be members of his own ·family [household; Mic. 7:6].’
Conditions and Rewards of Discipleship(B)
37 “·Those who love [L The one who loves…] their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [L of me]. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy ·to be my followers [L of me]. 38 Whoever ·is not willing to carry the [L does not take up his] cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who ·try to hold on to [cling to; seek to preserve; L find] their lives will ·give up true life [lose them]. Those who ·give up [lose] their lives for ·me [my sake] will ·hold on to true life [L find them]. 40 Whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] you also ·accepts [receives; welcomes] me, and whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] me also ·accepts [receives; welcomes] the One who sent me. 41 Whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] a prophet ·because he is a prophet [L in the name of a prophet] will receive the ·reward of [same reward as] a prophet. And whoever ·accepts [receives; welcomes] a ·good [righteous; upright] person because that person is ·good [righteous; upright] will receive the ·reward of [same reward as] a ·good [righteous; upright] person. 42 Those who give one of these little ones [even; so much as] a cup of cold water because they are my ·followers [disciples] will ·truly get [L certainly not lose] their reward.”
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