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.
17 He ·had sexual relations with [L knew; 4:1] his wife, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Enoch. At that time ·Cain [L he] was building a city, which he named after his son Enoch. 18 ·Enoch had a son named [L To Enoch was born; C and so through the rest of the genealogy] Irad, Irad had a son named Mehujael, Mehujael had a son named Methushael, and Methushael had a son named Lamech.
19 Lamech ·married [L took] two ·women [or wives], [L the name of the first was] Adah and [L the name of the second was] Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who ·became the first person to [L was the father of those who] live in tents and raise ·cattle [livestock]. 21 Jabal’s brother was Jubal, the ·first person to [L father of all who] play the ·harp [or lyre] and ·flute [pipe]. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who made tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice!
You wives of Lamech, listen to what I say.
I killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for hitting me.
24 If ·Cain’s killer is punished [L Cain is avenged] seven times [4:15],
then ·Lamech’s killer will be punished [L Lamech will be avenged] seventy-seven times.” [C Lamech falsely thought he could get away with murder.]
Adam and Eve Have a New Son
25 Adam ·had sexual relations with [L knew; 4:1] his wife Eve again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth [C related to the Hebrew word for “give” or “appoint”] and said, “God has ·given [appointed for] me another child. He will take the place of Abel, who was killed by Cain.” 26 Seth also had a son, and they named him Enosh. At that time people began to ·pray to [L call on the name of] the Lord.
Jesus Is Greater than Moses
3 ·So all of you [L Therefore] holy brothers and sisters, who ·were called by God [are partners/partakers in a heavenly calling], ·think about [consider; focus on] Jesus, who ·was sent to us [or is our apostle; C a commissioned messenger] and is the high priest ·of our faith [or whom we acknowledge/confess; L of our confession]. 2 Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him just as Moses was faithful in God’s ·family [household; house]. 3 Jesus ·has [deserves; is worthy of] more honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 [L For] Every house is built by someone, but the builder of everything is God himself. 5 Moses was faithful in ·God’s family [L all of God’s house; Num. 12:7] as a servant, and he ·told [testified to] what God would say in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are God’s house if we ·confidently maintain our hope [or maintain our courage and confident hope].
We Must Continue to Follow God
7 So it is as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today ·listen to what he says [L if you hear his voice…].
8 Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your hearts] as in the past
·when you turned against God [L as in the rebellion; Ex. 17:1–7],
when you tested God in the desert.
9 There your ancestors tried me and tested me
and saw the things I did for forty years.
10 I was angry with ·them [L that generation].
I said, ‘·They are not loyal to me [L Their hearts are always wandering]
and have not ·understood my ways [or discerned/obeyed my will].’
11 I was angry and ·made a promise [L swore an oath],
‘They will never enter my rest [Ps. 95:7–11; C referring to the generation of Israel that disobeyed God and so were not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:23)].’”
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee [C a region about 50 miles north of Jerusalem]. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me [C as a disciple].”
44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida [C a town just to the north of the Sea of Galilee], where Andrew and Peter lived. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man that Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about him. [C The law and the prophets refer to the OT Scriptures.] He is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth [C a village a few miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee].”
46 But Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” [C This is because of its insignificance and lack of mention in the OT.]
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47 As Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is truly an Israelite. There is ·nothing false [no deceit; no guile] in him.”
48 Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip ·told you about me [L called you].”
49 Then Nathanael said to Jesus, “Teacher [L Rabbi], you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
50 Jesus said to Nathanael, “Do you believe simply because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that.” 51 And Jesus said to them, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], you will all see heaven open and ‘angels of God going up and coming down’ [C a reference to Jacob’s dream in Gen. 28:12] on the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14].”
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