Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 101[a]
Norm of Life for Rulers
1 A psalm of David.
I
I sing of mercy and justice;
to you, Lord, I sing praise.
2 I study the way of integrity;(A)
when will you come to me?
I act with integrity of heart
within my household.[b](B)
3 I do not allow into my presence anything base.
I hate wrongdoing;
I will have no part of it.(C)
4 May the devious heart keep far from me;
the wicked I will not acknowledge.
5 Whoever slanders a neighbor in secret
I will reduce to silence.(D)
Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts(E)
I cannot endure.
II
6 I look to the faithful of the land[c]
to sit at my side.
Whoever follows the way of integrity(F)
is the one to enter my service.
7 No one who practices deceit
can remain within my house.
No one who speaks falsely
can last in my presence.(G)
8 [d]Morning after morning I clear all the wicked from the land,
to rid the city of the Lord of all doers of evil.
Psalm 109[a]
Prayer of a Person Falsely Accused
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 O God, whom I praise, do not be silent,(A)
for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me.
They speak against me with lying tongues;
3 with hateful words they surround me,
attacking me without cause.
4 In return for my love they slander me,
even though I prayed for them.
5 They repay me evil for good,
hatred for my love.(B)
II
6 Appoint an evil one over him,
an accuser[b] to stand at his right hand,
7 That he may be judged and found guilty,
that his plea may be in vain.
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office.(C)
9 May his children be fatherless,
his wife, a widow.(D)
10 May his children wander and beg,
driven from their hovels.
11 May the usurer snare all he owns,
strangers plunder all he earns.
12 May no one treat him with mercy
or pity his fatherless children.
13 May his posterity be destroyed,(E)
their name rooted out in the next generation.
14 May his fathers’ guilt be mentioned to the Lord;
his mother’s sin not rooted out.(F)
15 May their guilt be always before the Lord,(G)
till their memory is banished from the earth,(H)
16 For he did not remember to show mercy,
but hounded the wretched poor
and brought death to the brokenhearted.
17 He loved cursing; may it come upon him;
he hated blessing; may none come to him.
18 May cursing clothe him like a robe;
may it enter his belly like water,
his bones like oil.
19 May it be near as the clothes he wears,
as the belt always around him.
20 [c]May this be the reward for my accusers from the Lord,
for those speaking evil against me.
III
21 But you, Lord, are my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your great mercy rescue me.
22 For I am poor and needy;
my heart is pierced within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow I am gone,
I am shaken off like the locust.
24 My knees totter from fasting;(I)
my flesh has wasted away.
25 I have become a mockery to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Lord, my God;
save me in your mercy.
27 Make them know this is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done this.
28 Though they curse, may you bless;
arise, shame them, that your servant may rejoice.
29 Clothe my accusers with disgrace;
make them wear their shame like a mantle.
30 I will give fervent thanks to the Lord;
before a crowd I will praise him.(J)
Ayin
121 I have fulfilled your righteous judgment;
do not abandon me to my oppressors.
122 Guarantee your servant’s welfare;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long to see your salvation
and the promise of your righteousness.
124 Act with mercy toward your servant;
teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to act;
they have disobeyed your law.
127 Truly I love your commandments
more than gold, more than the finest gold.
128 Thus, I follow all your precepts;
every wrong way I hate.
Pe
129 Wonderful are your testimonies;
therefore I keep them.
130 The revelation of your words sheds light,
gives understanding to the simple.
131 I sigh with open mouth,
yearning for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious,(A)
according to your judgment for those who love your name.
133 Steady my feet in accord with your promise;
do not let iniquity lead me.
134 Free me from human oppression,
that I may observe your precepts.
135 Let your face shine upon your servant;
teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears
because your law is not observed.
Sadhe
137 You are righteous, Lord,
and just are your judgments.(B)
138 You have given your testimonies in righteousness
and in surpassing faithfulness.
139 I am consumed with rage,
because my foes forget your words.
140 Your servant loves your promise;
it has been proved by fire.
141 Though belittled and despised,
I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your justice is forever right,
your law true.
143 Though distress and anguish come upon me,
your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are forever righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.
Jacob and Laban in Gilead. 25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob’s tents were pitched in the hill country; Laban also pitched his tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “How could you hoodwink me and carry off my daughters like prisoners of war?[a] 27 Why did you dupe me by stealing away secretly? You did not tell me! I would have sent you off with joyful singing to the sound of tambourines and harps. 28 You did not even allow me a parting kiss to my daughters and grandchildren! Now what you have done makes no sense. 29 I have it in my power to harm all of you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Take care not to say anything to Jacob!’ 30 Granted that you had to leave because you were longing for your father’s house, why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob replied to Laban, “I was frightened at the thought that you might take your daughters away from me by force. 32 As for your gods, the one you find them with shall not remain alive! If, with our kinsmen looking on, you identify anything here as belonging to you, take it.” Jacob had no idea that Rachel had stolen the household images.
33 Laban then went in and searched Jacob’s tent and Leah’s tent, as well as the tents of the two maidservants; but he did not find them. Leaving Leah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s. 34 [b]Meanwhile Rachel had taken the household images, put them inside the camel’s saddlebag, and seated herself upon them. When Laban had rummaged through her whole tent without finding them,(A) 35 she said to her father, “Do not let my lord be angry that I cannot rise in your presence; I am having my period.” So, despite his search, he did not find the household images.
36 Jacob, now angered, confronted Laban and demanded, “What crime or offense have I committed that you should hound me? 37 Now that you have rummaged through all my things, what have you found from your household belongings? Produce it here before your kinsmen and mine, and let them decide between the two of us.
38 “In the twenty years that I was under you, no ewe or she-goat of yours ever miscarried, and I have never eaten rams of your flock. 39 (B)I never brought you an animal torn by wild beasts; I made good the loss myself. You held me responsible for anything stolen by day or night.[c] 40 Often the scorching heat devoured me by day, and the frost by night, while sleep fled from my eyes! 41 Of the twenty years that I have now spent in your household, I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, while you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my plight and the fruits of my toil, and last night he reproached you.”(C)
43 [d]Laban replied to Jacob: “The daughters are mine, their children are mine, and the flocks are mine; everything you see belongs to me. What can I do now for my own daughters and for the children they have borne? 44 [e]Come, now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and it will be a treaty between you and me.”
45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a sacred pillar.(D) 46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” So they got stones and made a mound; and they ate there at the mound. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[f] but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This mound will be a witness from now on between you and me.” That is why it was named Galeed— 49 and also Mizpah,[g] for he said: “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or take other wives besides my daughters, know that even though no one else is there, God will be a witness between you and me.”
12 I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven(A) for his name’s sake.[a]
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.(B)
14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or the things of the world.[b] If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.(C) 16 For all that is in the world, sensual lust,[c] enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.(D)
Chapter 10
The Good Shepherd. 1 [a]“Amen, amen, I say to you,(A) whoever does not enter a sheepfold[b] through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. 2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 [c]When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,(B) because they recognize his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech,[d] they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
7 [e]So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 [f]All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(C) 12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.(D) 13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.(E) 16 I have other sheep[g] that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.(F) 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.(G) 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.[h] This command I have received from my Father.”(H)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.