Book of Common Prayer
Zayin
Remembering What God Has Said
49 Remember what you said[a] to your servant,
by which you caused me to hope.
50 This is what comforts me in my troubles:
that what you say revives me.
51 Even though the arrogant utterly deride me,
I do not turn away from your instruction.[b]
52 I have remembered your ancient ordinances, Lord,
and I take comfort in them.
53 I burn with indignation because of the wicked
who forsake your instruction.[c]
54 Your statutes are my songs,
no matter where I make my home.[d]
55 In the night I remember your name, Lord,
and keep your instruction.[e]
56 I have made it my personal responsibility
to keep your precepts.
Cheth
Keeping God’s Word
57 The Lord is my inheritance;
I have given my promise to keep your word.
58 I have sought your favor with all of my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 I examined my lifestyle
and set my feet in the direction of your decrees.
60 I hurried and did not procrastinate
to keep your commands.
61 Though the ropes of the wicked have ensnared me,
I have not forgotten your instruction.[f]
62 At midnight I will get up to thank you
for your righteous ordinances.
63 I am united with all who fear you,
and with everyone who keeps your precepts.
64 Lord, the earth overflows with your gracious love!
Teach me your statutes.
Teth
Praise for God’s Word
65 Lord, you have dealt well with your servant,
according to your word.
66 Teach me both knowledge and appropriate discretion,
because I believe in your commands.
67 Before I was humbled, I wandered away,
but now I observe your words.
68 Lord,[g] you are good[h], and do what is good;
teach me your statutes.
69 The arrogant have accused me falsely;
but I will observe your precepts wholeheartedly.
70 Their minds are clogged as with greasy fat,
but I find joy in your instruction.[i]
71 It was for my good that I was humbled;[j]
so that I would learn your statutes.
72 Instruction[k] that comes from you[l] is better for me
than thousands of gold and silver coins.[m]
To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah.
The Destiny of the Wicked and the Upright
49 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, all you who live in the world,
2 both average people and those of means,[a]
the rich and the poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisely,
and I will understand what I think about.
4 I will focus my attention on[b] a proverb;
I will use the harp to expound my riddle.
5 Why should I be afraid when evil days come my way,
when the wickedness of those who deceive me surrounds me—
6 those who put confidence in their wealth
and boast about their great riches?
7 No man can redeem the life of another,[c]
nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him—
8 for it would cost too much to redeem his life,
and the payments would go on forever—
9 that he should go on living
and not see corruption.
10 Indeed, he will see wise people die;
the stupid and the senseless will meet their doom
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thoughts are on[d] their homes forever;
their dwellings from generation to generation.
They even name their lands after themselves.
12 But humanity cannot last, despite its conceit;[e]
it will pass away just like the animals.[f]
13 This is the fate of those who are foolish
and of those who correct their words after they speak.
14 Like sheep, they are destined for the realm of the dead,[g]
with death as their shepherd.
The upright will have dominion over them in the morning;
their strength will be consumed in the afterlife,[h]
so that they have no home.
15 God will truly redeem me from the power[i] of Sheol.[j]
He will surely receive me!
16 Don’t be afraid when someone gets rich,
when the glory of his household increases.
17 When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him[k]—
his possessions[l] will not follow him to the grave,[m]
18 although he considers himself blessed while he’s alive.
Though people praise you for doing well,
19 you will end up like your[n] ancestors’ generation,
never again to see the light of day!
20 Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand
that it will perish, just like the animals.
To the Director: Upon machalath.[a] A Davidic instruction.[b]
The Fool and God’s Response
53 Fools say to themselves “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and commit iniquity;
not one of them practices what is good.
2 God looks down from the heavens upon humanity[c]
to see if anyone shows discernment as he searches for God.
3 All of them[d] have fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
no one does what is good, not even one.
4 Will those who do evil ever learn?
They devour my people like they devour bread,
and never call on God.
5 There the Israelis[e] were seized with terror,
when there was nothing to fear.
For God scattered the bones of those who laid siege against you[f]—
you put them to shame,[g]
for God rejected them.
6 Would that Israel’s deliverance come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.[h]
25 After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in Egypt.
26 Then Judah suggested to his brothers, “Where’s the profit in just killing our brother and shedding his blood? 27 Come on! Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites! That way, we won’t have laid our hands on him. After all, he’s our brother, our own flesh.”
So Judah’s[a] brothers listened to him. 28 As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to Egypt.
29 Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn’t there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and shouted, “He’s[b] not there! Now what? Where am I to go?”
31 So they took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32 Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered[c] tunic to dry,[d] and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”
33 Examining it, he cried out, “It’s my son’s tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to pieces.”
34 So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son. 35 All his sons and daughters showed[e] up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, “Leave me alone! I’ll go down to the next world,[f] still mourning for my son.” So Joseph’s father wept for him.
Joseph is Enslaved to Potiphar
36 Meanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph[g] to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.
Preaching in the Power of God
2 When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come and tell you about God’s secret[a] with rhetorical language or wisdom. 2 For while I was with you I resolved to know nothing except Jesus the Messiah,[b] and him crucified. 3 It was in weakness, fear, and great trembling that I came to you. 4 My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
God’s Spirit Reveals Everything
6 However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of[c] wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene. 7 Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began[d] for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood it, because if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”[e]
10 But[f] God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.
11 Is there anyone who can understand his own thoughts except his own inner spirit? In the same way, no one can know the thoughts of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God. 13 We don’t speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words[g] taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.[h]
Jesus Heals Many People(A)
29 After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever, so they promptly told Jesus[a] about her. 31 He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them. 32 When evening came, after the sun had set, people[b] started bringing to him everyone who was sick or possessed by demons. 33 In fact, the whole city gathered at the door. 34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. However, he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was.
Jesus Goes on a Preaching Tour(B)
35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus[c] got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there. 36 Simon and his companions searched frantically for him. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you.”
38 “Let’s go to the neighboring town,” he replied, “so I can preach there, too, because that’s why I came.” 39 So he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(C)
40 Then a leper[d] came to Jesus[e] and began pleading with him. He fell on his knees and told him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus[f] reached out his hand, touched him, and told him, “I do want to. Be made clean!” 42 Instantly the leprosy left him, and he was clean.
43 Then Jesus[g] sternly warned him and encouraged him to go at once. 44 He told the man, “Be sure that you don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”[h] 45 But when the man[i] left, he began to proclaim it freely. He spread the news so widely that Jesus[j] could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in deserted places. Still, people[k] kept coming to him from everywhere.
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