Book of Common Prayer
ז (Zayin)
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 This[a] is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.[b]
51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me.[c]
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
52 I remember your ancient regulations,[d]
O Lord, and console myself.[e]
53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs[f]
in the house where I live.[g]
55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep[h] your law.
56 This[i] has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
57 The Lord is my source of security.[j]
I have determined[k] to follow your instructions.[l]
58 I seek your favor[m] with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised.[n]
59 I consider my actions[o]
and follow[p] your rules.
60 I keep your commands eagerly
and without delay.[q]
61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around[r] me,
but I do not forget your law.
62 In the middle of the night I arise[s] to thank you
for your just regulations.
63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers,[t]
and to those who keep your precepts.
64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
ט (Tet)
65 You are good[u] to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised.[v]
66 Teach me proper discernment[w] and understanding.
For I consider your commands to be reliable.[x]
67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off,[y]
but now I keep your instructions.[z]
68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes.
69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies,[aa]
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are calloused,[ab]
but I find delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.[ac]
Psalm 49[a]
For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.
49 Listen to this, all you nations.
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world.[b]
2 Pay attention, all you people,[c]
both rich and poor.
3 I will declare a wise saying;[d]
I will share my profound thoughts.[e]
4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;
I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp.[f]
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble,[g]
when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me?[h]
6 They trust[i] in their wealth
and boast[j] in their great riches.
7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother;[k]
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price[l]
8 (the ransom price for a human life[m] is too high,
and people go to their final destiny),[n]
9 so that he might continue to live[o] forever
and not experience death.[p]
10 Surely[q] one sees[r] that even wise people die;[s]
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away[t]
and leave their wealth to others.[u]
11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place.[v]
They name their lands after themselves,[w]
12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last.[x]
They are like animals[y] that perish.[z]
13 This is the destiny of fools,[aa]
and of those who approve of their philosophy.[ab] (Selah)
14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep,[ac]
with death as their shepherd.[ad]
The godly will rule[ae] over them when the day of vindication dawns.[af]
Sheol will consume their bodies, and they will no longer live in impressive houses.[ag]
15 But[ah] God will rescue[ai] my life[aj] from the power[ak] of Sheol;
certainly[al] he will pull me to safety.[am] (Selah)
16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich[an]
and his wealth multiplies.[ao]
17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.[ap]
18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well.”
19 But he will join his ancestors;[aq]
they will never again see the light of day.[ar]
20 Wealthy people do not understand;[as]
they are like animals[at] that perish.[au]
Psalm 53[a]
For the music director, according to the machalath style;[b] a well-written song[c] by David.
53 Fools say to themselves,[d] “There is no God.”[e]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[f]
none of them does what is right.[g]
2 God looks down from heaven[h] at the human race,[i]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[j] and seeks God.[k]
3 Everyone rejects God;[l]
they are all morally corrupt.[m]
None of them does what is right,[n]
not even one!
4 All those who behave wickedly[o] do not understand[p]—
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
5 They are absolutely terrified,[q]
even by things that do not normally cause fear.[r]
For God annihilates[s] those who attack you.[t]
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.[u]
6 I wish the deliverance[v] of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people,[w]
may Jacob rejoice,[x]
may Israel be happy![y]
25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up[a] and saw[b] a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt.[c] 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him,[d] for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.[e] 28 So when the Midianite[f] merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled[g] him[h] out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites[i] then took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it![j] He tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat,[k] and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father[l] and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”
33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him![m] Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth,[n] and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters stood by[o] him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.”[p] So Joseph’s[q] father wept for him.
36 Now[r] in Egypt the Midianites[s] sold Joseph[t] to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.[u]
2 When I came[a] to you, brothers and sisters,[b] I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony[c] of God. 2 For I decided to be concerned about nothing[d] among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. 4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Wisdom from God
6 Now we do speak wisdom among the mature,[e] but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing. 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined,[f] are the things God has prepared for those who love him.”[g] 10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. 13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[h]
Healings at Simon’s House
29 Now[a] as soon as they left the synagogue,[b] they entered Simon and Andrew’s house,[c] with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so[d] they spoke to Jesus[e] at once about her. 31 He came and raised her up by gently taking her hand. Then the fever left her and she began to serve[f] them. 32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered by the door. 34 So[g] he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons.[h] But[i] he would not permit the demons to speak,[j] because they knew him.[k]
Praying and Preaching
35 Then[l] Jesus[m] got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.[n] 36 Simon and his companions searched for him. 37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He replied,[o] “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.”[p] 39 So[q] he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues[r] and casting out demons.
Cleansing a Leper
40 Now[s] a leper[t] came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If[u] you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with indignation,[v] Jesus[w] stretched out his hand and touched[x] him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” 42 The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean. 43 Immediately Jesus[y] sent the man[z] away with a very strong warning. 44 He told him,[aa] “See that you do not say anything to anyone,[ab] but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded[ac] for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”[ad] 45 But as the man[ae] went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus[af] was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still[ag] they kept coming[ah] to him from everywhere.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.