Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 72[a]
For[b] Solomon.
72 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions.[c]
Grant the king’s son[d] the ability to make fair decisions.[e]
2 Then he will judge[f] your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones[g] equitably.
3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice.[h]
4 He will defend[i] the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver[j] the children[k] of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
5 People will fear[l] you[m] as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation.[n]
6 He[o] will descend like rain on the mown grass,[p]
like showers that drench[q] the earth.[r]
7 During his days the godly will flourish;[s]
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.[t]
8 May he rule[u] from sea to sea,[v]
and from the Euphrates River[w] to the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the coastlands[x] will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust.[y]
10 The kings of Tarshish[z] and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba[aa] and Seba[ab] will bring tribute.
11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
12 For he will rescue the needy[ac] when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed[ad] who have no defender.
13 He will take pity[ae] on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
14 From harm and violence he will defend them;[af]
he will value their lives.[ag]
15 May he live![ah] May they offer him gold from Sheba.[ai]
May they continually pray for him.
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long.[aj]
16 May there be[ak] an abundance[al] of grain in the earth;
on the tops[am] of the mountains may it[an] sway.[ao]
May its[ap] fruit trees[aq] flourish[ar] like the forests of Lebanon.[as]
May its crops[at] be as abundant[au] as the grass of the earth.[av]
17 May his fame endure.[aw]
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky.[ax]
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings.[ay]
May all nations consider him to be favored by God.[az]
18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise.[ba]
He alone accomplishes amazing things.[bb]
19 His glorious name deserves praise[bc] forevermore.
May his majestic splendor[bd] fill the whole earth.
We agree! We agree![be]
20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here.[bf]
י (Yod)
73 Your hands made me and formed me.[a]
Give me understanding so that I might learn[b] your commands.
74 Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me,[c]
for I find hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your regulations[d] are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me.[e]
76 May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant.[f]
77 May I experience your compassion,[g] so I might live.
For I find delight in your law.
78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me.[h]
But I meditate on your precepts.
79 May your loyal followers[i] turn to me,
those who know your rules.
80 May I be fully committed to your statutes,[j]
so that I might not be ashamed.
כ (Kaf)
81 I desperately long for[k] your deliverance.
I find hope in your word.
82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled.[l]
I say,[m] “When will you comfort me?”
83 For[n] I am like a wineskin[o] dried up in smoke.[p]
I do not forget your statutes.
84 How long must your servant endure this?[q]
When will you judge those who pursue me?
85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me,[r]
which violates your law.[s]
86 All your commands are reliable.
I am pursued without reason.[t] Help me!
87 They have almost destroyed me here on the earth,
but I do not reject your precepts.
88 Revive me with[u] your loyal love,
that I might keep[v] the rules you have revealed.[w]
ל (Lamed)
89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven.[x]
90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations.[y]
You established the earth and it stood firm.
91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,
for all things are your servants.
92 If I had not found encouragement in your law,[z]
I would have died in my sorrow.[aa]
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
95 The wicked prepare to kill me,[ab]
yet I concentrate on your rules.
96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension.[ac]
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say[a] and you will live,[b] for I fear God.[c] 19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison[d] while the rest of you go[e] and take grain back for your hungry families.[f] 20 But you must bring[g] your youngest brother to me. Then[h] your words will be verified[i] and you will not die.” They did as he said.[j]
21 They said to one another,[k] “Surely we’re being punished[l] because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was[m] when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress[n] has come on us!” 22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”[o] 23 (Now[p] they did not know that Joseph could understand them,[q] for he was speaking through an interpreter.)[r] 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again,[s] he had Simeon taken[t] from them and tied up[u] before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill[v] their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out.[w] 26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.[x]
27 When one of them[y] opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place,[z] he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.[aa] 28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed;[ab] they turned trembling to one another[ac] and said, “What in the world has God done to us?”[ad]
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian[a] who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive,[b] or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.[c]
Lawsuits
6 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! 4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?[d] 5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?[e] 6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian,[f] and do this before unbelievers? 7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters![g]
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat[a] on the lake and sat there while[b] the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. 2 He taught them many things in parables,[c] and in his teaching said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow.[d] 4 And as he sowed, some seed[e] fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground[f] where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.[g] 6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root,[h] it withered. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns,[i] and they grew up and choked it,[j] and it did not produce grain. 8 But[k] other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”[l]
The Purpose of Parables
10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The secret[m] of the kingdom of God[n] has been given[o] to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,
12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.”[p]
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then[q] how will you understand any parable? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan[r] comes and snatches the word[s] that was sown in them. 16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 17 But[t] they have no root in themselves and do not endure.[u] Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 19 but[v] worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth,[w] and the desire for other things come in and choke the word,[x] and it produces nothing. 20 But[y] these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
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