Book of Common Prayer
Give the King Your Justice
Of (A)Solomon.
72 Give the king your (B)justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he (C)judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear (D)prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you[a] while (E)the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, (F)throughout all generations!
6 May he be like (G)rain that falls on (H)the mown grass,
like (I)showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may (J)the righteous flourish,
and (K)peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from (L)sea to sea,
and from (M)the River[b] to the (N)ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes (O)bow down before him,
and his enemies (P)lick the dust!
10 May the kings of (Q)Tarshish and of (R)the coastlands
render him (S)tribute;
may the kings of (T)Sheba and (U)Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings (V)fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers (W)the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and (X)precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may (Y)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made (Z)for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people (AA)blossom in the cities
like the (AB)grass of the field!
17 (AC)May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
(AD)May people be blessed in him,
(AE)all nations call him blessed!
Yodh
73 (A)Your hands have made and fashioned me;
(B)give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and (C)rejoice,
because I have (D)hoped in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are (E)righteous,
and that in (F)faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your (G)mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my (H)delight.
78 Let (I)the insolent be put to (J)shame,
because they have (K)wronged me with falsehood;
as for me, I will (L)meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you (M)turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be (N)blameless in your statutes,
(O)that I may not be put to shame!
Kaph
81 My soul (P)longs for your salvation;
I (Q)hope in your word.
82 My (R)eyes long for your promise;
I ask, (S)“When will you comfort me?”
83 For I have (T)become like a (U)wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 (V)How long must your servant endure?[a]
(W)When will you judge those who persecute me?
85 (X)The insolent have (Y)dug pitfalls for me;
they do not live according to your law.
86 All your commandments are (Z)sure;
they persecute me (AA)with falsehood; (AB)help me!
87 They have almost made an end of me on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your steadfast love (AC)give me life,
that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.
Lamedh
89 Forever, O Lord, your (AD)word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90 Your (AE)faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have (AF)established the earth, and it (AG)stands fast.
91 By your (AH)appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my (AI)delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have (AJ)given me life.
94 I am yours; save me,
(AK)for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
but I consider your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly (AL)broad.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (A)Again I saw that under the sun (B)the race is not to the swift, nor (C)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (D)chance (E)happen to them all. 12 For man (F)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (G)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (H)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it (I)a poor, wise man, and he by his (J)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (K)wisdom is better than might, though (L)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (M)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (N)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (O)one sinner destroys much good.
Christ Has Set Us Free
5 For (A)freedom Christ has (B)set us free; (C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to (D)a yoke of (E)slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that (F)if you accept circumcision, (G)Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that (H)he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are (I)severed from Christ, (J)you who would be justified[a] by the law; (K)you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly (L)wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus (M)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but (N)only faith working through love.
7 (O)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying (P)the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from (Q)him who calls you. 9 (R)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 (S)I have confidence in the Lord that you will (T)take no other view, and (U)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach[c] circumcision, (V)why am I still being persecuted? In that case (W)the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish (X)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. (Y)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love (Z)serve one another. 14 For (AA)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: (AB)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you (AC)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs
16 (A)And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and (B)to test him (C)they asked him to show them (D)a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them,[a] (E)“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (F)You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret (G)the signs of the times. 4 (H)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So (I)he left them and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and (J)beware of (K)the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But (L)Jesus, aware of this, said, (M)“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 (N)Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember (O)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or (P)the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? (Q)Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 (R)Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of (S)the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.