Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 69[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
1 Save me, O God,
for the waters(A) have come up to my neck.(B)
2 I sink in the miry depths,(C)
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
3 I am worn out calling for help;(D)
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(E)
looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me(F) without reason(G)
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(H)
those who seek to destroy me.(I)
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
6 Lord, the Lord Almighty,
may those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me.
7 For I endure scorn(L) for your sake,(M)
and shame covers my face.(N)
8 I am a foreigner to my own family,
a stranger to my own mother’s children;(O)
9 for zeal for your house consumes me,(P)
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,(R)
I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(S)
people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(T) mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.(U)
13 But I pray to you, Lord,
in the time of your favor;(V)
in your great love,(W) O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(Y) engulf me
or the depths swallow me up(Z)
or the pit close its mouth over me.(AA)
16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(AB)
in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face(AC) from your servant;
answer me quickly,(AD) for I am in trouble.(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
deliver(AF) me because of my foes.
19 You know how I am scorned,(AG) disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters,(AH) but I found none.(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar(AJ) for my thirst.(AK)
22 May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and[b] a trap.(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.(AM)
24 Pour out your wrath(AN) on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.
25 May their place be deserted;(AO)
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.(AP)
26 For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.(AQ)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;(AR)
do not let them share in your salvation.(AS)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life(AT)
and not be listed with the righteous.(AU)
29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
may your salvation, God, protect me.(AV)
30 I will praise God’s name in song(AW)
and glorify him(AX) with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hooves.(AY)
32 The poor will see and be glad(AZ)—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!(BA)
33 The Lord hears the needy(BB)
and does not despise his captive people.
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(A)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(S) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(U)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(AD) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
and my portion(AM) forever.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.(A)
10 So then, banish anxiety(B) from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.(C)
12 Remember(D) your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble(E) come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;(F)
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(G)
and mourners(H) go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns(I) to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God(J) who gave it.(K)
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.(N) 10 The Teacher(O) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.(P)
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails(Q)—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.(R)
25 Since we live by the Spirit,(A) let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited,(B) provoking and envying each other.
Doing Good to All
6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit(C) should restore(D) that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(E) 3 If anyone thinks they are something(F) when they are not, they deceive themselves.(G) 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,(H) without comparing themselves to someone else,(I) 5 for each one should carry their own load.(J) 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.(K)
7 Do not be deceived:(L) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.(M) 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh,(N) from the flesh will reap destruction;(O) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.(P) 9 Let us not become weary in doing good,(Q) for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.(R) 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good(S) to all people, especially to those who belong to the family(T) of believers.
Jesus Predicts His Death(A)
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(B) and suffer many things(C) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(D) and that he must be killed(E) and on the third day(F) be raised to life.(G)
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(H) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(I) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(J) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(K) is going to come(L) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(M)
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
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