Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 75[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;(A)
people tell of your wonderful deeds.(B)
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;(C)
it is I who judge with equity.(D)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,(E)
it is I who hold its pillars(F) firm.[b]
4 To the arrogant(G) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(H)
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[c](I)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.(J)’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:(K)
He brings one down, he exalts another.(L)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed(M) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.(N)
9 As for me, I will declare(O) this forever;
I will sing(P) praise to the God of Jacob,(Q)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(R)
Psalm 76[d]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.(S)
2 His tent is in Salem,(T)
his dwelling place in Zion.(U)
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,(V)
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[e](W)
4 You are radiant with light,(X)
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant(Y) lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;(Z)
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke,(AA) God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot(AB) lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.(AC)
Who can stand(AD) before you when you are angry?(AE)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared(AF) and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,(AG)
to save all the afflicted(AH) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(AI)
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[f]
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd,(A) I lack nothing.(B)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,(C)
3 he refreshes my soul.(D)
He guides me(E) along the right paths(F)
for his name’s sake.(G)
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a](H)
I will fear no evil,(I)
for you are with me;(J)
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 27
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light(A) and my salvation(B)—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold(C) of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?(D)
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.(E)
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;(F)
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.(G)
4 One thing(H) I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,(I)
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble(J)
he will keep me safe(K) in his dwelling;
he will hide me(L) in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.(M)
6 Then my head will be exalted(N)
above the enemies who surround me;(O)
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice(P) with shouts of joy;(Q)
I will sing(R) and make music(S) to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice(T) when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.(U)
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!(V)”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face(W) from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;(X)
you have been my helper.(Y)
Do not reject me or forsake(Z) me,
God my Savior.(AA)
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way,(AB) Lord;
lead me in a straight path(AC)
because of my oppressors.(AD)
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses(AE) rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
The Levites
3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses(A) at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.(B)
2 The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn(C) and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.(D) 3 Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests,(E) who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord(F) when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.(G) They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar(H) served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.(I)
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi(J) and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.(K) 7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community(L) at the tent of meeting by doing the work(M) of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons;(N) they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.[a] 10 Appoint Aaron(O) and his sons to serve as priests;(P) anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”(Q)
11 The Lord also said to Moses, 12 “I have taken the Levites(R) from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring(S) of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine,(T) 13 for all the firstborn are mine.(U) When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”(V)
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!(A)
12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh(B) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.(C) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted(D) for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,(E) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.(F) 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,(G) through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.(H) 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;(I) what counts is the new creation.(J) 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks(K) of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ(L) be with your spirit,(M) brothers and sisters. Amen.
The Transfiguration(A)(B)
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(C) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(D) Listen to him!”(E)
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(F) 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(G) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(H) has been raised from the dead.”(I)
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(J) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(K) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(L) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(M) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(N)
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