Book of Common Prayer
93 The Lord rules as king! He is clothed with majesty.
The Lord has clothed himself; he has armed himself with power.
The world was set in place; it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne was set in place a long time ago.
You are eternal.
3 The ocean rises, O Lord.
The ocean rises with a roar.
The ocean rises with its pounding waves.
4 The Lord above is mighty—
mightier than the sound of raging water,
mightier than the foaming waves of the sea.
5 Your written testimonies are completely reliable.
O Lord, holiness is what makes your house beautiful for days without end.
96 Sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Day after day announce that the Lord saves his people.
3 Tell people about his glory.
Tell all the nations about his miracles.
4 The Lord is great!
He should be highly praised.
He should be feared more than all ⌞other⌟ gods
5 because all the gods of the nations are idols.
The Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are in his presence.
Strength and beauty are in his holy place.
7 Give to the Lord, you families of the nations.
Give to the Lord glory and power.
8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves.
Bring an offering, and come into his courtyards.
9 Worship the Lord in ⌞his⌟ holy splendor.
Tremble in his presence, all the earth!
10 Say to the nations, “The Lord rules as king!”
The earth stands firm; it cannot be moved.
He will judge people fairly.
11 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad.
Let the sea and everything in it roar like thunder.
12 Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
Then all the trees in the forest will sing joyfully
13 in the Lord’s presence because he is coming.
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness and its people with his truth.
By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.
34 I will thank the Lord at all times.
My mouth will always praise him.
2 My soul will boast about the Lord.
Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.
3 Praise the Lord’s greatness with me.
Let us highly honor his name together.
4 I went to the Lord for help.
He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5 All who look to him will be radiant.
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
6 Here is a poor man who called out.
The Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The Messenger of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you holy people who belong to him.
Those who fear him are never in need.
10 Young lions go hungry and may starve,
but those who seek the Lord’s help have all the good things they need.
11 Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Which of you wants a full life?
Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?
13 Keep your tongue from saying evil things
and your lips from speaking deceitful things.
14 Turn away from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it!
15 The Lord’s eyes are on righteous people.
His ears hear their cry for help.
16 The Lord confronts those who do evil
in order to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17 ⌞Righteous people⌟ cry out.
The Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those whose hearts are humble.
He saves those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person has many troubles,
but the Lord rescues him from all of them.
20 The Lord guards all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will kill wicked people,
and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.
22 The Lord protects the souls of his servants.
All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.
How Aaron and His Sons Will Bless the Israelites
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you will bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 The Lord will bless you and watch over you.
25 The Lord will smile on you and be kind to you.
26 The Lord will look on you with favor and give you peace.’
27 “So whenever they use my name to bless the Israelites, I will bless them.”
13 Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (a close friend of Herod since childhood), and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.” 3 After fasting and praying, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, and released them ⌞from their work in Antioch⌟.
4 After Barnabas and Saul were sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to the city of Seleucia and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 Arriving in the city of Salamis, they began to spread God’s word in the synagogues. John Mark had gone along to help them. 6 They went through the whole island as far as the city of Paphos.
In Paphos they met a Jewish man named Barjesus. He was an astrologer who claimed to be a prophet. 7 He was associated with an intelligent man, Sergius Paulus, who was the governor of the island. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s word. 8 Elymas, whose name means astrologer, opposed them and tried to distort the meaning of the faith so that the governor wouldn’t believe.
9 But Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of dirty tricks and schemes, you son of the devil! You hate everything that has God’s approval. Quit trying to distort the truth about the way the Lord wants people to live. 11 The Lord is against you now. For a while you will be blind, unable to see the light of day.”
Suddenly, Elymas couldn’t see a thing. He tried to find people to lead him. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. The Lord’s teachings amazed him.
41 Peter asked, “Lord, did you use this illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 The Lord asked, “Who, then, is the faithful, skilled manager that the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their share of food at the right time? 43 That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. 44 I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. 45 On the other hand, that servant may think that his master is taking a long time to come home. The servant may begin to beat the other servants and to eat, drink, and get drunk. 46 His master will return at an unexpected time. Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with unfaithful people.
47 “The servant who knew what his master wanted but didn’t get ready to do it will receive a hard beating. 48 But the servant who didn’t know ⌞what his master wanted⌟ and did things for which he deserved punishment will receive a light beating. A lot will be expected from everyone who has been given a lot. More will be demanded from everyone who has been entrusted with a lot.
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