Book of Common Prayer
O God, Do Not Keep Silence
A Song. A Psalm of (A)Asaph.
83 O God, do not keep silence;
(B)do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies (C)make an uproar;
those who hate you have (D)raised their heads.
3 They lay (E)crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your (F)treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, (G)let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
6 the tents of (H)Edom and (I)the Ishmaelites,
(J)Moab and (K)the Hagrites,
7 (L)Gebal and (M)Ammon and (N)Amalek,
(O)Philistia with the inhabitants of (P)Tyre;
8 (Q)Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of (R)the children of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them as you did to (S)Midian,
as to (T)Sisera and Jabin at (U)the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at (V)En-dor,
who became (W)dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (X)Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like (Y)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, (Z)“Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like (AA)whirling dust,[a]
like (AB)chaff before the wind.
14 As (AC)fire consumes the forest,
as the flame (AD)sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them (AE)with your tempest
and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 (AF)Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be (AG)put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
18 that they may (AH)know that you alone,
(AI)whose name is the Lord,
are (AJ)the Most High over all the earth.
Taste and See That the Lord Is Good
[a] Of David, when he (A)changed his behavior before (B)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
34 I will bless the Lord (C)at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul (D)makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and (E)be glad.
3 Oh, (F)magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
4 I (G)sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are (H)radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 (I)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and (J)saved him out of all his troubles.
7 (K)The angel of the Lord (L)encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, (M)taste and see that (N)the Lord is good!
(O)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 (P)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who (Q)seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 (R)Come, O children, listen to me;
(S)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 (T)What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may (U)see good?
13 (V)Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from (W)speaking deceit.
14 (X)Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and (Y)pursue it.
15 (Z)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
(AA)and his ears toward their cry.
16 (AB)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to (AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 (AD)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to (AE)the brokenhearted
and saves (AF)the crushed in spirit.
19 (AG)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
(AH)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
(AI)not one of them is broken.
21 (AJ)Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord (AK)redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be (AL)condemned.
Revive Us Again
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.
85 Lord, you were (B)favorable to your land;
you (C)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You (D)forgave the iniquity of your people;
you (E)covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you (F)turned from your hot anger.
4 (G)Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 (H)Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not (I)revive us again,
that your people may (J)rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 (K)Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will (L)speak peace to his people, to his (M)saints;
but let them not (N)turn back to (O)folly.
9 Surely his (P)salvation is near to those who fear him,
that (Q)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (R)Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
(S)righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, (T)the Lord will give what is good,
and our land (U)will yield its increase.
13 (V)Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
(W)A Prayer of David.
86 (X)Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am (Y)poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am (Z)godly;
save your servant, who (AA)trusts in you—you are my God.
3 (AB)Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for (AC)to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and (AD)forgiving,
(AE)abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 (AF)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In (AG)the day of my trouble I call upon you,
(AH)for you answer me.
8 There is (AI)none like you among the gods, O Lord,
(AJ)nor are there any works like yours.
9 (AK)All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For (AL)you are great and (AM)do wondrous things;
(AN)you alone are God.
11 (AO)Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may (AP)walk in your truth;
(AQ)unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 (AR)For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have (AS)delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have (AT)risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God (AU)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 (AV)Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to (AW)your servant,
and save (AX)the son of your maidservant.
17 (AY)Show me a sign of your (AZ)favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses
12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? (A)Has he not spoken through us also?” And (B)the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4 And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5 And (C)the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him (D)in a vision; I speak with him (E)in a dream. 7 Not so with (F)my servant Moses. (G)He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak (H)mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in (I)riddles, and he beholds (J)the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, (K)Miriam was (L)leprous,[a] like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, (M)do not punish us[b] because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but (N)spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be (O)shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam (P)was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from (Q)Hazeroth, and camped in (R)the wilderness of Paran.
God's Judgment and the Law
12 For all who have sinned (A)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For (B)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, (C)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is (D)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 (E)on that day when, (F)according to my gospel, God judges (G)the secrets of men (H)by Christ Jesus.
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and (I)rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are (J)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law (K)the embodiment of (L)knowledge and truth— 21 (M)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you (N)rob temples? 23 You who (O)boast in the law (P)dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, (Q)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed (R)among the Gentiles because of you.”
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise (A)one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven (B)their angels always (C)see the face of my Father who is in heaven.[a] 12 (D)What do you think? (E)If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So (F)it is not the will of my[b] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 (G)“If your brother sins against you, (H)go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have (I)gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established (J)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, (K)tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, (L)let him be to you as (M)a Gentile and (N)a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, (O)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you (P)agree on earth about anything they ask, (Q)it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are (R)gathered in my name, (S)there am I among them.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.