Book of Common Prayer

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, ^(A)when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

¹⁵ On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ And the city and all that is within it shall be ^(A)devoted to the Lord for destruction.^[a] Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she ^(B)hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel ^(C)a thing for destruction and ^(D)bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” ²⁰ So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and ^(E)the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. ²¹ Then they ^(F)devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

²² But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, ^(G)as you swore to her.” ²³ So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and ^(H)her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴ And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. ^(I)Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. ²⁵ But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And ^(J)she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

²⁶ Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, ^(K)“Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.

^27 (L)So the Lord was with Joshua, and ^(M)his fame was in all the land.

Paul Before the Council

³⁰ But on the next day, ^(A)desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, ^(B)I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest ^(C)Ananias commanded those who stood by him ^(D)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you ^(E)whitewashed ^(F)wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet ^(G)contrary to the law you ^(H)order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile ^(I)God's high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, ^(J)“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ^(K)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were ^(L)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, ^(M)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is ^(N)with respect to the ^(O)hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees ^(P)say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and some of ^(Q)the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, ^(R)“We find nothing wrong in this man. What ^(S)if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into ^(T)the barracks.

^11 (U)The following night ^(V)the Lord stood by him and said, ^(W)“Take courage, for ^(X)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must ^(Y)testify also in Rome.”

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to ^(A)Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ^3 (B)And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, ^(C)they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus ^(D)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, ^(E)your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? ^(F)He is blaspheming! ^(G)Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, ^(H)perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that ^(I)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and ^(J)glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”