Book of Common Prayer
A Promise to Rule Well
A psalm of David.
101 I will sing of your ·love [loyalty] and ·fairness [justice; judgment];
Lord, I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to you.
2 I will ·be careful to live [lead; or study] ·an innocent life [the way that is blameless].
When will ·you [or it; C the “way that is blameless”] come to me?
I will ·live [go; walk] ·an innocent life [L in the blamelessness of my heart] in my house.
3 I will not ·look at [L set before my eyes] anything ·wicked [vile].
I hate those who ·turn against you [are crooked/transgressors];
they will not ·be found near [cling to] me.
4 Let those who ·want to do wrong [L have a perverse heart] stay away from me;
I ·will have nothing to do with [L do not know] evil.
5 If anyone secretly ·says things against [slanders] his neighbor,
I will ·stop [destroy; silence] him.
I will not allow people
to ·be proud [L have broad hearts] and ·look down on others [L haughty eyes; 131:1].
6 ·I will look for trustworthy people [L My eyes are on the faithful of the land]
so ·I can live with them [L they may dwell with me].
Only those who ·live innocent lives [L walk in the way of blamelessness]
will ·be my servants [L serve me].
7 No one who ·is dishonest [deceives] will live in my house;
no ·liars [L one who speaks falsehoods] will ·stay around me [L be established before my eyes].
8 Every morning I will ·destroy [silence] all the wicked in the land.
I will ·rid [cut off] the Lord’s city [C Jerusalem; 46:4] of people who do evil.
A Prayer Against an Enemy
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Do not be silent.
2 ·Wicked [L The mouth of evil] people and ·liars [L the mouth of deceivers] have ·spoken [L opened] against me;
they ·have told lies about me [L speak against me with lying tongues].
3 They have ·said hateful things about me [L surrounded me with hateful words]
and attack me for no reason.
4 They ·attacked [accuse; charge] me, ·even though I loved them
and prayed for them [in return for my love and prayer].
5 I was good to them, but they ·repay [reward] me with evil.
I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6 They say about me [C this added phrase suggests another speaker, or perhaps the psalmist is speaking about his accusers], “·Have an evil person work [L Appoint an evil person] against him,
and let an ·accuser [adversary] stand ·against him [L at his right hand; Job 1:6].
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let even his prayers ·show [be counted as] his ·guilt [sin].
8 Let his ·life [L days] be ·cut short [brief],
and let another man ·replace him as leader [take his position/office; Acts 1:20].
9 Let his children become orphans
and his wife a widow [C socially vulnerable, dependent on others].
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food [Jer. 18:21].
Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 Let ·the people to whom he owes money [creditors] ·take [ensnare] everything he owns [2 Kin. 4:1],
and let strangers ·steal [plunder] everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one ·show [extend to] him ·love [loyalty]
or have ·mercy [compassion] on his orphaned children.
13 Let all his descendants ·die [L be cut off]
and ·be forgotten [L their name be blotted/wiped out] by ·those who live after him [L a later generation].
14 Lord, ·remember how wicked his ancestors were [L let the guilt of his fathers be remembered],
and don’t let the sins of his mother be ·wiped [blotted] out.
15 ·Lord, always remember their sins [L Let them be before the Lord forever].
·Then make people forget about them completely [L Let memory of them be cut off from the land].
16 “He did not remember to be ·loving [loyal].
He ·hurt [persecuted; L pursued] the poor, the needy, and those who were ·sad [depressed; L brokenhearted]
·until they were nearly dead [L to their death].
17 He loved to put curses on others,
so let those same curses ·fall on [L come to] him.
He did not like to bless others,
so ·do not let good things happen to him [L let them (blessings) be far from him].
18 He ·cursed others as often as he wore clothes [L wore curses like a coat].
·Cursing others filled his body and his life,
like drinking water and using olive oil [L Let them come like water in his innards and like oil in his bones].
19 So let curses ·cover [wrap] him like ·clothes [a garment]
and ·wrap around him like a belt [L continually gird him].”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who ·accuse [charge] me,
to those who speak evil against me.
21 But you, Lord God,
·be kind to me so others will know you are good [L act on my behalf for the sake of your name].
Because your ·love [loyalty] is good, ·save [protect] me.
22 I am poor and helpless
and ·very sad [L my heart is pierced/wounded in me].
23 I am ·dying [L gone] like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees ·are weak [buckle; stumble] from fasting,
and ·I have grown thin [L my flesh is lean of fat].
25 ·My enemies insult me [L I am a reproach to them];
they look at me and shake their heads [C in scorn].
26 Lord my God, help me;
because you are ·loving [loyal], ·save me [give me victory].
27 Then they will know that ·your power has done this [L this is your hand];
they will know that you have done it, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
They may ·attack [L rise against] me, but they will be ·disgraced [embarrassed].
Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who ·accuse [charge; attack] me be ·disgraced [L clothed with disgrace]
and ·covered [wrapped up] with shame like a coat.
30 I will ·thank [praise] the Lord very much [L with my mouth];
I will praise him in ·front [the midst] of many people.
121 I have done what is ·fair [just] and ·right [righteous].
Don’t leave me to ·those who wrong me [my oppressors/exploiters].
122 ·Promise that you will help me, [L Stand as security for/Guarantee good for] your servant.
Don’t let ·proud [arrogant] people ·wrong [oppress; exploit] me.
123 My eyes ·are tired from looking [fail; grow weak] for your ·salvation [victory]
and for your good promise.
124 ·Show your love to me, your servant [Deal with your servant according to your love/loyalty],
and teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
125 I am your servant. ·Give me wisdom [Make me understand]
so I can ·understand [know] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
126 Lord, it is time for you to do something,
because ·people have disobeyed your teachings [L your teachings/instructions/laws have been broken].
127 I love your commands
more than ·the purest gold [L gold, the finest gold].
128 I ·respect [or follow] all your ·orders [precepts],
so I hate ·lying [false] ways.
129 Your ·rules [decrees; testimonies] are wonderful.
That is why I ·keep [protect] them.
130 ·Learning [L Opening] your words ·gives wisdom [illuminates; gives light]
and understanding for the ·foolish [immature; simpleminded].
131 ·I am nearly out of breath [L I crack/open my mouth and pant].
I ·really want to learn [L long for] your commands.
132 ·Look at [L Turn to] me and have ·mercy [compassion] on me
·as you do [L as is your custom] for those who love ·you [L your name].
133 ·Guide my steps [L Steady my feet] as you promised;
don’t let any ·sin [guilt] ·control [dominate] me.
134 ·Save [Redeem] me from ·harmful [L oppressive; exploitative] people
so I can ·obey [keep; guard] your ·orders [precepts].
135 ·Show your kindness to [L Make your face shine on] me, your servant [Num. 6:24–26].
Teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
136 ·Tears stream [L Streams of water come down] from my eyes,
because people do not ·obey [keep; guard] your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
137 Lord, you ·do what is right [are righteous],
and your ·laws [judgments] are ·fair [virtuous; upright].
138 ·The rules [L Your decrees/testimonies] you commanded are ·right [righteous]
and completely ·trustworthy [true; faithful].
139 ·I am so upset I am worn out [L My passion/zeal consumes; or silences me],
because my ·enemies [foes] have forgotten your words.
140 Your promises are ·proven [refined],
so I, your servant, love them.
141 I am ·unimportant [small] and ·hated [despised],
but I have not forgotten your ·orders [precepts].
142 Your ·goodness continues forever [righteousness is an everlasting righteousness],
and your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are ·true [faithful].
143 ·I have had troubles and misery [L Distress and pressure have found me],
but I ·love [delight in] your commands.
144 Your ·rules [decrees; testimonies] are always ·good [righteous].
·Help [Make] me understand so I can live.
15 Manoah said to the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord, “We would like you to stay awhile so we can cook a young goat for you.”
16 The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord answered, “Even if I stay awhile, I would not eat your food. But if you want to prepare something, offer a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord.” (Manoah did not understand that the man was really the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord.)
17 Then Manoah asked the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord, “What is your name? Then we will honor you when what you have said really happens.”
18 The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord said, “Why do you ask my name? It is ·too amazing for you to understand [beyond comprehension; wonderful; Is. 9:6].” 19 So Manoah sacrificed a young goat on a rock and offered ·some grain as a gift [a grain/gift/tribute offering; Lev. 2:1] to the Lord. Then ·an amazing thing happened [or the Lord did an amazing thing] as Manoah and his wife watched. 20 As the flames went up to ·the sky [heaven] from the altar, the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord ·went up [ascended] in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they bowed facedown on the ground. 21 The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord did not appear to them again. Then Manoah ·understood [realized; knew] that the man was really the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord. 22 Manoah said, “We have seen ·God [or a divine being; C Hebrew: Elohim; v. 3], so we will surely die [6:23; Gen. 16:13].”
23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] or ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1]. He would not have shown us all these things or told us all this.”
24 So the woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson [C related to the Hebrew word for “sun”; perhaps “sun-like” or “light from God”; Mal. 4:2]. He grew, and the Lord blessed him.
Seven Leaders Are Chosen
6 The number of ·followers [disciples] was ·growing [multiplying]. But during ·this same time [those days], the ·Greek-speaking followers [L Hellenists; C Jewish Christians who spoke primarily Greek and had returned to Israel after living abroad] ·had an argument with [began grumbling/complaining against] the ·other followers [L Hebrews; C Aramaic speaking Jewish Christians born in Israel]. The Greek-speaking widows were ·not getting their share [being neglected/overlooked in the distribution] of the food that was given out every day. 2 The ·twelve apostles [Twelve] called the whole group of ·followers [L disciples] together and said, “It is not right for us to ·stop our work of teaching God’s word [L leave/abandon the word of God] in order to serve tables. 3 So, ·brothers and sisters [or brothers; C uncertain whether women would have been included in that culture], choose seven of your own men who ·are good [have a good reputation], full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We will ·put [appoint] them in charge of this ·work [responsibility; L need]. 4 Then we [apostles] can ·continue [devote ourselves] to pray and to ·teach [L the ministry/service of] the word of God.”
5 The whole group ·liked [was pleased with] the idea, so they chose these seven men: Stephen (a man ·with great [L full of] faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip [C not the apostle of the same name], Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a man from Antioch [C a major city in Syria] who ·had become a follower of the Jewish religion [L was a prosylete; C a Gentile convert to Judaism]. 6 Then they ·put [presented] these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands [C a ritual of blessing and/or conferring of authority] on them.
7 The word of God was continuing to spread. The ·group [number] of ·followers [disciples] in Jerusalem [quickly; or greatly] ·increased [multiplied], and a great number of the Jewish priests ·believed and obeyed [L become obedient to the faith].
Stephen Is Accused
8 Stephen was ·richly blessed by God who gave him the power [L full of grace and power] to do great ·miracles [wonders] and signs among the people. 9 But some people ·were [rose up] against him. They belonged to the synagogue of Free Men [C Jews who were freed slaves] (as it was called), which included people from Cyrene, Alexandria [C both in North Africa], Cilicia, and Asia [C both in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey]. They all ·came [rose up; came forward] and ·argued [debated; disputed] with Stephen.
10 But ·the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him [L they could not resist the wisdom and Spirit/spirit by which he spoke]. 11 So they ·secretly urged [or bribed] some men to say, “We heard Stephen ·speak [L speaking blasphemous words] against Moses and against God.”
12 They ·stirred up [roused; incited] the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law. They ·came [or confronted] and grabbed Stephen and brought him to ·a meeting of the leaders [L the Sanhedrin; 4:15]. 13 They brought in some ·people to tell lies about Stephen [L false witnesses], saying, “This man is always speaking against this holy place [C the Temple] and the law of Moses. 14 We heard him say that Jesus ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene] will destroy this place and that Jesus will change the customs Moses gave us [C for a similar charge leveled against Jesus see Matt. 26:61; Mark 14:58].” 15 All the people [who sat] in the ·meeting [L Sanhedrin; 4:15] ·were watching Stephen closely [or stared intently at Stephen] ·and [or because they] saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
Jesus and a Samaritan Woman
4 The Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more ·followers [disciples] than John, 2 although Jesus himself did not baptize people, but his ·followers [disciples] did. 3 Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so he left Judea [C the southern region of Israel] and went back to Galilee [C the northern region of Israel; Mark 1:14]. 4 But on the way he had to go through the country of Samaria [C the central region occupied by a people disliked because they were only partly Jewish].
5 In Samaria Jesus came to the town called Sychar [C perhaps Shechem or a village near it; compare Gen. 33:18–19; 48:22], which is near the ·field [plot of ground] Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from ·his long trip [L the journey], so he sat down beside the well. It was about ·twelve o’clock noon [L the sixth hour; C hours were counted from dawn, about 6 AM]. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to the well to ·get some [draw] water, Jesus said to her, “·Please give [L Give] me a drink.” 8 (This happened while Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] were in town buying some food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said, “·I am surprised [L How is it…?] that you ask me for a drink, since you are a ·Jewish man [L a Jew] and I am a Samaritan woman.” (Jewish people ·are not friends [do not share things; have no dealings] with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus ·said [answered; replied], “If you only knew the ·free gift [L gift] of God and who it is that is asking you ·for water [L “Give me a drink”], you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” [C “Living water” in Greek can mean fresh running water, but Jesus means “water which gives eternal life”; the woman misunderstands this play on words.]
11 The woman said, “Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have ·nothing to get water with [L no bucket]. 12 Are you greater than Jacob, our father [C a patriarch recognized by both Jews and Samaritans], who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and ·flocks [or livestock]?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again [C because physical water only temporarily satisfies thirst], 14 but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty [C because spiritual renewal/eternal life is forever]. [L But; Indeed] The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life [Is. 12:3; 49:10; 55:1–3; Rev. 7:16].”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to ·get [draw] more water.” [C Her response indicates she does not understand.]
16 Jesus told her, “Go ·get [call] your husband and come back here.”
17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You are right to say you have no husband. 18 ·Really [For] you have had five husbands, and the man you ·live with [L have] now is not your husband. You told the truth.”
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ·ancestors [forefathers; L fathers] worshiped on this mountain [C the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim near Shechem], but you [C plural, referring to the Jews] say that Jerusalem [C Mount Zion, the location of the temple] is the place where people must worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman [C a respectful form of address in that culture; 2:4]. The ·time [L hour; C the time of salvation established by the death and resurrection of Christ; see 2:4] is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you ·actually worship [L worship] the Father. 22 You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We [C Jews] understand what we worship, because salvation comes from the Jews [C because the Messiah who brings salvation comes through the Jews]. 23 [L But] The ·time [L hour; see 4:21] is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in ·spirit [or the Spirit] and truth, and that time ·is here already [has now come; is now here]. You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is ·spirit [Spirit], and those who worship him must worship in ·spirit [Spirit] and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (Messiah is the One called Christ [C both Hebrew Mashiach and Greek Christos mean “Anointed One”; see 1:41].) “When ·the Messiah [L that one] comes, he will ·explain [report; announce] everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus said to her, “I am he—I, the one talking to you.”
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