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.
Put Not Your Trust in Princes
146 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)as long as I live;
(C)I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (D)Put not your trust in princes,
(E)in a son of man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 When (G)his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 (H)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose (I)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 (J)who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
(K)who keeps faith forever;
7 (L)who executes justice for the oppressed,
(M)who gives food to the hungry.
(N)The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 (O)the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
(P)The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
(Q)the Lord loves the righteous.
9 (R)The Lord watches over the sojourners;
(S)he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but (T)the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
He Heals the Brokenhearted
147 (W)Praise the Lord!
For (X)it is good to sing praises to our God;
for (Y)it is pleasant,[a] and (Z)a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
he (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals (AC)the brokenhearted
and (AD)binds up their wounds.
4 He (AE)determines the number of the stars;
he (AF)gives to all of them their names.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord, and (AH)abundant in power;
(AI)his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord (AJ)lifts up the humble;[b]
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 (AK)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on (AL)the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares (AM)rain for the earth;
he makes (AN)grass grow on the hills.
9 He (AO)gives to the beasts their food,
and to (AP)the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in (AQ)the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord (AR)takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who (AS)hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens (AT)the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He (AU)makes peace in your borders;
he (AV)fills you with the (AW)finest of the wheat.
15 He (AX)sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives (AY)snow like wool;
he scatters (AZ)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of (BA)ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his (BB)cold?
18 He (BC)sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his (BD)statutes and rules[c] to Israel.
20 He (BE)has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.[d]
(BF)Praise the Lord!
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.
7 So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, (A)“What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? (B)Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, (C)“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. 4 (D)For we have been sold, I and my people, (E)to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared[a] to do this?” 6 And Esther said, (F)“A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Haman Is Hanged
7 And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into (G)the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. 8 And the king returned from (H)the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on (I)the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. 9 Then (J)Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, (K)the gallows[b] that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, (L)whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits[c] high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” 10 (M)So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. (N)Then the wrath of the king abated.
The Sons of Sceva
11 And (A)God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 (B)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and (C)the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish (D)exorcists (E)undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, (F)“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, (G)“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all[a] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and (H)the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, (I)confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord (J)continued to increase and prevail mightily.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 (A)And Jesus returned (B)in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and (C)a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And (D)he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 (E)And he came to (F)Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And (G)as was his custom, (H)he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up (I)to read. 17 And (J)the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 (K)“The Spirit of the Lord (L)is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to (M)proclaim good news to the poor.
(N)He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and (O)recovering of sight to the blind,
(P)to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 (Q)to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and (R)sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were (S)fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today (T)this Scripture (U)has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at (V)the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, (W)“Is not this (X)Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, (Y)‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did (Z)at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, (AA)no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when (AB)the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them (AC)but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And (AD)there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, (AE)but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and (AF)drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But (AG)passing through their midst, he went away.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.