Book of Common Prayer
I Will Walk with Integrity
A Psalm of David.
101 I will sing of (A)steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will (B)ponder the way (C)that is blameless.
Oh when will you (D)come to me?
I will (E)walk with (F)integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything (G)that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who (H)fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 (I)A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will (J)know nothing of evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor (K)secretly
I will (L)destroy.
Whoever has a (M)haughty look and an (N)arrogant heart
I will not endure.
6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in (O)the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.
Help Me, O Lord My God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
109 (A)Be not silent, O (B)God of my praise!
2 For wicked and (C)deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me (D)without cause.
4 In return for my love they (E)accuse me,
but I (F)give myself to prayer.[a]
5 So they (G)reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 (H)Appoint a wicked man (I)against him;
let an accuser stand (J)at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his (K)prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his (L)days be few;
may (M)another take his (N)office!
9 May his (O)children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10 May his children (P)wander about and beg,
(Q)seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11 May (R)the creditor seize all that he has;
may (S)strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 Let there be none to (T)extend kindness to him,
nor any to (U)pity his fatherless children!
13 May his (V)posterity be cut off;
may his (W)name be blotted out in the second generation!
14 May (X)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be (Y)blotted out!
15 (Z)Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may (AA)cut off the memory of them from the earth!
16 For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued (AB)the poor and needy
and (AC)the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17 (AD)He loved to curse; let curses come[b] upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far[c] from him!
18 He (AE)clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it (AF)soak[d] into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
20 May this be the reward of my (AG)accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
21 But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf (AH)for your name's sake;
because your (AI)steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22 For I am (AJ)poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23 I am gone like (AK)a shadow at evening;
I am (AL)shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak (AM)through fasting;
my (AN)body has become gaunt, with no fat.
25 I am (AO)an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they (AP)wag their heads.
26 (AQ)Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27 Let them (AR)know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 (AS)Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but (AT)your servant will be glad!
29 May my accusers be (AU)clothed with dishonor;
may they (AV)be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will (AW)praise him in the midst of the throng.
Ayin
121 I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Give your servant (A)a pledge of good;
let not (B)the insolent oppress me.
123 My (C)eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and (D)teach me your statutes.
125 I am your (E)servant; (F)give me understanding,
that I may know your testimonies!
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
for your law has been broken.
127 Therefore I (G)love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
I hate every (H)false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are (I)wonderful;
therefore my soul (J)keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts (K)understanding to the simple.
131 I (L)open my mouth and (M)pant,
because I (N)long for your commandments.
132 (O)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
133 (P)Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity (Q)get dominion over me.
134 (R)Redeem me from man's oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135 (S)Make your face shine upon your servant,
and (T)teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes (U)shed streams of tears,
because people (V)do not keep your law.
Tsadhe
137 (W)Righteous are you, O Lord,
and right are your rules.
138 You have appointed your testimonies in (X)righteousness
and in all (Y)faithfulness.
139 My (Z)zeal consumes me,
because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well (AA)tried,
and your servant (AB)loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not (AC)forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is (AD)true.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my (AE)delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
(AF)give me understanding that I may (AG)live.
11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which (A)take away the understanding.
12 My people (B)inquire of a piece of wood,
and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For (C)a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the whore.
13 (D)They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
and burn offerings on the hills,
(E)under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and your brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for (F)the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
and sacrifice with (G)cult prostitutes,
and a people (H)without understanding shall come to ruin.
15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Paul Visits James
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, (A)the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to (B)James, and all (C)the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, (D)he related one by one (E)the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his (F)ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they (G)glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all (H)zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all (I)the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, (J)telling them (K)not to circumcise their children or (L)walk according to (M)our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men (N)who are under a vow; 24 take these men and (O)purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, (P)so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, (Q)we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,[a] and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day (R)he purified himself along with them and (S)went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and (T)the offering presented for each one of them.
Jesus Calls Levi
27 (A)After this he went out and saw (B)a tax collector named (C)Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And (D)leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company (E)of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and (F)their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, (G)“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 (H)I have not come to call the righteous (I)but sinners (J)to repentance.”
A Question About Fasting
33 And they said to him, (K)“The disciples of John (L)fast often and (M)offer prayers, (N)and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, (O)“Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 (P)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and (Q)then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old (R)wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”[a]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.