Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 101[a]
A psalm of David.
101 I will sing about loyalty and justice.
To you, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will walk[b] in the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace.[c]
3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest.[d]
I hate doing evil;[e]
I will have no part of it.[f]
4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person;[g]
I will not permit[h] evil.
5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a haughty demeanor and an arrogant attitude.[i]
6 I will favor the honest people of the land,[j]
and allow them to live with me.[k]
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me.[l]
7 Deceitful people will not live in my palace.[m]
Liars will not be welcome in my presence.[n]
8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Psalm 109[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me.[b]
2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me.[c]
3 They surround me and say hateful things;[d]
they attack me for no reason.
4 They repay my love with accusations,[e]
but I continue to pray.[f]
5 They repay me evil for good,[g]
and hate for love.
6 [h] Appoint an evil man to testify against him.[i]
May an accuser stand[j] at his right side.
7 When he is judged, he will be found[k] guilty.[l]
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
8 May his days be few.[m]
May another take his job.[n]
9 May his children[o] be fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children[p] roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.[q]
11 May the creditor seize[r] all he owns.
May strangers loot his property.[s]
12 May no one show him kindness.[t]
May no one have compassion[u] on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants[v] be cut off.[w]
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives.[x]
14 May his ancestors’[y] sins be remembered by the Lord.
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten.[z]
15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them,[aa]
and cut off the memory of his children[ab] from the earth.
16 For he never bothered to show kindness;[ac]
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened.[ad]
17 He loved to curse[ae] others, so those curses have come upon him.[af]
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.[ag]
18 He made cursing a way of life,[ah]
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil.[ai]
19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on,[aj]
or a belt[ak] one wears continually.
20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way,[al]
those who say evil things about[am] me.[an]
21 O Sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation.[ao]
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me.
22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me.[ap]
23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day;[aq]
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 I am so starved my knees shake;[ar]
I have turned into skin and bones.[as]
25 I am disdained by them.[at]
When they see me, they shake their heads.[au]
26 Help me, O Lord my God.
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me.[av]
27 Then they will realize[aw] this is your work,[ax]
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
28 They curse, but you will bless.[ay]
When they attack, they will be humiliated,[az]
but your servant will rejoice.
29 My accusers will be covered[ba] with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
30 I will thank the Lord profusely.[bb]
In the middle of a crowd[bc] I will praise him,
ע (Ayin)
121 I do what is fair and right.[a]
Do not abandon me to my oppressors.
122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant.[b]
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance,[c]
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled.[d]
124 Show your servant your loyal love.[e]
Teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand[f] your rules.
126 It is time for the Lord to act—
they break your law.
127 For this reason[g] I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts.[h]
I hate all deceitful actions.[i]
פ (Pe)
129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines.[j]
They give[k] insight to the untrained.[l]
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long[m] for your commands.
132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers.[n]
133 Direct my steps by your word.[o]
Do not let any sin dominate me.
134 Deliver me[p] from oppressive men,
so that I can keep[q] your precepts.
135 Smile[r] on your servant.
Teach me your statutes!
136 Tears stream down from my eyes,[s]
because people[t] do not keep your law.
צ (Tsade)
137 You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
138 The rules you impose are just,[u]
and absolutely reliable.
139 My zeal[v] consumes[w] me,
for my enemies forget your instructions.[x]
140 Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your justice endures,[y]
and your law is reliable.[z]
143 Distress and hardship confront[aa] me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
144 Your rules remain just.[ab]
Give me insight so that I can live.[ac]
Judgment of Pagan Idolatry and Cultic Prostitution
11 Old and new wine
take away the understanding of my people.[a]
12 They consult their wooden idols,
and their diviner’s staff answers with an oracle.
The wind of prostitution blows them astray;
they commit spiritual adultery[b] against their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills;
they sacrifice[c] under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is so pleasant.
As a result, your daughters have become cult prostitutes,
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery!
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery.
For the men consort with harlots,
they sacrifice with temple prostitutes.
It is true:[d] “A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!”
Warning to Judah: Do Not Join in Israel’s Apostasy
15 Although you, O Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty!
Do not journey to Gilgal.
Do not go up to Beth Aven.[e]
Do not swear, “As surely as the Lord lives!”
16 Israel has rebelled[f] like a stubborn heifer!
Soon[g] the Lord will put them out to pasture
like a lamb in a broad field.[h]
17 Ephraim has attached himself to idols;
Do not go near him!
The Shameful Sinners Will Be Brought to Shame
18 They consume their alcohol,
then engage in cult prostitution;
they dearly love their shameful behavior.
19 A whirlwind has wrapped them in its wings;
they will be brought to shame because of their idolatrous worship.[i]
15 After these days we got ready[a] and started up[b] to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea[c] came along with us too, and brought us to the house[d] of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,[e] with whom we were to stay. 17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.[f] 18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.[g] 19 When Paul[h] had greeted them, he began to explain[i] in detail[j] what God[k] had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised[l] God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews[m] there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers[n] of the law.[o] 21 They have been informed about you—that you teach all the Jews now living[p] among the Gentiles to abandon[q] Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children[r] or live[s] according to our customs. 22 What then should we do? They will no doubt[t] hear that you have come. 23 So do what[u] we tell you: We have four men[v] who have taken[w] a vow;[x] 24 take them and purify[y] yourself along with them and pay their expenses,[z] so that they may have their heads shaved.[aa] Then[ab] everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told[ac] about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with[ad] the law.[ae] 25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided[af] that they should avoid[ag] meat that has been sacrificed to idols[ah] and blood and what has been strangled[ai] and sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men the next day,[aj] and after he had purified himself[ak] along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice[al] of the completion of the days of purification,[am] when[an] the sacrifice would be offered for each[ao] of them.
The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners
27 After[a] this, Jesus[b] went out and saw a tax collector[c] named Levi[d] sitting at the tax booth.[e] “Follow me,”[f] he said to him. 28 And he got up and followed him, leaving everything[g] behind.[h]
29 Then[i] Levi gave a great banquet[j] in his house for Jesus,[k] and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting[l] at the table with them. 30 But[m] the Pharisees[n] and their experts in the law[o] complained[p] to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”[q] 31 Jesus[r] answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.[s] 32 I have not come[t] to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”[u]
The Superiority of the New
33 Then[v] they said to him, “John’s[w] disciples frequently fast[x] and pray,[y] and so do the disciples of the Pharisees,[z] but yours continue to eat and drink.”[aa] 34 So[ab] Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the wedding guests[ac] fast while the bridegroom[ad] is with them, can you?[ae] 35 But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken from them,[af] at that time[ag] they will fast.” 36 He also told them a parable:[ah] “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews[ai] it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn[aj] the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.[ak] 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.[al] If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins.[am] 39 [an] No[ao] one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”[ap]
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