Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 56
A Call for God’s Protection
For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
2 My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[a](B)
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.(C)
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?(D)
5 They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(E)
6 They stir up strife,[b] they lurk,
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(F)
7 Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(G)
8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings.[c]
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?(H)
9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(I)
This I know: God is for me.(J)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere humans do to me?(K)
12 I am obligated by vows[d] to you, God;
I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.(L)
13 For you rescued me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(M)
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(N)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in you.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings
until danger passes.(O)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.[e](P)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(Q)Selah
God sends his faithful love and truth.(R)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down among devouring lions—
people whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(S)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let your glory be over the whole earth.(T)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(U)Selah
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(V)
8 Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(W)
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.(X)
10 For your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(Y)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(Z)
let your glory be over the whole earth.(AA)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[f]
Do you judge people fairly?(AB)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(AC)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars wander about from birth.(AD)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(AE)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(AF)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(AG)
7 May they vanish like water that flows by;
may they aim their blunted arrows.[g](AH)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
may they not see the sun.(AI)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
he will sweep them away.[h](AJ)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(AK)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(AL)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!” (AM)
Psalm 64
Protection from Evildoers
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 God, hear my voice when I am in anguish.(A)
Protect my life from the terror of the enemy.(B)
2 Hide me from the scheming of wicked people,(C)
from the mob of evildoers,(D)
3 who sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim bitter words like arrows,(E)
4 shooting from concealed places at the blameless.
They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.(F)
5 They adopt[a] an evil plan;
they talk about hiding traps and say,
“Who will see them?” [b](G)
6 They devise crimes and say,
“We have perfected a secret plan.”(H)
The inner man and the heart are mysterious.(I)
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly, they will be wounded.(J)
8 They will be made to stumble;
their own tongues work against them.
All who see them will shake their heads.(K)
9 Then everyone will fear
and will tell about God’s work,
for they will understand what he has done.(L)
10 The righteous one rejoices in the Lord
and takes refuge in him;
all those who are upright in heart
will offer praise.(M)
Psalm 65
God’s Care for the Earth
For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise is rightfully yours,[c]
God, in Zion;
vows to you will be fulfilled.(N)
2 All humanity will come to you,
the one who hears prayer.(O)
3 Iniquities overwhelm me;
only you can atone for our rebellions.(P)
4 How happy is the one you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,(Q)
the holiness of your temple.[d](R)
5 You answer us in righteousness,
with awe-inspiring works,
God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the distant seas.(S)
6 You establish the mountains by your power;
you are robed with strength.(T)
7 You silence the roar of the seas,
the roar of their waves,
and the tumult of the nations.(U)
8 Those who live far away are awed by your signs;
you make east and west shout for joy.(V)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for you prepare the earth in this way,
providing people with grain.(W)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(X)
11 You crown the year with your goodness;
your carts overflow with plenty.[e](Y)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(Z)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(AA)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(AB)
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion,(A) and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.(B) 2 I heard a sound[a] from heaven like the sound of cascading waters(C) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps.(D) 3 They sang[b] a new song(E) before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders,(F) but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins.(G) These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed[c] from humanity as the firstfruits(H) for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.(I)
The Proclamation of Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel(J) flying high overhead,(K) with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.(L) 7 He spoke with a loud voice:(M) “Fear God(N) and give him glory,(O) because the hour of his judgment has come.(P) Worship the one who made heaven and earth,(Q) the sea and the springs of water.”
8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great(R) has fallen.[d] She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality,[e] which brings wrath.”(S)
9 And another, a third angel, followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is poured full strength into the cup of his anger.(T) He will be tormented with fire and sulfur(U) in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever.(V) There is no rest[f](W) day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or anyone who receives the mark(X) of its name. 12 This calls for endurance from the saints,(Y) who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”[g]
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”(Z)
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they will rest from their labors, since their works follow them.”
Not Peace but Division
49 “I came(A) to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo,(B) and how it consumes(C) me until it is finished!(D) 51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth?(E) No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son,
son against father,
mother against daughter,
daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”[a](F)
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds,(G) “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does.(H) 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites!(I) You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?(J)
Settling Accounts
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?(K) 58 As you are going with your adversary(L) to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge,(M) the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.(N) 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.”[b](O)
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