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.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my (A)shepherd; I shall not (B)want.
2 He makes me lie down in green (C)pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He (D)restores my soul.
He (E)leads me in (F)paths of righteousness[b]
for his (G)name's sake.
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
27 The Lord is my (A)light and my (B)salvation;
(C)whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to (D)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 (E)Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[b] I will be confident.
4 (F)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may (G)dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon (H)the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire[c] in his temple.
5 For he will (I)hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will (J)lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my (K)head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of (L)joy;
(M)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 (N)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, (O)“Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
9 (P)Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
(Q)O God of my salvation!
10 For (R)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will (S)take me in.
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.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for (A)the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, (B)you beasts of the field,
for (C)the pastures of the wilderness are green;
(D)the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and (E)vine give their full yield.
23 (F)“Be glad, O children of Zion,
and (G)rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given (H)the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
(I)the early and (J)the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore[a] to you the years
that (K)the swarming locust has eaten,
(L)the hopper, (M)the destroyer, and (N)the cutter,
(O)my great army, which I sent among you.
26 (P)“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people (Q)shall never again be put to shame.
27 (R)You shall know that I am (S)in the midst of Israel,
and that (T)I am the Lord your God (U)and there is none else.
And my people (V)shall never again be put to shame.
Greeting
1 (A)James, a servant[a] of God and (B)of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To (C)the twelve tribes in (D)the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Testing of Your Faith
2 (E)Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials (F)of various kinds, 3 for you know that (G)the testing of your faith (H)produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be (I)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 (J)If any of you lacks wisdom, (K)let him ask God, (L)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But (M)let him ask in faith, (N)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like (O)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 (P)he is a double-minded man, (Q)unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and (R)the rich in his humiliation, because (S)like a flower of the grass[c] he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and (T)withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 (U)Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive (V)the crown of life, (W)which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire (X)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and (Y)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me (A)the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided (B)his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in (C)reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he (D)was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But (E)when he (F)came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, (G)I have sinned against (H)heaven and before you. 19 (I)I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and (J)ran and (K)embraced him and (L)kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. (M)I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b] 22 But the father said to his servants,[c] ‘Bring quickly (N)the best robe, and put it on him, and put (O)a ring on his hand, and (P)shoes on his feet. 23 And bring (Q)the fattened calf and kill it, and (R)let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son (S)was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might (T)celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, (U)who has devoured (V)your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, (W)you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting (X)to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother (Y)was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.