Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 8[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] A psalm of David.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name(A) in all the earth!
You have set your glory(B)
in the heavens.(C)
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold(D) against your enemies,
to silence the foe(E) and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,(F)
the work of your fingers,(G)
the moon and the stars,(H)
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c](I)
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e](J)
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.(K)
6 You made them rulers(L) over the works of your hands;(M)
you put everything under their[g] feet:(N)
7 all flocks and herds,(O)
and the animals of the wild,(P)
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,(Q)
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!(R)
Psalm 47[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
2 For the Lord Most High(C) is awesome,(D)
the great King(E) over all the earth.
3 He subdued(F) nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance(G) for us,
the pride of Jacob,(H) whom he loved.[b]
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s,(A) and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;(B)
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.(C)
3 Who may ascend the mountain(D) of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?(E)
4 The one who has clean hands(F) and a pure heart,(G)
who does not trust in an idol(H)
or swear by a false god.[a]
5 They will receive blessing(I) from the Lord
and vindication(J) from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face,(K) God of Jacob.[b][c]
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;(L)
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King(M) of glory(N) may come in.(O)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,(P)
the Lord mighty in battle.(Q)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty(R)—
he is the King of glory.
Psalm 96(A)
1 Sing to the Lord(B) a new song;(C)
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(D)
proclaim his salvation(E) day after day.
3 Declare his glory(F) among the nations,
his marvelous deeds(G) among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(H)
he is to be feared(I) above all gods.(J)
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,(K)
but the Lord made the heavens.(L)
6 Splendor and majesty(M) are before him;
strength and glory(N) are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord,(O) all you families of nations,(P)
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering(Q) and come into his courts.(R)
9 Worship the Lord(S) in the splendor of his[a] holiness;(T)
tremble(U) before him, all the earth.(V)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(W)”
The world is firmly established,(X) it cannot be moved;(Y)
he will judge(Z) the peoples with equity.(AA)
11 Let the heavens rejoice,(AB) let the earth be glad;(AC)
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest(AD) sing for joy.(AE)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge(AF) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(AG)
and the peoples in his faithfulness.(AH)
Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision
1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles(A) by the Kebar River,(B) the heavens were opened(C) and I saw visions(D) of God.
2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin(E)— 3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel(F) the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.[a] There the hand of the Lord was on him.(G)
4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm(H) coming out of the north(I)—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,(J) 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.(K) In appearance their form was human,(L) 6 but each of them had four faces(M) and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.(N) 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.(O) All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.(P)
10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.(Q) 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings(R) spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.(S) 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals(T) of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning(U) flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.(V)
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing(A) waters, like the voice(B) of the Almighty,[a] like the tumult of an army.(C) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne(D) of lapis lazuli,(E) and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.(F) 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.(G) 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow(H) in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.(I)
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory(J) of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown,(K) and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Jesus Made Fully Human
5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone(A) has testified:
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?(B)
7 You made them a little[a] lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
8 and put everything under their feet.”[b][c](C)
In putting everything under them,[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.[f] 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor(D) because he suffered death,(E) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(F)
10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,(G) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.(H) 11 Both the one who makes people holy(I) and those who are made holy(J) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g](K) 12 He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h](L)
13 And again,
And again he says,
14 Since the children have flesh and blood,(O) he too shared in their humanity(P) so that by his death he might break the power(Q) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil(R)— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear(S) of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.(T) 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[k](U) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful(V) and faithful high priest(W) in service to God,(X) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(Y) 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.(Z)
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.(A) 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(B) 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(C) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(D) 20 and teaching(E) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(F) always, to the very end of the age.”(G)
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