Book of Common Prayer
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Betrayed by a Friend
1 Listen, God, to my prayer!
Don't reject my request.
2 Please listen and help me.
My thoughts are troubled,
and I keep groaning
3 because my enemies attack
with loud shouts.
They treat me terribly
and hold angry grudges.
4 My heart is racing fast,
and I am afraid of dying.
5 I am trembling with fear,
completely terrified.
6 I wish I had wings
like a dove,
so I could fly far away
and be at peace.
7 I would go and live
in some distant desert.
8 I would quickly find shelter
from howling winds
and raging storms.
9 Confuse my enemies, Lord!
Upset their plans.
Cruelty and violence
are all I see in the city,
10 and they are like guards
on patrol day and night.
The city is full of trouble,
evil, 11 and corruption.
Troublemakers and liars
freely roam the streets.
12 My enemies are not the ones
who sneer and make fun.
I could put up with that
or even hide from them.
13 But it was my closest friend,
the one I trusted most.
14 We enjoyed being together,
when we went with others
to your house, our God.
15 All who hate me are controlled
by the power of evil.
Sentence them to death
and send them down alive
to the world of the dead.
16 I ask for your help, Lord God,
and you will keep me safe.
17 Morning, noon, and night
you hear my concerns
and my complaints.
18 I am attacked from all sides,
but you will rescue me
unharmed by the battle.
19 You have always ruled,
and you will hear me.
You will defeat my enemies
because they won't turn
and worship you.
20 My friend turned against me
and broke his promise.
21 His words were smoother
than butter, and softer
than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart,
and he was ready to attack
with a sword.
22 Our Lord, we belong to you.
We tell you what worries us,
and you won't let us fall.
23 But what about those people
who are cruel and brutal?
You will throw them down
into the deepest pit
long before their time.
I trust you, Lord!
(By David.)
Praise the Lord with All Your Heart
1 With all my heart
I praise you, Lord.
In the presence of angels[a]
I sing your praises.
2 I worship at your holy temple
and praise you for your love
and your faithfulness.
You were true to your word
and made yourself more famous
than ever before.[b]
3 When I asked for your help,
you answered my prayer
and gave me courage.[c]
4 All kings on this earth
have heard your promises, Lord,
and they will praise you.
5 You are so famous
that they will sing about
the things you have done.
6 Though you are above us all,
you care for humble people,
and you keep a close watch
on everyone who is proud.
7 I am surrounded by trouble,
but you protect me
against my angry enemies.
With your own powerful arm
you keep me safe.
8 You, Lord, will always
treat me with kindness.
Your love never fails.
You have made us what we are.
Don't give up on us now![d]
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
The Lord Is Always Near
1 You have looked deep
into my heart, Lord,
and you know all about me.
2 You know when I am resting
or when I am working,
and from heaven
you discover my thoughts.
3 You notice everything I do
and everywhere I go.
4 Before I even speak a word,
you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm
you protect me
from every side.
6 I can't understand all of this!
Such wonderful knowledge
is far above me.
7 Where could I go to escape
from your Spirit
or from your sight?
8 If I were to climb up
to the highest heavens,
you would be there.
If I were to dig down
to the world of the dead
you would also be there.
9 Suppose I had wings
like the dawning day
and flew across the ocean.
10 Even then your powerful arm
would guide and protect me.
11 Or suppose I said, “I'll hide
in the dark until night comes
to cover me over.”
12 But you see in the dark
because daylight and dark
are all the same to you.
13 You are the one
who put me together
inside my mother's body,
14 and I praise you because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
15 Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
out of human sight,
16 but with your own eyes you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything about me.
17 (A) Your thoughts are far beyond
my understanding,
much more than I
could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts,
but they outnumber the grains
of sand on the beach.
And when I awake,
I will find you nearby.
19 How I wish that you would kill
all cruel and heartless people
and protect me from them!
20 They are always rebelling
and speaking evil of you.[e]
21 You know I hate anyone
who hates you, Lord,
and refuses to obey.
22 They are my enemies too,
and I truly hate them.
23 Look deep into my heart, God,
and find out everything
I am thinking.
The Third Speech: Israel Must Keep Its Agreement with the Lord
The Lord Is Your God
2-3 Moses called the nation of Israel together and told them:
When you were in Egypt, you saw the Lord perform great miracles that caused trouble for the king, his officials, and everyone else in the country. 4-6 He has even told you, “For 40 years I, the Lord, led you through the desert, but your clothes and your sandals didn't wear out, and I gave you special food.[a] I did these things so you would realize that I am your God.”
But the Lord must give you a change of heart before you truly understand what you have seen and heard.
7 (A) When we first camped here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan attacked, but we defeated them. 8 (B) Then we captured their land and divided it among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh.
Keep the Agreement
Moses said:
9 Israel, the Lord has made an agreement with you, and if you keep your part, you will be successful in everything you do. 10-12 Today everyone in our nation is standing here in the Lord's presence, including leaders and officials, parents and children, and even those foreigners who cut wood and carry water for us. We are at this place of worship to promise that we will keep our part of the agreement with the Lord our God.
13-15 In this agreement, the Lord promised that you would be his people and that he would be your God. He first made this promise to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and today the Lord is making this same promise to you. But it isn't just for you; it is also for your descendants.
The Money for God's People
9 I don't need to write you about the money you plan to give for God's people. 2 I know how eager you are to give. And I have proudly told the Lord's followers in Macedonia that you people in Achaia have been ready for a whole year. Now your desire to give has made them want to give. 3 This is why I am sending Titus and the two others to you. I want you to be ready, just as I promised. This will prove we were not wrong to brag about you.
4 Some followers from Macedonia may come with me, and I want them to find that you have the money ready. If you don't, I would be embarrassed for trusting you to do this. But you would be embarrassed even more. 5 So I have decided to ask Titus and the others to spend some time with you before I arrive. This way they can arrange to collect the money you have promised. Then you will have the chance to give because you want to, and not because you feel forced to.
6 Remember this saying,
“A few seeds make
a small harvest,
but a lot of seeds make
a big harvest.”
7 (A) Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. 8 God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. 9 (B) The Scriptures say,
“God freely gives his gifts
to the poor,
and always does right.”
10 (C) God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so you can give even more to those in need. 11 You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.
12 What you are doing is much more than a service that supplies God's people with what they need. It is something that will make many others thank God. 13 The way in which you have proved yourselves by this service will bring honor and praise to God. You believed the message about Christ, and you obeyed it by sharing generously with God's people and with everyone else. 14 Now they are praying for you and want to see you, because God used you to bless them so very much. 15 Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!
Jesus Blesses Little Children
(Matthew 19.13-15; Mark 10.13-16)
15 Some people brought their little children for Jesus to bless. But when his disciples saw them doing this, they told the people to stop bothering him. 16 So Jesus called the children over to him and said, “Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.[a] 17 You will never get into God's kingdom unless you enter it like a child!”
A Rich and Important Man
(Matthew 19.16-30; Mark 10.17-31)
18 An important man asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?”
19 Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. 20 (A) You know the commandments: ‘Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother.’ ”
21 He told Jesus, “I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man.”
22 When Jesus heard this, he said, “There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” 23 When the man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.
24 Jesus saw how sad the man was. So he said, “It's terribly hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom! 25 In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom.”
26 When the crowd heard this, they asked, “How can anyone ever be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.”
28 Peter said, “Remember, we left everything to be your followers!”
29 Jesus answered, “You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or wife or brothers or family or children because of God's kingdom 30 will be given much more in this life. And in the future world they will have eternal life.”
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.