Book of Common Prayer
Tell the Coming Generation
A Maskil[a] of (A)Asaph.
78 (B)Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 (C)I will open my mouth (D)in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our (E)fathers have told us.
4 We will not (F)hide them from their children,
but (G)tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and (H)the wonders that he has done.
5 He established (I)a testimony in (J)Jacob
and appointed a law in (K)Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6 that (L)the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget (M)the works of God,
but (N)keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be (O)like their fathers,
(P)a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation (Q)whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The Ephraimites, armed with[b] the bow,
(R)turned back on the day of battle.
10 They (S)did not keep God's covenant,
but refused to walk according to his law.
11 They (T)forgot his works
and (U)the wonders that he had shown them.
12 In the sight of their fathers (V)he performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in (W)the fields of Zoan.
13 He (X)divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters (Y)stand like a heap.
14 (Z)In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
15 He (AA)split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16 He made streams come out of (AB)the rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
17 Yet they sinned still more against him,
(AC)rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They (AD)tested God in their heart
by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying,
(AE)“Can God (AF)spread a table in the wilderness?
20 (AG)He struck the rock so that water gushed out
and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
or provide meat for his people?”
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
(AH)a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they (AI)did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above
and (AJ)opened the doors of heaven,
24 and he (AK)rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them (AL)the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of (AM)the angels;
he sent them food (AN)in abundance.
26 He (AO)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained meat on them like (AP)dust,
winged birds like (AQ)the sand of the seas;
28 he (AR)let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29 And they (AS)ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they (AT)craved.
30 But before they had satisfied their craving,
(AU)while the food was still in their mouths,
31 the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed (AV)the strongest of them
and laid low (AW)the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they (AX)still sinned;
(AY)despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he made (AZ)their days (BA)vanish like[c] a breath,[d]
and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, they (BB)sought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their (BC)rock,
the Most High God their (BD)redeemer.
36 But they (BE)flattered him with their mouths;
they (BF)lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their (BG)heart was not (BH)steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being (BI)compassionate,
(BJ)atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He (BK)remembered that they were but (BL)flesh,
(BM)a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they (BN)rebelled against him in the wilderness
and (BO)grieved him in (BP)the desert!
41 They (BQ)tested God again and again
and provoked (BR)the Holy One of Israel.
42 They (BS)did not remember his power[e]
or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 (BT)when he performed his (BU)signs in Egypt
and his (BV)marvels in (BW)the fields of Zoan.
44 He (BX)turned their rivers to blood,
so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of (BY)flies, which devoured them,
and (BZ)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to (CA)the destroying locust
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with (CB)hail
and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their (CC)cattle to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger,
wrath, indignation, and distress,
a company of (CD)destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He struck down every (CE)firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of (CF)Ham.
52 Then he led out his people (CG)like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 (CH)He led them in safety, so that they (CI)were not afraid,
but (CJ)the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his (CK)holy land,
(CL)to the mountain which his right hand had (CM)won.
55 He (CN)drove out nations before them;
he (CO)apportioned them for a possession
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they (CP)tested and (CQ)rebelled against the Most High God
and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they twisted like (CR)a deceitful bow.
58 For they (CS)provoked him to anger with their (CT)high places;
they (CU)moved him to jealousy with their (CV)idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of (CW)wrath,
and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He (CX)forsook his dwelling at (CY)Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his (CZ)power to captivity,
his (DA)glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He (DB)gave his people over to the sword
and (DC)vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 (DD)Fire devoured their young men,
and their young women had no (DE)marriage song.
64 Their (DF)priests fell by the sword,
and their (DG)widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord (DH)awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he (DI)put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting shame.
67 He rejected the tent of (DJ)Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he (DK)loves.
69 He (DL)built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He (DM)chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from (DN)following the nursing ewes he brought him
to (DO)shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his (DP)inheritance.
72 With (DQ)upright heart he shepherded them
and (DR)guided them with his skillful hand.
David's Prayer of Gratitude
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, (A)“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. (B)You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? (C)For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 (D)Therefore you are great, O Lord God. (E)For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 (F)And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name (G)and doing for them[a] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,[b] whom (H)you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 (I)And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and (J)your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, (K)and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
12 But when Gallio was (A)proconsul of Achaia, (B)the Jews[a] made a united attack on Paul and (C)brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to (D)the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious (E)crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But (F)since it is a matter of questions about words and names and (G)your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
Paul Returns to Antioch
18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of (H)the brothers[b] and set sail for Syria, and with him (I)Priscilla and Aquila. At (J)Cenchreae (K)he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to (L)Ephesus, and he left them there, but (M)he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you (N)if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he (O)went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and (P)went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, (Q)strengthening all the disciples.
Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus
24 Now a Jew named (R)Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, (S)competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in (T)the way of the Lord. And (U)being fervent in spirit,[c] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only (V)the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when (W)Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him (X)the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to (Y)Achaia, (Z)the brothers encouraged him and (AA)wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, (AB)he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures (AC)that the Christ was Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 And they came (A)to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And (B)he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when (C)he had (D)spit on his eyes and (E)laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus[a] laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, (F)“Do not even enter the village.”
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27 (G)And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, (H)“John the Baptist; and others say, (I)Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, (J)“You are (K)the Christ.” 30 (L)And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 (M)And he began to teach them that (N)the Son of Man must (O)suffer many things and (P)be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and (Q)after three days rise again. 32 And he said this (R)plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, (S)“Get behind me, Satan! For you (T)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.