Book of Common Prayer

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

For the director of music. To be played on stringed instruments. A maskil of David when the men from Ziph had gone to Saul. They had said, “Isn’t David hiding among us?”

For the director of music. A psalm of David when the prophet Nathan came to him. Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

⁸ Another message from the Lord came to me. ⁹ Here is what the Lord who rules over all said to his people. “Treat everyone with justice. Show mercy and tender concern to one another. ¹⁰ Do not take advantage of widows. Do not mistreat children whose fathers have died. Do not be mean to outsiders or poor people. Do not make evil plans against one another.”

¹¹ But they refused to pay attention to the Lord. They were stubborn. They turned their backs and covered their ears. ¹² They made their hearts as hard as the hardest stone. They wouldn’t listen to the law. They wouldn’t pay attention to the Lord’s messages. So the Lord who rules over all was very angry. After all, his Spirit had spoken to his people through the earlier prophets.

¹³ “When I called, they did not listen,” says the Lord. “So when they called, I would not listen. ¹⁴ I used a windstorm to scatter them among all the nations. They were strangers there. The land they left behind became dry and empty. No one could even travel through it. This is how they turned the pleasant land into a dry and empty desert.”

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

8 A message came to me from the Lord who rules over all.

He said, ² “I am very jealous for my people in Zion. In fact, I am burning with jealousy for them.”

³ He continued, “I will return to Zion. I will live among my people in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City. And my mountain will be called the Holy Mountain.”

⁴ He continued, “Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old. ⁵ The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there.”

⁶ He continued, “All of that might seem hard to believe to the people living then. But it will not be too hard for me.”

⁷ He continued, “I will save my people. I will gather them from the countries of the east and the west. ⁸ I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. I will be their faithful God. I will keep my promises to them.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood at the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth. ⁷ The Lamb went and took the scroll. He took it from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. ⁸ Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one had a harp. They were holding golden bowls full of incense. They stand for the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ Here is the new song they sang.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying,

¹³ All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea were speaking. The whole creation was speaking. I heard all of them say,

¹⁴ The four living creatures said, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Story of Three Slaves

¹⁴ “Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his slaves and put them in charge of his money. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of gold to one. He gave two bags to another. And he gave one bag to the third. The man gave each slave the amount of money he knew the slave could take care of. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The slave who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work. He earned five bags more. ¹⁷ The one with the two bags of gold earned two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master’s money in it.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those slaves returned. He wanted to collect all the money they had earned. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you trusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have earned five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘You have done well, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you trusted me with two bags of gold. See, I have earned two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘You have done well, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest where you have not planted. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid. I went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You evil, lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather crops where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money in the bank. When I returned, I would have received it back with interest.’

²⁸ “Then his master commanded the other slaves, ‘Take the bag of gold from him. Give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ Everyone who has will be given more. They will have more than enough. And what about anyone who doesn’t have? Even what they have will be taken away from them. ³⁰ Throw that worthless slave outside. There in the darkness, people will weep and grind their teeth.’