Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 145[a]
Praise of the Divine Majesty
1 [b]Praise. Of David.
I will extol you, my God and King;
I will bless your name[c] forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.[d]
3 [e]Great is the Lord and worthy of the highest praise;
no one can even begin to comprehend his greatness.[f]
4 Each generation will praise your works[g] to the next
and proclaim your mighty deeds.
5 People will proclaim the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds,
and I will relate your greatness.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and sing joyfully of your saving justice.
8 [h]The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.[i]
9 The Lord is good to all,
showing compassion to every creature.
10 All your creatures praise you,[j] O Lord,
and all your saints bless you.
11 They relate the glory of your kingdom
and tell of all your power.[k]
12 They make known to all people your mighty deeds
and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom will last forever,
and your dominion will endure throughout all generations.[l]
[m]The Lord is faithful in all his promises
and kind[n] in all his deeds.
14 The Lord supports all those who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.[o]
15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food at the right time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.[p]
17 [q]The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and merciful in everything he does.[r]
18 The Lord is near to all who call out to him,
to all who call out to him sincerely.[s]
19 He satisfies the desires of all who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.[t]
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
but he will completely destroy all the wicked.[u]
21 May my mouth declare the praise of the Lord,
and may every creature[v] bless his holy name
forever and ever.
At the School of Wisdom
Chapter 2
When You Come To Serve the Lord, Be Prepared To Endure Trials[a]
1 My child, when you come to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself to endure trials.
2 Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
and do not be alarmed when confronted with adversity.
3 Cling to him and do not forsake him,
so that your final days will be blessed.
4 Accept whatever befalls you,
and be patient whenever you suffer humiliation.
5 For gold is tested in the fire,
and worthy men in the furnace of humiliation.
[In sickness and poverty, place your trust in him.][b]
6 Trust him, and he will help you;
follow a straight path and hope in him.[c]
7 You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
do not stray, for otherwise you will fall.
8 You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
and you will not forfeit your reward.
9 You who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for everlasting joy and mercy.
[For his reward is an everlasting gift of joy.][d]
10 Recall the former generations and reflect:
has anyone who trusted in the Lord ever been disappointed?
Has anyone who persevered in fear of the Lord ever been forsaken,
or has anyone who called upon him been ignored?
11 For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he forgives sins and saves in the time of distress.
25 Then, after Barnabas and Saul had completed their mission, they returned to Jerusalem, bringing with them John, also called Mark.[a]
Antioch[b]
Paul’s First Missionary Journey[c]
Chapter 13
Barnabas and Paul Sent Out on Mission.[d] 1 In the Church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 On one occasion, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after completing their fasting and prayer, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Psalm 67[a]
Prayer That All May Worship God
1 For the director.[b] With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
2 O God, be gracious to us and bless us
and let your face shine upon us.[c] Selah
3 [d]Then your ways will be known on earth
and your salvation among all nations.
4 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
5 Let the nations rejoice and exult,
for you judge the peoples fairly
and guide the nations upon the earth.[e] Selah
6 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
7 The earth has yielded its harvest;
God, our God, has blessed us.
8 May God continue to bless us
and be revered to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 96[a]
God, Sovereign and Judge of the Universe
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;[b]
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name;
proclaim his salvation[c] day after day.
3 Declare his glory[d] among the nations,
his wondrous deeds to every people.
4 For great is the Lord and worthy of all praise;
he is more to be feared[e] than all other gods.
5 The gods of the nations are merely idols,
but it was the Lord who made the heavens.[f]
6 Majesty and splendor surround him;
power and beauty[g] are in his sanctuary.
7 Render to the Lord, you families of nations,
render to the Lord glory and power.[h]
8 Render to the Lord the glory due to his name;
bring an offering and enter his courts.[i]
9 Worship[j] the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord is King.[k]
The world is firmly established, never to be moved.
He will judge the peoples fairly.”
11 Let the heavens exult and the earth be glad;
let the sea resound and all that fills it.
12 Let the fields rejoice and all that is in them;
let all the trees[l] of the forest shout for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming,
coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice
and the nations with equity.[m]
Chapter 4
The Preaching of a Man of God[a]
The Charge To Preach. 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead,[b] and by his appearing and his kingdom, I charge you: 2 preach the message; be persistent in doing so, whether in season or out of season; convince, reprove, and encourage, but with great patience and instruction.
The Need for Preaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not accept sound doctrine, but they will follow their own desires and accumulate teachers who will preach to their itching ears. 4 They will shut their ears to the truth and be captivated by myths. 5 As for you, always be sober. Endure hardships, do the work of preaching the gospel, and carry out your ministry to the fullest extent.[c]
The Triumphs of a Man of God[d]
Reward for Fidelity. 6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 Now waiting for me is the crown[e] of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day—and not only to me, but to all those who have eagerly longed for his appearance.
Comfort in Trial. 9 Make every effort to come to me as soon as possible. 10 Because of his love of worldly pursuits, Demas[f] has deserted me and gone off to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has left for Dalmatia. 11 No one but Luke[g] is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he has been helpful to me in my ministry.
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