Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 146
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
3 Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
5 Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful(L) forever.
7 He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
8 the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The Lord reigns(X) forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 147
1 Praise the Lord.[b]
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(AA)
he gathers the exiles(AB) of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted(AC)
and binds up their wounds.(AD)
4 He determines the number of the stars(AE)
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord(AF) and mighty in power;(AG)
his understanding has no limit.(AH)
6 The Lord sustains the humble(AI)
but casts the wicked(AJ) to the ground.
8 He covers the sky with clouds;(AO)
he supplies the earth with rain(AP)
and makes grass grow(AQ) on the hills.
9 He provides food(AR) for the cattle
and for the young ravens(AS) when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength(AT) of the horse,(AU)
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(AV) in those who fear him,(AW)
who put their hope(AX) in his unfailing love.(AY)
12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(AZ)
praise your God, Zion.
13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(BA)
and blesses your people(BB) within you.
14 He grants peace(BC) to your borders
and satisfies you(BD) with the finest of wheat.(BE)
15 He sends his command(BF) to the earth;
his word runs(BG) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(BH) like wool
and scatters the frost(BI) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(BJ) like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(BK) and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes,(BL) and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word(BM) to Jacob,(BN)
his laws and decrees(BO) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(BP)
they do not know(BQ) his laws.[c]
Praise the Lord.(BR)
Psalm 111[a]
1 Praise the Lord.[b]
I will extol the Lord(A) with all my heart(B)
in the council(C) of the upright and in the assembly.(D)
2 Great are the works(E) of the Lord;
they are pondered by all(F) who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures(G) forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.(H)
5 He provides food(I) for those who fear him;(J)
he remembers his covenant(K) forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,(L)
giving them the lands of other nations.(M)
7 The works of his hands(N) are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.(O)
8 They are established for ever(P) and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption(Q) for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome(R) is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord(S) is the beginning of wisdom;(T)
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(U)
To him belongs eternal praise.(V)
Psalm 112[c]
2 Their children(AA) will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches(AB) are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures(AC) forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns(AD) for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(AE)
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,(AF)
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;(AG)
they will be remembered(AH) forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast,(AI) trusting in the Lord.(AJ)
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;(AK)
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(AL)
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(AM)
their righteousness endures(AN) forever;
their horn[e] will be lifted(AO) high in honor.
10 The wicked will see(AP) and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth(AQ) and waste away;(AR)
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.(AS)
Psalm 113
Praise the Lord, you his servants;(AU)
praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,(AV)
both now and forevermore.(AW)
3 From the rising of the sun(AX) to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is exalted(AY) over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.(AZ)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,(BA)
the One who sits enthroned(BB) on high,(BC)
6 who stoops down to look(BD)
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor(BE) from the dust
and lifts the needy(BF) from the ash heap;
8 he seats them(BG) with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless(BH) woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(A)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(B) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(C)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(D) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(E) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(F) you?(G) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(H)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(I)
I sent Moses(J) to lead you,
also Aaron(K) and Miriam.(L)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(M) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(N) to Gilgal,(O)
that you may know the righteous acts(P) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(Q) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(R)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(S)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(T)
Shall I offer my firstborn(U) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(V)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(W) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a](X) with your God.(Y)
9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die(A) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle(B) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ,(C) but you are so wise in Christ!(D) We are weak, but you are strong!(E) You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.(F) 12 We work hard with our own hands.(G) When we are cursed, we bless;(H) when we are persecuted,(I) we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage(J) of the world—right up to this moment.
Paul’s Appeal and Warning
14 I am writing this not to shame you(K) but to warn you as my dear children.(L) 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father(M) through the gospel.(N) 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.(O)
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(A)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(B) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(C) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(D)
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(E)
25 The woman came and knelt before him.(F) “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(G) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
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