Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 106
106 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his faithful love endures forever.
2 Who could possibly repeat all of the Lord’s mighty acts
or publicly recount all his praise?
3 The people who uphold justice,
who always do what is right, are truly happy!
4 Remember me, Lord, with the favor you show your people.
Visit me with your saving help
5 so I can experience the good things your chosen ones experience,
so I can rejoice in the joy of your nation,
so I can praise along with your possession.
6 We have sinned—right along with our ancestors.
We’ve done what is wrong.
We’ve acted wickedly.
7 Our ancestors in Egypt didn’t understand your wondrous works.
They didn’t remember how much faithful love you have.
So they rebelled by the sea—at the Reed Sea.[a]
8 But God saved them for the sake of his good name,
to make known his mighty power.
9 God scolded the Reed Sea, and it dried right up;
he led them through the deeps like they were a dry desert.
10 God saved them from hostile powers;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 But the waters covered over their foes—
not one of them survived!
12 So our ancestors trusted God’s words;
they sang God’s praise.
13 But how quickly they forgot what he had done!
They wouldn’t wait for his advice.
14 They were overcome with craving in the desert;
they tested God in the wastelands.
15 God gave them what they asked for;
he sent food[b] to satisfy their appetites.
16 But then they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
jealous too of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.
17 So the earth opened up, swallowing Dathan,
and covering over Abiram’s crowd.
18 Fire blazed throughout that whole group;
flames burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf at Horeb,
bowing down to a metal idol.
20 They traded their glorious God[c]
for an image of a bull that eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them—
the one who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds at the Reed Sea.
23 So God determined that he would destroy them—
except for the fact that Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the way, right in front of him,
and turned God’s destructive anger away.
24 But then they rejected the land that was so desirable.
They didn’t trust God’s promise.
25 They muttered in their tents
and wouldn’t listen to the Lord’s voice.
26 So God raised his hand against them,
making them fall in the desert,
27 scattering their offspring among the nations,
casting them across many lands.
28 They joined themselves to Baal-peor
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They made God angry by what they did,
so a plague broke out against them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and prayed,
and the plague was contained.
31 That’s why Phinehas is considered righteous,
generation after generation, forever.
32 But they angered God at Meribah’s waters,
and things went badly for Moses because of them,
33 because they made him bitter
so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They didn’t destroy the nations
as the Lord had ordered them to do.
35 Instead, they got mixed up with the nations,
learning what they did
36 and serving those false gods,
which became a trap for them.
37 They sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons!
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their own sons and daughters—
the ones they sacrificed to Canaan’s false gods—
so the land was defiled by the bloodshed.
39 They made themselves unclean by what they did; they prostituted themselves by their actions.
40 So the Lord’s anger burned against his people;
he despised his own possession.
41 God handed them over to the nations;
people who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were humbled under their power.
43 God delivered them numerous times,
but they were determined to rebel,
and so they were brought down by their own sin.
44 But God saw their distress
when he heard their loud cries.
45 God remembered his covenant for their sake,
and because of how much faithful love he has,
God changed his mind.
46 God allowed them to receive compassion
from all their captors.
47 Lord our God, save us!
Gather us back together from among all the nations
so we can give thanks to your holy name
and rejoice in your praise!
48 Bless the Lord, the God of Israel,
from forever ago to forever from now!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord!
Fate of Judah and Ephraim
10 Ask the Lord for rain when it is time for the spring rain.
The Lord is the one who makes the thunderstorms.
He gives them rain showers.
He gives vegetation in the field to each of them.[a]
2 The household divine images
speak idolatry, and diviners see lies.
They interpret dreams falsely
and provide empty comfort.
Therefore, they wander like sheep,
but they are oppressed because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns hot against the shepherds;
I will punish the goats.
The Lord of heavenly forces will take care of his splendor, the house of Judah.
He will make them like his majestic horse in battle.
4 The cornerstone, the tent peg, and the bow used in battle will come from Judah.
Every oppressor will leave Judah simultaneously.
5 Judah will be like warriors,
trampling through the muddy streets during battle.
They will do battle because the Lord is with them.
All the cavalry will be ashamed.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judah
and deliver the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back[b] because I have compassion on them.
They will be as though I hadn’t rejected them, for I am the Lord their God;
I will respond to them.
7 Ephraim will be like a warrior.
They will be as glad as if they were drinking wine.
Their children will watch and be glad.
Their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will whistle for them and gather them,
because I have ransomed them.
They will be as numerous as they were previously.
9 Though I sowed them among the peoples,
they will remember me in the distant places
where they are living with their children until they return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt;
I will collect them from Assyria.
I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon
until there is no more room for them.
11 They[c] will pass through the sea of distress
and strike the sea with waves.[d]
All the depths of the river will dry up.
The pride of Assyria will be brought down;
the scepter of Egypt will turn away.
12 I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they will walk in his name, says the Lord.
Caring and sharing
6 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. 2 Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are important when they aren’t, they’re fooling themselves. 4 Each person should test their own work and be happy with doing a good job and not compare themselves with others. 5 Each person will have to carry their own load.
6 Those who are taught the word should share all good things with their teacher. 7 Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. 8 Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. 10 So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of faith.
Jesus blesses children
15 People were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them. When the disciples saw this, they scolded them. 16 Then Jesus called them to him and said, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. 17 I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.”
A rich man’s question
18 A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”
19 Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. 20 You know the commandments: Don’t commit adultery. Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.”[a]
21 Then the ruler said, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”
22 When Jesus heard this, he said, “There’s one more thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.” 23 When he heard these words, the man became sad because he was extremely rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “It’s very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom! 25 It’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible for humans is possible for God.”
28 Peter said, “Look, we left everything we own and followed you.”
29 Jesus said to them, “I assure you that anyone who has left house, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, parents, or children because of God’s kingdom 30 will receive many times more in this age and eternal life in the coming age.”
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible