Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 136[a]
Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Everlasting Mercy
I
1 Praise the Lord, for he is good;(A)
for his mercy endures forever;
2 Praise the God of gods;
for his mercy endures forever;
3 Praise the Lord of lords;
for his mercy endures forever;
II
4 Who alone has done great wonders,(B)
for his mercy endures forever;
5 Who skillfully made the heavens,(C)
for his mercy endures forever;
6 Who spread the earth upon the waters,(D)
for his mercy endures forever;
7 Who made the great lights,
for his mercy endures forever;
8 The sun to rule the day,
for his mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule the night,(E)
for his mercy endures forever;
III
10 Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,(F)
for his mercy endures forever;
11 And led Israel from their midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
12 With mighty hand and outstretched arm,(G)
for his mercy endures forever;
13 Who split in two the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures forever;
14 And led Israel through its midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
15 But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,(H)
for his mercy endures forever;
16 Who led the people through the desert,(I)
for his mercy endures forever;
IV
17 Who struck down great kings,(J)
for his mercy endures forever;
18 Slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his mercy endures forever;
20 Og, king of Bashan,
for his mercy endures forever;
21 And made their lands a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
22 [b]A heritage for Israel, his servant,
for his mercy endures forever.
V
23 The Lord remembered us in our low estate,
for his mercy endures forever;
24 Freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever;
25 And gives bread to all flesh,
for his mercy endures forever.
VI
26 Praise the God of heaven,
for his mercy endures forever.
Psalm 118[a]
Hymn of Thanksgiving
I
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,(A)
his mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
his mercy endures forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
his mercy endures forever.
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,(B)
his mercy endures forever.
II
5 In danger I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is with me; I am not afraid;
what can mortals do against me?(C)
7 The Lord is with me as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on my foes.
8 Better to take refuge in the Lord(D)
than to put one’s trust in mortals.
9 Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one’s trust in princes.
III
10 All the nations surrounded me;
in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side;
in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;(E)
they burned up like fire among thorns;
in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
13 I was hard pressed and falling,
but the Lord came to my help.(F)
14 The Lord, my strength and might,
has become my savior.(G)
IV
15 The joyful shout of deliverance
is heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand works valiantly;
16 the Lord’s right hand is raised;
the Lord’s right hand works valiantly.”
17 I shall not die but live
and declare the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord chastised me harshly,
but did not hand me over to death.
V
19 Open the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and thank the Lord.(H)
20 This is the Lord’s own gate,
through it the righteous enter.
21 I thank you for you answered me;
you have been my savior.
22 [b]The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.(I)
23 By the Lord has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
24 This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice in it and be glad.
25 Lord, grant salvation![c]
Lord, grant good fortune!
VI
26 Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord.(J)
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God and has enlightened us.
Join in procession with leafy branches
up to the horns of the altar.
VII
28 You are my God, I give you thanks;
my God, I offer you praise.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
his mercy endures forever.
Chapter 12
The Resurrection
1 “At that time there shall arise Michael,(A)
the great prince,
guardian of your people;
It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since the nation began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.[a]
2 Many of those who sleep[b]
in the dust of the earth shall awake;
Some to everlasting life,
others to reproach and everlasting disgrace.(B)
3 But those with insight shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
And those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars[c] forever.(C)
4 “As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time; many shall wander aimlessly and evil shall increase.”
13 Go, take your rest, you shall rise for your reward at the end of days.”
Chapter 4
1 While they were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees[a] confronted them, 2 disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.(A) 3 They laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word came to believe and [the] number of men grew to [about] five thousand.
Before the Sanhedrin. 5 On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class. 7 They brought them into their presence and questioned them, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders:(B) 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 (C)He is ‘the stone rejected by you,[b] the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 [c](D)There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
Chapter 16
1 “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. 2 They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour[a] is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.(A) 3 They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.(B) 4 I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.(C)
Jesus’ Departure; Coming of the Advocate.[b] “I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me,[c] ‘Where are you going?’(D) 6 But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.(E) But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 [d]And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: 9 sin, because they do not believe in me;(F) 10 righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.(G)
12 “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 [e]But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.(H) He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
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