Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.
72 God, give the king your good judgment
and the king’s son your ·goodness [righteousness].
2 Help him judge your people ·fairly [rightly]
and decide what is ·right [just] for the poor.
3 Let there be ·peace [or prosperity] on the mountains
and ·goodness [righteousness] on the hills for the people.
4 Help him be ·fair [just] to the poor
and ·save [give victory to] the ·needy [or children of the needy]
and ·punish [crush] those who ·hurt [oppress; exploit] them.
5 May they ·respect [fear] you as long as the sun
and as long as the moon, throughout the generations.
6 Let him ·be [L come down] like rain on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 Let ·goodness [righteousness] ·be plentiful [bloom forth] while he lives.
Let ·peace [or prosperity] continue ·as long as there is a [L until there is no] moon.
8 ·Let his kingdom go [L May he have dominion/rule] from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L river] to the ends of the earth.
9 Let the people of the ·desert [wilderness] ·bow down to [cringe/cower before] him,
and make his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish [48:7] and the ·faraway lands [L islands]
bring him ·gifts [tribute].
Let the kings of Sheba [C an unknown location, perhaps present-day Yemen, Eritrea, or Ethiopia; see 1 Kin. 10:1–13] and Seba [C either in southern Egypt or further south; Gen. 10:7; Is. 43:3; 45:14]
bring their ·presents [tribute] to him.
11 Let all kings ·bow down [bend the knee] to him
and all nations serve him [Ps. 2].
12 He will ·help [protect] the poor when they cry out
and the needy when no one else will help.
13 He will ·be kind to [take pity on] the poor and the needy,
and he will ·save their lives [give victory to the needy].
14 He will ·save [redeem] them from ·cruel people who try to hurt them [L violence and oppression],
because their ·lives [L blood] are precious to ·him [L his eyes].
15 Long live the king!
Let him receive gold from Sheba [v. 10].
Let people always pray for him
and ·bless [praise] him all day long.
16 Let ·the fields grow plenty of grain [L there be much grain in the land/earth]
and ·the hills be covered with crops [L let there be abundance on the top of the mountains; or let it wave on the top of the mountains].
·Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon [L May its fruit be like that of Lebanon],
and let the cities grow like the grass in a field.
17 Let ·the king be famous [L his name/fame be] forever;
let ·him be remembered as long as the sun shines [L his name/fame continue as long as the sun].
Let the nations be ·blessed [praised] because of him,
and may they all ·bless [praise] him [Gen. 12:3].
18 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such ·miracles [wonderful things].
19 Praise his glorious name forever.
Let his glory [C manifest presence] fill the whole world.
Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse [C at one time it did, but see other Davidic psalms at Ps. 101, 103, 108–110, and others].
Samuel’s Birth
1 There was a [certain] man named Elkanah son of Jeroham from ·Ramathaim [Ramah; C just north of Jerusalem] in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Elkanah was from the ·family [or region] of Zuph. (Jeroham was Elihu’s son. Elihu was Tohu’s son, and Tohu was the son of Zuph ·from the family group of Ephraim [an Ephraimite].) 2 Elkanah had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none [C childlessness carried a serious social stigma].
3 Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and ·went up [traveled] to Shiloh [C the central worship place at that time, 30 miles north of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle was located] to worship the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts] and to offer sacrifices to him. Shiloh was where Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, served as priests of the Lord. 4 ·When [L On the day] Elkanah offered sacrifices, he always gave ·a share of the meat [portions] to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But Elkanah always gave Hannah ·a double portion of the meat because he loved her and the Lord had kept her from having children [or only one portion of the meat even though he loved her, because the Lord had kept her from having children; C only one portion would be needed since there was no child to feed]. 6 ·Peninnah [L Her rival/foe] would ·tease [taunt] Hannah and ·upset [provoke; irritate; make fun of] her, because the Lord had ·made her unable to have children [L closed her womb]. 7 This happened ·every year [L year after year] ·when [whenever] they went up to the house of the Lord at Shiloh [1:3]. Peninnah would ·upset [taunt; provoke] Hannah until Hannah would cry and not eat anything. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why won’t you eat? Why are you ·sad [downhearted]? ·Don’t I mean more [or Am I not better] to you than ten sons?”
9 Once, after ·they had eaten their meal [L eating and drinking] in Shiloh [1:3], Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on ·a chair [the seat] ·near the entrance to [by the doorpost of] the Lord’s ·house [temple; Tabernacle]. 10 Hannah was so ·sad [anguished; deeply distressed; L bitter] that she cried bitterly ·and [as she] prayed to the Lord. 11 She made this ·promise [vow], saying, “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts], if you will look on the ·sorrow [affliction; misery; humiliation] of your maidservant, and will ·remember [L remember and not forget] me, and will give ·me [L your maidservant] a son, I will give him back to ·you [L the Lord] all the days of his life, and no one will ever ·cut his hair [L touch his head] with a razor [C indicating consecration to the Lord as a Nazirite; Num. 6:1–5].”
12 While Hannah kept praying [L before the Lord], Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying ·in her heart [silently]; her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “·Stop getting [L How long are you going to stay…?] drunk! ·Throw away [Get rid of; Put away] your wine!”
15 Hannah answered [L and said], “No, sir, I have not drunk any wine or ·beer [T strong drink; C an alcoholic beverage made of grain]. I am ·a deeply troubled woman [very discouraged; oppressed in spirit], and I was ·telling the Lord about all my problems [L pouring out my heart/soul to/before the Lord]. 16 Don’t think ·I am [your maidservant is] an ·evil [worthless] woman. I have been praying all this time ·because I have many troubles and am very sad [L out of great anguish/anxiety and sorrow/resentment].”
17 Eli answered, “·Go! I wish you well [Go in peace!]. May the God of Israel ·give you what [L grant the request/petition] you asked of him.”
18 Hannah said, “May ·I always please you [your servant find favor in your sight].” So she left and ate something, and ·she [L her face/countenance] was not sad anymore.
19 Early the next morning they got up and worshiped [L before] the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah ·had sexual relations with [L knew] his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So Hannah ·became pregnant [L conceived], and in time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [C sounds like “God heard” in Hebrew], saying, “His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.”
Jesus Is Greater than Moses
3 ·So all of you [L Therefore] holy brothers and sisters, who ·were called by God [are partners/partakers in a heavenly calling], ·think about [consider; focus on] Jesus, who ·was sent to us [or is our apostle; C a commissioned messenger] and is the high priest ·of our faith [or whom we acknowledge/confess; L of our confession]. 2 Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him just as Moses was faithful in God’s ·family [household; house]. 3 Jesus ·has [deserves; is worthy of] more honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 [L For] Every house is built by someone, but the builder of everything is God himself. 5 Moses was faithful in ·God’s family [L all of God’s house; Num. 12:7] as a servant, and he ·told [testified to] what God would say in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are God’s house if we ·confidently maintain our hope [or maintain our courage and confident hope].
Praise God Who Helps the Weak
146 Praise the Lord!
My ·whole being [soul; life], praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord ·all [L with] my life;
I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your ·trust [confidence] in princes
or other people, who cannot ·save you [give you victory; 118:8–9].
4 ·When people die [L Their spirit goes out], they ·are buried [L return to the ground].
·Then all of [L On that day] their plans ·come to an end [perish].
5 ·Happy [Blessed] are those who are helped by the God of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
Their hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in it [Gen. 1].
He ·remains [keeps; observes; guards] ·loyal [faithfulness; truth] forever.
7 He does ·what is fair [justice] for those who have been ·wronged [oppressed; exploited].
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord ·gives sight to [opens the eyes of] the blind.
The Lord lifts up people who are ·in trouble [bowed down; 145:14].
The Lord loves ·those who do right [the righteous].
9 The Lord ·protects [guards] the ·foreigners [sojourners].
He ·defends [supports] the orphans and widows [C the socially vulnerable],
but he ·blocks [frustrates] the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will ·be King [reign] forever [47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], your God is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
Praise God Who Helps His People
147 Praise the Lord!
It is good to ·sing praises [make a psalm] to our God;
it is pleasant and ·good [L fitting] to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem [51:18; 102:16; Is. 64:8–12];
he ·brings back [gathers; assembles] the ·captured [scattered; dispersed] Israelites [C perhaps a reference to those who returned after the Babylonian exile; Deut. 30:1–4; Is. 11:12].
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and ·bandages [binds up] their wounds.
4 He ·counts [L measures the number of] the stars
and ·names [L assigns names to] each one [Is. 40:26].
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to ·what he knows [L his understanding].
6 The Lord ·defends [supports] the ·humble [needy],
but he throws the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing ·praises [thanksgiving] to the Lord;
·praise [make a psalm to] our God with harps.
8 He ·fills [covers] the ·sky [heavens] with clouds
and ·sends [sets; establishes] rain to the earth
and makes grass ·grow [sprout] on the ·hills [mountains].
9 He gives food to cattle
and to the ·little birds [L young ravens] that call.
10 He ·is not impressed with [does not delight in] the strength of a horse,
nor does he take pleasure in ·human might [L the thighs of a person].
11 The Lord ·is pleased with [takes pleasure in] those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
with those who ·trust [wait for; hope in] his ·love [loyalty].
12 Jerusalem, ·praise [celebrate] the Lord;
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], praise your God.
13 He ·makes your city gates strong [L strengthens the bars of your gates]
and blesses your children ·inside [L within you].
14 He ·brings [sets] peace to your ·country [L boundaries]
and ·fills [satisfies; satiates] you with the finest ·grain [wheat].
15 He ·gives a command [L sends forth his word] to the earth,
and ·it quickly obeys him [L his word quickly runs].
16 He ·spreads [L gives] the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down hail like ·rocks [L morsels; bits; pieces].
No one can stand ·the cold he sends [L before his cold].
18 Then he ·gives a command [L sends forth his word], and it melts.
He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He ·gave [announced] his word to Jacob [C another name for Israel],
his laws [statutes; requirements; ordinances] and ·demands [judgments] to Israel [Ex. 19–24].
20 He didn’t do this for ·any other [L all the] nation.
They don’t know his ·laws [judgments].
Praise the Lord!
25 Some of John’s ·followers [disciples] had an ·argument [discussion; debate] with a Jew about ·religious washing [ceremonial cleansing; L purification; C the Jewish people washed themselves for ritual purposes before eating, before worshiping in the Temple, and at other special times]. 26 So they came to John and said, “Teacher [L Rabbi], remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one ·you spoke about so much [L about whom you have testified/witnessed]? He is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 John answered, “A ·man [person] can get only what ·God gives him [L is given to him from heaven]. 28 You yourselves heard me ·say [testify], ‘I am not the ·Christ [Messiah], but I am the one sent ·to prepare the way for him [L before him; 1:20–28; compare Is. 40:3].’ 29 The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. But the ·friend who helps the bridegroom [or the best man] stands by and listens to him. He ·is thrilled [rejoices greatly] that he gets to hear the bridegroom’s voice. In the same way, ·I am really happy [L my joy is fulfilled; C in this analogy, John is the best man and Jesus is the bridegroom]. 30 He must ·become greater [increase], and I must ·become less important [decrease].
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