Book of Common Prayer
I Will Walk with Integrity
A Psalm of David.
101 I will sing of (A)steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will (B)ponder the way (C)that is blameless.
Oh when will you (D)come to me?
I will (E)walk with (F)integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything (G)that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who (H)fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 (I)A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will (J)know nothing of evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor (K)secretly
I will (L)destroy.
Whoever has a (M)haughty look and an (N)arrogant heart
I will not endure.
6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in (O)the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.
Help Me, O Lord My God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
109 (A)Be not silent, O (B)God of my praise!
2 For wicked and (C)deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me (D)without cause.
4 In return for my love they (E)accuse me,
but I (F)give myself to prayer.[a]
5 So they (G)reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 (H)Appoint a wicked man (I)against him;
let an accuser stand (J)at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his (K)prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his (L)days be few;
may (M)another take his (N)office!
9 May his (O)children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10 May his children (P)wander about and beg,
(Q)seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11 May (R)the creditor seize all that he has;
may (S)strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 Let there be none to (T)extend kindness to him,
nor any to (U)pity his fatherless children!
13 May his (V)posterity be cut off;
may his (W)name be blotted out in the second generation!
14 May (X)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be (Y)blotted out!
15 (Z)Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may (AA)cut off the memory of them from the earth!
16 For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued (AB)the poor and needy
and (AC)the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17 (AD)He loved to curse; let curses come[b] upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far[c] from him!
18 He (AE)clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it (AF)soak[d] into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
20 May this be the reward of my (AG)accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
21 But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf (AH)for your name's sake;
because your (AI)steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22 For I am (AJ)poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23 I am gone like (AK)a shadow at evening;
I am (AL)shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak (AM)through fasting;
my (AN)body has become gaunt, with no fat.
25 I am (AO)an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they (AP)wag their heads.
26 (AQ)Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27 Let them (AR)know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 (AS)Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but (AT)your servant will be glad!
29 May my accusers be (AU)clothed with dishonor;
may they (AV)be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will (AW)praise him in the midst of the throng.
Ayin
121 I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Give your servant (A)a pledge of good;
let not (B)the insolent oppress me.
123 My (C)eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and (D)teach me your statutes.
125 I am your (E)servant; (F)give me understanding,
that I may know your testimonies!
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
for your law has been broken.
127 Therefore I (G)love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
I hate every (H)false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are (I)wonderful;
therefore my soul (J)keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts (K)understanding to the simple.
131 I (L)open my mouth and (M)pant,
because I (N)long for your commandments.
132 (O)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
133 (P)Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity (Q)get dominion over me.
134 (R)Redeem me from man's oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135 (S)Make your face shine upon your servant,
and (T)teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes (U)shed streams of tears,
because people (V)do not keep your law.
Tsadhe
137 (W)Righteous are you, O Lord,
and right are your rules.
138 You have appointed your testimonies in (X)righteousness
and in all (Y)faithfulness.
139 My (Z)zeal consumes me,
because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well (AA)tried,
and your servant (AB)loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not (AC)forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is (AD)true.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my (AE)delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
(AF)give me understanding that I may (AG)live.
2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
Samuel Judges Israel
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, (A)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then (B)put away the foreign gods and the (C)Ashtaroth from among you and (D)direct your heart to the Lord (E)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at (F)Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at (G)Mizpah (H)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord (I)and fasted on that day and said there, (J)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And (K)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. (L)But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel (M)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a] and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 (N)So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
15 (O)Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to (P)Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. (Q)And he built there an altar to the Lord.
Seven Chosen to Serve
6 Now in these days (A)when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in (B)the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 (C)Therefore, brothers,[b] pick out from among you seven men (D)of good repute, (E)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But (F)we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, (G)a man full of faith and (H)of the Holy Spirit, and (I)Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, (J)a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and (K)they prayed and (L)laid their hands on them.
7 And (M)the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests (N)became obedient to (O)the faith.
Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and (P)power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But (Q)they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then (R)they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they (S)set up false (T)witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against (U)this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth (V)will destroy this place and will (W)change (X)the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face (Y)was like the face of an angel.
Institution of the Lord's Supper
14 (A)And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it[a] (B)until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and (C)when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 (D)For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine (E)until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 (F)And he took bread, and (G)when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, (H)“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, (I)“This cup that is poured out for you is (J)the new (K)covenant in my blood.[b] 21 (L)But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is (M)with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes (N)as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.