Book of Common Prayer
145 I call with all my heart, O Lord;
answer me that I may keep your statutes.
146 I call to you to save me
that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry out;
I put my hope in your words.
148 My eyes greet the night watches
as I meditate on your promise.(A)
149 Hear my voice in your mercy, O Lord;
by your judgment give me life.
150 Malicious persecutors draw near me;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Lord;
reliable are all your commandments.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have established them forever.
Resh
153 Look at my affliction and rescue me,
for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Take up my cause and redeem me;(B)
for the sake of your promise give me life.
155 Salvation is far from sinners
because they do not cherish your statutes.
156 Your compassion is great, O Lord;
in accord with your judgments, give me life.
157 Though my persecutors and foes are many,
I do not turn from your testimonies.
158 I view the faithless with loathing(C)
because they do not heed your promise.
159 See how I love your precepts, Lord;
in your mercy give me life.
160 Your every word is enduring;
all your righteous judgments are forever.
Shin
161 Princes persecute me without reason,
but my heart reveres only your word.
162 I rejoice at your promise,
as one who has found rich spoil.
163 Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
because your judgments are righteous.
165 Lovers of your law have much peace;(D)
for them there is no stumbling block.
166 I look for your salvation, Lord,
and I fulfill your commandments.
167 I observe your testimonies;
I love them very much.
168 I observe your precepts and testimonies;
all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my cry come before you, Lord;(E)
in keeping with your word, give me understanding.
170 Let my prayer come before you;
rescue me according to your promise.
171 May my lips pour forth your praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
172 May my tongue sing of your promise,
for all your commandments are righteous.
173 Keep your hand ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord;
your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live to praise you;
may your judgments give me help.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep;
seek out your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.(F)
Psalm 128[a]
The Blessed Home of the Just
1 A song of ascents.
I
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
and who walk in his ways.(A)
2 What your hands provide you will enjoy;
you will be blessed and prosper:(B)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your home,
Your children like young olive plants
around your table.(C)
4 Just so will the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
II
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;
may you see Jerusalem’s prosperity
all the days of your life,(D)
6 and live to see your children’s children.(E)
Peace upon Israel!(F)
Psalm 129[b]
Against Israel’s Enemies
1 A song of ascents.
I
Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,
let Israel say now.(G)
2 Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,(H)
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 Upon my back the plowers plowed,
as they traced their long furrows.(I)
4 But the just Lord cut me free
from the ropes of the wicked.[c]
II
5 May they recoil in disgrace,
all who hate Zion.
6 May they be like grass on the rooftops[d]
withered in early growth,(J)
7 Never to fill the reaper’s hands,
nor the arms of the binders of sheaves,
8 And with none passing by to call out:
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you![e]
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”(K)
Psalm 130[f]
Prayer for Pardon and Mercy
1 A song of ascents.
I
Out of the depths[g] I call to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my cry!
May your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.(L)
3 If you, Lord, keep account of sins,
Lord, who can stand?(M)
4 But with you is forgiveness
and so you are revered.[h]
II
5 I wait for the Lord,
my soul waits
and I hope for his word.(N)
6 My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak.(O)
More than sentinels for daybreak,
7 let Israel hope in the Lord,
For with the Lord is mercy,
with him is plenteous redemption,(P)
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.(Q)
Edom’s Fall and Judah’s Restoration
15 Near is the day of the Lord(A)
against all the nations!
As you have done, so will it be done to you,
your conduct will come back upon your own head;
16 As you drank[a] upon my holy mountain,
so will all the nations drink continually.
Yes, they will drink and swallow,
and will become as though they had not been.
17 But on Mount Zion there will be some who escape;[b]
the mountain will be holy,
And the house of Jacob will take possession
of those who dispossessed them.(B)
18 The house of Jacob will be a fire,
the house of Joseph a flame,
and the house of Esau stubble.
They will set it ablaze and devour it;
none will survive of the house of Esau,
for the Lord has spoken.
19 They will take possession of the Negeb,[c] Mount Esau, the Shephelah, and Philistia, possess the countryside of Ephraim, the countryside of Samaria, Benjamin, and Gilead.(C) 20 The exiles of this Israelite army will possess the Canaanite land as far as Zarephath,[d] and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negeb. 21 And deliverers[e] will ascend Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingship shall be the Lord’s.
Chapter 2
God’s House and People. 1 [a]Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander;(A) 2 like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, 3 (B)for you have tasted that the Lord is good.[b] 4 Come to him, a living stone,[c] rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God,(C) 5 and, like living stones, let yourselves be built[d] into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(D) 6 For it says in scripture:
“Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.”(E)
7 Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”(F)
8 and
“A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.”
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.(G)
9 [e]But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(H)
10 Once you were “no people”
but now you are God’s people;
you “had not received mercy”
but now you have received mercy.(I)
23 [a]Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 (A)Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 [b]When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” 26 (B)Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” 27 (C)Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” 28 [c](D)Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. 30 [d](E)But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.