Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 63[a]
Ardent Longing for God
1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.(A)
I
2 O God, you are my God—
it is you I seek!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
In a land parched, lifeless,
and without water.(B)
3 I look to you in the sanctuary
to see your power and glory.
4 For your love is better than life;[b]
my lips shall ever praise you!
II
5 I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands, calling on your name.
6 My soul shall be sated as with choice food,
with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you!
7 I think of you upon my bed,
I remember you through the watches of the night
8 You indeed are my savior,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.(C)
9 My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
III
10 But those who seek my life will come to ruin;
they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld!
11 Those who would hand over my life to the sword shall
become the prey of jackals!
12 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by the Lord[c] shall exult,
but the mouths of liars will be shut!(D)
Psalm 98[a]
The Coming of God
1 A psalm.
I
Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done marvelous deeds.(A)
His right hand and holy arm
have won the victory.[b](B)
2 The Lord has made his victory known;
has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,
3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
II
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
break into song; sing praise.
5 Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy to the King, the Lord.(C)
III
Psalm 103[a]
Praise of Divine Goodness
1 Of David.
I
Bless the Lord, my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, my soul;
and do not forget all his gifts,
3 Who pardons all your sins,
and heals all your ills,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,(A)
and crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5 Who fills your days with good things,
so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.[b]
II
6 The Lord does righteous deeds,
brings justice to all the oppressed.(B)
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
to the Israelites his deeds.
8 Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy.(C)
9 He will not always accuse,
and nurses no lasting anger;
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit,
nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.
III
11 For as the heavens tower over the earth,
so his mercy towers over those who fear him.(D)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we are formed,
remembers that we are dust.(E)
15 As for man, his days are like the grass;
he blossoms like a flower in the field.(F)
16 A wind sweeps over it and it is gone;
its place knows it no more.
17 But the Lord’s mercy is from age to age,
toward those who fear him.
His salvation is for the children’s children
18 of those who keep his covenant,
and remember to carry out his precepts.
IV
19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven;
his dominion extends over all.
20 Bless the Lord, all you his angels,(G)
mighty in strength, acting at his behest,
obedient to his command.
21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts,
his ministers who carry out his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his creatures,
everywhere in his domain.
Bless the Lord, my soul!
VI. Epilogue: Restoration Under a Davidic King
11 [a]On that day I will raise up
the fallen hut of David;
I will wall up its breaches,
raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old,(A)
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
and all nations claimed in my name—
oracle of the Lord, the one who does this.
13 Yes, days are coming—
oracle of the Lord—
When the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps
and the vintager, the sower of the seed;
The mountains shall drip with the juice of grapes,
and all the hills shall run with it.(B)
14 I will restore my people Israel,
they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,
Plant vineyards and drink[b] the wine,
set out gardens and eat the fruits.(C)
15 I will plant them upon their own ground;
never again shall they be plucked
From the land I have given them—
the Lord, your God, has spoken.
II. Warning Against Deception Concerning the Parousia
Chapter 2
Christ and the Lawless One.[a] 1 We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him,(A) 2 not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,”[b] or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.(B) 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed,[c] the one doomed to perdition,
13 But we ought to give thanks to God for you always, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits[a] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in truth.(A) 14 To this end he has [also] called you through our gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.(B) 15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.[b]
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.
30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.(A)
Witnesses to Jesus. 31 (B)“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. 32 But there is another[a] who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. 33 You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.(C) 34 I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.(D) 35 He was a burning and shining lamp,[b] and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.(E) 36 But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.(F) 37 Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(G) 38 and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.(H) 39 You search[c] the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.(I) 40 But you do not want to come to me to have life.
Unbelief of Jesus’ Hearers. 41 “I do not accept human praise;[d] 42 moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.(J) 43 I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.(K) 44 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?(L) 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.(M) 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.(N) 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
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