Book of Common Prayer
49 [a]Remember the word you gave to your servant
by which you have given me hope.
50 This is my consolation in my distress:
your word gives me life.
51 The arrogant[b] overwhelm me with scorn,
but I refuse to turn away from your law.
52 I recall your judgments of old, O Lord,
and I am greatly comforted.
53 I am filled with fury against the wicked,
those who forsake your law.
54 Your decrees have become my songs
wherever I make my dwelling.
55 Even during the night I remember your name[c]
and observe your teaching, O Lord.
56 This is my practice:
I obey your commandments.
Heth
57 [d]My portion, I have said, O Lord,
is to observe your words.[e]
58 With all my heart[f] I seek your favor;
fulfill your word and be gracious to me.
59 I have reflected on my ways
and resolved to follow your statutes.
60 I will make haste and not delay
to observe your precepts.
61 Though the nets of the wicked entrap me,
I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to offer praise to you
for the righteousness of your judgments.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,
all who observe your commands.
64 The earth overflows with your kindness,[g] O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
Teth
65 [h]You have dealt kindly with your servant
in accord with your word, O Lord.
66 Grant me good judgment and knowledge,
for I place my trust in your precepts.
67 Before I was afflicted[i] I went astray,
but now I observe your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 The arrogant[j] spread lies about me,
but with all my heart I observe your commands.
70 Their hearts are gross and insensitive,[k]
but I find my delight in your law.
71 It was a blessing for me to be afflicted,
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh
Psalm 49[a]
Deceptive Riches
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 [c]Hear this, all you peoples;
listen carefully, all you inhabitants of the world,
3 whether lowborn or highborn,
rich and poor alike.
4 My mouth will speak words of wisdom,
and the utterance of my heart[d] will give understanding.
5 I will listen carefully to a proverb,
and with the harp[e] I will interpret my riddle.
6 Why should I be afraid in evil times
when I am beset by the wickedness of my foes,[f]
7 those who place their trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
8 [g]For no one can ever redeem himself
or pay a ransom to God for his release.
9 The price to ransom a life would be too costly;
no one would ever have enough
10 to enable him to live on forever
and avoid being consigned to the pit.
11 [h]For all can see that the wise die,
just as the foolish and the stupid also pass away,
and all leave their wealth to others.[i]
12 Their graves are their eternal homes,
their dwelling places for all generations,
even though they had named lands after themselves.
13 Despite his riches,
a man cannot escape death;
he is like the beasts that perish.[j]
14 Such is the destiny of those who trust in themselves alone,
the fate of those who are pleased with their lot.[k] Selah
15 Like sheep[l] they are destined for the netherworld,
with death as their shepherd.
They descend straight to the grave
where their bodies will waste away;
the netherworld will be their home.
16 But God will ransom me from the netherworld;
he will take me[m] to himself. Selah
17 [n]Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich
and the splendor of his house increases.
18 When he dies, he will take nothing with him;
his wealth will not accompany him below.[o]
19 Although during his lifetime he considered himself blessed:
“They will praise me because I have done well,”
20 he will end up joining the company of his ancestors
who will never again see the light.[p]
21 Despite his riches,
a man who does not have wisdom
is like the beasts that perish.[q]
Psalm 53[a]
Foolishness of the Wicked
1 For the director.[b] According to Mahalath. A maskil of David.
2 [c]The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
Such are depraved and their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does what is right.
3 God looks down from heaven
upon the entire human race,
to see if there are any who act with wisdom,
if even a single one seeks God.
4 But they have all turned aside;
all alike are corrupt.
There is no one who does what is right,
not even one.
5 Have all these evildoers no understanding?
They devour my people as they eat bread,
and they never call out to God.
6 Later, they will be filled with terror,
and with good reason,[d]
although now they do not fear.
For God will scatter the bones
of those who attack you;
they will be put to shame,
for God has rejected them.
7 Who will bring about the salvation of Israel
that is to come out of Zion?[e]
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will exult.
The Leaders of the Holy City[a]
Chapter 3[b]
Joshua the High Priest. 1 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2 And the angel of the Lord said to Satan, “May God rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel then said to those who were standing before him, “Remove his filthy garments and clothe him in fine vestments.” 5 He also said, “Place a clean miter on his head.” Therefore, they put a clean miter on his head and clothed him in clean garments, while the angel of the Lord stood by and said, “Behold, I have removed your guilt.”
6 The angel of the Lord then declared to Joshua: 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you walk in my ways and observe my ordinances, you will rule over my house and be in charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access to all those who are standing here.
8 “Therefore listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who are seated here in attendance before you. For they are an omen of things to come. I will now bring in my servant, the Branch. 9 Gaze upon the stone that I have set before Joshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. 10 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you will invite each other to come under your vines and your fig trees.”
Celestial Visions about What Is To Come[a]
Christ, Lord of History[b]
Chapter 4
Vision of the Throne.[c]1 Following this, I had a vision of heaven with an open door, and I heard the voice like a trumpet that I had heard speaking to me before, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was caught up in the spirit,[d] and there in heaven I beheld a throne. 3 Seated upon the throne was one whose appearance was similar to that of jasper and carnelian, and surrounding it was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
4 Encircling the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders,[e] dressed in white with gold crowns on their heads. 5 Emanating from the throne were flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder. Burning in front of the throne were seven flaming lamps, the seven spirits of God, 6 and in front of the throne there was something like a sea of glass as transparent as crystal.
In the center of the throne and around it there were four living creatures,[f] and they were covered with eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature resembled a lion, the second resembled an ox, the third had a human face, and the fourth resembled an eagle in flight. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and all of them were covered with eyes all around and underneath their wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God, the Almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come.”
45 The Parable of the Faithful Servant.[a]“Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give its members their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant if his master finds him doing so when he returns home. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
48 “But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is detained,’ 49 and he proceeds to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will return on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will punish him and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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