Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A Davidic psalm for remembrance.(A)
1 Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.(B)
2 For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.(C)
3 There is no health in my body
because of Your indignation;
there is no strength[a] in my bones
because of my sin.(D)
4 For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(E)
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(F)
6 I am bent over and brought low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(G)
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and there is no health in my body.(H)
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(I)
9 Lord, my every desire is known to[b] You;
my sighing is not hidden from You.(J)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[c](K)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(L)
12 Those who seek my life set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(M)
13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(N)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(O)
15 I put my hope in You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God.(P)
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me—
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”(Q)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(R)
18 So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin.(S)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[d]
many hate me for no reason.(T)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(U)
ד Dalet
25 My life is down in the dust;(A)
give me life(B) through Your word.
26 I told You about my life,
and You listened to me;
teach me Your statutes.(C)
27 Help me understand
the meaning of Your precepts
so that I can meditate on Your wonders.(D)
28 I am weary[a] from grief;
strengthen me through Your word.(E)
29 Keep me from the way of deceit
and graciously give me Your instruction.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set Your ordinances before me.(F)
31 I cling to Your decrees;
Lord, do not put me to shame.(G)
32 I pursue the way of Your commands,
for You broaden my understanding.[b](H)
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the meaning[c] of Your statutes,
and I will always keep them.[d](I)
34 Help me understand Your instruction,(J)
and I will obey it
and follow it with all my heart.(K)
35 Help me stay on the path of Your commands,(L)
for I take pleasure in it.(M)
36 Turn my heart to Your decrees(N)
and not to material gain.(O)
37 Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;(P)
give me life in Your ways.[e](Q)
38 Confirm what You said to Your servant,(R)
for it produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away the disgrace I dread;(S)
indeed, Your judgments are good.
40 How I long for Your precepts!(T)
Give me life through Your righteousness.
ו Vav
41 Let Your faithful love come to me, Lord,(U)
Your salvation, as You promised.(V)
42 Then I can answer the one who taunts me,(W)
for I trust in Your word.
43 Never take the word of truth from my mouth,
for I hope in Your judgments.(X)
44 I will always obey Your instruction,
forever and ever.(Y)
45 I will walk freely in an open place(Z)
because I seek Your precepts.(AA)
46 I will speak of Your decrees before kings
and not be ashamed.(AB)
47 I delight in Your commands,
which I love.(AC)
48 I will lift up my hands(AD) to Your commands,
which I love,
and will meditate on Your statutes.(AE)
Prophecies about Noah’s Family
18 Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were Noah’s sons, and from them the whole earth was populated.(A)
20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant[a] a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.(B) 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a cloak and placed it over both their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked.
24 When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said:
26 He also said:
Praise the Lord, the God of Shem;
Canaan will be[b] his slave.
27 God will extend[c] Japheth;
he will dwell in the tents of Shem;
Canaan will be his slave.
28 Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.
Warning against Regression
6 Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,(A) 2 teaching about ritual washings,[a] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.(B) 3 And we will do this if God permits.
4 For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit,(C) 5 tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, 6 and who have fallen away, because,[b] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.(D) 7 For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.(E)
9 Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. 10 For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love[c] you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.(F) 11 Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, 12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.(G)
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. 23 John(A) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(B)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(C) and a Jew[a] about purification.(D) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(E) the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(F) is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”(G)
27 John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(H) but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’(I) 29 He who has the bride(J) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[b] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(K) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The One who comes from above(L) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[c] The One who comes from heaven is above all.(M) 32 He testifies(N) to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.(O) 34 For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He[d] gives the Spirit(P) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(Q) and has given all things into His hands.(R) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(S)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.