Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 66
For the Music Director. A Song. A Psalm.
1 Shout joyfully to God, all you lands!
2 Sing out the glory of His name;
make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies cringe before You.
4 All the earth will worship You
and will sing to You;
they will sing to Your name.” Selah
5 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doings toward mankind.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they crossed the river on foot;
there we rejoiced in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes keep watch on the nations;
do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Oh, bless our God, you people,
and make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 who keeps our soul among the living,
and does not allow our feet to slip.
10 For You, O God, have proved us;
You have refined us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net;
You placed distress on our backs.
12 You have allowed people to ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
but You brought us out into a well-watered place.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will fulfill my vows to You,
14 which my lips have uttered,
and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
with the incense of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
and He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me;
19 but certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His mercy from me.
Psalm 67
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1 May God be gracious to us, and bless us,
and cause His face to shine on us; Selah
2 that Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
let all the peoples praise You.
4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy;
for You will judge the people uprightly,
and lead the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
let all the peoples praise You.
6 Then will the earth yield its produce,
and God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
4 Then He said to me: Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of foreign speech and hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of foreign speech and hard language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me. For all the house of Israel is impudent and obstinate. 8 But I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 As emery harder than flint, I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
10 Moreover He said to me: Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears. 11 Go to the captives, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, “Thus says the Lord God.”
Peter Speaks in Cornelius’ House
34 Then Peter began to speak, saying, “Truthfully, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. 35 But in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 37 the word, which you know, that was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
39 “We are witnesses of all that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 But God raised Him on the third day and presented Him publicly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses previously chosen by God, to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets bear witness that whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins through His name.”
Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.
Psalm 118
1 Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
because His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
5 I called upon the Lord from my distress;
the Lord answered me and set me in an open place.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can people do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side to help me;
I shall look in triumph upon those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations encircled me,
but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
11 They circled me; indeed, they surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
12 They circled me like bees;
they went forth as a fire over thorns,
but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
13 You have pushed against me, that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song;
He has become my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation
is in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord is valiant.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord is valiant.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live
and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord has severely chastened me,
but He has not given me over unto death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through.
21 I will thank You that You have heard me
and have become my deliverance.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is what the Lord has done;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we ask You, O Lord;
O Lord, we ask You, send now success.
26 Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord:
we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
and He has shown us His light;
bind the sacrifice with cords,
even unto the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
for His mercy endures forever.
Jesus and Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you desired. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 He said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When He had said this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Jesus and the Beloved Disciple
20 Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who also leaned against His bosom at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me!”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.