Book of Common Prayer
God Himself Is Judge
A Psalm of [a]Asaph.
50 (A)The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, has spoken,
And called the earth (B)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (C)the perfection of beauty,
God (D)has shone forth.
3 May our God (E)come and not be silent;
(F)Fire devours before Him,
And (G)a storm whirls around Him.
4 He (H)calls the heavens above,
And the earth, to render justice to His people:
5 “Gather My (I)holy ones to Me,
Those who have cut a (J)covenant with Me by (K)sacrifice.”
6 And the (L)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (M)God Himself is judge. [b]Selah.
7 “(N)Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify [c]against you;
I am God, (O)your God.
8 I do (P)not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 I shall take no (Q)young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 For (R)every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every (S)bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is [d]Mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the (T)world is Mine, as well as its fullness.
13 Shall I eat the flesh of [e](U)bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 Offer to God (V)a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And (W)pay your vows to the Most High;
15 (X)Call upon Me in the day of distress;
I shall (Y)rescue you, and you will (Z)glorify Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to recount My statutes
And to take (AA)My covenant in your mouth?
17 For you (AB)hate discipline,
And you (AC)cast My words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you [f](AD)are pleased with him,
And [g]you (AE)associate with adulterers.
19 You [h](AF)let your mouth loose in evil
And you harness your (AG)tongue for deceit.
20 You sit and (AH)speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done and (AI)I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will (AJ)reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.
Deliver Me from My Enemies
For the choir director. [a]Al-tashheth. Of David. A [b]Mikhtam. [c]When Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to put him to death.
59 (A)Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[d](B)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from (C)workers of iniquity
And save me from (D)men of bloodshed.
3 For behold, they (E)have lain in wait for my soul;
[e]Fierce men [f](F)launch an attack against me,
(G)Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Yahweh,
4 [g](H)For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.
(I)Arouse Yourself to meet me, and see!
5 You, (J)O Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to [h](K)punish all the nations;
(L)Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in [i]iniquity. [j]Selah.
6 They (M)return at evening, they howl like a (N)dog,
And go around the city.
7 Behold, they (O)pour forth speech with their mouth;
(P)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(Q)Who hears?”
8 But You, O Yahweh, (R)laugh at them;
You (S)mock all the nations.
9 Because of [k]his (T)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my (U)stronghold.
10 [l]My God (V)in His lovingkindness will approach me;
God will let me (W)look triumphantly upon [m]my foes.
11 Do not slay them, (X)or my people will forget;
(Y)Make them wander about by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, (Z)our shield.
12 [n]On account of the (AA)sin of their mouth and the word of their lips,
Let them even be (AB)caught in their pride,
And on account of (AC)curses and [o]lies which they utter.
13 [p](AD)Destroy them in wrath, [q]destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may (AE)know that God [r]rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They (AF)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
15 They (AG)wander about [s]for food
And [t]growl if they are not satisfied.
16 But as for me, I shall (AH)sing of Your strength;
And I shall (AI)joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the (AJ)morning,
For You have been my (AK)stronghold
And a (AL)refuge in the day of my distress.
17 (AM)O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my (AN)stronghold, the [u]God who shows me lovingkindness.
Through God We Shall Do Valiantly
For the choir director. According to [v]Shushan Eduth. A [w]Mikhtam of David. For teaching. [x]When he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
60 O God, (AO)You have rejected us. You have [y](AP)broken us;
You have been (AQ)angry; Oh, (AR)restore us.
2 You have made the [z](AS)land quake, You have split it open;
(AT)Heal its breaches, for it shakes.
3 You have (AU)caused Your people to see hardship;
You have given us [aa]wine to (AV)drink that causes reeling.
4 You have given a (AW)banner to those who fear You,
[ab]In order to flee to it from the bow. [ac]Selah.
5 (AX)That Your (AY)beloved may be rescued,
(AZ)Save with Your right hand, and answer [ad]us!
6 God has spoken in His [ae](BA)holiness:
“I will exult, I will portion out (BB)Shechem and measure out the valley of (BC)Succoth.
7 (BD)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
(BE)Ephraim also is the [af]helmet of My head;
Judah is My [ag](BF)scepter.
8 (BG)Moab is My washbowl;
Over (BH)Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Make a loud shout, O (BI)Philistia, because of Me!”
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who [ah]will lead me to Edom?
10 Have You Yourself, O God, not (BJ)rejected us?
And (BK)will You, O God, not go forth with our armies?
11 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For (BL)salvation [ai]by man is worthless.
12 [aj]Through God we shall (BM)do valiantly,
And it is He who will (BN)tread down our adversaries.
The Law of Yahweh Is Perfect
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The (A)heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the (B)expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to (C)day pours forth [a]speech,
And (D)night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no [b]speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [c](E)line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has (F)placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its (G)rising is from [d]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [e]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 (H)The law of Yahweh is [f](I)perfect, (J)restoring the soul;
The testimony of Yahweh is (K)sure, making (L)wise the simple.
8 The precepts of Yahweh are (M)right, (N)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of Yahweh is (O)pure, (P)enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of Yahweh are (Q)true; they are (R)righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than (S)gold, even more than much fine gold;
(T)Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them (U)Your slave is warned;
In keeping them there is great (V)reward.
12 Who can (W)discern his errors? (X)Acquit me of (Y)hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your slave (Z)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not (AA)rule over me;
Then I will be [g](AB)blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of (AC)great transgression.
14 Let the [h]words of my mouth and (AD)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Yahweh, (AE)my rock and my (AF)Redeemer.
God Is Our Refuge and Strength
For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. [a]According to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our (A)refuge and strength,
[b]A very (B)present help (C)in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will (D)not fear, though (E)the earth should change
And though (F)the mountains shake into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its (G)waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. [e]Selah.
4 There is a (H)river whose streams make glad the (I)city of God,
The holy (J)dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is (K)in the midst of her, she will not be shaken;
God will (L)help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations (M)roar, the kingdoms shake;
He (N)gives His voice, the earth (O)melts.
7 Yahweh of hosts (P)is with us;
The God of Jacob is (Q)our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, (R)behold the works of Yahweh,
[h]Who has appointed (S)desolations in the earth.
9 He (T)makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He (U)breaks the bow and cuts up the spear;
He (V)burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[i]Cease striving and (W)know that I am God;
I will be (X)exalted among the [j]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
39 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian official of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [a]from the (A)Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. 2 (B)And Yahweh was with Joseph, so he became a [b]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master (C)saw that Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh (D)caused all that he did to succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph (E)found favor in his sight and [c]attended on him; and he appointed him overseer over his house, and (F)all that he owned he gave in his hand. 5 Now it happened that from the time he appointed him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, Yahweh (G)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus (H)the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s hand; and with him there he did not [d]concern himself with anything except the [e]food which he [f]ate.
Now Joseph was (I)beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
7 And it happened after these events (J)that his master’s wife [g]set her eyes on Joseph and said, “(K)Lie with me.” 8 But (L)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master [h]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has given all that he owns into my hand. 9 [i](M)There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and (N)sin against God?” 10 So it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.
11 Now it happened [j]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 Then she seized him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside. 13 Now it happened, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her household and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a [k]Hebrew to us to laugh at us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I [l]screamed. 15 Now it happened that when he heard that I raised my voice and [m]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 And she placed his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (O)spoke to him [n]with these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to laugh at me; 18 and as I raised my voice and [o]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Is Put into Jail
19 Now it happened that when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “[p]This is what your slave did to me,” (P)his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and (Q)put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. 21 But (R)Yahweh was with Joseph and [q]extended lovingkindness to him and (S)gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 So the chief jailer (T)gave into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was [r]the one who did it. 23 (U)The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s hand because (V)Yahweh was with him; and whatever he did, (W)Yahweh made to succeed.
14 But [a]a (A)natural man (B)does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are (C)foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because (D)they are spiritually examined. 15 But he who is (E)spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one. 16 For (F)who has known the mind of the [b]Lord, that he will direct Him? But (G)we have the mind of Christ.
Jesus Christ, Our Foundation
3 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to (H)spiritual men, but as to (I)fleshly men, as to (J)infants in Christ. 2 I gave you (K)milk to drink, not solid food, for you (L)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are still not able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is (M)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking [c](N)like mere men? 4 For when (O)one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere (P)men?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? (Q)Servants through whom you believed, even (R)as the Lord gave to each one. 6 (S)I planted, (T)Apollos watered, but (U)God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will (V)receive his own [d]reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s (W)fellow workers; you are God’s [e](X)field, God’s (Y)building.
10 According to (Z)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder (AA)I laid a foundation, and (AB)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay a (AC)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, [f]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 (AD)each man’s work will become evident, for (AE)the day will indicate it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [g]the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will (AF)receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet (AG)so as through fire.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
2 And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 (B)And they *came, bringing to Him a (C)paralytic, carried by four men. 4 And being unable to bring him to [a]Jesus because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the (E)paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Child, (F)your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; (G)who can forgive sins [b]but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware [c]in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this.”
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