Book of Common Prayer
Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
38 Lord, (A)do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
2 For Your (B)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And (C)Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is (D)no healthy part in my flesh (E)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (F)in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my (G)guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (H)my foolishness.
6 I am bent over and (I)greatly bowed down;
I (J)go in mourning all day long.
7 For my [b]sides are filled with (K)burning,
And there is (L)no healthy part in my flesh.
8 I feel (M)faint and [c]badly crushed;
I [d](N)groan because of the [e]agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all (O)my desire is [f]before You;
And my (P)sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, (Q)my strength fails me;
And the (R)light of my eyes, even [g]that [h]has gone from me.
11 My [i](S)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen (T)stand far away.
12 Those who (U)seek my life (V)lay snares for me;
And those who (W)seek to injure me have [j]threatened destruction,
And they (X)plot deception all day long.
13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
And I am like a (Y)person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (Z)I wait for You, Lord;
You (AA)will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (AB)would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am (AC)ready to fall,
And (AD)my [k]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I (AE)admit my guilt;
I am full of (AF)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (AG)enemies are vigorous and [l]strong,
And those who wrongfully (AH)hate me are many.
20 And those who (AI)repay evil for good,
They (AJ)become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
My God, (AK)do not be far from me!
22 (AL)Hurry to help me,
Lord, (AM)my salvation!
Daleth
25 My (A)soul clings to the dust;
(B)Revive me (C)according to Your word.
26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
(D)Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
And I will (E)meditate on Your wonders.
28 My (F)soul [a]weeps because of grief;
(G)Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your Law.
30 I have chosen the faithful way;
I have [b]placed Your judgments before me.
31 I (H)cling to Your testimonies;
Lord, do not put me to shame!
32 I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will (I)enlarge my heart.
He
33 (J)Teach me, the way of Your statutes, Lord,
And I shall comply with it to the end.
34 (K)Give me understanding, so that I may (L)comply with Your Law
And keep it (M)with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the (N)path of Your commandments,
For I (O)delight in it.
36 (P)Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to (Q)dishonest gain.
37 Turn my (R)eyes away from looking at what is worthless,
And (S)revive me in Your ways.
38 (T)Establish Your [c]word to Your servant
[d]As that which produces reverence for You.
39 (U)Take away my disgrace which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I (V)long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.
Vav
41 May Your (W)favor also come to me, Lord,
Your salvation (X)according to Your [e]word;
42 So that I will have an (Y)answer for one who (Z)taunts me,
For I trust in Your word.
43 And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I [f](AA)wait for Your judgments.
44 So I will (AB)keep Your Law continually,
Forever and ever.
45 And I will (AC)walk [g]at liberty,
For I (AD)seek Your precepts.
46 I will also speak of Your testimonies (AE)before kings
And shall not be ashamed.
47 I will (AF)delight in Your commandments,
Which I (AG)love.
48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments,
Which I (AH)love;
And I will (AI)meditate on Your statutes.
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
17 (A)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of [a]feasting with strife.
2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The (B)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But (C)the Lord tests hearts.
4 An (D)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A [b]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 One who mocks the (E)poor taunts his Maker;
One who (F)rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
6 (G)Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the (H)glory of sons is their fathers.
7 [c](I)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are (J)lying lips to a prince.
8 A (K)bribe is a [d]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 One who (L)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter (M)separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a (N)person meet a (O)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
13 One who (P)returns evil for good,
(Q)Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So (R)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 One who (S)justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to (T)buy wisdom,
When [e]he has no sense?
17 A (U)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A person lacking in [f]sense (V)shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 One who (W)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (X)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [g]mind (Y)finds nothing good,
And one who is [h](Z)corrupted in his language falls into evil.
Overseers and Deacons
3 (A)It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the (B)office of [a]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 [b](C)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, (D)the husband of one wife, [c](E)temperate, self-controlled, respectable, (F)hospitable, (G)skillful in teaching, 3 (H)not overindulging in wine, not [d]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, (I)free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who (J)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of (K)the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become (L)conceited and fall into (M)condemnation [e]incurred by the devil. 7 And he must (N)have a good reputation with (O)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into [f]disgrace and (P)the snare of the devil.
8 (Q)Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not [g]insincere, (R)not prone to drink much wine, (S)not greedy for money, 9 (T)but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 (U)These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 [h]Women must likewise be dignified, (V)not malicious gossips, but [i](W)temperate, faithful in all things. 12 (X)Deacons must be (Y)husbands of one wife, and [j](Z)good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have served well as deacons (AA)obtain for themselves a [k]high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but [l]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in (AB)the household of God, which is the (AC)church of (AD)the living God, the (AE)pillar and support of the truth. 16 Beyond question, great is (AF)the mystery of godliness:
43 “(A)Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and (B)the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
Changed Relationships
46 (C)While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His (D)mother and (E)brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 [[a]Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] 48 But [b]Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49 And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
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