Book of Common Prayer
The Ways of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;
nor does he stand in the way of sinners;
nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that gives its fruit in its season;
its leaf also does not wither.
Therefore all that he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked.
Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,[a]
but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Messiah’s Reign
2 Why are nations in tumult,
and countries plotting[b] in vain?[c]
2 The kings of the earth establish themselves,
and the rulers conspire[d] together
against Yahweh and his anointed:
3 “Let us tear off their bonds,
and cast their cords from us!”
4 He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs.
The Lord derides them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
and in his fury he terrifies them:
6 “But as for me, I have set my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will tell the decree;
Yahweh said to me:
“You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage,
and your possession the ends of the earth.
9 You will break them with an iron rod.
Like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”
10 So then, O kings, be wise.
Be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son
lest he be angry and you perish on the way,
for his anger burns quickly.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
A Call to Yahweh in Distress
A psalm of David at his fleeing from the presence of Absalom, his son.[e]
3 Yahweh, how many are my enemies;
many are rising against me.
2 Many are saying about my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him from[f] God. Selah[g]
3 But[h] you, Yahweh, are a shield around me,
my glory and the one who lifts up my head.
4 With my voice I call to Yahweh
and he answers me from his holy hill.[i] Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I woke up because Yahweh sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of the ten thousands of people
who all around have set themselves against me.
7 Rise up, O Yahweh; deliver me, O my God;
for you strike all my enemies on the cheek.
The teeth of the wicked you break.
8 To Yahweh belongs deliverance;
may your blessing be over your people. Selah
Safety in Yahweh
For the music director; with stringed instruments. A psalm of David.[j]
4 When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness.[k]
In trouble deliver me.[l]
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2 O sons of man, how long will my honor[m] be a disgrace?
How long will you love vanity?
How long will you seek lies?[n] Selah
3 But know that Yahweh has set apart[o] for himself the faithful one.[p]
Yahweh hears when I call to him.
4 Be disturbed but do not sin.
Commune in your heart[q] on your bed and be silent. Selah
5 Offer correct sacrifices,[r]
and trust in[s] Yahweh.
6 Many are saying, “Who will show us something good?”
Lift up over[t] us the light of your face, O Yahweh.
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when[u] their grain and their wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep at once,[v]
for you alone, O Yahweh, make me dwell safely.
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
A Shiggaion[a] of David which he sang to Yahweh
on account of Cush, a Benjaminite.[b]
7 O Yahweh, my God, in you I have taken refuge.
Save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
2 Or else he will tear me apart like a lion,
ripping to pieces, with none to deliver.
3 O Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally[c] with harm,
or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy of my soul pursue,
and overtake and trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Rise up, O Yahweh, in your anger,
and lift yourself up against the wrath[d] of my oppressors,
and awake for me,
since you have commanded judgment.
7 And let the assembly of peoples surround you,
and over it return on high.
8 Yahweh judges the nations.
O Yahweh, vindicate me
according to my innocence[e] and according to my integrity within me.
9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.
10 My shield is with God
who saves the upright of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If he[f] does not repent, he[g] will sharpen his sword.
He has bent his bow and he has strung[h] it.
13 And he has prepared for him weapons of death.
He has made his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See, he[i] travails with[j] evil.
He is pregnant with trouble,
and he gives birth to deception.
15 He makes a pit and digs it out,
then falls in the trap he has made.
16 His trouble comes back on his head,
and his violence comes down on his skull.
17 I will thank Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of Yahweh, the Most High.
Eliphaz’s First Response to Job
4 Then[a] Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Eliphaz’s Response Continues
5 “Call now, is there anyone answering you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For vexation will slay the fool,
and jealousy will kill the simple.
3 I have seen a fool taking root,
but[a] suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
4 His children are far from deliverance,
and they are crushed in the gate,
and there is no deliverer—
5 whose harvest the hungry eats,
and he takes it from behind[b] the thorns;
and the thirsty pants after their wealth.
6 Indeed,[c] mischief does not come from the dust,
and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
7 But a human being is born to trouble,
and they soar aloft[d] like sparks.[e]
8 “But I myself[f] will seek God,
and to God I would commit my cause.
9 He is doing great and unsearchable[g] things,
marvelous things without number[h]—
10 the one who is giving rain on the surface of[i] the earth
and is sending water on the surface of[j] the fields,
11 to set the lowly on high,
and those mourning are lifted to safety.
17 “Look, happy is the human being whom God reproves;
and you must not despise the discipline of Shaddai,
18 for he himself[a] wounds, but[b] he binds up;
he strikes, but[c] his hands heal.
19 From[d] six troubles he will deliver you,
and in seven evil shall not touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of[e] the sword.
21 From the scourge of the tongue you shall be hidden,
and you shall not be afraid of[f] destruction when it comes.
26 You shall come in maturity to the grave,
as the raising up of a stack of sheaves in its season.
27 “Look, we have searched this out—it is true;
hear it and know it yourself.”[a]
19 and after[a] taking food, he regained his strength. And he was with the disciples in Damascus several days.
Saul Proclaims Christ in Damascus
20 And immediately he began proclaiming[b] Jesus in the synagogues: “This one is the Son of God!” 21 And all who heard him[c] were amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who was wreaking havoc in Jerusalem on those who call upon this name, and had come here for this reason, that he could bring them tied up[d] to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul was increasing in strength even more, and was confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by[e] proving that this one is the Christ.[f]
23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted to do away with him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul, and they were also watching the gates both day and night so that they could do away with him. 25 But his disciples took him[g] at night and[h] let him down through the wall by[i] lowering him[j] in a basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 And when he[k] arrived in Jerusalem, he was attempting to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they[l] did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and[m] brought him[n] to the apostles and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was going in and going out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was speaking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews,[o] but they were trying to do away with him. 30 And when[p] the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being strengthened. And living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it was increasing in numbers.[q]
52 So the Jews began to quarrel[a] among themselves,[b] saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves! 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats[c] my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats[d] me—that one will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats[e] this bread will live forever.”[f]
Many of Jesus’ Disciples Offended by His Teaching
59 He said these things while[g] teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
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