Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 119[a]
1 Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
those who follow the teachings of Yahweh.
2 Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
They wholeheartedly search for him.
3 They do nothing wrong.
They follow his directions.
4 You have commanded
that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
5 I pray that my ways may become firmly established
so that I can obey your laws.
6 Then I will never feel ashamed
when I study all your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you
as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
8 I will obey your laws.
Never abandon me.
9 How can a young person keep his life pure?
He can do it by holding on to your word.
10 I wholeheartedly searched for you.
Do not let me wander away from your commandments.
11 I have treasured your promise in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Thanks be to you, O Yahweh.
Teach me your laws.
13 With my lips I have repeated
every regulation that comes from your mouth.
14 I find joy in the way shown by your written instructions
more than I find joy in all kinds of riches.
15 I want to reflect on your guiding principles
and study your ways.
16 Your laws make me happy.
I never forget your word.
17 Be kind to me so that I may live
and hold on to your word.
18 Uncover my eyes
so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.
19 I am a foreigner in this world.
Do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is overwhelmed with endless longing for your regulations.
21 You threaten arrogant people, who are condemned
and wander away from your commandments.
22 Remove the insults and contempt that have fallen on me
because I have obeyed your written instructions.
23 Even though influential people plot against me,
I reflect on your laws.
24 Indeed, your written instructions make me happy.
They are my best friends.
Psalm 12
For the choir director; on the sheminith; a psalm by David.
1 Help, O Yahweh.
No godly person is left.
Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants!
2 All people speak foolishly.
They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another.
3 May Yahweh cut off every flattering lip
and every bragging tongue
4 that has said,
“We will overcome with our tongues.
With lips such as ours, who can be our master?”
5 “Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan,
I will now arise,” says Yahweh.
“I will provide safety for those who long for it.”
6 The promises of Yahweh are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace[a] and purified seven times.
7 O Yahweh, you will protect them.
You will keep each one safe from those people forever.
8 Wicked people parade around
when immorality increases among Adam’s descendants.
Psalm 13
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
1 How long, O Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I make decisions alone
with sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look at me! Answer me, O Yahweh my Elohim!
Light up my eyes,
or else I will die
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overpowered him.”
My opponents will rejoice because I have been shaken.
5 But I trust your mercy.
My heart finds joy in your salvation.
6 I will sing to Yahweh because he has been good to me.
Psalm 14[b]
For the choir director; by David.
1 Godless fools say in their hearts,
“There is no Elohim.”
They are corrupt.
They do disgusting things.
There is no one who does good things.
2 Yahweh looks down from heaven on Adam’s descendants
to see if there is anyone who acts wisely,
if there is anyone who seeks help from Elohim.
3 Everyone has turned away.
Together they have become rotten to the core.
No one, not even one person, does good things.
4 Are all those troublemakers,
those who devour my people as if they were devouring food,
so ignorant that they do not call on Yahweh?
5 There they are—panic-stricken
because Elohim is with the person who is righteous.
6 They put the advice of oppressed people to shame
because Yahweh is their Machseh.
7 If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion!
When Yahweh restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice.
Israel will be glad.
Job Speaks: God Has Attacked Me Without Cause
6 Then Job replied to his friends,
Job Speaks about the Futility of Human Existence
7 “Isn’t a mortal’s stay on earth difficult
like a hired hand’s daily work?
2 Like a slave, he longs for shade.
Like a hired hand, he eagerly looks for his pay.
3 Likewise, I have been given months that are of no use,
and I have inherited nights filled with misery.
4 When I lie down, I ask,
‘When will I get up?’
But the evening is long,
and I’m exhausted from tossing about until dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin is crusted over with sores; then they ooze.
6 My days go swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.
They are spent without hope.
7 Remember, my life is only a breath,
and never again will my eyes see anything good.
8 The eye that watches over me will no longer see me.
Your eye will look for me, but I’ll be gone.
9 As a cloud fades away and disappears,
so a person goes into the grave and doesn’t come back again.
10 He doesn’t come back home again,
and his household doesn’t recognize him anymore.
11 So I won’t keep my mouth shut,
but I will speak from the distress that is in my spirit
and complain about the bitterness in my soul.
Job Says to God: Leave Me Alone
12 “Am I the sea or a sea monster
that you have set a guard over me?
13 When I say,
‘My couch may give me comfort.
My bed may help me bear my pain,’
14 then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 My throat would rather be choked.
My body[a] would prefer death to these dreams.
16 I hate my life; I do not want to live forever.
Leave me alone because my days are so brief.
17 “What is a mortal that you should make so much of him,
that you should be concerned about him?
18 What is he that you should inspect him every morning
and examine him every moment?
19 Why don’t you stop looking at me
long enough to let me swallow my spit?[b]
20 If I sin, what can I possibly do to you
since you insist on spying on people?
Why do you make me your target?
I’ve become a burden even to myself.
21 Why don’t you forgive my disobedience
and take away my sin?
Soon I’ll lie down in the dust.
Then you will search for me, but I’ll be gone!”
Cornelius Has a Vision
10 A man named Cornelius lived in the city of Caesarea. He was a Roman army officer in the Italian Regiment. 2 He and everyone in his home were devout and respected God. Cornelius gave many gifts to poor Jewish people and always prayed to God.
3 One day, about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He clearly saw an angel from God come to him and say, “Cornelius!”
4 He stared at the angel and was terrified. Cornelius asked the angel, “What do you want, sir?”
The angel answered him, “God is aware of your prayers and your gifts to the poor, and he has remembered you. 5 Send messengers now to the city of Joppa, and summon a man whose name is Simon Peter. 6 He is a guest of Simon, a leatherworker, whose house is by the sea.”
7 After saying this, the angel left. Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of those who served him regularly. 8 Cornelius explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa.
Peter Has a Vision
9 Around noon the next day, while Cornelius’ men were on their way and coming close to Joppa, Peter went on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted to eat. While the food was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the sky open and something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners to the ground. 12 In the sheet were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds.
13 A voice told him, “Get up, Peter! Kill these animals, and eat them.”
14 Peter answered, “I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never eaten anything that is impure or unclean.”[a]
15 A voice spoke to him a second time, “Don’t say that the things which God has made clean[b] are impure.”
16 This happened three times. Then the sheet was quickly taken into the sky.
Jesus Goes to the Festival of Booths
7 Yeshua later traveled throughout Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because Jews there wanted to kill him.
2 The time for the Jewish Festival of Booths was near. 3 So Yeshua’s brothers told him, “Leave this place, and go to Judea so that your disciples can see the things that you’re doing. 4 No one does things secretly when he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, you should let the world see you.” 5 Even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
6 Yeshua told them, “Now is not the right time for me to go. Any time is right for you. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I say that what everyone does is evil. 8 Go to the festival. I’m not going to this festival right now. Now is not the right time for me to go.”
9 After saying this, Yeshua stayed in Galilee. 10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, Yeshua went. He didn’t go publicly but secretly.
11 The Jews were looking for Yeshua in the crowd at the festival. They kept asking, “Where is that man?” 12 The crowds argued about Yeshua. Some people said, “He’s a good man,” while others said, “No he isn’t. He deceives the people.” 13 Yet, no one would talk openly about him because they were afraid of the Jews.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.