Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 63
A psalm by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O Elohim, you are my Elohim.
At dawn I search for you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My body longs for you
in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
2 So I look for you in the holy place
to see your power and your glory.
3 My lips will praise you
because your mercy is better than life itself.
4 So I will thank you as long as I live.
I will lift up my hands to pray in your name.
5 You satisfy my soul with the richest foods.
My mouth will sing your praise with joyful lips.
6 As I lie on my bed, I remember you.
Through the long hours of the night, I think about you.
7 You have been my help.
In the shadow of your wings, I sing joyfully.
8 My soul clings to you.
Your right hand supports me.
9 But those who try to destroy my life
will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be cut down by swords.
Their dead bodies will be left as food for jackals.
11 But the king will find joy in Elohim.
Everyone who takes an oath by Elohim will brag,
but the mouths of liars will be shut.
Psalm 103
By David.
1 Praise Yahweh, my soul!
Praise his holy name, all that is within me.
2 Praise Yahweh, my soul,
and never forget all the good he has done:
3 He is the one who forgives all your sins,
the one who heals all your diseases,
4 the one who rescues your life from the pit,
the one who crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5 the one who fills your life with blessings
so that you become young again like an eagle.
6 Yahweh does what is right and fair
for all who are oppressed.
7 He let Moses know his ways.
He let the Israelites know the things he had done.
8 Yahweh is compassionate, merciful, patient,
and always ready to forgive.
9 He will not always accuse us of wrong
or be angry with us forever.
10 He has not treated us as we deserve for our sins
or paid us back for our wrongs.
11 As high as the heavens are above the earth—
that is how vast his mercy is toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west—
that is how far he has removed our rebellious acts from himself.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so Yahweh has compassion for those who fear him.
14 He certainly knows what we are made of.
He bears in mind that we are dust.
15 Human life is as short-lived as grass.
It blossoms like a flower in the field.
16 When the wind blows over the flower, it disappears,
and there is no longer any sign of it.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting,
Yahweh’s mercy is on those who fear him.
His righteousness belongs
to their children and grandchildren,
18 to those who are faithful to his promise,[a]
to those who remember to follow his guiding principles.
19 Yahweh has set his throne in heaven.
His kingdom rules everything.
20 Praise Yahweh, all his angels,
you mighty beings who carry out his orders
and are ready to obey his spoken orders.
21 Praise Yahweh, all his armies,
his servants who carry out his will.
22 Praise Yahweh, all his creatures
in all the places of his empire.
Praise Yahweh, my soul!
Bildad Speaks: No One Is Righteous to God
25 Then Bildad from Shuah replied to Job,
2 “Authority and terror belong to God.
He establishes peace in his high places.
3 Is there any limit to the number of his troops?
Is there anyone on whom his light does not rise?
4 How can a person be righteous to El?
How can anyone born of a woman be pure?
5 Even the moon isn’t bright,
and the stars aren’t pure in his sight.
6 How much less pure is a mortal—who is only a maggot—
a descendant of Adam—who is only a worm!”
Job Continues: I Insist I Am Innocent
27 Job continued his poems and said,
2 “I swear an oath
by El, the one who has taken away my rights,
by Shadday, who has made my life bitter:
3 ‘As long as there is one breath left in me
and Eloah’s breath fills my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wrong,
and my tongue will not mumble anything deceitful.’
5 It’s unthinkable for me to admit that you are right.
Until I breathe my last breath, I will never give up my claim of integrity.
6 I cling to my righteousness and won’t let go.
My conscience won’t accuse me as long as I live.
The New Song on Mount Zion
14 I looked, and the lamb was standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 Then I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of raging water and the noise of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like the music played by harpists. 3 They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had been bought on earth could learn the song.
4 These 144,000 virgins are pure. They follow the lamb wherever he goes. They were bought from among humanity as the first ones offered to God and to the lamb. 5 They’ve never told a lie. They are blameless.
The Harvest of the Earth
6 I saw another angel flying overhead with the everlasting Good News to spread to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 The angel said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the time has come for him to judge. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs.”
13 I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: From now on those who die believing in the Lord are blessed.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit. “Let them rest from their hard work. What they have done goes with them.”
God’s People Make a Difference in the World(A)
13 “You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
14 “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. 16 In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.
Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures
17 “Don’t ever think that I came to set aside Moses’ Teachings or the Prophets. I didn’t come to set them aside but to make them come true. 18 I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from the Scriptures before everything has come true. 19 So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God’s approval and do it more faithfully than the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.