Book of Common Prayer
God Wants True Worship
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
50 The God of gods, the Lord, speaks.
He ·calls [proclaims to; summons] the earth from the rising to the setting sun.
2 God shines from ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
·whose beauty is perfect [L the perfection of beauty; 48:2; Lam. 2:15].
3 Our God comes, and he will not be silent.
A fire ·burns [consumes] in front of him [Heb. 12:29],
and a ·powerful storm [whirlwind; tempest] surrounds him [Is. 66:15].
4 He ·calls to [summons] the ·sky [heavens] above and to the earth
that he might judge his people.
5 He says, “Gather around, you ·who worship me [holy ones; saints],
who have made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with me, using a sacrifice [Ex. 24:5–8].”
6 God is the judge,
and even the ·skies say he is right [heavens proclaim his righteousness]. ·
7 God says, “My people, listen to me;
Israel, I will ·testify [witness] against you.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not ·scold [reprimand; rebuke] you for your sacrifices.
You always bring me your burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].
9 But I do not ·need [or accept] bulls from your ·stalls [L house]
or goats from your ·pens [folds],
10 because every animal of the forest is already mine.
The cattle on a thousand hills are mine.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and every living thing in the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
because the earth and ·everything in it [L its fullness] are mine.
13 ·I don’t [L Do I…?] eat the meat of bulls
or drink the blood of goats.
14 Give an ·offering to show thanks [thank offering] to God [Lev. 7:12; 22:29; Heb. 13:15].
Give God Most High what you have ·promised [vowed].
15 Call to me in times of ·trouble [distress].
I will ·save [rescue; T deliver] you, and you will ·honor [glorify] me.”
16 But God says to the wicked,
“Why do you ·talk about [recount] my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements]?
Why do you ·mention [L lift up on your mouth] my ·agreement [covenant; treaty]?
17 You hate my ·teachings [instruction; discipline; Prov. 1:7]
and turn your back on what I say.
18 When you see a thief, you ·join [delight in; or run with] him.
·You take part in adultery [Your lot/portion is with adulterers].
19 You ·don’t stop your mouth from speaking evil [L send your mouth into evil],
and your tongue ·makes up lies [L is yoked to deception].
20 You sit around and speak against your brother
and ·lie [L give a stain/fault] about your mother’s son.
21 I have kept quiet while you did these things,
so you thought I was just like you.
But I will ·scold [reprimand; reprove] you
and ·accuse [indict] you ·to your face [L before your eyes].
22 “·Think about [Understand] this, you who forget God.
Otherwise, I will tear you apart,
and no one will ·save [protect] you.
23 Those people ·honor [glorify] me
who bring me ·offerings to show thanks [thank offerings; v. 14].
And I, God, will save those who ·do that [L go on my way/path].”
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when Saul sent men to ·watch David’s house [L the house] to kill him [1 Sam. 19:11–17].
59 God, ·save [protect] me from my enemies.
·Protect me [Give me refuge] from those who ·come [rise] against me.
2 ·Save [Protect] me from those who do evil
and ·save me from [give me victory over] ·murderers [the bloodthirsty].
3 Look, they are waiting to ambush ·me [my life; Prov. 1:11].
·Cruel [Defiant; Strong] people attack me,
but I have not sinned or ·done wrong [transgressed], Lord.
4 I have done nothing wrong, but they ·are ready to attack me [L run and get ready].
Wake up to ·help [meet] me, and look.
5 You are the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel.
·Arise [L Awake] and ·punish [visit] ·those people [L all the nations].
Do not give those traitors any ·mercy [grace]. ·
6 They come back at ·night [evening].
Like dogs they ·growl [make a commotion] and ·roam around [surround] the city.
7 Notice what ·comes [bubbles up] from their mouths.
·Insults [L Swords] come from their lips,
because they say, “Who’s listening?”
8 But, Lord, you laugh at them [2:4];
you ·make fun of [ridicule] all ·of them [L the nations].
9 God, my strength, I ·am looking to [keep watch for] you,
because God is my ·defender [refuge].
10 My God ·loves [is loyal to] me, and he goes in front of me.
He will help me ·defeat [L look on] my enemies.
11 Lord, our ·protector [L shield], do not kill them, or my people will forget.
With your power ·scatter them [make them wander] and ·defeat them [L bring them down].
12 They sin by what they say;
they sin with their ·words [L lips].
They curse and tell lies,
so let their pride ·trap [capture] them.
13 ·Destroy [Annihilate] them in your anger;
·destroy [annihilate] them ·completely [L so they will be no more]!
Then they will know
that God rules over ·Israel [L Jacob]
and to the ends of the earth. ·
14 They come back at ·night [evening].
Like dogs they ·growl [make a commotion]
and ·roam around [surround] the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
and they ·howl [grumble] if they ·do not find enough [are not satisfied].
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your ·love [loyalty].
You are my ·defender [refuge],
my place of safety in ·times of trouble [L the day of distress].
17 God, my strength, I will sing ·praises [a psalm] to you.
God, my ·defender [refuge], you are the God who ·loves [is loyal to] me.
A Prayer After a Defeat
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lily of the ·Agreement [Testimony].” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of ·northwest Mesopotamia [Naharaim; L the Two Rivers] and Zobah, and when Joab returned and ·defeated [L struck] twelve thousand ·Edomites at the Valley of Salt [2 Sam. 8; 1 Chr. 18].
60 God, you have rejected us and ·scattered us [broken us down; burst forth on us].
You have been angry, but please ·come back to [restore] us.
2 You made the earth shake and ·crack [split open].
Heal its ·breaks [cracks; fractures] because it ·is shaking [totters].
3 You have ·given your people [L made your people see] ·trouble [hardship].
You made us ·unable to walk straight, like people drunk with wine [L drink wine that makes us reel; C the cup of God’s wrath; Jer. 25:15–29; Nah. 3:11; Matt. 26:39].
4 You have raised a banner to gather those who fear you.
Now they can ·stand up against the enemy [L escape/flee from the bow]. ·
5 Answer us and ·save us [give us victory] by your ·power [L hand]
so ·the people you love [your beloved] will be rescued.
6 God has said ·from his Temple [from his Holy Place; or in his holiness],
“·When I win [or With joy], I will ·divide [parcel up] Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth [Gen. 33:17–20].
7 Gilead and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is like my helmet.
Judah holds my royal scepter [Gen. 49:10; C they are agents of God’s power].
8 Moab is like my washbowl.
I throw my sandals at Edom [C showing contempt].
I shout [C in triumph] at Philistia [C enemies of Israel].”
9 Who will bring me to the ·strong, walled [fortified] city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 God, ·surely you have rejected [L have you not rejected…?] us;
you do not go out with our armies.
11 ·Help us fight the enemy [L Give us help against the foe].
Human ·help [deliverance] is useless,
12 but we can ·win [fight bravely] with God’s help.
He will ·defeat [tread on] our ·enemies [foes].
The Majesty of the Lord
93 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. He is ·clothed [robed] in majesty.
The Lord is ·clothed [robed] in majesty
and ·armed [girded] with strength.
The world is ·set [established],
and it ·cannot be moved [will not totter].
2 Lord, your ·kingdom [L throne] was ·set up [established] long ago;
you are everlasting.
3 Lord, the ·seas [L rivers; C perhaps referring to currents within the sea] raise,
the ·seas [L rivers] raise their voice.
The ·seas [L rivers] raise up their pounding waves [C representing chaos].
4 The sound of the water is loud;
the ·ocean waves [L breakers of the sea] are ·powerful [majestic],
but the Lord above is much ·greater [more powerful/majestic; C God is in control of chaos].
5 Lord, your ·laws [decrees; testimonies] ·will stand forever [are very faithful/true].
·Your Temple will be holy forevermore [L At your house holiness is fitting/appropriate and will be for length of days].
Praise for the Lord’s Glory
96 Sing to the Lord a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 40:3; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3];
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and ·praise [bless] his name;
every day ·tell [announce the good news] ·how he saves us [L of his salvation/victory].
3 Tell the nations of his glory [C his manifest presence];
tell all peoples the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he does,
4 because the Lord is great; he should be praised ·at all times [or with vigor].
He ·should be honored [is awesome; should be feared] more than all the gods,
5 because all the gods of the nations are ·only idols [or worthless],
but the Lord made the heavens [Gen. 1].
6 The Lord has ·glory [splendor] and majesty;
he has power and beauty in his ·Temple [sanctuary; L Holy Place].
7 ·Praise [L Ascribe to] the Lord, all ·nations on earth [L families of peoples];
·praise the Lord’s [L ascribe to the Lord] glory and power.
8 ·Praise the glory of the Lord’s [L Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his] name.
Bring an ·offering [grain/gift/tribute sacrifice; Lev. 2:1] and come into his Temple courtyards.
9 ·Worship [Bow down to] the Lord ·because he is holy [L in the splendor of his holiness].
Tremble before him, everyone on earth.
10 Tell the nations, “The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].”
The earth is ·set [established], and it cannot be moved.
He will judge the people fairly.
11 Let the ·skies [heavens] rejoice and the earth be glad;
let the sea and everything in it ·shout [thunder; roar].
12 Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 before the Lord, because he is coming.
He is coming to judge the world;
he will judge the world with ·fairness [righteousness]
and the peoples with ·truth [faithfulness; 98:9].
Job Continues
29 Job continued ·to speak [L his discourse; 27:1]:
31 “But I ·made an agreement [L cut a covenant] with my eyes
not to ·look with desire [leer] at a ·girl [L virgin].
2 What ·has God above promised for people [L would be my portion with God above]?
What ·has the Almighty planned from [would be my inheritance/heritage with the Almighty/Shaddai] on high?
3 ·It is ruin [L Isn’t calamity reserved…?] for evil people
and ·disaster [misfortune] for those who do wrong.
4 ·God sees [L Does he not see…?] my ways
and counts every step I take.
5 “If I have ·been dishonest [L walked with falsehood]
or ·lied to others [L my feet hasten to fraud],
6 then let God weigh me on ·honest [just] scales [Prov. 11:1].
Then he will know I ·have done nothing wrong [am blameless/innocent].
7 If ·I have turned away from doing what is right [L my feet have wandered off the path; Prov. 2:20],
or my heart has ·been led by my eyes to do wrong [L followed my eyes],
or ·my hands have been made unclean [L blemish has clung to my hand],
8 then let ·other people eat what I have planted [L me sow and not eat],
and let my crops be ·plowed up [uprooted].
9 “If ·I have desired [L my heart has been enticed/seduced by] another woman [Prov. 5–7]
or have waited at my ·neighbor’s [or friend’s] door for his wife,
10 then let my wife grind ·another man’s grain [L another man; C a euphemism for sexual intercourse],
and let other men ·have sexual relations with [L kneel over] her.
11 That would be ·shameful [a foul deed],
a ·sin to be punished [a criminal offense; L a guilty thing before the judges].
12 It is like a fire that burns ·and destroys [L down to Abaddon; 26:6; 28:22];
all I have done would be ·plowed up [L burned to the root].
13 “If I ·have been unfair to [L reject proper judgment for] my male and female slaves
when they had a ·complaint [case] against me,
14 ·how could I tell God what I did [or what would I do when God rises against me]?
What will I answer when he asks me to explain what I’ve done?
15 God made me in my mother’s womb, and he also made them;
the same God formed both of us in our mothers’ wombs.
16 “I have never ·refused the appeals of the poor [or deprived the poor of some pleasure]
or ·let widows give up hope while looking for help [L caused the eyes of the widow to fail].
17 I have not ·kept my food to myself [eaten my morsel alone]
·but have given it to the orphans [L or not let orphans eat it].
18 Since I was young, ·I have been like a father to the orphans [L I have raised them like a father; or he (God) raised me like a father].
From ·my birth [L the womb of my mother] I guided the widows.
19 I have not let anyone ·die [L perish] for lack of clothes
or let a needy person go without ·a coat [L covering].
20 That person’s ·heart [L loins] blessed me,
because I warmed him with the ·wool [fleece] of my sheep.
21 I have never ·hurt [L raised my hand threateningly against] an orphan
even when I knew I ·could win in court [L had allies in the gate; C the city gate was where court was held].
22 If I have, then let my ·arm [L shoulder blade] fall off my shoulder
and [L my arm] be broken at the ·joint [socket].
23 I fear ·destruction [calamity] from God,
and I fear his ·majesty [ruin], so I could not do such things.
The Meeting in Jerusalem
15 Then some people came to Antioch from Judea and began teaching the Gentile believers [L brothers (and sisters)]: “You cannot be saved if you are not circumcised ·as Moses taught us [L according to the custom of Moses; compare Gen. 17:9–14].” 2 Paul and Barnabas ·were against this teaching and argued [L had no small argument and debate] with them about it. So the church ·decided to send [commissioned; appointed] Paul, Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem where they could talk more about this disagreement with the apostles and elders.
3 The church ·helped them leave [sent them] on the trip, and they went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about ·how the other nations had turned to God [L the conversion of the Gentiles]. This made all the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] very ·happy [joyful]. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, the elders, and the church. They told about everything God had done with them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee ·group [sect; party; faction] ·came forward [L stood up] and said, “·The Gentile believers [L They] must be circumcised. They must be ·told to obey [ordered to keep] the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this ·problem [matter]. 7 After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “[L Men,] Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me from among you to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] to the ·nations [Gentiles]. They heard the ·Good News [Gospel] from ·me [L my mouth], and they believed. 8 God, who knows the ·thoughts of everyone [L heart], ·accepted [showed his approval of; L testified for] them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts ·pure [clean]. 10 So now why are you testing God by putting a ·heavy load around [L yoke on] the necks of the ·Gentile believers [L disciples]? It is a ·load [yoke] that neither we nor our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] were ·able [strong enough] to ·carry [bear]. 11 But we believe that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
Jesus in Bethany
17 When Jesus arrived, he learned that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. [C Some Jews believed that a soul would stay near a body for up to three days after death.] 18 Bethany was about two miles [L fifteen stadia; C a stadion was about 600 ft.] from Jerusalem. 19 Many of the Jews had come there to ·comfort [console] Martha and Mary about their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary ·stayed [L was sitting at] home. 21 Martha [L then] said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.”
23 Jesus said, “Your brother will rise and live again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know that he will rise and live again in the resurrection on the last day.” [C Many Jews, particularly Pharisees, believed in a future bodily resurrection.]
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. ·Those who believe [L The one who believes…] in me will have life even if they die. 26 And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 Martha answered, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the ·Christ [Messiah], the Son of God, the One ·coming to [who was to come into] the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 After Martha said this, she went back and ·talked to [summoned] her sister Mary ·alone [privately]. Martha said, “The Teacher is here and he is ·asking for [summoning; calling for] you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus.
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