Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 80
For the choir director; according to shoshannim eduth; by Asaph; a psalm.
1 Open your ears, O Roeh of Israel,
the one who leads the descendants of Joseph like sheep,
the one who is enthroned over the angels.[a]
2 Appear in front of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Wake up your power, and come to save us.
3 O Elohim, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
4 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, how long will you smolder in anger
against the prayer of your people?
5 You made them eat tears as food.
You often made them drink their own tears.
6 You made us a source of conflict to our neighbors,
and our enemies made fun of us.
7 O Elohim Tsebaoth, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
8 You brought a vine from Egypt.
You forced out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it
so that it took root and filled the land.
10 Its shade covered the mountains.
Its branches covered the mighty cedars.
11 It reached out with its branches to the Mediterranean Sea.
Its shoots reached the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the stone fences around this vine?
All who pass by are picking its fruit.
13 Wild boars from the forest graze on it.
Wild animals devour it.
14 O Elohim Tsebaoth, come back!
Look from heaven and see!
Come to help this vine.
15 Take care of what your right hand planted,
the son you strengthened for yourself.
16 The vine has been cut down and burned.
Let them be destroyed by the threatening look on your face.
17 Let your power rest on the man you have chosen,
the son of man you strengthened for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call on you.
19 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, restore us, and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
Psalm 77
For the choir director; according to Jeduthun; a psalm by Asaph.
1 Loudly, I cried to Elohim.
Loudly, I cried to Elohim
so that he would open his ears to hear me.
2 On the day I was in trouble, I went to Adonay for help.
At night I stretched out my hands in prayer without growing tired.
Yet, my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I sigh as I remember Elohim.
I begin to lose hope as I think about him. Selah
4 (You keep my eyelids open.)
I am so upset that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 I remember my song in the night
and reflect on it.
My spirit searches for an answer:
7 Will Adonay reject me for all time?
Will he ever accept me?
8 Has his mercy come to an end forever?
Has his promise been canceled throughout every generation?
9 Has El forgotten to be merciful?
Has he locked up his compassion because of his anger? Selah
10 Then I said, “It makes me feel sick
that the power of Elyon is no longer the same.”[a]
11 I will remember the deeds of Yah.
I will remember your ancient miracles.
12 I will reflect on all your actions
and think about what you have done.
13 O Elohim, your ways are holy!
What god is as great as our Elohim?
14 You are the El who performs miracles.
You have made your strength known among the nations.
15 With your might you have defended your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The water saw you, O Elohim.
The water saw you and shook.
Even the depths of the sea trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water.
The sky thundered.
Even your arrows flashed in every direction.
18 The sound of your thunder rumbled in the sky.[b]
Streaks of lightning lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road went through the sea.
Your path went through raging water,
but your footprints could not be seen.
20 Like a shepherd, you led your people.
You had Moses and Aaron take them by the hand.
Psalm 79
A psalm by Asaph.
1 O Elohim, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you.
They have dishonored your holy temple.
They have left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants
to the birds for food.
They have given the flesh of your godly ones
to the animals.
3 They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem
as though it were water.
There is no one to bury your people.
4 We have become a disgrace to our neighbors,
an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.
5 How long, O Yahweh?
Will you remain angry forever?
Will your fury continue to burn like fire?
6 Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you,
on the kingdoms that have not called you.
7 They have devoured Jacob.
They have destroyed his home.
8 Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us.
Reach out to us soon with your compassion,
because we are helpless.
9 Help us, O Elohim, our savior, for the glory of your name.
Rescue us, and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.
10 Why should the nations be allowed to say,
“Where is their Elohim?”
Let us watch as the nations learn
that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.
11 Let the groans of prisoners come into your presence.
With your powerful arm rescue those who are condemned to death.
12 Pay each one of our neighbors back
with seven times the number of insults they used to insult you, O Adonay.
13 Then we, your people, the flock in your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever.
We will praise you throughout every generation.
Esther’s Problem
4 Esther’s servants and eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai. The queen was stunned. She sent clothing for Mordecai to put on in place of his sackcloth, but he refused to accept it. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to serve her. She commanded him to go to Mordecai and find out what was going on and why.
6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai informed him about everything that had happened to him. He told him the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasury to destroy the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa. The decree gave permission to exterminate the Jews. Hathach was supposed to show it to Esther to inform and command her to go to the king, beg him for mercy, and appeal to him for her people. 9 So Hathach returned and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s advisers and the people in the king’s provinces know that no one approaches the king in the throne room without being summoned. By law that person must be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to him will he live. I, myself, have not been summoned to enter the king’s presence for 30 days now.” 12 So Esther’s servants told Mordecai what Esther said.
13 Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther, “Do not imagine that just because you are in the king’s palace you will be any safer than all the rest of the Jews. 14 The fact is, even if you remain silent now, someone else will help and rescue the Jews, but you and your relatives will die. And who knows, you may have gained your royal position for a time like this.”
15 Esther sent this reply back to Mordecai, 16 “Assemble all the Jews in Susa. Fast for me: Do not eat or drink at all for three entire days. My servants and I will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even if it is against a royal decree. If I die, I die.”
17 Mordecai did just as Esther had commanded him.
Paul in Corinth
18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth. 2 In Corinth he met a Jewish man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Aquila had been born in Pontus, and they had recently come from Italy because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, 3 and because they made tents for a living as he did, he stayed with them and they worked together.
4 On every day of worship, Paul would discuss Scripture in the synagogue. He tried to win over Jews and Greeks who had converted to Judaism. 5 But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to teaching the word of God. He assured the Jews that Yeshua is the Messiah. 6 But they opposed him and insulted him. So Paul shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “You’re responsible for your own death. I’m innocent. From now on I’m going to people who are not Jewish.”
7 Then he left the synagogue and went to the home of a man named Titius Justus, who was a convert to Judaism. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 The synagogue leader Crispus and his whole family believed in the Lord. Many Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Don’t be afraid to speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 I’m with you. No one will attack you or harm you. I have many people in this city.”
11 Paul lived in Corinth for a year and a half and taught the word of God to them.
Luke Writes to Theophilus
1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. 2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. 3 I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. 4 In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.
John Prepares the Way(A)
3 It was the fifteenth year in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod ruled Galilee, and his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. 2 It was at the time when Annas and Caiaphas were chief priests that God spoke to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3 John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. He told people about a baptism of repentance[a] for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As the prophet Isaiah wrote in his book,
“A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!
5 Every valley will be filled.
Every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked ways will be made straight.
The rough roads will be made smooth.
6 All people will see the salvation that God gives.’”
7 Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John. He would say to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger? 8 Do those things that prove that you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our ancestor.’ I guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. 9 The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”
10 The crowds asked him, “What should we do?”
11 He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who doesn’t have any. Whoever has food should share it too.”
12 Some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them, “Don’t collect more money than you are ordered to collect.”
14 Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Be satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money from anyone.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.