Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 101
A Vow of Integrity
A psalm of David.
1 I will sing of faithful love and justice;
I will sing praise to you, Lord.(A)
2 I will pay attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.(B)
3 I will not let anything worthless guide me.[a]
I hate the practice of transgression;
it will not cling to me.(C)
4 A devious heart will be far from me;
I will not be involved with[b] evil.(D)
5 I will destroy anyone
who secretly slanders his neighbor;(E)
I cannot tolerate anyone
with haughty eyes or an arrogant heart.(F)
6 My eyes favor the faithful of the land
so that they may sit down with me.
The one who follows the way of integrity
may serve me.(G)
7 No one who acts deceitfully
will live in my palace;
the one who tells lies
will not be retained here to guide me.[c](H)
8 Every morning I will destroy
all the wicked of the land,
wiping out all evildoers from the Lord’s city.(I)
Psalm 109
Prayer against an Enemy
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 God of my praise, do not be silent.(A)
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
they speak against me with lying tongues.(B)
3 They surround me with hateful words
and attack me without cause.(C)
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray.[a](D)
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.(E)
6 Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuser[b] stand at his right hand.(F)
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be counted as sin.(G)
8 Let his days be few;
let another take over his position.(H)
9 Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.(I)
10 Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food far[c] from their demolished homes.(J)
11 Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for.(K)
12 Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.(L)
13 Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
let their name be blotted out in the next generation.(M)
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers
be remembered before the Lord,(N)
and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out.(O)
15 Let their sins[d] always remain before the Lord,
and let him remove[e] all memory of them from the earth.(P)
16 For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death.(Q)
17 He loved cursing—let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing—let it be far from him.(R)
18 He wore cursing like his coat—
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.(S)
19 Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.(T)
20 Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me.(U)
21 But you, Lord, my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;(V)
because your faithful love is good, rescue me.(W)
22 For I am suffering and needy;(X)
my heart is wounded within me.(Y)
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow;(Z)
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated.[f](AA)
25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;[g]
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.(AB)
26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your faithful love(AC)
27 so they may know that this is your hand
and that you, Lord, have done it.(AD)
28 Though they curse, you will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.(AE)
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak.(AF)
30 I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;
I will praise him in the presence of many.(AG)
ע Ayin
121 I have done what is just and right;(A)
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Guarantee your servant’s well-being;(B)
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes grow weary(C) looking for your salvation
and for your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant based on your faithful love;(D)
teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant;(E) give me understanding(F)
so that I may know your decrees.
126 It is time for the Lord to act,(G)
for they have violated your instruction.
127 Since I love your commands(H)
more than gold, even the purest gold,
128 I carefully follow all your precepts(I)
and hate every false way.(J)
פ Pe
129 Your decrees are wondrous;(K)
therefore I obey them.(L)
130 The revelation of your words(M) brings light
and gives understanding to the inexperienced.(N)
131 I open my mouth and pant(O)
because I long for your commands.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,(P)
as is your practice toward those who love your name.
133 Make my steps steady through your promise;(Q)
don’t let any sin dominate me.(R)
134 Redeem me from human oppression,(S)
and I will keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine on your servant,(T)
and teach me your statutes.(U)
136 My eyes pour out streams of tears(V)
because people do not follow your instruction.
צ Tsade
137 You are righteous, Lord,(W)
and your judgments are just.
138 The decrees you issue are righteous
and altogether trustworthy.(X)
139 My anger overwhelms me
because my foes forget your words.(Y)
140 Your word is completely pure,(Z)
and your servant loves it.(AA)
141 I am insignificant and despised,(AB)
but I do not forget your precepts.(AC)
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your instruction is true.(AD)
143 Trouble and distress have overtaken me,
but your commands are my delight.(AE)
144 Your decrees are righteous forever.(AF)
Give me understanding, and I will live.
12 My people consult their wooden idols,(C)
and their divining rods inform them.
For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray;(D)
they act promiscuously(E)
in disobedience to[a] their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops,(F)
and they burn offerings on the hills,(G)
and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,(H)
because their shade is pleasant.
And so your daughters act promiscuously
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters
when they act promiscuously
or your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
for the men themselves go off with prostitutes(I)
and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes.(J)
People without discernment are doomed.(K)
Warnings for Israel and Judah
15 Israel, if you act promiscuously,
don’t let Judah become guilty!
Do not go to Gilgal(L)
or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven,[b](M)
and do not swear an oath: As the Lord lives!(N)
16 For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow.(O)
Can the Lord now shepherd them
like a lamb in an open meadow?(P)
17 Ephraim is attached to idols;(Q)
leave him alone!(R)
18 When their drinking is over,
they turn to promiscuity.
Israel’s leaders[c] fervently love disgrace.[d]
19 A wind with its wings will carry them off,[e](S)
and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
Conflict over the Gentile Mission
15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.(A)
17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.(B) 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.(C) 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.(D)
20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous(E) for the law. 21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.(F) 22 So what is to be done?[a] They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.(G) 25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that[b] they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
The Riot in the Temple
26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.(H)
The Call of Levi
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,(A) and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.
29 Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them.(B) 30 But the Pharisees and their scribes(C) were complaining to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
A Question about Fasting
33 Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.”
34 Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? 35 But the time[a] will come(D) when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”
36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.[b] 39 And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”[c]
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