Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 120
A Cry for Truth and Peace
A song of ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.(A)
2 “Lord, rescue me from lying lips
and a deceitful tongue.”(B)
3 What will he give you,
and what will he do to you,
you deceitful tongue?(C)
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows
with burning charcoal
5 What misery that I have stayed in Meshech,[b](E)
that I have lived among the tents of Kedar
6 I have dwelt too long
with those who hate peace.(G)
7 I am for peace; but when I speak,
they are for war.(H)
Psalm 121
The Lord Our Protector
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?(I)
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(J)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.(K)
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.(L)
5 The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side.[d](M)
6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.(N)
7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.(O)
8 The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.(P)
Psalm 122
A Prayer for Jerusalem
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”(Q)
2 Our feet were standing
within your gates, Jerusalem(R)—
3 Jerusalem, built as a city should be,
solidly united,(S)
4 where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.(T)
(This is an ordinance for Israel.(U))
5 There, thrones for judgment are placed,
thrones of the house of David.(V)
6 Pray for the well-being[e] of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure;(W)
7 may there be peace within your walls,
security within your fortresses.”(X)
8 Because of my brothers and friends,
I will say, “May peace be in you.”[f](Y)
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will pursue your prosperity.(Z)
Psalm 123
Looking for God’s Favor
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(AA)
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(AB)
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(AC)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(AD)
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side(AE)
when people attacked us,(AF)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(AG)
4 Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging water would have swept over us.(AH)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.(AI)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.(AJ)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(AK)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(AL)
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem
and the Lord surrounds his people,
both now and forever.(AM)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(AN)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(AO)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(AP)
Peace be with Israel.(AQ)
Psalm 126
Zion’s Restoration
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[g]
we were like those who dream.(AR)
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,(AS)
and our tongues with shouts of joy.(AT)
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”(AU)
3 The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.(AV)
4 Restore our fortunes,[h] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.(AW)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.(AX)
6 Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.(AY)
Psalm 127
The Blessing of the Lord
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
4 The Lord my God says this: “Shepherd the flock intended for slaughter. 5 Those who buy them slaughter them but are not punished.(A) Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord because I have become rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, I will turn everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue it from their hand.”(B)
7 So I shepherded the flock intended for slaughter, the oppressed of the flock.[a] I took two staffs, calling one Favor(C) and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of three shepherds. I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let what is dying die, and let what is perishing perish; let the rest devour each other’s flesh.” 10 Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, annulling the covenant I had made with all the peoples. 11 It was annulled on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock[b] who were watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed my wages, thirty pieces of silver.(D)
13 “Throw it to the potter,”[c] the Lord said to me—this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the Lord, to the potter.[d](E) 14 Then I cut in two my second staff, Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 The Lord also said to me, “Take the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are perishing, and he will not seek the lost[e] or heal the broken. He will not sustain the healthy,[f] but he will devour the flesh of the fat sheep(F) and tear off their hooves.
10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,[a] and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation(A) other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,(B) costly stones,(C) wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;(D) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.(E) 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience[b] loss, but he himself will be saved(F)—but only as through fire.(G)
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple(H) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?(I) 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;(J) for God’s temple is holy,(K) and that is what you are.
The Folly of Human Wisdom
18 Let no one deceive(L) himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,(M) let him become a fool(N) so that he can become wise.(O) 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness(P) with God, since it is written,(Q) He catches the wise in their craftiness;[c](R) 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings(S) of the wise are futile.[d](T) 21 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours(U)— 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas(V) or the world or life(W) or death(X) or things present or things to come(Y)—everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ,(Z) and Christ belongs to God.
The Third Prediction of His Death
31 Then(A) he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem.(B) Everything that is written(C) through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.(D) 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles,(E) and he will be mocked,(F) insulted, spit(G) on; 33 and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”(H)
34 They understood none of these things.(I) The meaning of the saying[a](J) was hidden(K) from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
A Blind Man Receives His Sight
35 As(L) he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. 37 “Jesus of Nazareth(M) is passing by,” they told him.
38 So he called out,(N) “Jesus, Son of David,(O) have mercy(P) on me!” 39 Then those in front told him to keep quiet,[b] but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
42 “Receive your sight,”(Q) Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.”(R) 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God.(S) All the people,(T) when they saw it, gave praise to God.
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