Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 146
The God of Compassion
1 Hallelujah!
My soul, praise the Lord.(A)
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing to my God as long as I live.(B)
3 Do not trust in nobles,
in a son of man,[a] who cannot save.(C)
4 When his breath[b] leaves him,
he returns to the ground;
on that day his plans die.(D)
5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,(E)
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.(F)
He remains faithful forever,(G)
7 executing justice for the exploited
and giving food to the hungry.(H)
The Lord frees prisoners.(I)
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.(J)
The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.[c](K)
The Lord loves the righteous.(L)
9 The Lord protects resident aliens
and helps the fatherless and the widow,(M)
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.(N)
10 The Lord reigns forever;
Zion, your God reigns for all generations.(O)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 147
God Restores Jerusalem
1 Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing to our God,
for praise is pleasant and lovely.(P)
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;(Q)
he gathers Israel’s exiled people.(R)
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.(S)
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.(T)
5 Our Lord is great, vast in power;
his understanding is infinite.[d](U)
6 The Lord helps the oppressed
but brings the wicked to the ground.(V)
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
play the lyre to our God,(W)
8 who covers the sky with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
and causes grass to grow on the hills.(X)
9 He provides the animals with their food,
and the young ravens what they cry for.(Y)
10 He is not impressed by the strength of a horse;
he does not value the power of a warrior.[e](Z)
11 The Lord values those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his faithful love.(AA)
12 Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion!(AB)
13 For he strengthens the bars of your city gates
and blesses your children within you.(AC)
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;[f](AD)
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.(AE)
Psalm 111
Praise for the Lord’s Works
1 Hallelujah![a]
I will praise the Lord with all my heart
in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.(A)
2 The Lord’s works are great,
studied by all who delight in them.(B)
3 All that he does is splendid and majestic;(C)
his righteousness endures forever.(D)
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered.(E)
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.(F)
5 He has provided food for those who fear him;(G)
he remembers his covenant forever.(H)
6 He has shown his people the power of his works
by giving them the inheritance of the nations.(I)
7 The works of his hands are truth and justice;
all his instructions are trustworthy.(J)
8 They are established forever and ever,
enacted in truth and in uprightness.(K)
9 He has sent redemption to his people.(L)
He has ordained his covenant forever.
His name is holy and awe-inspiring.(M)
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;(N)
all who follow his instructions[b] have good insight.(O)
His praise endures forever.(P)
Psalm 112
The Traits of the Righteous
1 Hallelujah![c]
Happy is the person who fears the Lord,
taking great delight in his commands.(Q)
2 His descendants will be powerful in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.(R)
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,(S)
and his righteousness endures forever.(T)
4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright.(U)
He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.(V)
5 Good will come to the one who lends generously
and conducts his business fairly.(W)
6 He will never be shaken.(X)
The righteous one will be remembered forever.(Y)
7 He will not fear bad news;
his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.(Z)
8 His heart is assured; he will not fear.(AA)
In the end he will look in triumph on his foes.(AB)
9 He distributes freely to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.(AC)
His horn will be exalted in honor.(AD)
10 The wicked one will see it and be angry;
he will gnash his teeth in despair.(AE)
The desire of the wicked leads to ruin.(AF)
Psalm 113
Praise to the Merciful God
1 Hallelujah!
Give praise, servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.(AG)
2 Let the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and forever.(AH)
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised.(AI)
4 The Lord is exalted above all the nations,(AJ)
his glory above the heavens.(AK)
5 Who is like the Lord our God—
the one enthroned on high,(AL)
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?(AM)
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap(AN)
8 in order to seat them with nobles—
with the nobles of his people.(AO)
9 He gives the childless woman a household,
making her the joyful mother of children.(AP)
Hallelujah!
1 The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah(B) son of Amoz saw during the reigns[a] of Kings Uzziah,(C) Jotham,(D) Ahaz,(E) and Hezekiah(F) of Judah.(G)
Judah on Trial
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth,(H)
for the Lord has spoken:
“I have raised children[b] and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.(I)
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand.”(J)
4 Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity,(K)
brood of evildoers,(L)
depraved children!
They have abandoned(M) the Lord;
they have despised(N) the Holy One of Israel;(O)
they have turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep on rebelling?
The whole head is hurt,
and the whole heart is sick.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,(P)
no spot is uninjured(Q)—
wounds, welts, and festering sores
not cleansed, bandaged,
or soothed with oil.
7 Your land is desolate,
your cities burned down;(R)
foreigners devour your fields
right in front of you—
a desolation, like a place demolished by foreigners.
8 Daughter Zion(S) is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of Armies(T)
had not left us a few survivors,(U)
we would be like Sodom,
we would resemble Gomorrah.(V)
The Day of the Lord
3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter(A) I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere(B) understanding by way of reminder, 2 so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. 3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days(C) scoffing and following their own evil desires, 4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised?(D) Ever since our ancestors fell asleep,(E) all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” 5 They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God(F) the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water.(G) 6 Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.(H) 7 By the same word,(I) the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment(J) and destruction of the ungodly.
8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.(K) 9 The Lord does not delay his promise,(L) as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any(M) to perish(N) but all to come to repentance.(O)
10 But the day of the Lord(P) will come like a thief;[a](Q) on that day the heavens will pass away(R) with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved,(S) and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.[b][c]
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins[a] who took their lamps[b] and went out to meet the groom.(A) 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.(B) 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4 but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9 “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.(C) 11 Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’
12 “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’
13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.[c]
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