Book of Common Prayer
Trusting God for Help
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Dove in the Distant Oak.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when the Philistines ·captured [seized] him in Gath [C referring to the episode in 1 Sam. 21:10–15 or to an unrecorded event].
56 God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me because people are ·chasing [trampling; hounding; snapping at] me;
the battle has ·pressed [harrassed] me all day long.
2 My enemies have ·chased [trampled on; hounded; snapped at] me all day;
there are many proud people fighting me.
3 When I am afraid,
I will ·trust [have confidence in] you.
4 I praise God for his word.
I ·trust [have confidence in] God, so I am not afraid.
What can ·human beings [L flesh] do to me?
5 All day long they ·twist [find fault with] my words;
all their evil ·plans [or thoughts] are against me.
6 They ·wait [or attack; or strive]. They hide.
They watch my ·steps [L heels],
hoping to kill me.
7 God, do not let them escape;
·punish [L bring down] the ·foreign nations [peoples] in your anger.
8 You have ·recorded [recounted] my ·troubles [wanderings].
You have ·kept a list of my tears [L put my tears in your bottle].
Aren’t they in your records?
9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will ·be defeated [L turn back].
I know that God is on my side.
10 I praise God for his word to me;
I praise the Lord for his word.
11 I ·trust [have confidence] in God. I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
12 God, I must keep my ·promises [vows] to you.
I will give you my ·offerings to thank you [thank offerings],
13 because you have ·saved [protected] me from death.
You have kept ·me from being defeated [L my feet from falling].
So I will walk ·with [L in the presence of] God
in light ·among [of] the living.
A Prayer in Troubled Times
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David when he ·escaped [fled] from Saul in the cave [C likely a reference to 1 Sam. 22:1–5, but possibly 1 Sam. 24].
57 Be ·merciful [gracious] to me, God; be ·merciful [gracious] to me
because I ·come to you for protection [L seek refuge].
Let me ·hide [be protected; L seek refuge] under the shadow of your wings [Ruth 2:12; Matt. 23:37]
until the ·trouble [destruction] has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to the God who ·does everything for [fulfills his purpose for; or avenges] me.
3 He sends help from heaven and ·saves me [gives me victory].
He ·punishes [reproaches; scorns] those who ·chase [trample on; hound; snap at] me. ·
God sends me his ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness].
4 I lie down among lions [C his enemies];
who are aflame for human prey.
Their teeth are like spears and arrows,
their tongues as sharp as swords.
5 God is ·supreme [exalted] over the ·skies [heavens];
his ·majesty [glory; C his manifest presence] ·covers [L is over] the earth.
6 They set a ·trap [net] for ·me [L my feet].
I am ·very worried [bowed down].
They dug a pit ·in my path [L before me],
but they fell into it themselves. ·
7 My heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready], God; my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you.
8 Wake up, my ·soul [or glory].
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
9 Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will ·sing songs of praise about [play a psalm for] you to all the nations.
10 Your ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the clouds.
11 God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [C manifest presence] be over all the earth.
Unfair Judges
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
58 Do you ·rulers [or silent ones; or gods; C sometimes spiritual beings such as angels are called “gods” in the OT; 82:1] really say what is ·right [righteous]?
Do you judge people ·fairly [with integrity]?
2 No, in your heart you plan evil;
you ·think up [dispense] ·violent crimes [violence] in the land.
3 From ·birth [L the womb], evil people ·turn away [go astray] from God;
they wander off and tell lies ·as soon as they are born [L from the belly; C another word for the womb; 51:5].
4 They ·are [L have poison/venom] like ·poisonous [venomous] snakes,
like deaf cobras that ·stop [plug] up their ears
5 so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer
no matter how ·well he plays [wisely/skillfully he enchants].
6 God, break the teeth in their mouths!
·Tear out [Uproot] the fangs of those lions, Lord!
7 Let them ·disappear [vanish] like water that flows away.
Let them ·be cut short like a broken arrow [L draw their arrows like they are cut off].
8 Let them be like ·snails [slugs] that ·melt [dissolve] as they move [C snails leave a slime as they move].
Let them be like a ·child born dead [stillborn] who never saw the sun.
9 His anger will blow them away alive
faster than burning thorns can heat a pot [C likely a reference to quick retribution].
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be glad when they see ·him get even [vengeance].
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked [Is. 63:1–6; Rev. 14:19–20; 19:13–14].
11 Then people will say,
“There really are ·rewards [fruits] for ·doing what is right [the righteous].
There really is a God who judges the ·world [earth; land].”
A Prayer Against Enemies
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, listen to my complaint.
·I am afraid of my enemies;
protect my life from them [L Protect my life from the dread of my enemies].
2 Hide me from ·those who plan wicked things [L the secret plans/conspiracy of the wicked],
from that ·gang [mob; restless group] who does evil [Prov. 1:8–19].
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and ·shoot [aim] bitter words like arrows.
4 From their hiding places they shoot at ·innocent [blameless] people;
they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
5 They encourage each other to do wrong.
They talk about setting traps,
·thinking [or saying] ·no one will [L who can…?] see them.
6 They plan wicked things and say,
“We have a perfect plan.”
The ·mind [L insides and the heart/mind] of human beings is ·hard to understand [L deep].
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 Their own ·words [tongues] will ·be used against them [L make them stumble].
All who see them will shake their heads [C in amazement at their downfall].
9 Then everyone will fear God [Prov. 1:7].
They will tell what God has done,
and they will ·learn from [reflect on] what he has done.
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be happy in the Lord
and will find ·protection [refuge] in him.
Let everyone who is ·honest [virtuous in heart] praise the Lord.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
65 God, ·you will be praised in Jerusalem [L praise is due/proper/ fitting to you in Zion; C the location of the Temple].
We will ·keep our promises [fulfill our vows] to you.
2 You ·hear [or answer] our prayers.
All ·people [L flesh] will come to you.
3 Our guilt ·overwhelms [overpowers] us,
but you ·forgive [wipe/blot out; make atonement for] our ·sins [transgressions].
4 ·Happy [Blessed] are the people you choose
and ·invite [L bring near] to stay in your court.
We are ·filled [satisfied] with good things in your house,
your holy Temple.
5 You answer us in amazing ways with ·vindication [victory; righteousness],
God our ·Savior [Victor].
People ·everywhere on [L of all the ends of] the earth
and ·beyond the sea [L the farthest seas] ·trust [have confidence in] you.
6 You ·made [established] the mountains by your strength;
you are ·dressed [girded; armed] in power.
7 You ·stopped [silence; calm] the roaring seas,
the roaring waves [C representing chaos],
and the ·uproar [tumult] of the ·nations [peoples].
8 Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your ·miracles [signs].
You are praised from ·where the sun rises [the east; L the gateways of the morning] to ·where it sets [the west; L evening].
9 You ·take care of [visit] the land and water it;
you make it very ·fertile [rich].
The ·rivers [channels] of God are full of water.
Grain grows because you make it grow.
10 You send rain to the plowed fields;
you ·fill the rows with water [level its ridges].
You soften the ground with rain,
and then you bless ·it with crops [its growth].
11 You ·give [L crown] the year ·a good harvest [L with your goodness/bounty],
and ·you load the wagons with many crops [L your wagon tracks/ruts drip with plenty].
12 The ·desert [wilderness] ·is covered [drips] with ·grass [pasturage]
and the hills with happiness.
13 The ·pastures [meadows] are ·full of [L clothed with] flocks,
and the valleys are ·covered [wrapped] with grain.
Everything shouts and sings for joy.
God Punished Israel
17 Awake! Awake!
Get up, Jerusalem.
·The Lord was very angry with you;
your punishment was like wine in a cup.
The Lord made you drink that wine [L You have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath];
you ·drank the whole cup [L drained the goblet to its dregs] until you stumbled.
18 ·Though Jerusalem had many people [L Among all the children she bore],
there was not one to lead her.
Of all the people ·who grew up there [she raised],
no one was there to ·guide her [L take her by the hand].
19 ·Troubles [Calamities] came to you two by two,
but no one will ·feel sorry for [or console] you.
There was ruin and ·disaster [destruction], ·great hunger [famine] and ·fighting [L sword].
·No one [L But who…?] can comfort you.
20 Your ·people [L children; sons] have ·become weak [fainted].
They fall down and lie ·on every street corner [L at the head of every street],
like ·animals [L antelope] caught in a net.
They ·have felt the full anger [or are filled with the wrath] of the Lord
and have heard God’s ·angry shout [rebuke].
21 So listen to me, ·poor Jerusalem [L oppressed/afflicted one],
you who are drunk but not from wine.
22 Your God will ·defend [plead the case of] his people.
This is what the Lord your God says:
“·The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine.
You drank it and could not walk straight.
But I am taking that cup of my anger away from you, [L Look/T Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering,
the dregs of the cup of my wrath]
and you will never ·be punished by my anger [L drink from it] again.
23 I will now give that cup of punishment to ·those who gave you pain [your tormentors; Jer. 25:17, 26, 28],
who told you,
‘Bow down so we can walk over you.’
·They [L You] made your back like dirt for them to walk on;
you were like a street for them to travel on.”
4 ·I want to tell you this [or This is what I mean; L I am saying]: While those who will inherit their fathers’ property are still children, they are no different from slaves. It does not matter that the children ·own everything [or are masters/lords over the whole estate]. 2 They must obey ·those chosen to care for them [L their guardians and administrators/trustees] until the time set by their father. 3 It is the same for us. We were once like children, slaves to the ·useless rules [or spiritual forces; or elementary principles/powers] of this world. 4 But when the ·right [appropriate; or appointed; L fullness of] time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and ·lived [L born] under the law. 5 God did this so he could ·buy freedom for [redeem] those who were under the law and so we could ·become his children [or receive adoption as heirs; C a Roman legal term for adopting an heir to carry on one’s name].
6 Since you are God’s ·children [or sons], God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, “Abba [C Aramaic for “Father,” a term of intimacy], Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave; you are God’s ·child [or son], and ·because you are his child, God will give you the blessing he promised [L if a son/child, then also an heir through God].
Paul’s Love for the Christians
8 In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real. 9 But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So ·why do [L how can] you turn back to those weak and ·useless [bankrupt; L poor] ·rules [or spiritual forces; or elementary principles/powers; v. 3] you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again? 10 You still ·follow teachings about [are observing/keeping] special days, months, seasons, and years [C probably Jewish Sabbaths and festivals, which Paul’s opponents claimed must be observed to be saved]. 11 I am afraid for you, that my work for you has been wasted.
Jesus Helps a Gentile Woman(A)
24 Jesus left that place and went to the area around Tyre[a] [C a Gentile city on the coast north of Israel]. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not stay hidden. 25 A woman whose daughter had an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit in her heard that he was there. So she ·quickly [immediately] came to Jesus and ·fell [bowed] at his feet. 26 She was ·Greek [a Gentile; C “Greek” is sometimes used for any non-Jew; Rom. 1:16], born in Phoenicia, in Syria. She ·begged [kept asking] Jesus to ·force [drive; cast] the demon out of her daughter.
27 Jesus told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ·give [throw] it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.” [C “Children” refers to Israel; “dogs” to the Gentiles.]
28 But she answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table can eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then Jesus said, “Because of your answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”
30 The woman went home and found her daughter lying in bed; the demon was gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man(B)
31 Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon to Lake Galilee [T the Sea of Galilee], to the area of ·the Ten Towns [or Decapolis; C an area east of Lake Galilee that once had ten main towns; 5:20]. 32 While he was there, some people brought a man to him who was deaf and ·could not talk plainly [had a speech impediment]. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him.
33 Jesus led the man away from the crowd, by himself. He put his fingers in the man’s ears and then spit and touched the man’s tongue. [C The use of saliva is mentioned in other ancient accounts of healing, and elsewhere in the Gospels; see 8:23; John 9:6.] 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” (This means [C in Aramaic], “Be opened.”) 35 Instantly the man was able to hear and to use his tongue so that he spoke clearly.
36 Jesus ·commanded [ordered; instructed] the people not to tell anyone about what happened. But the more he ·commanded [ordered; instructed] them, the more they ·told about [proclaimed] it. 37 They were completely amazed and said, “Jesus does everything well. He makes the deaf hear! And ·those who can’t talk [the mute] he makes able to speak.”
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