Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.(A)
1 God, give your justice to the king
and your righteousness to the king’s son.(B)
2 He will judge your people with righteousness
and your afflicted ones with justice.(C)
3 May the mountains bring well-being[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(D)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May they fear you[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(F)
6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(G)
7 May the righteous[c] flourish in his days
and well-being abound
until the moon is no more.(H)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(I)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(J)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(K)
11 Let all kings bow in homage to him,
all nations serve him.(L)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(M)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(N)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[d] precious[e] in his sight.(O)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(P)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(Q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(R)
י Yod
73 Your hands made me and formed me;(A)
give me understanding
so that I can learn your commands.(B)
74 Those who fear you will see me and rejoice,(C)
for I put my hope in your word.(D)
75 I know, Lord, that your judgments are just
and that you have afflicted me fairly.(E)
76 May your faithful love comfort me
as you promised your servant.
77 May your compassion come to me(F)
so that I may live,
for your instruction is my delight.(G)
78 Let the arrogant be put to shame(H)
for slandering me with lies;
I will meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you,
those who know your decrees, turn to me.
80 May my heart be blameless regarding your statutes(I)
so that I will not be put to shame.
כ Kaph
81 I long for your salvation;(J)
I put my hope in your word.(K)
82 My eyes grow weary
looking for what you have promised;(L)
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke,
I do not forget your statutes.
84 How many days must your servant wait?
When will you execute judgment on my persecutors?(M)
85 The arrogant have dug pits for me;(N)
they violate your instruction.
86 All your commands are true;
people persecute me with lies—help me!(O)
87 They almost ended my life on earth,
but I did not abandon your precepts.
88 Give me life in accordance with your faithful love,
and I will obey the decree you have spoken.
ל Lamed
89 Lord, your word is forever;(P)
it is firmly fixed in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness is for all generations;(Q)
you established the earth, and it stands firm.(R)
91 Your judgments stand firm today,(S)
for all things are your servants.(T)
92 If your instruction had not been my delight,
I would have died in my affliction.(U)
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for you have given me life through them.(V)
94 I am yours; save me,(W)
for I have studied your precepts.(X)
95 The wicked hope to destroy me,(Y)
but I contemplate your decrees.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your command is without limit.
Future Glory for Israel
54 “Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!(A)
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of the married woman,”(B)
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let your tent curtains be stretched out;(C)
do not hold back;
lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left,(D)
and your descendants will dispossess nations
and inhabit the desolate cities.
4 “Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;(E)
don’t be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember
the disgrace of your widowhood.(F)
5 Indeed, your husband is your Maker(G)—
his name is the Lord of Armies—
and the Holy One of Israel(H) is your Redeemer;(I)
he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord has called you,
like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,(J)
a wife of one’s youth(K) when she is rejected,”
says your God.
7 “I deserted you for a brief moment,(L)
but I will take you back with abundant compassion.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face(M) from you for a moment,
but I will have compassion on you
with everlasting love,”(N)
says the Lord your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the days[a] of Noah to me:
when I swore that the water of Noah
would never flood the earth again,(O)
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
or rebuke you.(P)
10 Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
my love will not be removed from you
and my covenant of peace(Q) will not be shaken,”
says your compassionate Lord.
11 “Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I will set your stones in black mortar,[b]
and lay your foundations in lapis lazuli.(R)
12 I will make your fortifications[c] out of rubies,
your gates out of sparkling stones,
and all your walls out of precious stones.
13 Then all your children will be taught by the Lord,(S)
their prosperity will be great,
14 and you will be established
on a foundation of righteousness.
You will be far from oppression,
you will certainly not be afraid;
you will be far from terror,
it will certainly not come near you.
15 If anyone attacks you,
it is not from me;
whoever attacks you
will fall before you.
16 Look, I have created the craftsman
who blows on the charcoal fire
and produces a weapon suitable for its task;
and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc.
17 No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation[d]
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,(T)
and their vindication is from me.”(U)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Sarah and Hagar: Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham(A) had two sons, one by a slave(B) and the other by a free woman. 23 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise. 24 These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai(C) and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar.(D) 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia(E) and corresponds to the present Jerusalem,(F) for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above(G) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,(H)
Rejoice, childless woman,(I)
unable to give birth.
Burst into song and shout,
you who are not in labor,
for the children of the desolate woman will be many,
more numerous than those
of the woman who has a husband.[a](J)
28 Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac,(K) are children of promise.(L) 29 But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit,(M) so also now.(N) 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.”[b](O) 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.(P)
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
11 The(A) Pharisees(B) came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a sign(C) from heaven(D) to test(E) him. 12 Sighing deeply in his spirit,(F) he said, “Why does this generation(G) demand a sign? Truly I tell you,(H) no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then(I) he gave them strict orders: “Watch out! Beware of the leaven[a](J) of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”(K) 16 They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. 17 Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts?(L) 18 Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear?[b](M) And do you not remember?(N) 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they told him.
20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 And he said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?” (O)
Healing a Blind Man
22 They came to Bethsaida.(P) They brought a blind(Q) man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting(R) on his eyes and laying his hands on(S) him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.”(T)
25 Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly. 26 Then he sent(U) him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”[c](V)
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