Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 83
Prayer against Enemies
A song. A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 God, do not keep silent.
Do not be deaf, God; do not be quiet.(B)
2 See how your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have acted arrogantly.[a](C)
3 They devise clever schemes against your people;
they conspire against your treasured ones.(D)
4 They say, “Come, let’s wipe them out as a nation
so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.”(E)
5 For they have conspired with one mind;
they form an alliance[b] against you(F)—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,(G)
Moab and the Hagrites,(H)
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,(I)
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.(J)
8 Even Assyria has joined them;
they lend support[c] to the sons of Lot.[d](K)Selah
9 Deal with them as you did with Midian,(L)
as you did with Sisera
and Jabin at the Kishon River.(M)
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
they became manure for the ground.(N)
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(O)
and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna,(P)
12 who said, “Let’s seize God’s pastures for ourselves.”(Q)
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like straw before the wind.(R)
14 As fire burns a forest,
as a flame blazes through mountains,(S)
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.(T)
16 Cover their faces with shame
so that they will seek your name, Lord.(U)
17 Let them be put to shame and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.(V)
18 May they know that you alone—
whose name is the Lord—
are the Most High over the whole earth.(W)
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 85
Restoration of Favor
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Lord, you showed favor to your land;(A)
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.[a](B)
2 You forgave your people’s guilt;
you covered all their sin.(C)Selah
3 You withdrew all your fury;
you turned from your burning anger.(D)
4 Return to us, God of our salvation,
and abandon your displeasure with us.(E)
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger for all generations?(F)
6 Will you not revive us again
so that your people may rejoice in you?(G)
7 Show us your faithful love, Lord,
and give us your salvation.(H)
8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to his people, his faithful ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.(I)
9 His salvation is very near those who fear him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.(J)
10 Faithful love and truth will join together;
righteousness and peace will embrace.(K)
11 Truth will spring up from the earth,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.(L)
12 Also, the Lord will provide what is good,
and our land will yield its crops.(M)
13 Righteousness will go before him
to prepare the way for his steps.(N)
Psalm 86
Lament and Petition
A prayer of David.
1 Listen, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.(O)
2 Protect my life, for I am faithful.(P)
You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.(Q)
3 Be gracious to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.(R)
4 Bring joy to your servant’s life,
because I appeal to you, Lord.(S)
5 For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive,(T)
abounding in faithful love to all who call on you.(U)
6 Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my cries for mercy.(V)
7 I call on you in the day of my distress,
for you will answer me.(W)
8 Lord, there is no one like you among the gods,
and there are no works like yours.(X)
9 All the nations you have made
will come and bow down before you, Lord,
and will honor your name.(Y)
10 For you are great and perform wonders;
you alone are God.(Z)
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
and I will live by your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear your name.(AA)
12 I will praise you with all my heart, Lord my God,
and will honor your name forever.(AB)
13 For your faithful love for me is great,
and you rescue my life from the depths of Sheol.(AC)
14 God, arrogant people have attacked me;
a gang of ruthless men intends to kill me.
They do not let you guide them.[b](AD)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.(AE)
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me.
Give your strength to your servant;
save the son of your female servant.(AF)
17 Show me a sign of your goodness;
my enemies will see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped and comforted me.(AG)
The Lord’s Glory in Zion
60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,(A)
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.[a](B)
2 For look, darkness will cover the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to your shining brightness.(C)
4 Raise your eyes and look around:
they all gather and come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters on the hips of nursing mothers.(D)
5 Then you will see and be radiant,(E)
and your heart will tremble and rejoice,[b]
because the riches of the sea will become yours
and the wealth of the nations will come to you.(F)
6 Caravans of camels will cover your land[c]—
young camels of Midian and Ephah—
all of them will come from Sheba.(G)
They will carry gold and frankincense(H)
and proclaim the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you(I)
and go up on my altar as an acceptable sacrifice.(J)
I will glorify my beautiful house.(K)
8 Who are these who fly like a cloud,
like doves to their shelters?(L)
9 Yes, the coasts and islands will wait for me(M)
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,(N)
to bring your children from far away,(O)
their silver and gold with them,
for the honor of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,(P)
who has glorified you.(Q)
10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls,(R)
and their kings will serve you.(S)
Although I struck you in my wrath,
yet I will show mercy to you with my favor.(T)
11 Your city gates will always be open;
they will never be shut day or night
so that the wealth of the nations
may be brought into you,(U)
with their kings being led in procession.
12 For the nation and the kingdom
that will not serve you will perish;
those nations will be annihilated.(V)
13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you(W)—
its pine, elm, and cypress together(X)—
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will glorify my dwelling place.[d]
14 The sons of your oppressors
will come and bow down to you;(Y)
all who reviled you
will fall facedown at your feet.(Z)
They will call you the City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.(AA)
15 Instead of your being deserted and hated,
with no one passing through,(AB)
I will make you an object of eternal pride,(AC)
a joy from age to age.
16 You will nurse on the milk of nations,
and nurse at the breast of kings;(AD)
you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior(AE)
and Redeemer,(AF) the Mighty One of Jacob.(AG)
17 I will bring gold instead of bronze;
I will bring silver instead of iron,
bronze instead of wood,
and iron instead of stones.
I will appoint peace as your government
and righteousness as your overseers.
An Approved Worker
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God[a] not to fight about words.(A) This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen. 15 Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.(B) 16 Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness,(C) 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus(D) and Philetus are among them. 18 They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place,(E) and are ruining the faith of some.(F) 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription:(G) The Lord knows those who are his,[b](H) and let everyone who calls on the name(I) of[c] the Lord turn away from wickedness.(J)
20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels,(K) but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable[d] use and some for dishonorable.[e](L) 21 So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable,[f] he will be a special[g] instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.(M)
22 Flee(N) from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,(O) along with those who call on the Lord(P) from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s(Q) servant must not quarrel,(R) but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach,[h] and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness.(S) Perhaps God will grant them repentance(T) leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil,(U) who has taken them captive to do his will.(V)
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As(A) he was setting out on a journey,(B) a man ran up, knelt down(C) before him, and asked him, “Good(D) teacher,(E) what must I do to inherit(F) eternal life?” (G)
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.(H) 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder;(I) do not commit adultery;(J) do not steal;(K) do not bear false witness;(L) do not defraud;(M) honor(N) your father and mother.”[a](O)
20 He said to him, “Teacher,(P) I have kept all these from my youth.”
21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him(Q) and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,(R) and you will have treasure(S) in heaven.(T) Then come,[b] follow me.”(U) 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving,(V) because he had many possessions.(W)
Possessions and the Kingdom
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth(X) to enter the kingdom of God!”(Y)
24 The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children,(Z) how hard it is[c] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich(AA) person to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” (AB)
27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible,(AC) but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter(AD) began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
29 “Truly I tell you,”(AE) Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[d] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,(AF) 30 who will not receive a hundred times(AG) more, now at this time(AH) —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions(AI) —and eternal life(AJ) in the age to come.(AK) 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”(AL)
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