Book of Common Prayer
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
83 God, don’t remain silent.
Don’t refuse to listen.
Do something, God.
2 See how your enemies are growling like dogs.
See how they are rising up against you.
3 They make clever plans against your people.
They make evil plans against those you love.
4 “Come,” they say. “Let’s destroy that whole nation.
Then the name of Israel won’t be remembered anymore.”
5 All of them agree on the evil plans they have made.
They join forces against you.
6 Their forces include the people of Edom,
Ishmael, Moab and Hagar.
7 They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,
Philistia and Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon.
9 Do to them what you did to the people of Midian.
Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor.
Their bodies were left on the ground like human waste.
11 Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb.
Do to all their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, “Let’s take over
the grasslands that belong to God.”
13 My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away.
Make them like tumbleweed.
14 Destroy them as fire burns up a forest.
Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.
15 Chase them with your mighty winds.
Terrify them with your storm.
16 Lord, put them to shame
so that they will seek you.
17 May they always be filled with terror and shame.
May they die in dishonor.
18 May you, the Lord, let your enemies know who you are.
You alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.
146 Praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life.
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Don’t put your trust in human leaders.
Don’t trust in people who can’t save you.
4 When they die, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help.
Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God.
6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean.
He made everything in them.
He remains faithful forever.
7 He stands up for those who are treated badly.
He gives food to hungry people.
The Lord sets prisoners free.
8 The Lord gives sight to those who are blind.
The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.
The Lord loves those who do what is right.
9 The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land.
He takes good care of children whose fathers have died.
He also takes good care of widows.
But he causes evil people to fail
in everything they do.
10 The Lord rules forever.
The God of Zion will rule for all time to come.
Praise the Lord.
147 Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How pleasant and right it is to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem.
He gathers the scattered people of Israel.
3 He heals those who have broken hearts.
He takes care of their wounds.
4 He decides how many stars there should be.
He gives each one of them a name.
5 Great is our Lord. His power is mighty.
There is no limit to his understanding.
6 The Lord gives strength to those who aren’t proud.
But he throws evil people down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord and give him grateful praise.
Make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds.
He supplies the earth with rain.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle.
He provides for the young ravens when they cry out.
10 He doesn’t take pleasure in the strength of horses.
He doesn’t take delight in the strong legs of warriors.
11 The Lord takes delight in those who have respect for him.
They put their hope in his faithful love.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord.
Zion, praise your God.
13 He makes the metal bars of your gates stronger.
He blesses the people who live inside you.
14 He keeps your borders safe and secure.
He satisfies you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth.
His word arrives there quickly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool.
He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down his hail like pebbles.
No one can stand his icy blast.
18 He gives his command, and the ice melts.
He stirs up his winds, and the waters flow.
19 He has made his word known to the people of Jacob.
He has made his laws and rules known to Israel.
20 He hasn’t done that for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
85 Lord, you were good to your land.
You blessed the people of Jacob with great success again.
2 You forgave the evil things your people did.
You took away all their sins.
3 You stopped being angry with them.
You turned your great anger away from them.
4 God our Savior, make us new again.
Stop being unhappy with us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you be angry for all time to come?
6 Won’t you give us new life again?
Then we’ll be joyful because of what you have done.
7 Lord, show us your faithful love.
Save us.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says.
He promises peace to his faithful people.
But they must not turn to foolish ways.
9 I know he’s ready to save those who have respect for him.
Then his glory can be seen in our land.
10 God’s truth and faithful love join together.
His peace and holiness kiss each other.
11 His truth springs up from the earth.
His holiness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will certainly give what is good.
Our land will produce its crops.
13 God’s holiness leads the way in front of him.
It prepares the way for his coming.
A prayer of David.
86 Lord, hear me and answer me.
I am poor and needy.
2 Keep my life safe, because I am faithful to you.
Save me, because I trust in you.
You are my God.
3 Lord, have mercy on me.
I call out to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to me.
Lord, I put my trust in you.
5 Lord, you are forgiving and good.
You are full of love for all who call out to you.
6 Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I’m in trouble, I will call out to you.
And you will answer me.
8 Lord, there’s no one like you among the gods.
No one can do what you do.
9 Lord, all the nations you have made
will come and worship you.
They will bring glory to you.
10 You are great. You do wonderful things.
You alone are God.
11 Lord, teach me how you want me to live.
Do this so that I will depend on you, my faithful God.
Give me a heart that doesn’t want anything
more than to worship you.
12 Lord my God, I will praise you with all my heart.
I will bring glory to you forever.
13 Great is your love for me.
You have kept me from going down into the place of the dead.
14 God, proud people are attacking me.
A gang of mean people is trying to kill me.
They don’t care about you.
15 But Lord, you are a God who is tender and kind.
You are gracious.
You are slow to get angry.
You are faithful and full of love.
16 Come to my aid and have mercy on me.
Show your strength by helping me.
Save me because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Prove your goodness to me.
Then my enemies will see it and be put to shame.
Lord, you have helped me and given me comfort.
Zion Will Be Glorious
60 “People of Jerusalem, get up.
Shine, because your light has come.
The glory of the Lord will shine on you.
2 Darkness covers the earth.
Thick darkness spreads over the nations.
But I will rise and shine on you.
My glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light.
Kings will come to the brightness of your new day.
4 “Look up. Look all around you.
All your people are getting together to come back to you.
Your sons will come from far away.
Your daughters will be carried on the hip like little children.
5 Then your face will glow with joy.
Your heart will beat fast because you are so happy.
Wealth from across the ocean will be brought to you.
The riches of the nations will come to you.
6 Herds of young camels will cover your land.
They will come from Midian and Ephah.
They will also come from Sheba.
They’ll carry gold and incense.
And people will shout praises to me.
7 All of Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you.
The rams of Nebaioth will serve as your sacrifices.
I will accept them as offerings on my altar.
That is how I will bring honor to my glorious temple.
8 “Whose ships are these that sail along like clouds?
They fly like doves to their nests.
9 People from the islands are coming to me.
The ships of Tarshish are out in front.
They are bringing your children back from far away.
Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them.
They are coming to honor me.
I am the Lord your God.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have honored you.
10 “People from other lands will rebuild your walls.
Their kings will serve you.
When I was angry with you, I struck you.
But now I will show you my tender love.
11 Your gates will always stand open.
They will never be shut, day or night.
Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations.
Their kings will come along with them.
12 The nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed.
It will be completely wiped out.
13 “Lebanon’s glorious trees will be brought to you.
Its junipers, firs and cypress trees will be brought.
They will be used to make my temple beautiful.
And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is.
14 The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you.
All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet.
Jerusalem, they will call you the City of the Lord.
They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “You have been deserted and hated.
No one even travels through you.
But I will make you into something to be proud of forever.
You will be a place of joy for all time to come.
16 You will get everything you need from kings and nations.
You will be like children who are nursing
at their mother’s breasts.
Then you will know that I am the one who saves you.
I am the Lord. I set you free.
I am the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold.
In place of iron I will give you silver.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze.
In place of stones I will give you iron.
I will make peace govern you.
I will make godliness rule over you.
What to Do About False Teachers
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. While God is watching, warn them not to argue about words. That doesn’t have any value. It only destroys those who listen. 15 Do your best to please God. Be a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed. Teach the message of truth correctly. 16 Stay away from godless chatter. Those who take part in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like a deadly sickness. Hymenaeus and Philetus are two of those teachers. 18 They have turned away from the truth. They say that the time when people will rise from the dead has already come. They destroy the faith of some people. 19 But God’s solid foundation stands firm. Here is the message written on it. “The Lord knows who his own people are.” (Numbers 16:5) Also, “All who say they believe in the Lord must turn away from evil.”
20 In a large house there are things made out of gold and silver. But there are also things made out of wood and clay. Some have special purposes. Others have common purposes. 21 Suppose someone stays away from what is common. Then the Master will be able to use them for special purposes. They will be made holy. They will be ready to do any good work.
22 Run away from the evil things that young people long for. Try hard to do what is right. Have faith, love and peace. Do these things together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with arguing. It is dumb and foolish. You know it only leads to fights. 24 Anyone who serves the Lord must not be hard to get along with. Instead, they must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach. The one who serves must not hold anything against anyone. 25 They must gently teach those who are against them. Maybe God will give a change of heart to those who are against you. That will lead them to know the truth. 26 Maybe they will come to their senses. Maybe they will escape the devil’s trap. He has taken them as prisoners to do what he wanted.
Rich People and the Kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him. He fell on his knees before Jesus. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God. 19 You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’ ” (Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20)
20 “Teacher,” he said, “I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “You are missing one thing,” he said. “Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 The man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he was very rich.
23 Jesus looked around. He said to his disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter God’s kingdom! 25 Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom!”
26 The disciples were even more amazed. They said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With people, this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus replied. “Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? 30 They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. 31 But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first.”
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