Book of Common Prayer
A Hymn About the Lord’s Power
97 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. Let the earth rejoice;
·faraway lands [or islands; or coastlands] should be glad.
2 Thick, dark clouds surround him.
His ·kingdom [L throne] is ·built [established] on ·what is right [righteousness] and ·fair [justice].
3 A fire goes before him
and ·burns up [flames] his enemies all around.
4 His lightning ·lights up [illuminates] the world;
when the ·people [earth] see it, they ·tremble [writhe].
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens ·tell about [declare] his ·goodness [righteousness],
and all the people see his glory [C his manifest presence].
7 Those who ·worship [serve] idols should be ·ashamed [embarrassed; Is. 42:17; 45:16];
they brag about their ·gods [worthless things].
All the gods should ·worship [bow down to] the Lord.
8 When ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] hears this, she is glad,
and the ·towns [L daughters] of Judah rejoice.
They are happy because of your judgments, Lord.
9 You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
you are ·supreme [exalted] over all gods.
10 People who love the Lord hate evil.
The Lord ·watches over [keeps; guards] ·those who follow him [his loyal ones/saints]
and ·frees [rescues] them from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked.
11 Light ·shines [L is sown] on ·those who do right [the righteous];
joy belongs to those who are ·honest [L virtuous/upright in heart].
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who ·do right [are righteous].
Praise his ·holy name [or unforgettable holiness].
The Lord, the Fair and Holy King
99 The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; Rev. 19:6].
Let the peoples ·shake [tremble; C with fear].
He sits between the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; C above the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:17–22; 1 Kin. 8:7].
Let the earth shake.
2 The Lord in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] is great;
he is ·supreme [exalted] over all the peoples.
3 Let them ·praise [thank] your name;
it is great, holy and ·to be feared [awesome].
4 The King is ·powerful [strong] and loves justice.
Lord, you ·made [established] things fair;
you have done what is ·fair [righteous] and ·right [just]
for the people of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
5 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at the footstool of his feet [C the Ark located in the Temple].
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel was among ·his worshipers [L those who called on his name].
They called to the Lord,
and he answered them [Ex. 32:11–13, 30–32; Num. 12:13; 14:13–19; 1 Sam. 7:5, 8–9; 12:16–18; Jer. 15:1].
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud [Ex. 13:21].
They ·kept [observed; guarded] the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and ·laws [decrees; testimonies] he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You showed them that you are a forgiving God,
but you ·punished them [are an avenger] for their wrongs [Deut. 32:35; Is. 34:8; Ezek. 24:8; 25:14–17; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6].
9 ·Praise [Exalt] the Lord our God,
and ·worship [bow down] at his holy mountain,
because the Lord our God is holy.
A Call to Praise the Lord
A psalm of thanks.
100 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us [Gen. 1–2], and ·we belong to him [or not ourselves];
we are his people, the sheep ·he tends [L of his pasture; 74:1; 79:13; John 10:11–14].
4 Come into his ·city [L gates] with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.
5 The Lord is good. His ·love [loyalty] is forever,
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] ·goes on and on [L for all generations].
God Will Pay Back His Enemies
94 The Lord is a God ·who punishes [of vengeance; Deut. 32:35; Is. 34:8; Ezek. 24:8; 25:14–17; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6].
·God, show your greatness and punish [L God of vengeance, shine forth]!
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth,
and give the ·proud [arrogant] ·what they deserve [their due].
3 How long will the wicked be ·happy [joyful]?
How long, Lord?
4 They ·are full of [L bubble forth, speaking] ·proud [insolent] words;
those who do evil ·brag about what they have done [L talk a lot].
5 Lord, they crush your people
and ·make your children suffer [L afflict your inheritance].
6 They kill widows and ·foreigners [sojourners; wanderers]
and murder orphans [Ex. 22:21–24].
7 They say, “The Lord doesn’t see;
the God of Jacob [C another name for Israel] doesn’t ·notice [understand].”
8 You ·stupid [senseless; dull witted] ones among the people, ·pay attention [L understand].
You fools, when will you ·understand [get insight]?
9 Can’t the ·creator [L planter] of ears hear?
Can’t the ·maker [former; shaper] of eyes see?
10 Won’t the one who ·corrects [instructs; disciplines] nations ·punish [reprimand; reprove] you?
Doesn’t the teacher of people know everything?
11 The Lord knows ·what people think [L the thoughts of humans].
He knows their thoughts are ·just a puff of wind [a bubble/vapor/meaningless/futile; Eccl. 1:2].
12 Lord, those you ·correct [instruct; discipline] are ·happy [blessed];
you teach them from your ·law [instruction; teaching].
13 You give them ·rest [peace; quiet] from ·times [L days] of ·trouble [harm; evil]
until a pit is dug for the wicked [Prov. 26:7; Eccl. 10:8].
14 The Lord won’t ·leave [abandon; cast off] his people
nor ·give up [abandon; forsake] his ·children [L inheritance].
15 Judgment will again be ·fair [just; righteous],
and all who are ·honest [L upright/virtuous of heart] will follow it.
16 Who will ·help me fight [L rise up with me] against the wicked?
Who will stand with me against those who do evil?
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have ·died in a minute [L quickly dwelled in silence].
18 I said, “·I am about to fall [L My feet totter],”
but, Lord, your ·love [loyalty] ·kept me safe [steadied/supported me].
19 ·I was very worried [L In my many disquieting thoughts in my insides],
but you comforted me and ·made me happy [cheered me up].
20 ·Crooked leaders [L Ruinous thrones] cannot be your ·friends [allies].
They use the ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] to cause ·suffering [distress].
21 They ·join forces [band together] against ·people who do right [righteous people]
and ·sentence [condemn] to death the innocent.
22 But the Lord is my ·defender [stronghold; fortress];
my God is the rock [28:1; 42:9; 62:2; Deut. 32:4] of my ·protection [refuge].
23 God will pay them back for their ·sins [guilt; iniquity]
and will destroy them for their evil.
The Lord our God will destroy them.
A Call to Praise and Obedience
95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord.
Let’s shout praises to the Rock [28:1; 42:9; 62:2; Deut. 32:4] who ·saves us [gives us victory].
2 Let’s ·come [present ourselves] to him with ·thanksgiving [praise].
Let’s ·sing songs [shout psalms] to him,
3 because the Lord is the great God,
the great King over all gods [Ex. 15:11].
4 The deepest places on earth are ·his [L in his hand],
and the ·highest [peaks of the] mountains belong to him.
5 The sea is his because he made it,
and he created the ·land [dry ground] with his own hands.
6 Come, let’s ·worship him [bow down] and ·bow down [bend the knee].
Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us,
7 because he is our God
and we are the people ·he takes care of [L of his pasture],
the sheep ·that he tends [L of his hand; 74:1; 79:13; 100:3; John 10:11–14].
Today listen to ·what he says [L his voice]:
8 “Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your heart], as at Meribah [C “contending”; 81:7; 106:32; Ex. 17:1–17; Num. 20:1–13],
as that day at Massah [C “testing”] in the ·desert [wilderness; Heb. 4:7].
9 There your ·ancestors [fathers] tested me
and tried me even though they saw what I did.
10 I ·was angry with [felt disgust for] ·those people [L that generation] for forty years.
I said, ‘They are ·not loyal to me [L a people whose hearts wander/go astray]
and have not understood my ways.’
11 I was angry and made a promise,
‘They will never enter my rest.’”
The Lord’s Kindness to His People
7 I will tell about the Lord’s ·kindness [lovingkindness; loyalty; covenant love]
and praise him for everything he has done.
I will praise the Lord for the many good things he has given us
and for his goodness to the ·people [L house] of Israel.
·He has shown great mercy to us […according to his compassion]
and ·has been very kind to us [according to his great lovingkindness/loyalty/covenant love].
8 He said, “[L Surely] These are my people;
my children will not ·lie to [deal falsely with; betray] me.”
So he saved them.
9 When they ·suffered [were distressed/afflicted], he ·suffered [was distressed/afflicted] also.
·He sent his own angel to save them [L The angel/messenger of his presence/face saved them; Ex. 14:19].
Because of his love and kindness, he saved them.
·Since long ago [L All the days of old] he has ·picked [lifted] them up and carried them [Deut. 32:10–12].
10 But they ·turned [rebelled] against him [Ex. 15:24; Num. 14:11; Ps. 78:17]
and ·made his Holy Spirit very sad [grieved his Holy Spirit; Ps. 78:40].
So he became their enemy,
and he fought against them.
11 But then his people remembered ·what happened long ago [L the days of old],
in the days of Moses and the Israelites with him.
Where is the Lord who brought the people ·through [up out of] the sea [Ex. 14:19–22],
with the ·leaders of his people [L shepherds of the flock; C probably Moses, Aaron and the tribal leaders]?
Where is the one
who put his ·Holy Spirit [or holy spirit] among them,
12 who led Moses by the right hand
with his ·wonderful power [L glorious arm],
who divided the water before them [Ex. 14:21]
to make ·his name famous [a reputation/name for himself] forever,
13 who led the people through the ·deep waters [depths]?
Like a horse walking ·through a desert [in the wilderness],
the people did not stumble.
14 Like cattle that go down to the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave ·the people a place to rest [them rest].
Lord, that is the way you led your people,
and by this you ·won [made] for yourself ·wonderful fame [a glorious reputation/name].
18 Timothy, my child, I am giving you ·a command [this charge/instruction] that agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past [4:14; 6:12]. I tell you this so that ·by following [or by recalling; L by] them you can fight the good fight. 19 Continue to have faith and ·do what you know is right [L a good conscience]. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus [2 Tim. 2:17] and Alexander [2 Tim. 4:14] have done that, and I have ·given them [handed them over] to Satan so they will learn not to ·speak against God [L blaspheme].
Some Rules for Men and Women
2 First of all, then, I ·tell [urge; exhort] you to ·pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him [L make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people]. 2 Pray for ·rulers [kings] and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives ·full of worship and respect for God [L in all godliness and dignity/reverence]. 3 This is good, and it ·pleases [is acceptable to] God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to know the truth. 5 [L For] There is one God and one ·mediator [intermediary] ·so that human beings can reach God [L between God and human beings], Christ Jesus, who is himself human. 6 He gave himself as a ·payment to free [ransom for] all people, ·proof that came [or revealing God’s purpose; L the testimony/witness] at ·the right [the appointed; God’s own] time. 7 That is why I was ·chosen [appointed] to ·tell the Good News [be a herald/preacher] and to be an apostle. (I am telling the truth; I am not lying.) I was ·chosen [appointed] ·to teach the Gentiles to believe and to know the truth [or as a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles].
8 So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up ·their hands in a holy manner [their hands in reverence; L holy hands], without anger and ·arguments [quarreling; disputing].
12 The next day as Jesus was leaving Bethany, he became hungry. 13 Seeing a fig tree in leaf from far away, he went to see if it had any figs on it. But he found no figs, only leaves, because it was not the right season for figs. 14 So Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] heard him say this.
Jesus Goes to the Temple(A)
15 When Jesus ·returned [came] to Jerusalem, he went into the ·Temple [temple complex; C the large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and began to ·throw [drive] out those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of ·those who were exchanging different kinds of money [L the moneychangers], and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [or pigeons; C moneychangers provided particular coins for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. 16 Jesus refused to allow anyone to carry goods through the Temple courts. 17 Then he taught the people, saying, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [L House] will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations’ [Is. 56:7]. But you ·are changing God’s house [L have made it] into a ·‘hideout for robbers’ [T den of thieves’; Jer. 7:11].”
18 The ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] heard all this and began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of him, because all the people were amazed at his teaching. 19 That evening, Jesus and his ·followers[a] [disciples] left the city.
The Power of Faith(B)
20 The next morning as Jesus was passing by with his ·followers [disciples], they saw the fig tree ·dry and dead [withered], even to the roots. 21 Peter ·remembered the tree and said to Jesus, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], look! The fig tree you cursed is ·dry and dead [withered]!”
22 Jesus answered, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘·Go [Be lifted up], fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your ·mind [heart] and believe that what you say will happen, ·God will do it for you [it will be done for you]. 24 So I tell you to believe that you have received ·the things [everything] you ask for in prayer, and ·God will give them to you [you will receive them]. 25 When you ·are praying [L stand praying], if you ·are angry with [have anything against] someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your ·sins [transgressions; trespasses]. |26 But if you don’t forgive other people, then your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; trespasses].|”[b]
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