Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 120
A Cry for Truth and Peace
A song of ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.(A)
2 “Lord, rescue me from lying lips
and a deceitful tongue.”(B)
3 What will he give you,
and what will he do to you,
you deceitful tongue?(C)
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows
with burning charcoal
5 What misery that I have stayed in Meshech,[b](E)
that I have lived among the tents of Kedar
6 I have dwelt too long
with those who hate peace.(G)
7 I am for peace; but when I speak,
they are for war.(H)
Psalm 121
The Lord Our Protector
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?(I)
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(J)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.(K)
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.(L)
5 The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side.[d](M)
6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.(N)
7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.(O)
8 The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.(P)
Psalm 122
A Prayer for Jerusalem
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”(Q)
2 Our feet were standing
within your gates, Jerusalem(R)—
3 Jerusalem, built as a city should be,
solidly united,(S)
4 where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.(T)
(This is an ordinance for Israel.(U))
5 There, thrones for judgment are placed,
thrones of the house of David.(V)
6 Pray for the well-being[e] of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure;(W)
7 may there be peace within your walls,
security within your fortresses.”(X)
8 Because of my brothers and friends,
I will say, “May peace be in you.”[f](Y)
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will pursue your prosperity.(Z)
Psalm 123
Looking for God’s Favor
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(AA)
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(AB)
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(AC)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(AD)
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side(AE)
when people attacked us,(AF)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(AG)
4 Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging water would have swept over us.(AH)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.(AI)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.(AJ)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(AK)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(AL)
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem
and the Lord surrounds his people,
both now and forever.(AM)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(AN)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(AO)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(AP)
Peace be with Israel.(AQ)
Psalm 126
Zion’s Restoration
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[g]
we were like those who dream.(AR)
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,(AS)
and our tongues with shouts of joy.(AT)
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”(AU)
3 The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.(AV)
4 Restore our fortunes,[h] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.(AW)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.(AX)
6 Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.(AY)
Psalm 127
The Blessing of the Lord
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods.(A) Follow your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth replied:
Don’t plead with me to abandon you
or to return and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me,(B)
and do so severely,
if anything but death separates you and me.
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.
19 The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival[a](C) and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,”[b] she answered, “for the Almighty(D) has made me very bitter.(E) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(F) Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed[c] me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi came back from the territory of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.(G)
A Clear Conscience
12 Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony(A) of our conscience(B) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom(C) but by God’s grace.(D) 13 For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— 14 just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,(E) just as you also are ours(F) in the day of our[a] Lord Jesus.(G)
A Visit Postponed
15 Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,(H) so that you could have a second benefit,[b] 16 and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,(I) and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by you(J) on my journey(K) to Judea.(L) 17 Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human[c](M) way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As God is faithful,(N) our message to you is not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of God,(O) Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,[d](P) Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”(Q) 20 For every one of God’s promises(R) is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”(S) to the glory of God.(T) 21 Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed(U) us. 22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts(V) as a down payment.(W)
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?[a] It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.(A)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.(B) 15 No one lights a lamp(C) and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.(D) 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.(E)
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.(F) 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter[b] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.(G) 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
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