Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 140
Prayer for Rescue
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.
Keep me safe from violent men(A)
2 who plan evil in their hearts.
They stir up wars all day long.(B)
3 They make their tongues
as sharp as a snake’s bite;
viper’s venom is under their lips.(C)Selah
4 Protect me, Lord,
from the power of the wicked.(D)
Keep me safe from violent men
who plan to make me stumble.[a](E)
5 The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;
they spread a net along the path
and set snares for me.(F)Selah
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.(G)
7 Lord, my Lord, my strong Savior,
you shield my head on the day of battle.(H)
8 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not let them achieve their goals.
Otherwise, they will become proud.(I)Selah
Psalm 142
A Cry of Distress
A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud to the Lord;(B)
I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.(C)
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I reveal my trouble to him.(D)
3 Although my spirit is weak within me,
you know my way.(E)
Along this path I travel
they have hidden a trap for me.(F)
4 Look to the right and see:[a]
no one stands up for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares about me.(G)
5 I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my portion in the land of the living.”(H)
6 Listen to my cry,
for I am very weak.(I)
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.(J)
7 Free me from prison
so that I can praise your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because you deal generously with me.(K)
Psalm 141
Protection from Sin and Sinners
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, I call on you; hurry to help me.
Listen to my voice when I call on you.(A)
2 May my prayer be set before you as incense,(B)
the raising of my hands as the evening offering.(C)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(D)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts with evildoers.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.(E)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me[a] not refuse it.(F)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.[b](G)
6 When their rulers[c] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people[d] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.(H)
Psalm 143
A Cry for Help
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer.
In your faithfulness listen to my plea,
and in your righteousness answer me.(A)
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,(B)
for no one alive is righteous in your sight.(C)
3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.(D)
4 My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.(E)
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on the work of your hands.(F)
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I am like parched land before you.(G)Selah
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.(H)
Don’t hide your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.(I)
8 Let me experience
your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in you.(J)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I appeal to you.(K)
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to you for protection.[a](L)
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.(M)
May your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.(N)
Ruth’s Appeal to Boaz
3 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our relative?(A) Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”
5 So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.”[a] 6 She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had charged her to do. 7 After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley, and she came secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! 9 So he asked, “Who are you?”
“I am Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Take me under your wing,[b](B) for you are a family redeemer.”(C)
10 Then he said, “May the Lord bless you,(D) my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before,[c] because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say,[d] since all the people in my town[e] know that you are a woman of noble character.(E) 12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good.(F) Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives,(G) I will. Now lie down until morning.”
14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark.[f] Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a[g] woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she[h] went into the town.
16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened,[i] my daughter?”
Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said,[j] ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”
The Light of the Gospel
4 Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy,(A) we do not give up.(B) 2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting(C) deceitfully or distorting the word of God,(D) but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.(E) 3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this age(F) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,[a](G) who is the image of God.(H) 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,(I) and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. 6 For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”(J) has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge(K) of God’s glory(L) in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Clay Jars
7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power(M) may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus(N) in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death(O) for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.
Go the Second Mile
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.[a](A) 39 But I tell you, don’t resist[b] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.(B) 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(C)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor[c](D) and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies[d] and pray for those who[e] persecute you,(E) 45 so that you may be[f] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(F) 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?[g](G) Don’t even the Gentiles[h] do the same? 48 Be perfect,(H) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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