Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
140 Lord, rescue me from evil people;
protect me from ·cruel [violent] people
2 who ·make evil plans [L consider evil in their hearts],
who ·always start fights [L every day stir up war; Prov. 15:18; 29:22].
3 They make their tongues sharp as a snake’s;
·their words are like snake poison [L the venom of vipers is under their lips; Rom. 3:13]. ·
4 Lord, ·guard [keep] me from the ·power [L hand] of wicked people;
protect me from ·cruel [violent] people
who plan ·to trip me up [my downfall].
5 The ·proud [arrogant] hid a trap for me.
They spread out a net [L with cords] beside the road;
they set ·traps [snares] for me. ·
6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Lord, ·listen [L give ear] to my prayer ·for help [of supplication].
7 Lord God, my ·mighty [strong] ·savior [victor],
you ·protect me in [L cover my head in the day of] battle.
8 Lord, do not give the wicked what they ·want [desire].
Don’t let their plans succeed,
or they will become ·proud [exalted]. ·
9 Those around me have ·planned trouble [L uplifted heads].
Now let ·it [L the trouble of their lips] come to them.
10 Let burning coals ·fall [rain] on them.
·Throw them [Let them fall] into the fire
or into pits from which they cannot ·escape [get up].
11 Don’t let ·liars [L a tongue-man] ·settle [be established] in the land.
Let evil ·quickly [or with blows] hunt down ·cruel [violent] people.
12 I know the Lord will get justice for the poor
and will defend the needy in court.
13 ·Good [Righteous] people will ·praise [thank] his name;
·honest [virtuous] people will live in his presence.
A Prayer for Safety
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David when he was in the cave [C at Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1, 4) or En-Gedi (1 Sam. 24:1–22)]. A prayer.
142 I cry out to the Lord;
I ·pray [cry out] to the Lord for ·mercy [grace].
2 I pour out my ·problems [complaint] to him;
I tell him my ·troubles [distress].
3 When ·I am afraid [I am depressed; L my spirit is faint],
you, Lord, know ·the way out [L my way].
In the path where I walk,
·a trap is hidden [L they have hidden a trap] for me.
4 Look ·around me [L at/on my right hand] and see.
No one cares about me.
·I have no place of safety [L A place of refuge perishes from me];
no one ·cares if I live [L seeks for my soul].
5 Lord, I cry out to you.
I say, “You are my ·protection [refuge].
·You are all I want in this life [L …my portion in the land of the living].”
6 ·Listen [Pay attention] to my cry,
because I am ·helpless [brought very low].
·Save [Protect] me from those who are ·chasing [pursuing; persecuting] me,
because they are too strong for me.
7 ·Free me [L Bring me out] from my prison,
and then I will ·praise [thank] your name.
Then ·good [righteous] people will surround me,
because you have ·taken care of me [given me my reward].
A Prayer Not to Sin
A psalm of David.
141 Lord, I ·call [pray] to you. Come quickly to me.
·Listen to me [L Give ear to my voice] when I ·call [pray] to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you [Ex. 30:7–8; Rev. 5:8],
and ·my praise [L the lifting of my hands] like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, ·help me control my tongue [L set a guard on my mouth];
·help me be careful about what I say [L keep watch on the door of my mouth; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1–12].
4 ·Take away my desire to do evil [L Don’t incline my heart to an evil matter]
or to join others in doing wrong.
Don’t let me eat tasty food
with those who do evil.
5 If a ·good [righteous] person ·punished [L hit] me, that would be ·kind [an act of loyalty].
If he corrected me, that would be like perfumed oil on my head.
·I [L My head] shouldn’t refuse it.
But I pray against those who do evil.
6 Let their ·leaders [judges] be thrown down the cliffs.
Then people will ·know that I have spoken correctly [L listen to my words for they are pleasant]:
7 “·The ground [or The rock; L Like it] is plowed and broken up.
In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the ·grave [L mouth of Sheol; C the grave or the underworld].”
8 God, ·I look to you for help [L my eyes are to you].
I ·trust [find refuge] in you, Lord. Don’t let ·me die [L my life pour out].
9 ·Protect [Guard; Keep] me from the traps they set for me
and from the net that evil people have spread.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
but let me pass by safely.
A Prayer Not to Be Killed
A psalm of David.
143 Lord, hear my prayer;
·listen [L give ear] to my ·cry for mercy [prayer of supplication].
Answer me
because you are ·loyal [faithful] and ·good [righteous].
2 Don’t ·judge me [L bring me into judgment], your servant,
because no one alive is ·right [righteous] before you [Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:16].
3 My enemies are ·chasing [pursuing; persecuting] me;
they crushed me to the ground.
They made me ·live [sit] in darkness
like those long dead [Lam. 3:6].
4 ·I am afraid [I am depressed; L my spirit is faint; 142:3];
my ·courage is gone [L heart within me is desolated].
5 I remember ·what happened long ago [L the former days];
I ·consider [meditated on] everything you have done.
I ·think [considered] ·about all you have made [L the work of your hands].
6 I ·lift my hands to you in prayer [L spread out my hands to you].
·As a dry land needs rain, I thirst [L My life/soul is like a thirsty/parched land] for you. ·
7 Lord, answer me quickly,
because ·I am getting weak [L my spirit languishes].
Don’t ·turn away [L hide your face] from me,
or I will be like those who ·are dead [L go down to the pit].
8 ·Tell me [Make me hear] in the morning about your ·love [loyalty],
because I ·trust [have confidence in] you.
·Show me what I should do [L Make me know the way I should walk],
because ·my prayers go up [L I lift up my soul] to you.
9 Lord, ·save [protect] me from my enemies;
I hide in you.
10 Teach me to do ·what you want [your will],
because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit [or spirit]
·lead [guide] me on level ground.
11 Lord, let me live
·so people will praise you [L for the sake of your name].
In your ·goodness [righteousness]
·save me [L bring me out] from my ·troubles [distress].
12 In your ·love [loyalty] ·defeat [destroy] my enemies.
·Destroy [L Make perish] all those who ·trouble [distress] me,
because I am your servant.
Naomi’s Plan
3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, ·I must [L Should I not…?] find ·a suitable home [L rest; C a husband and a home to provide security] for you, ·one that will be good for you [or so you will be secure; L that it will go/be well for you]. 2 Now Boaz, whose ·young women [female servants] you worked with, is our close relative [C and so an appropriate guardian/kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth; 2:20]. [L Look; T Behold] Tonight he will be ·working [L winnowing barley] at the threshing floor. 3 Wash yourself, put on perfume, ·change your clothes [or get dressed up; or put on your cloak], and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished ·his dinner [L eating and drinking]. 4 Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and ·lift the cover off [uncover] his ·feet [or legs; C evidently an appeal for marriage] and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”
5 Then Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”
6 So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law ·told [instructed; commanded] her to do. 7 After ·his evening meal [L he had eaten and drunk], ·Boaz felt good [L his heart was good/pleased] and went to sleep lying ·beside [at the end of] the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.
8 About midnight Boaz ·was startled [or shuddered] and rolled over. [L And look/T behold] There was a woman lying near his feet! 9 Boaz asked, “Who are you?”
She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread ·your cover [or the corner of your garment; or your wings; 2:12] over me [C a request for the provision and protection of marriage], because you are a ·relative who is supposed to take care of me [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20].”
10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This [second; L last] act of kindness is greater than the ·kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning [L first]. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a ·good [worthy; noble] woman [Prov. 31:10]. 12 It is true that I am a ·relative who is to take care of you [guardian; kinsmen-redeemer; 2:20], but you have a closer relative than I. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if he will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you. If he decides to ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So ·stay here [L lie down] until morning.”
14 So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, “People in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing floor.” 15 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring me your ·shawl [cloak] and hold it open.”
So Ruth held her ·shawl [cloak] open, and Boaz poured six portions of barley into it. Boaz then put it on ·her head [or her back; L her] and went[a] back to the city.
16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did ·you do [things go], my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything that ·Boaz [L the man] did for her. 17 She said, “Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, saying, ‘You must not go home ·without a gift for [L empty to] your mother-in-law.’”
18 Naomi answered, “·Wait [Stay here; or Be patient], my daughter, until you see what happens. ·Boaz [L The man] will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today.”
Preaching the Good News
4 [L Therefore,] Since God in his mercy gave us this ·work to do [ministry], we don’t ·give up [lose heart; become discouraged]. 2 But we have ·turned away from [rejected; renounced] ·secret [underhanded] and shameful ways. We ·use no trickery [L do not walk in deception], and we do not ·change [distort] the ·teaching [word] of God. We ·teach the truth plainly [fully/openly disclose the truth], ·showing everyone who we are so that they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are [L commending ourselves to every person’s conscience] in God’s sight. 3 If the ·Good News [Gospel] that we preach is ·hidden [veiled], it is ·hidden [veiled] only to those who are ·lost [perishing]. 4 The ·devil who rules this world [L god of this age] has blinded the minds of ·those who do not believe [unbelievers]. [L …so that] They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News ·about [that reveals] the glory of Christ, who is ·exactly like [L the image of] God. 5 [L For] We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your ·servants [slaves; bondservants] for Jesus. 6 [L For; Because] God who said, “Let the light shine out of the darkness [Gen. 1:3; Is. 9:2],” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts ·by letting us know [or to give us the knowledge of] the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.
Spiritual Treasure in Clay Jars
7 [L But] We have this treasure ·from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure [L in clay jars]. This shows that the ·great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us. 8 We have ·troubles all around us [or all kinds of troubles/trials], but we are not ·defeated [crushed]. We ·do not know what to do [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not ·give up the hope of living [despair]. 9 We are ·persecuted [pursued], but ·God does not leave us [not abandoned/left behind]. We are ·hurt [L struck down; knocked over] sometimes, but we are not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies [C Paul was in constant danger of the kind of violent death Jesus experienced] so that the life of Jesus [C resurrection life] can also be ·seen [revealed; manifested] in our bodies. 11 [L For] We are alive, but for Jesus we are always ·in danger of [L being handed over to] death so that the life of Jesus can be ·seen [revealed; manifested] in our ·bodies that die [mortal flesh]. 12 So death is working in us, but life is working in you.
Don’t Retaliate(A)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21].’ 39 But I tell you, don’t ·stand up against [resist; retaliate against] an evil person. If someone ·slaps [strikes] you on the right cheek [C either an insult or an act of violence], turn to him the other cheek also. 40 If someone wants to sue you in court and take your ·shirt [tunic], let him have your coat also. 41 If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles [C alluding to the practice of impressment, whereby a Roman soldier could command a civilian to carry his gear for a mile]. 42 If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t ·refuse to give to [L turn away from] someone who wants to borrow from you.
Love All People(B)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy [Lev. 19:18].’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who ·hurt [persecute] you.[a] 45 ·If you do this, […so that] you will be ·true children [L children; or sons] of your Father in heaven. [L For] He causes ·the [L his] sun to rise on evil people and on good people, and he sends rain ·to those who do right and to those who do wrong [L on the just/righteous and the unjust/unrighteous]. 46 [L For] If you love only the people who love you, ·you will get no reward [what reward is there for that?]. ·Even [L Don’t even…?] the tax collectors do that. 47 And if you ·are nice only to your friends [L greet only your brothers; C probably meaning fellow Jews], ·you are no better than other people [L what more are you doing (than others)?]. Even ·those who don’t know God [the Gentiles; pagans] ·are nice to their friends [L do the same]. 48 ·So [Therefore] you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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