Book of Common Prayer
For the director of music. A psalm of Asaph. A song to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
75 God, we praise you.
We praise you because you are near to us.
People talk about the wonderful things you have done.
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time to judge people.
And I judge them fairly.
3 When the earth and all its people tremble,
I keep everything from falling to pieces.
4 To the proud I say, ‘Don’t brag anymore.’
To sinners I say, ‘Don’t show off your power.
5 Don’t show it off against me.
Don’t talk back to me.’ ”
6 No one from east or west or north or south
can judge themselves.
7 God is the one who judges.
He says to one person, “You are guilty.”
To another he says, “You are not guilty.”
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup.
It is full of wine mixed with spices.
It is the wine of his anger.
He pours it out. All the evil people on earth
drink it down to the very last drop.
9 I will speak about this forever.
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
10 God says, “I will destroy the power of all sinful people.
But I will make godly people more powerful.”
For the director of music. A psalm of Asaph. A song to be played on stringed instruments.
76 In the land of Judah, God is well known.
In Israel, his name is great.
2 His tent is in Jerusalem.
The place where he lives is on Mount Zion.
3 There he broke the deadly arrows of his enemies.
He broke their shields and swords.
He broke their weapons of war.
4 God, you shine like a very bright light.
You are more majestic than mountains full of wild animals.
5 Brave soldiers have been robbed of everything they had.
Now they lie there, sleeping in death.
Not one of them can even lift his hands.
6 God of Jacob, at your command
both horse and chariot lie still.
7 People should have respect for you alone.
Who can stand in front of you when you are angry?
8 From heaven you handed down your sentence.
The land was afraid and became quiet.
9 God, that happened when you rose up to judge.
It happened when you came to save all your suffering people in the land.
10 Your anger against sinners brings you praise.
Those who live through your anger gather to worship you.
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them.
Let all the neighboring nations
bring gifts to the God who should be respected.
12 He breaks the proud spirit of rulers.
The kings of the earth have respect for him.
A psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.
2 He lets me lie down in fields of green grass.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths
for the honor of his name.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid.
You are with me.
Your shepherd’s rod and staff
comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
right in front of my enemies.
You pour oil on my head.
My cup runs over.
6 I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
A psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light, and he saves me.
Why should I fear anyone?
The Lord is my place of safety.
Why should I be afraid?
2 My enemies are evil.
They will trip and fall
when they attack me
and try to swallow me up.
3 Even if an army attacks me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if war breaks out against me,
I will still trust in God.
4 I’m asking the Lord for only one thing.
Here is what I want.
I want to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
I want to look at the beauty of the Lord.
I want to worship him in his temple.
5 When I’m in trouble,
he will keep me safe in his house.
He will hide me in the safety of his holy tent.
He will put me on a rock that is very high.
6 Then I will win the battle
over my enemies who are all around me.
At his holy tent I will offer my sacrifice with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call out to you.
Treat me with kindness and answer me.
8 My heart says, “Seek him!”
Lord, I will seek you.
9 Don’t turn your face away from me.
Don’t turn me away because you are angry.
You have helped me.
God my Savior, don’t say no to me.
Don’t desert me.
10 My father and mother may desert me,
but the Lord will accept me.
11 Lord, teach me your ways.
Lead me along a straight path.
There are many people who treat me badly.
12 My enemies want to harm me. So don’t turn me over to them.
Witnesses who tell lies are rising up against me.
They say all sorts of evil things about me.
13 Here is something I am still sure of.
I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I’m still alive.
14 Wait for the Lord.
Be strong and don’t lose hope.
Wait for the Lord.
20 “Here is what I want you to announce
to the people of Jacob.
Tell it in Judah.
Tell them I say,
21 ‘Listen to this, you foolish people,
who do not have any sense.
You have eyes, but you do not see.
You have ears, but you do not hear.
22 Shouldn’t you have respect for me?’
announces the Lord.
‘Shouldn’t you tremble with fear in front of me?
I made the sand to hold the ocean back.
It will do that forever.
The ocean can’t go past it.
The waves might roll, but they can’t sweep over it.
They might roar, but they can’t go across it.
23 But you people have stubborn hearts.
You refuse to obey me.
You have turned away from me.
You have gone astray.
24 You do not say to yourselves,
“Let us have respect for the Lord our God.
He sends rain in the fall and the spring.
He promises us that the harvest will come
at the same time each year.”
25 But the things you have done wrong
have robbed you of these gifts.
Your sins have kept these good things
far away from you.’
26 “Jeremiah, some of my people are evil.
They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds.
They set traps for people.
27 A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds.
And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods.
They have become rich and powerful.
28 They have grown fat and heavy.
There is no limit to the evil things they do.
In court they do not seek justice.
They don’t protect the rights of children whose fathers have died.
They do not stand up for poor people.
29 Shouldn’t I punish them for this?”
announces the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I pay back the
nation that does these things?
30 “Something horrible and shocking
has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy lies.
The priests rule by their own authority.
And my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?”
19 What the law says, it says to those who are ruled by the law. Its purpose is to shut every mouth and make the whole world accountable to God. 20 So no one will be considered right with God by obeying the law. Instead, the law makes us more aware of our sin.
Becoming Right With God by Faith
21 But now God has shown us his saving power without the help of the law. But the Law and the Prophets tell us about this. 22 We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. This happens to all who believe. It is no different for the Jews than for the Gentiles. 23 Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory. 24 The free gift of God’s grace makes us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free. 25 God gave Christ as a sacrifice to pay for sins through the spilling of his blood. So God forgives the sins of those who have faith. God did all this to prove that he does what is right. He is a God of mercy. So he did not punish for their sins the people who lived before Jesus lived. 26 God did all this to prove in our own time that he does what is right. He also makes right with himself those who believe in Jesus.
27 So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by the law that requires them to obey? Not at all! They are saved because of the law that requires faith. 28 We firmly believe that a person is made right with God because of their faith. They are not saved by obeying the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of Gentiles? Yes, he is their God too. 30 There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in him, he makes them right with himself. Suppose those who are not circumcised believe in him. Then God also will make them right with himself. 31 Does faith make the law useless? Not at all! We agree with the law.
Jesus Goes to the Feast of Booths
7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel around in Judea. That was because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 The Jewish Feast of Booths was near. 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea. Then your disciples there will see the works that you do. 4 No one who wants to be well known does things in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 Even Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in him.
6 So Jesus told them, “The time for me to show who I really am is not here yet. For you, any time would be the right time. 7 The people of the world can’t hate you. But they hate me. This is because I am a witness that their works are evil. 8 You go to the feast. I am not going up to this feast. This is because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 But when his brothers had left for the feast, he went also. But he went secretly, not openly. 11 At the feast the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus. They were asking, “Where is he?”
12 Many people in the crowd were whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No. He fools the people.” 13 But no one would say anything about him openly. They were afraid of the leaders.
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