Book of Common Prayer
BOOK 1
The Way of the Righteous and Wicked
1 How blessed is the man who (A)does not walk in the (B)counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the (C)way of sinners,
Nor (D)sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his (E)delight is (F)in the law of [a]Yahweh,
And in His law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
3 And he will be like (I)a tree firmly planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, (J)he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like (K)chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore (L)the wicked will not rise in the (M)judgment,
Nor sinners in (N)the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Yahweh [e](O)knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of (P)the wicked will perish.
The Reign of Yahweh’s Anointed
2 Why do (Q)the [f]nations rage
And the peoples (R)meditate on a vain thing?
2 The (S)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
(T)Against Yahweh and against His [g](U)Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us (V)tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”
4 He who [h]sits in the heavens (W)laughs,
The Lord (X)mocks them.
5 Then He speaks to them in His (Y)anger
And (Z)terrifies them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have [i]installed (AA)My King
Upon Zion, (AB)My holy mountain.”
7 “I will surely tell of the [j]decree of Yahweh:
He said to Me, ‘You are (AC)My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and (AD)I will surely give (AE)the [k]nations as Your inheritance,
And the (AF)ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 You shall [l](AG)break them with a [m]rod of iron,
You shall (AH)shatter them like a potter’s vessel.’”
10 So now, O kings, (AI)show insight;
Take warning, O [n]judges of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh with (AJ)fear
And rejoice with (AK)trembling.
12 [o]Kiss (AL)the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way,
For (AM)His [p]wrath may [q]soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who (AN)take refuge in Him!
Yahweh, Save Me
A Psalm of David. When [r]he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Yahweh, how (AO)my adversaries have become many!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying [s]of my soul,
“There is no (AP)salvation for him in God.” [t]Selah.
3 But You, O Yahweh, are (AQ)a shield about me,
My (AR)glory, and the One who (AS)lifts my head.
4 I was calling to Yahweh with my voice,
And He (AT)answered me from (AU)His holy [u]mountain. Selah.
5 [v]I (AV)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for Yahweh sustains me.
6 I will (AW)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who all around (AX)have set themselves against me.
7 (AY)Arise, O Yahweh; (AZ)save me, O my God!
For You have (BA)struck all my enemies on the [w]cheek;
You [x]have (BB)shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 [y](BC)Salvation belongs to Yahweh;
Your (BD)blessing [z]be upon Your people! Selah.
Yahweh Makes Me Abide in Safety
[aa]For the choir director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 (BE)Answer me when (BF)I call, O God [ab]of my righteousness!
You have [ac](BG)relieved me in my distress;
Be (BH)gracious to me and (BI)hear my prayer.
2 O sons of men, how long will (BJ)my glory become (BK)a reproach?
How long will you love (BL)what is worthless and seek (BM)falsehood? [ad]Selah.
3 But know that Yahweh has [ae](BN)set apart the (BO)holy one for Himself;
Yahweh (BP)hears when I call to Him.
In You I Have Taken Refuge
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Yahweh my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)deliver me,
2 Lest he tear [b]my soul (C)like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)rewarded evil to him who [c]is at peace with me,
Or have (F)plundered my adversary without cause,
5 Let the enemy pursue [d]my soul and overtake [e]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And cause my glory to dwell in the dust. [f]Selah.
6 (G)Arise, O Yahweh, in Your anger;
(H)Lift up Yourself against (I)the fury of my adversaries,
And (J)arouse Yourself [g]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the congregation of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And over [h]them return on high.
8 Yahweh (L)judges the peoples;
[i](M)Give justice to me, O Yahweh, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)tests the hearts and [j]minds.
10 My (Q)shield is [k]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who has (T)indignation every day.
12 If [l]a man (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and prepared it.
13 He has also prepared [m]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he (Y)conceives mischief and gives birth to falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)mischief will return upon his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend upon [n]his own skull.
Daniel Brought to Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of (A)Jehoiakim king of Judah, (B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the (C)Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the (D)vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of (E)Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b](F)god.
3 Then the king said for Ashpenaz, the chief of his [c]officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal (G)seed and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was (H)no defect, who were good in appearance, showing (I)insight in every branch of wisdom, being thoroughly [d]knowledgeable and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and he said for him to teach them the [e]literature and (J)tongue of the (K)Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the (L)king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be [f]educated three years, at the end of which they were to (M)stand before the king. 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were (N)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials set names for them; and for Daniel he set the name (O)Belteshazzar, for Hananiah (P)Shadrach, for Mishael (Q)Meshach, and for Azariah (R)Abed-nego.
Daniel’s Heart
8 But Daniel set in his heart that he would not (S)defile himself with the (T)king’s choice food or with the (U)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel (V)lovingkindness and compassion before the commander of the officials, 10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would [g]make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be (W)given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be [h]observed before you and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that their appearance was (X)better and that [i]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to [j]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept (Y)giving them vegetables.
17 And as for these four youths, (Z)God gave them knowledge and insight in every branch of [k]literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of (AA)visions and dreams.
18 Then at the end of the days which the king had spoken of for bringing them in, the commander of the officials brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like (AB)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they (AC)stood in service before the king. 20 And as for every matter of (AD)wisdom in understanding which the king sought from them, he found them (AE)ten times (AF)better than all the [l](AG)magicians and conjurers who were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel [m]continued until the (AH)first year of Cyrus the king.
The Word of Life
1 What was (A)from the beginning, what we have (B)heard, what we have (C)seen with our eyes, what we (D)beheld and (E)touched with our hands, concerning the (F)Word of Life— 2 and (G)the life was manifested, and we have (H)seen and (I)bear witness and proclaim to you (J)the eternal life, which was (K)with the Father and was (L)manifested to us— 3 what we have (M)seen and (N)heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our (O)fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 (P)And these things we are writing, so that our (Q)joy may be made complete.
God Is Light
5 (R)And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that (S)God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 (T)If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we (U)lie and (V)do not do the truth; 7 but if we (W)walk in the Light as (X)He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and (Y)the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 (Z)If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the (AA)truth is not in us. 9 (AB)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and (AC)to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 (AD)If we say that we have not sinned, we (AE)make Him a liar and (AF)His word is not in us.
The High Priestly Prayer
17 Jesus spoke these things; and (A)lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; (B)glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as (C)You gave Him authority over all flesh, that (D)to [a]all whom You have given Him, (E)He may give eternal life. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, (F)the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom (G)You have sent. 4 (H)I glorified You on the earth, [b](I)having finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, (J)glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had (K)with You before the world was.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “(L)I have manifested Your name to the men whom (M)You gave Me out of the world; they were (N)Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have (O)kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for (P)the words which You gave Me (Q)I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that (R)I came forth from You, and they believed that (S)You sent Me. 9 (T)I ask on their behalf; (U)I do not ask on behalf of the world but of those whom (V)You have given Me; for (W)they are Yours; 10 and (X)all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world; and yet (Y)they themselves are in the world, and (Z)I come to You. (AA)Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name (AB)which You have given Me, that (AC)they may be one even as We are.
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