Book of Common Prayer
A Morning Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm of David.
5 Lord, ·listen [L give ear] to my words.
Understand my ·sadness [L moans; sighs].
2 ·Listen [Pay attention] to my cry for help, my King and my God,
because I pray to you.
3 Lord, every morning you hear my voice.
Every morning, I ·tell you what I need [or prepare a sacrifice for you; L stretch out/arrange before you],
and I ·wait for your answer [L watch].
4 You are not a God who ·is pleased with the wicked [takes delight in evil];
·you do not live with those who do evil [L evil does not sojourn with you].
5 Those people who ·make fun of you [or boast] cannot stand before ·you [L your eyes].
You hate all those who do evil.
6 You destroy ·liars [L those who speak lies];
the Lord ·hates [despises] those ·who kill and trick others [L with bloodguilt and deceit].
7 Because of your great ·love [loyalty; covenant love],
I ·can [or will] come into your ·Temple [L house].
Because I ·fear you [hold you in awe],
I can ·worship [bow down] ·in [or toward] your holy Temple.
8 Lord, since I have many enemies,
·show me the right thing to do [L lead/guide me in your righteousness].
·Show me clearly how you want me to live [L Make your way straight before me].
9 My enemies’ mouths do not tell the truth;
·in their hearts they want to destroy others [L their innards are destruction].
Their throats are like open graves [Rom. 3:13];
they use their tongues for ·telling lies [flattery].
10 God, ·declare them guilty [L make them bear their iniquity]!
Let them fall ·into their own traps [or by their own advice].
·Send [Cast] them away because their ·sins [transgressions] are many;
they have ·turned [rebelled] against you.
11 But let everyone who ·trusts [finds refuge in] you ·be happy [rejoice];
let them sing glad songs forever.
·Protect [L Spread your protection on] those who love you
and ·who are happy because of you [L let those who love your name rejoice in you].
12 Lord, you bless those who ·do what is right [are righteous];
you ·protect them [L surround them with favor] like a shield.
A Prayer for Mercy in Troubled Times
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Upon the ·sheminith [L eighth; C a reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.
6 Lord, don’t ·correct [rebuke; reprove] me when you are angry;
don’t ·punish [discipline] me when you are ·very angry [enraged].
2 Lord, ·have mercy on [be gracious to] me because I ·am weak [languish; faint].
Heal me, Lord, because my bones ·ache [are in agony].
3 I ·am very upset [ache; am in agony].
Lord, how long will it be?
4 Lord, return and save me;
·save [rescue; T deliver] me because of your ·kindness [loyalty; covenant love].
5 Dead people don’t remember you;
those in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol] don’t praise you.
6 I am ·tired [weary] ·of crying to you [L because of my moaning].
Every night ·my bed is wet [L I flood my pillow] with tears;
my bed is soaked from my crying.
7 My eyes are weak ·from so much crying [L because of my grief];
they are weak ·from crying about [L because of] my enemies.
8 Get away from me, all you who do evil,
because the Lord has heard my ·crying [supplication].
9 The Lord has heard my cry for help;
the Lord will ·answer [accept] my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be ashamed and ·troubled [in agony; vv. 2–3].
They will turn and suddenly leave in shame.
A Complaint About Evil People
10 Lord, why ·are you [L do you stand] so far away?
Why do you hide ·when there is [L in times of] ·trouble [distress]?
2 Proudly the wicked ·chase down [hunt down; persecute] ·those who suffer [or the poor].
Let them be caught in ·their own traps [L the schemes they have thought up].
3 They ·brag [boast] about the ·things they want [L cravings/desires of their soul].
·They bless the greedy but [or The greedy curse and] ·hate [reject] the Lord.
4 The wicked people are too proud.
They do not ·look for [pursue; seek] God;
there is no room for God in their thoughts.
5 ·They always succeed [L Their ways are always successful/prosperous].
·They are far from keeping your laws [L Your judgments are above their grasp];
they ·make fun of [sneer/scoff at] their enemies.
6 They say ·to themselves [L in their hearts], “·Nothing bad will ever happen to me [L I will never be moved/shaken];
I will never ·be ruined [have trouble/be harmed].”
7 Their mouths are full of curses, ·lies [deceit], and ·threats [violence];
·they use their tongues for [L under their tongues is] ·sin [trouble] and evil [Rom. 3:14].
8 They ·hide [L lie in ambush] near the villages.
They ·look for innocent people to kill [murder the innocent; Prov. 1:11];
·they watch in secret [L their eyes look intently] for the helpless.
9 They ·wait in hiding [L lie in ambush in a covert/cover] like a lion.
They ·wait [L lie] to catch poor people;
they catch the poor in nets and drag them off.
10 The poor are crushed and thrown down;
they ·are defeated [L fall] ·because the others are stronger [L by their might].
11 The wicked ·think [L say in their hearts], “God has forgotten us.
He ·doesn’t see what is happening [L has hidden his face and does not see anything].”
12 Lord, rise up and ·punish the wicked [L raise your hand, God].
Don’t forget those who ·need help [are oppressed].
13 Why do wicked people ·hate [despise] God?
They say ·to themselves [L in their hearts], “·God won’t punish us [L You will not pursue].”
14 Lord, surely you see these ·cruel [troublesome] and ·evil [grievous] things;
look at them and ·do something [L put it in your hands].
·People in trouble [L The helpless] ·look to you for help [entrust/abandon themselves to your hands].
You are the one who helps the orphans.
15 Break the ·power [L hand] of wicked and evil people.
·Punish them for the evil they have done [L You will seek out their wickedness until you find none].
16 The Lord is King forever and ever.
·Destroy from your land those nations [L The nations will perish from his land].
17 Lord, you have heard ·what the poor people want [the desires of the poor].
·Do what they ask [L You will strengthen their heart], and ·listen to them [L you will cause your ear to pay attention].
18 ·Protect [L Bring justice to] the orphans and ·put an end to suffering [L the oppressed]
so ·they will no longer be afraid of evil people [L those from the earth may terrify no more].
Trust in the Lord
For the director of music. Of David.
11 I ·trust in the Lord for protection [find refuge in the Lord].
So why do you say to me,
“·Fly [L Flee] like a bird to your mountain.
2 For, look, the wicked ·string [bend] their bows;
they set their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from dark places
at those who are ·honest [L upright/virtuous in heart].
3 When the foundations [C a stable society] collapse,
what can ·good [righteous] people do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord sits on his throne in heaven.
·He sees what people do [L His eyes watch];
·he keeps his eye on them [L his gaze examines/tests people].
5 The Lord ·tests [examines] ·those who do right and those who do wrong [the righteous and the wicked],
but he hates those who love ·to hurt others [violence].
6 He will ·send [L rain] hot coals and burning sulfur on the wicked.
A ·whirlwind [scorching wind] is ·what they will get [L the portion of their cup; C an image of judgment; Is. 51:17, 22; Ezek. 23:31–33; Matt. 26:39].
7 The Lord ·does what is right [is righteous], and he loves ·justice [righteousness],
so ·honest people [the upright/virtuous] will see his face.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 During Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king [603–602 bc], ·he had dreams that bothered [L his spirit agitated] him and ·kept him awake at night [L his sleep left him]. 2 So the king ·called for [summoned] his ·magicians [enchanters], ·fortune-tellers [diviners], ·wizards [sorcerers], and ·wise men [L Chaldeans; C a group of astrologers], because he wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.
3 Then the king said to them, “I had a dream ·that bothers me [L and my spirit is agitated], and I want to know ·what it means [L the dream].”
4 The ·wise men [astrologers; L Chaldeans] answered the king in the Aramaic language [C the language of the text shifts to Aramaic until the end of chapter 7; Aramaic was the everyday language of Babylon at this time], “O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then we will ·tell you what it means [interpret it].”
5 King Nebuchadnezzar said to ·them [the astrologers/L Chaldeans], “·I meant what I said [L The matter has been determined by me]. You must tell me the dream and what it means. If you don’t, I will have you torn ·apart [limb from limb], and I will turn your houses into piles of stones [Ezra 6:11]. 6 But if you tell me my dream and its ·meaning [interpretation], I will reward you with gifts, a reward, and great honor. So tell me the dream and ·what it means [its interpretation].”
7 Again the wise men said to the king, “Tell us, your servants, the dream, and we will tell you ·what it means [its interpretation].”
8 ·King Nebuchadnezzar [L The king] answered, “I know you are ·trying to get more [stalling for] time, because you know that ·I meant what I said [L the matter has been determined by me]. 9 If you don’t tell me my dream, ·you will be punished [L there is one ordinance/verdict for you]. You have all agreed to tell me lies and wicked things, hoping things will change. Now, tell me the dream so that I will know you can tell me ·what it really means [its interpretation]!”
10 The ·wise men [astrologers; L Chaldeans] answered the king, saying, “No one on earth can ·do [reveal] what the king asks! No great and powerful king has ever asked the ·magicians [enchanters], ·fortune tellers [diviners], or ·wise men [astrologers; L Chaldeans] to do this [C normally the dreamer would tell the dream, and the interpreter would interpret it using a dream commentary]; 11 the king is asking something that is too hard. Only the gods could tell the king this, but ·the gods do not live among people [L their home/dwelling is not with flesh].”
12 When the king heard their answer, he became very angry. He ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be killed. 13 So King Nebuchadnezzar’s ·order [decree; edict] to kill the wise men was announced, and men ·were sent to look [searched] for Daniel and his friends to kill them [C since they were also wise men].
14 Arioch, the ·commander of the king’s guards [L chief butcher], was going to kill the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel spoke to him with ·wisdom [prudence] and ·skill [deference], 15 saying to Arioch, the royal official, “Why did the king order such a ·terrible [severe] punishment?” Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and asked for ·an appointment [or some time] so that he could tell the king what his dream meant.
Jesus Is Our Helper
2 My ·dear children [L little children; C a term of endearment], I write ·this letter [L these things] to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a ·helper [counselor; advocate; Rom. 8:34] in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, ·the One who does what is right [or the Righteous One]. 2 He ·died in our place to take away [is the atoning sacrifice/T propitiation for] our sins [C his death pays the penalty and removes God’s anger from us; 4:10; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17], and not only our sins but the sins of ·all people [L the whole world].
3 We ·can be sure [know] that we know ·God [L him] if we ·obey [keep] his commands. 4 Anyone who says, “I know ·God [L him],” but does not ·obey [keep] ·God’s [L his] commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if someone ·obeys [keeps] ·God’s teaching [L his word], then in that person ·God’s love [or love for God] has ·truly reached its goal [been fulfilled/perfected/completed]. This is how we can be sure we are ·living in God [L in him]: 6 Whoever says that he ·lives [abides; remains] in God must ·live [L walk] as ·Jesus lived [L he walked].
The Command to Love Others
7 ·My dear friends [L Beloved], I am not writing a new command to you but an old command you have had from the beginning [3:23; John 13:34]. It is the ·teaching [L word] you have already heard. 8 But also I am writing a new command to you, ·and you can see its truth in Jesus [L which is true in him] and in you, ·because [or that] the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who ·says [claims; C as do the false teachers; see 2:18–19], “I am in the light,” [C following God’s goodness and truthfulness] but hates a brother or sister [C fellow Christian], is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister ·lives [abides; remains] in the light and ·will not cause anyone to stumble in his faith [or he will not stumble in his faith; L there is no cause of stumbling in him; C the “stumbling” may be either by apostasy or sin; John 6:61; 16:1; Rom. 14:13; Rev. 2:14]. 11 But whoever hates a brother or sister is in darkness, ·lives [L walks] in darkness, and does not know where to go, because the darkness has ·made that person blind [L blinded his eyes].
12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of [or kept them loyal to] your name, the name you gave me. I ·protected [guarded] them, and only one of them, the ·one worthy of destruction [L son of destruction/perdition; C Judas], was lost so that the Scripture would ·come true [L be fulfilled; Ps. 41:9].
13 “I am coming to you now. But I ·pray [L say] these things while I am still in the world so that ·these followers [these disciples; L they] can have all of my joy [ L made complete; fulfilled] in them. 14 I have given them your ·teaching [word]. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to ·keep them safe [protect them] from the ·Evil One [or evil; C the Evil One is the Devil]. 16 They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 17 ·Make them ready for your service [Sanctify them; Consecrate them; C setting them apart for service] through your truth; your ·teaching [word] is truth. 18 I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 For their sake, I am ·making myself ready to serve [sanctifying/consecrating myself] so that they can be ·ready for their service of [sanctified/consecrated by] the truth.
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