Book of Common Prayer
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble.
May the God of Jacob keep you safe.
2 May he send you help from the sacred tent.
May he give you aid from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices.
May he accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you what your heart wishes for.
May he make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory.
May we lift up our flags in the name of our God.
May the Lord give you everything you ask for.
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed king.
He answers him from his sacred home in heaven.
The power of God’s right hand gives victory to the king.
7 Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses.
But we trust in the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall down.
But we get up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call out to you!
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
21 Lord, the king is filled with joy because you are strong.
How great is his joy because you help him win his battles!
2 You have given him what his heart wished for.
You haven’t kept back from him what his lips asked for.
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings.
You placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him.
You promised him days that would never end.
5 His glory is great because you helped him win his battles.
You have honored him with glory and majesty.
6 You have given him blessings that will never end.
You have made him glad and joyful because you are with him.
7 The king trusts in the Lord.
The faithful love of the Most High God
will keep the king secure.
8 You, the king, will capture all your enemies.
Your right hand will take hold of them.
9 When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up like they were in a flaming furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his great anger.
His fire will burn them up.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth.
You will remove them from the human race.
11 Your enemies make evil plans against you.
They think up evil things to do. But they can’t succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs and run away
when you aim your arrows at them.
13 Lord, may you be honored because you are strong.
We will sing and praise your might.
A psalm of David.
110 The Lord says to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your control.”
2 The Lord will make your royal authority spread out from Zion to other lands.
He says, “Rule over your enemies who are all around you.”
3 Your troops will be willing to fight for you
on the day of battle.
Your young men will be wrapped in holy majesty.
They will come to you like the fresh dew that falls early in the morning.
4 The Lord has made a promise.
He will not change his mind.
He has said, “You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand.
He will crush kings on the day when he is angry.
6 He will judge the nations. He will pile up dead bodies on the field of battle.
He will crush the rulers of the whole earth.
7 He will drink from a brook along the way and receive new strength.
And so he will win the battle.
116 I love the Lord, because he heard my voice.
He heard my cry for his help.
2 Because he paid attention to me,
I will call out to him as long as I live.
3 The ropes of death were wrapped around me.
The horrors of the grave came over me.
I was overcome by sadness and sorrow.
4 Then I called out to the Lord.
I cried out, “Lord, save me!”
5 The Lord is holy and kind.
Our God is full of tender love.
6 The Lord takes care of those who are not aware of danger.
When I was in great need, he saved me.
7 I said to myself, “Be calm.
The Lord has been good to me.”
8 Lord, you have saved me from death.
You have dried the tears from my eyes.
You have kept me from tripping and falling.
9 So now I can enjoy life here with you
while I’m still living.
10 I trusted in the Lord even when I said to myself,
“I am in great pain.”
11 When I was terrified, I said to myself,
“No one tells the truth.”
12 The Lord has been so good to me!
How can I ever pay him back?
13 I will bring an offering of wine to the Lord
and thank him for saving me.
I will worship him.
14 In front of all the Lord’s people,
I will do what I promised him.
15 The Lord pays special attention
when his faithful people die.
16 Lord, I serve you.
I serve you just as my mother did.
You have set me free from the chains of my suffering.
17 Lord, I will sacrifice a thank offering to you.
I will worship you.
18 In front of all the Lord’s people,
I will do what I promised him.
19 I will keep my promise in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple.
I will keep my promise in Jerusalem itself.
Praise the Lord.
117 All you nations, praise the Lord.
All you people on earth, praise him.
2 Great is his love for us.
The Lord is faithful forever.
Praise the Lord.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was very angry with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The look on his face changed. And he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 He also gave some of the strongest soldiers in his army a command. He ordered them to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Then he told his men to throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they were tied up. Then they were thrown into the furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, turbans and other clothes. 22 The king’s command was carried out quickly. The furnace was so hot that its flames killed the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it. 23 So the three men were firmly tied up. And they fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet. He was so amazed he asked his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men? Didn’t we throw three men into the fire?”
They replied, “Yes, we did, Your Majesty.”
25 The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren’t tied up. And the fire hasn’t even harmed them. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Then the king approached the opening of the blazing furnace. He shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, come out! You who serve the Most High God, come here!”
So they came out of the fire. 27 The royal rulers, high officials, governors and advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire hadn’t harmed their bodies. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their robes weren’t burned either. And they didn’t even smell like smoke.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “May the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be praised! He has sent his angel and saved his servants. They trusted in him. They refused to obey my command. They were willing to give up their lives. They would rather die than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 No other god can save people this way. So I’m giving an order about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. No one may say anything against him. That’s true no matter what language they speak. If they say anything against him, they’ll be cut to pieces. And their houses will be turned into piles of trash.”
30 Then the king honored Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave them higher positions in the city of Babylon and the towns around it.
More Instructions About Loving and Hating One Another
11 From the beginning we have heard that we should love one another. 12 Don’t be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one. He murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because the things Cain had done were wrong. But the things his brother had done were right. 13 My brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have left our old dead way of life. And we have entered into new life. We know this because we love one another. Anyone who doesn’t love still lives in their old condition. 15 Anyone who hates their brother or sister is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life.
16 We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Suppose someone sees a brother or sister in need and is able to help them. And suppose that person doesn’t take pity on these needy people. Then how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, don’t just talk about love. Put your love into action. Then it will truly be love.
Jesus Is Tempted in the Desert
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. The Spirit led him into the desert. 2 There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. At the end of the 40 days, he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man must not live only on bread.’ ” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
5 Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place. In an instant, he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. 6 He said to Jesus, “I will give you all their authority and glory. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:13)
9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem. He had Jesus stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 It is written,
“ ‘The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you.
11 They will lift you up in their hands.
Then you won’t trip over a stone.’ ” (Psalm 91:11,12)
12 Jesus answered, “Scripture says, ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:16)
13 When the devil finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until a better time.
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