Book of Common Prayer
For the director of music. A miktam of David after the Philistines had captured him in Gath. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oak Trees.”
56 Help me, God. Men are chasing me.
All day long they keep attacking me.
2 My enemies chase me all day long.
Many proud people are attacking me.
3 When I’m afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 I trust in God. I praise his word.
I trust in God. I am not afraid.
What can mere people do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words.
They are always making plans to destroy me.
6 They get together and hide.
They watch my steps.
They hope to kill me.
7 Because they are so evil, make sure you don’t let them escape.
God, bring down the nations in your anger.
8 Make a record of my sadness.
List my tears in your book.
Aren’t you making a record of them?
9 My enemies will turn back
when I call out to you for help.
Then I will know that God is on my side.
10 I trust in God. I praise his word.
I trust in the Lord. I praise his word.
11 I trust in God. I am not afraid.
What can mere people do to me?
12 God, I have made promises to you.
I will bring my thank offerings to you.
13 You have saved me from the darkness of death.
You have kept me from tripping and falling.
Now I can live with you
in the light of life.
For the director of music. A miktam of David when he had run away from Saul into the cave. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
57 Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me.
I go to you for safety.
I will find safety in the shadow of your wings.
There I will stay until the danger is gone.
2 I cry out to God Most High.
I cry out to God, and he shows that I am right.
3 He answers from heaven and saves me.
He puts to shame those who chase me.
He shows his love and that he is faithful.
4 Men who are like lions are all around me.
I am forced to lie down among people who are like hungry animals.
Their teeth are like spears and arrows.
Their tongues are like sharp swords.
5 God, may you be honored above the heavens.
Let your glory be over the whole earth.
6 My enemies spread a net to catch me by the feet.
I felt helpless.
They dug a pit in my path.
But they fell into it themselves.
7 God, my heart feels secure.
My heart feels secure.
I will sing and make music to you.
8 My spirit, wake up!
Harp and lyre, wake up!
I want to sing and make music before the sun rises.
9 Lord, I will praise you among the nations.
I will sing about you among the people of the earth.
10 Great is your love. It reaches to the heavens.
Your truth reaches to the skies.
11 God, may you be honored above the heavens.
Let your glory be over the whole earth.
For the director of music. A miktam of David to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
58 Are you rulers really fair when you speak?
Do you judge people honestly?
2 No, in your hearts you plan to be unfair.
With your hands you do terrible things on the earth.
3 Even from birth those who are evil go down the wrong path.
From the day they are born they go the wrong way and spread lies.
4 Their words are like the poison of a snake.
They are like the poison of a cobra that has covered up its ears.
5 It won’t listen to a snake charmer’s tune,
even if the charmer plays very well.
6 God, break the teeth in the mouths of those sinners!
Lord, tear out the sharp teeth of those lions!
7 Let those people disappear like water that flows away.
When they draw their bows, let their arrows fall short of the target.
8 Let them be like a slug that melts away as it moves along.
Let them be like a baby that is born dead and never sees the sun.
9 Evil people will be swept away before burning thorns can heat a pot.
And it doesn’t matter if the thorns are green or dry.
10 Godly people will be glad when those who have hurt them are paid back.
They will dip their feet in the blood of those who do evil.
11 Then people will say,
“The godly will get their reward.
There really is a God who judges the earth.”
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, hear me as I tell you my problem.
Don’t let my enemies kill me.
2 Hide me from evil people who talk about how to harm me.
Hide me from those people who are planning to do evil.
3 They make their tongues like sharp swords.
They aim their mean words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from their hiding places at people who aren’t guilty.
They shoot quickly and aren’t afraid of being caught.
5 They help one another make evil plans.
They talk about hiding their traps.
They say, “Who can see what we are doing?”
6 They make plans to do what is evil.
They say, “We have thought up a perfect plan!”
The hearts and minds of people are so clever!
7 But God will shoot my enemies with his arrows.
He will suddenly strike them down.
8 He will turn their own words against them.
He will destroy them.
All those who see them will shake their heads
and look down on them.
9 All people will respect God.
They will tell about his works.
They will think about what he has done.
10 Godly people will be full of joy because of what the Lord has done.
They will go to him for safety.
All those whose hearts are honest will be proud of what he has done.
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
65 Our God, we look forward to praising you in Zion.
We will keep our promises to you.
2 All people will come to you,
because you hear and answer prayer.
3 When our sins became too much for us,
you forgave our lawless acts.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to worship you.
You bring us into the courtyards of your holy temple.
There in your house we are filled with all kinds of good things.
5 God our Savior, you answer us with right and wonderful deeds.
People all over the world and beyond the farthest oceans
put their hope in you.
6 You formed the mountains by your power.
You showed how strong you are.
7 You calmed the oceans and their roaring waves.
You calmed the angry words and actions of the nations.
8 Everyone on earth is amazed at the wonderful things you have done.
What you do makes people from one end of the earth to the other sing for joy.
9 You take care of the land and water it.
You make it able to grow many crops.
You fill your streams with water.
You do that to provide the people with grain.
That’s what you have decided to do for the land.
10 You water its rows.
You smooth out its bumps.
You soften it with showers.
And you bless its crops.
11 You bring the year to a close with huge crops.
You provide more than enough food.
12 The grass grows thick even in the desert.
The hills are dressed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks and herds.
The valleys are dressed with grain.
They sing and shout for joy.
Teachings About Christian Families
18 Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That’s what the Lord wants you to do.
19 Husbands, love your wives. Don’t be mean to them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, don’t make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord. 23 Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. 24 Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for what they do. God treats everyone the same.
4 Masters, give your slaves what is right and fair. Do it because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
More Teachings
2 Give a lot of time and effort to prayer. Always be watchful and thankful. 3 Pray for us too. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to preach our message. Then we can preach the mystery of Christ. Because I preached it, I am being held by chains. 4 Pray that I will preach it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let the words you speak always be full of grace. Learn how to make your words what people want to hear. Then you will know how to answer everyone.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother. He is a faithful worker. He serves the Lord together with us. 8 I am sending him to you for one reason. I want you to know what is happening here. I want him to encourage you and make your hearts strong. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother. He is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 Aristarchus is in prison with me. He sends you his greetings. So does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have been given directions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him.
11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. They are the only Jews who have worked together with me for God’s kingdom. They have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras sends greetings. He is one of you. He serves Christ Jesus. He is always praying hard for you. He prays that you will hold on tightly to all that God has in mind for us. He prays that you will keep growing in your knowledge of what God wants. He also prays that you will be completely sure about it. 13 I am happy to tell you that he is working very hard for you. He is also working hard for everyone in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, sends greetings. So does Demas.
15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. Also give my greetings to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
16 After this letter has been read to you, send it on. Be sure that it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And be sure that you read the letter from Laodicea.
17 Tell Archippus, “Be sure that you complete the work the Lord gave you to do.”
18 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am being held by chains. May grace be with you.
A Sinful Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus
36 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So he went to the Pharisee’s house. He took his place at the table. 37 There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she came there with a special jar of perfume. 38 She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. And she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins. The other owed him 50 silver coins. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back. So he let them go without paying. Which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who owed the most money.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water to wash my feet. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss. But this woman has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You did not put any olive oil on my head. But she has poured this perfume on my feet. 47 So I tell you this. Her many sins have been forgiven. She has shown that she understands this by her great acts of love. But whoever has been forgiven only a little loves only a little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to talk about this among themselves. They said, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
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