Book of Common Prayer
33 He [a](A)changes rivers into a [b]wilderness
And springs of water into a thirsty ground;
34 A (B)fruitful land into a (C)salt waste,
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He [c](D)changes a [d]wilderness into a pool of water
And a dry land into springs of water;
36 And there He makes the hungry to dwell,
So that they may establish [e](E)an inhabited city,
37 And sow fields and (F)plant vineyards,
And [f]gather a fruitful harvest.
38 Also He blesses them and they (G)multiply greatly,
And He (H)does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are (I)diminished and (J)bowed down
Through oppression, misery and sorrow,
40 He (K)pours contempt upon [g]princes
And (L)makes them wander (M)in a pathless waste.
41 But He (N)sets the needy [h]securely on high away from affliction,
And (O)makes his families like a flock.
42 The (P)upright see it and are glad;
But all (Q)unrighteousness shuts its mouth.
43 Who is (R)wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And consider the (S)lovingkindnesses of the Lord.
God Praised and Supplicated to Give Victory.
A Song, a Psalm of David.
108 (T)My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my [i]soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your (U)lovingkindness is great (V)above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
5 (W)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
6 (X)That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me!
7 God has spoken in His [j]holiness:
“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem
And measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 “Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the [k]helmet of My head;
(Y)Judah is My [l]scepter.
9 “Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Over Philistia I will shout aloud.”
10 (Z)Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who [m]will lead me to Edom?
11 Have not You Yourself, O God, (AA)rejected us?
And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?
12 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For (AB)deliverance [n]by man is in vain.
13 [o]Through God we will do valiantly,
And (AC)it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.
Praise to the Creator and Preserver.
33 (A)Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is (B)becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the (C)lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a (D)harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a (E)new song;
Play skillfully with (F)a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the Lord (G)is upright,
And all His work is done (H)in faithfulness.
5 He (I)loves righteousness and justice;
The (J)earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
6 By the (K)word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And (L)by the breath of His mouth (M)all their host.
7 He gathers the (N)waters of the sea together [a]as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let (O)all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world (P)stand in awe of Him.
9 For (Q)He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it [b]stood fast.
10 The Lord (R)nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The (S)counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The (T)plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the (U)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has (V)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord (W)looks from heaven;
He (X)sees all the sons of men;
14 From (Y)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (Z)fashions [c]the hearts of them all,
He who (AA)understands all their works.
16 (AB)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A (AC)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (AD)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who [d](AE)hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To (AF)deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive (AG)in famine.
20 Our soul (AH)waits for the Lord;
He is our (AI)help and our shield.
21 For our (AJ)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have [e]hoped in You.
God’s Choice for King
15 Now a day before Saul’s coming, (A)the Lord had [a]revealed this to Samuel saying, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and (B)you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For (C)I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord [b]said to him, “(D)Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19 Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 (E)As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And (F)for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?” 21 Saul replied, “(G)Am I not a Benjamite, of (H)the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the [c]tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “[d]Bring the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said to you, ‘Set it [e]aside.’” 24 Then the cook (I)took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here is what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, [f]since I said I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul (J)on the [g]roof. 26 And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, that I may send you away.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you.”
Saul among Prophets
10 Then (K)Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, (L)kissed him and said, “Has not (M)the Lord anointed you a ruler over (N)His inheritance?
30 “After forty years had passed, (A)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘(B)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 (C)But the Lord said to him, ‘(D)Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 (E)I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; [a](F)come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they (G)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God [b]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [c]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (H)This man led them out, performing (I)wonders and [d]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the (J)wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘(K)God will raise up for you a prophet [e]like me from your brethren.’ 38 This is the one who was in (L)the [f]congregation in the wilderness together with (M)the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (N)living (O)oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but (P)repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 (Q)saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [g]At that time (R)they made a [h]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in (S)the works of their hands. 42 But God (T)turned away and delivered them up to [i]serve the [j]host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘(U)It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices (V)forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 (W)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god [k]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’
The Garden of Gethsemane
39 (A)And He came out and proceeded (B)as was His custom to (C)the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. 40 (D)When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “(E)Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He (F)knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this (G)cup from Me; (H)yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 [a]Now an (I)angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And (J)being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and (K)pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Jesus Betrayed by Judas
47 (L)While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the (M)sword?” 50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “[b]Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.