Book of Common Prayer
146 Praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life.
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Don’t put your trust in human leaders.
Don’t trust in people who can’t save you.
4 When they die, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help.
Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God.
6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean.
He made everything in them.
He remains faithful forever.
7 He stands up for those who are treated badly.
He gives food to hungry people.
The Lord sets prisoners free.
8 The Lord gives sight to those who are blind.
The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.
The Lord loves those who do what is right.
9 The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land.
He takes good care of children whose fathers have died.
He also takes good care of widows.
But he causes evil people to fail
in everything they do.
10 The Lord rules forever.
The God of Zion will rule for all time to come.
Praise the Lord.
147 Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How pleasant and right it is to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem.
He gathers the scattered people of Israel.
3 He heals those who have broken hearts.
He takes care of their wounds.
4 He decides how many stars there should be.
He gives each one of them a name.
5 Great is our Lord. His power is mighty.
There is no limit to his understanding.
6 The Lord gives strength to those who aren’t proud.
But he throws evil people down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord and give him grateful praise.
Make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds.
He supplies the earth with rain.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle.
He provides for the young ravens when they cry out.
10 He doesn’t take pleasure in the strength of horses.
He doesn’t take delight in the strong legs of warriors.
11 The Lord takes delight in those who have respect for him.
They put their hope in his faithful love.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord.
Zion, praise your God.
13 He makes the metal bars of your gates stronger.
He blesses the people who live inside you.
14 He keeps your borders safe and secure.
He satisfies you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth.
His word arrives there quickly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool.
He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down his hail like pebbles.
No one can stand his icy blast.
18 He gives his command, and the ice melts.
He stirs up his winds, and the waters flow.
19 He has made his word known to the people of Jacob.
He has made his laws and rules known to Israel.
20 He hasn’t done that for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
111 Praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord with all my heart.
I will praise him where honest people gather for worship.
2 The Lord has done great things.
All who take delight in those things think deeply about them.
3 What he does shows his glory and majesty.
He will always do what is right.
4 The Lord causes his wonders to be remembered.
He is kind and tender.
5 He provides food for those who have respect for him.
He remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people what his power can do.
He has given them the lands of other nations.
7 He is faithful and right in everything he does.
All his rules can be trusted.
8 They will stand firm for ever and ever.
They were given by the Lord.
He is faithful and honest.
9 He set his people free.
He made a covenant with them that will last forever.
His name is holy and wonderful.
10 If you really want to become wise,
you must begin by having respect for the Lord.
All those who follow his rules have good understanding.
People should praise him forever.
112 Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who have respect for the Lord.
They find great delight when they obey God’s commands.
2 Their children will be powerful in the land.
Because they are honest, their children will be blessed.
3 Their family will have wealth and riches.
They will always be blessed for doing what is right.
4 Even in the darkness light shines on honest people.
It shines on those who are kind and tender and godly.
5 Good things will come to those who are willing to lend freely.
Good things will come to those who are fair in everything they do.
6 Those who do what is right will always be secure.
They will be remembered forever.
7 They aren’t afraid when bad news comes.
They stand firm because they trust in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure. They aren’t afraid.
In the end they will see their enemies destroyed.
9 They have spread their gifts around to poor people.
Their good works continue forever.
They will be powerful and honored.
10 Evil people will see it and be upset.
They will grind their teeth and become weaker and weaker.
What evil people long to do can’t succeed.
113 Praise the Lord.
Praise him, you who serve the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let us praise the name of the Lord,
both now and forever.
3 From the sunrise in the east to the sunset in the west,
may the name of the Lord be praised.
4 The Lord is honored over all the nations.
His glory reaches to the highest heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God?
He sits on his throne in heaven.
6 He bends down to look
at the heavens and the earth.
7 He raises poor people up from the trash pile.
He lifts needy people out of the ashes.
8 He causes them to sit with princes.
He causes them to sit with the princes of his people.
9 He gives children to the woman who doesn’t have any children.
He makes her a happy mother in her own home.
Praise the Lord.
36 Saul said, “Let’s go down and chase after the Philistines tonight. Let’s not leave even one of them alive. Let’s take everything they have before morning.”
“Do what you think is best,” they replied.
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God for advice first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down and chase after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God didn’t answer him that day.
38 Saul said to the leaders of the army, “Come here. Let’s find out what sin has been committed today. 39 The Lord is the one who rescues Israel. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that the sinner must die. He must die even if he’s my son Jonathan.” But no one said anything.
40 Then Saul said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there. I and my son Jonathan will stand over here.”
“Do what you think is best,” they replied.
41 Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel. He said, “Why haven’t you answered your servant today? If I or my son Jonathan is to blame, answer with Urim. But if the Israelites are to blame, answer with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen by casting lots. The other men were cleared of blame. 42 Saul said, “Cast the lot to find out whether I or my son Jonathan is to blame.” And Jonathan was chosen.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”
So Jonathan told him, “I used the end of my stick to get a little honey and taste it. And now do I have to die?”
44 Saul said, “Jonathan, I must certainly put you to death. If I don’t, may God punish me greatly.”
45 But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan be put to death? Never! He has saved Israel in a wonderful way. He did it today with God’s help. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that not even one hair on Jonathan’s head will fall to the ground.” So the men rescued Jonathan. He wasn’t put to death.
Peace and Hope
5 We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God’s glory. 3 And that’s not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. 4 The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. 5 And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. 7 It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. 8 But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God’s anger. 10 Once we were God’s enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives. 11 And that is not all. We are full of joy in God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of him, God has brought us back to himself.
The Story of the Wedding Dinner
22 Jesus told them more stories. He said, 2 “Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to those who had been invited to the dinner. The slaves told them to come. But they refused.
4 “Then he sent some more slaves. He said, ‘Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner. I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding dinner.’
5 “But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business. 6 The rest grabbed his slaves. They treated them badly and then killed them. 7 The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then the king said to his slaves, ‘The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come. 9 So go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.’ 10 So the slaves went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man couldn’t think of anything to say.
13 “Then the king told his slaves, ‘Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will weep and grind their teeth.’
14 “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
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