Book of Common Prayer
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm (A)of Solomon.
72 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2 (B)He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3 (C)The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4 (D)He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will [a]break in pieces the oppressor.
5 [b]They shall fear You
(E)As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
6 (F)He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
7 In His days the righteous shall flourish,
(G)And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
8 (H)He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 (I)Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
(J)And His enemies will lick the dust.
10 (K)The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
11 (L)Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
12 For He (M)will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And (N)precious shall be their blood in His sight.
15 And He shall live;
And the gold of (O)Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
(P)And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 (Q)His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And (R)men shall be blessed in Him;
(S)All nations shall call Him blessed.
18 (T)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
(U)Who only does wondrous things!
19 And (V)blessed be His glorious name forever!
(W)And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
י YOD
73 (A)Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 (B)Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, (C)that Your judgments are [a]right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud (D)be ashamed,
For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.
כ KAPH
81 (E)My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.
82 My eyes fail from searching Your word,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?”
83 For (F)I have become like a wineskin in smoke,
Yet I do not forget Your statutes.
84 (G)How many are the days of Your servant?
(H)When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
85 (I)The proud have dug pits for me,
Which is not according to Your law.
86 All Your commandments are faithful;
They persecute me (J)wrongfully;
Help me!
87 They almost made an end of me on earth,
But I did not forsake Your precepts.
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
ל LAMED
89 (K)Forever, O Lord,
Your word [b]is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it [c]abides.
91 They continue this day according to (L)Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94 I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will [d]consider Your testimonies.
96 (M)I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
Joab Murders Abner
22 At that moment the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much [a]spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the troops that were with him had come, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you; why is it that you sent him away, and he has already gone? 25 Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to know (A)your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”
26 And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab (B)took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there [b]stabbed him (C)in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of (D)Asahel his brother.
28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are [c]guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 (E)Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the [d]house of Joab one (F)who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother (G)Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
David’s Mourning for Abner
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, (H)“Tear your clothes, (I)gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” And King David followed the coffin. 32 So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king sang a lament over Abner and said:
“Should Abner die as a (J)fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound
Nor your feet put into fetters;
As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell.”
Then all the people wept over him again.
35 And when all the people came (K)to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, (L)“God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else (M)till the sun goes down!” 36 Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. 37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, (N)are too harsh for me. (O)The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl (A)possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters (B)much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, (C)greatly [a]annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” (D)And he came out that very hour. 19 But (E)when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and (F)dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, (G)exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes (H)and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and (A)would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a (B)ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, (C)“Be[a] of good cheer! It is I; do not be (D)afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind (E)ceased. And they were greatly (F)amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For (G)they had not understood about the loaves, because their (H)heart was hardened.
Many Touch Him and Are Made Well(I)
53 (J)When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately [b]the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that (K)they might just touch the (L)hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.