Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.(A)
1 God, give your justice to the king
and your righteousness to the king’s son.(B)
2 He will judge your people with righteousness
and your afflicted ones with justice.(C)
3 May the mountains bring well-being[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(D)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May they fear you[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(F)
6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(G)
7 May the righteous[c] flourish in his days
and well-being abound
until the moon is no more.(H)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(I)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(J)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(K)
11 Let all kings bow in homage to him,
all nations serve him.(L)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(M)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(N)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[d] precious[e] in his sight.(O)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(P)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(Q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(R)
י Yod
73 Your hands made me and formed me;(A)
give me understanding
so that I can learn your commands.(B)
74 Those who fear you will see me and rejoice,(C)
for I put my hope in your word.(D)
75 I know, Lord, that your judgments are just
and that you have afflicted me fairly.(E)
76 May your faithful love comfort me
as you promised your servant.
77 May your compassion come to me(F)
so that I may live,
for your instruction is my delight.(G)
78 Let the arrogant be put to shame(H)
for slandering me with lies;
I will meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you,
those who know your decrees, turn to me.
80 May my heart be blameless regarding your statutes(I)
so that I will not be put to shame.
כ Kaph
81 I long for your salvation;(J)
I put my hope in your word.(K)
82 My eyes grow weary
looking for what you have promised;(L)
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke,
I do not forget your statutes.
84 How many days must your servant wait?
When will you execute judgment on my persecutors?(M)
85 The arrogant have dug pits for me;(N)
they violate your instruction.
86 All your commands are true;
people persecute me with lies—help me!(O)
87 They almost ended my life on earth,
but I did not abandon your precepts.
88 Give me life in accordance with your faithful love,
and I will obey the decree you have spoken.
ל Lamed
89 Lord, your word is forever;(P)
it is firmly fixed in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness is for all generations;(Q)
you established the earth, and it stands firm.(R)
91 Your judgments stand firm today,(S)
for all things are your servants.(T)
92 If your instruction had not been my delight,
I would have died in my affliction.(U)
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for you have given me life through them.(V)
94 I am yours; save me,(W)
for I have studied your precepts.(X)
95 The wicked hope to destroy me,(Y)
but I contemplate your decrees.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your command is without limit.
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
22 There was(A) a lull of three years(B) without war between Aram and Israel. 2 However, in the third year, King Jehoshaphat(C) of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.(D) 3 The king of Israel had said to his servants, “Don’t you know that Ramoth-gilead(E) is ours, but we’re doing nothing to take it from the king of Aram?” 4 So(F) he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?” (G)
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”(H) 5 But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”(I)
6 So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men,(J) and asked them, “Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?”
They replied, “March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king.”(K)
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore?(L) Let’s ask him.”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him(M) because he never prophesies good about me,(N) but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
9 So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”
10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah,(O) clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floor(P) at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 Then Zedekiah(Q) son of Chenaanah made iron horns(R) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.’” 12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same: “March up to Ramoth-gilead(S) and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
Micaiah’s Message of Defeat
13 The messenger(T) who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives,(U) I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”(V)
15 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”
Micaiah told him, “March up and succeed. The Lord will hand it over to the king.”
16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 So Micaiah said:
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.(W)
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let everyone return home in peace.”(X)
18 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,(Y) and the whole heavenly army(Z) was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ (AA) So one was saying this and another was saying that.
21 “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
“He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit(AB) in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail.(AC) Go and do that.’
23 “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
24 Then Zedekiah(AD) son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Did[a] the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” (AE)
25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”(AF)
26 Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,(AG) 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison(AH) and feed him only a little bread and water[b] until I come back safely.’”
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.”(AI) Then he said, “Listen, all you people!” [c](AJ)
Paul’s Proclamation
2 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery[a] of God to you, I did not come with brilliance(A) of speech(B) or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(C) 3 I came to you in weakness,(D) in fear,(E) and in much trembling.(F) 4 My speech(G) and my preaching were not with persuasive(H) words of wisdom[b] but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.(I)
Spiritual Wisdom
6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature,(J) but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers(K) of this age, who are coming to nothing.(L) 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined(M) before the ages for our glory.(N) 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O) 9 But as it is written,
What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him.[c](P)
10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything,(Q) even the depths of God.(R) 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts[d] except his spirit(S) within him? In the same way, no one knows(T) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words(U) taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[e]
The First Disciples
18 As(A) he was walking along the Sea of Galilee,(B) he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for[a] people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Teaching, Preaching, and Healing
23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee,(C) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[b] disease and sickness[c] among the people.(D) 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria.(E) So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.(F) And he healed them. 25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.(G)
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