Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 87
Zion, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 The city he founded[a] is on the holy mountains.(A)
2 The Lord loves Zion’s city gates
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.(B)
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God.(C)Selah
4 “I will make a record of those who know me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”(D)
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High himself will establish her.(E)
6 When he registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.”(F)Selah
7 Singers and dancers[b] alike will say,[c]
“My whole source of joy is[d] in you.”(G)
BOOK IV
(Psalms 90–106)
Psalm 90
Eternal God and Mortal Man
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our refuge[a]
in every generation.(A)
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, you are God.(B)
3 You return mankind to the dust,
saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”(C)
4 For in your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.(D)
5 You end their lives;[b] they sleep.(E)
They are like grass that grows in the morning—
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows;
by evening it withers and dries up.(F)
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.(G)
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.(H)
9 For all our days ebb away under your wrath;
we end our years like a sigh.(I)
10 Our lives last[c] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
Even the best of them are[d] struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.(J)
11 Who understands the power of your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear that is due you.(K)
12 Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.[e](L)
13 Lord—how long?
Turn and have compassion on your servants.(M)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.(N)
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.(O)
16 Let your work be seen by your servants,
and your splendor by their children.(P)
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
establish the work of our hands!(Q)
Psalm 136
God’s Love Is Eternal
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.(A)
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.(B)
His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders.(C)
His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.(D)
His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters.(E)
His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights:(F)
His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.(G)
His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians(H)
His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.(I)
His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea(J)
His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through,(K)
His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.(L)
His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.(M)
His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings
His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings—
His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.(N)
His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation(O)
His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes.(P)
His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.(Q)
His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!(R)
His faithful love endures forever.
Athaliah Usurps the Throne
11 When Athaliah,(A) Ahaziah’s mother,(B) saw that her son was dead,(C) she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. 2 Jehosheba,(D) who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s(E) sister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from among the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. 3 Joash was in hiding with her in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Athaliah Overthrown
4 In(F) the seventh year, Jehoiada(G) sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards.(H) He had them come to him in the Lord’s temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son 5 and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath(I) are to provide protection for the king’s palace. 6 A third are to be at the Foundation[a] Gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace.[b](J)
7 “Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide the king protection at the Lord’s temple. 8 Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”[c](K)
9 So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to the priest Jehoiada.(L) 10 The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and shields(M) that were in the Lord’s temple. 11 Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.
12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown(N) on him, gave him the testimony,[d](O) and made him king. They anointed(P) him and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king!” (Q)
13 When Athaliah(R) heard the noise from the guard and the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord’s temple.(S) 14 She looked, and there was the king standing by the pillar(T) according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.(U) Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed “Treason! Treason!” (V)
15 Then the priest Jehoiada(W) ordered the commanders of hundreds(X) in charge of the army, “Take her out between the ranks, and put to death by the sword anyone who follows her,” for the priest had said, “She is not to be put to death in the Lord’s temple.”(Y) 16 So they arrested her, and she went through the horse entrance(Z) to the king’s palace, where she was put to death.(AA)
Jehoiada’s Reforms
17 Then(AB) Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people(AC) and another covenant between the king and the people.[e](AD) 18 So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images to pieces,(AE) and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.(AF)
Then Jehoiada the priest appointed guards for the Lord’s temple.(AG) 19 He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards,(AH) and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace by way of the guards’ gate. Then Joash(AI) sat on the throne of the kings. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king’s palace.
About Married People
10 To the married I give this command(A)—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leave[a] her husband. 11 But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to divorce his wife.(B) 12 But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother(C) has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy(D) by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.[b] Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you[c] to live in peace. 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.[d]
Various Situations of Life
17 Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called(E) him.[e] This is what I command in all the churches. 18 Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19 Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. 20 Let each of you remain in the situation[f] in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.[g] 22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slave(F) is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought(G) at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.
God and Possessions
19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures[a] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.(A) 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,(B) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!(C)
24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (D)
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