Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 102[a]
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
let my cry for help(B) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(C) from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
I forget to eat my food.(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(I)
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(J)
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(K) I have become
like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food
and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
I wither(T) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”
BOOK V
Psalms 107–150
Psalm 107
2 Let the redeemed(C) of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered(D) from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[a]
4 Some wandered in desert(E) wastelands,
finding no way to a city(F) where they could settle.
5 They were hungry(G) and thirsty,(H)
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out(I) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way(J)
to a city(K) where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks(L) to the Lord for his unfailing love(M)
and his wonderful deeds(N) for mankind,
9 for he satisfies(O) the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.(P)
10 Some sat in darkness,(Q) in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering(R) in iron chains,(S)
11 because they rebelled(T) against God’s commands
and despised(U) the plans(V) of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(W)
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(X) from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness,(Y) the utter darkness,(Z)
and broke away their chains.(AA)
15 Let them give thanks(AB) to the Lord for his unfailing love(AC)
and his wonderful deeds(AD) for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools(AE) through their rebellious ways(AF)
and suffered affliction(AG) because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food(AH)
and drew near the gates of death.(AI)
19 Then they cried(AJ) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(AK) from their distress.
20 He sent out his word(AL) and healed them;(AM)
he rescued(AN) them from the grave.(AO)
21 Let them give thanks(AP) to the Lord for his unfailing love(AQ)
and his wonderful deeds(AR) for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(AS)
and tell of his works(AT) with songs of joy.(AU)
23 Some went out on the sea(AV) in ships;(AW)
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,(AX)
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke(AY) and stirred up a tempest(AZ)
that lifted high the waves.(BA)
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril(BB) their courage melted(BC) away.
27 They reeled(BD) and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried(BE) out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.(BF)
29 He stilled the storm(BG) to a whisper;
the waves(BH) of the sea[b] were hushed.(BI)
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them(BJ) to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks(BK) to the Lord for his unfailing love(BL)
and his wonderful deeds(BM) for mankind.
32 Let them exalt(BN) him in the assembly(BO) of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
19 The king said to Ittai(A) the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner,(B) an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander(C) about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”[a](D)
21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”(E)
22 David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23 The whole countryside wept aloud(F) as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley,(G) and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok(H) was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark(I) of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar(J) offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place(K) again. 26 But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.(L)”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand?(M) Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan.(N) You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28 I will wait at the fords(O) in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping(P) as he went; his head(Q) was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, “Ahithophel(R) is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai(S) the Arkite(T) was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust(U) on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden(V) to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’(W) then you can help me by frustrating(X) Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.(Y) 36 Their two sons, Ahimaaz(Z) son of Zadok and Jonathan(AA) son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”
37 So Hushai,(AB) David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom(AC) was entering the city.
Paul Speaks to the Crowd(A)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(B) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness(C) some time ago?”(D)
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(E) in Cilicia,(F) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned(G) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[a]:(H) 22 1 “Brothers and fathers,(I) listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(J) they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew,(K) born in Tarsus(L) of Cilicia,(M) but brought up in this city. I studied under(N) Gamaliel(O) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(P) I was just as zealous(Q) for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted(R) the followers of this Way(S) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(T) 5 as the high priest and all the Council(U) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(V) in Damascus,(W) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(X) 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Y) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light,(Z) but they did not understand the voice(AA) of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(AB) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(AC)
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(AD) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(AE) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(AF) has chosen you to know his will and to see(AG) the Righteous One(AH) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AI) to all people of what you have seen(AJ) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AK) and wash your sins away,(AL) calling on his name.’(AM)
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight(A)
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,(B) he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David,(C) have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi,(D) I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”(E) Immediately he received his sight and followed(F) Jesus along the road.
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