Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 26
Of David.
1 Vindicate me,(A) Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;(B)
I have trusted(C) in the Lord
and have not faltered.(D)
2 Test me,(E) Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;(F)
3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love(G)
and have lived(H) in reliance on your faithfulness.(I)
4 I do not sit(J) with the deceitful,
nor do I associate with hypocrites.(K)
5 I abhor(L) the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,(M)
and go about your altar, Lord,
7 proclaiming aloud your praise(N)
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.(O)
8 Lord, I love(P) the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.(Q)
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with those who are bloodthirsty,(R)
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,(S)
whose right hands are full of bribes.(T)
11 I lead a blameless life;
deliver me(U) and be merciful to me.
Psalm 28
Of David.
1 To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
2 Hear my cry for mercy(D)
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
toward your Most Holy Place.(F)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)
5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
Psalm 36[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
before their eyes.(C)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
3 The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
and do not reject what is wrong.(K)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
6 Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
your justice like the great deep.(P)
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
in your light(X) we see light.
Psalm 39[a]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will watch my ways(A)
and keep my tongue from sin;(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(C)
while in the presence of the wicked.”
2 So I remained utterly silent,(D)
not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
3 my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;(I)
let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
5 You have made my days(L) a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(M)
even those who seem secure.[b]
6 “Surely everyone goes around(N) like a mere phantom;(O)
in vain they rush about,(P) heaping up wealth(Q)
without knowing whose it will finally be.(R)
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.(S)
8 Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
9 I was silent;(W) I would not open my mouth,(X)
for you are the one who has done this.(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow(Z) of your hand.(AA)
11 When you rebuke(AB) and discipline(AC) anyone for their sin,
you consume(AD) their wealth like a moth(AE)—
surely everyone is but a breath.(AF)
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(A) standing before the throne(B) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(C) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(F) and the four living creatures.(G) They fell down on their faces(H) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(I)
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(J)—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(K) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(L) 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God(M)
and serve him(N) day and night in his temple;(O)
and he who sits on the throne(P)
will shelter them with his presence.(Q)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.(R)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat.(S)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;(T)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](U)
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”(V)
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two(A)(B)(C)
10 After this the Lord(D) appointed seventy-two[a] others(E) and sent them two by two(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.(G) 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.(H) 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.(I) 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.(J) Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.(K) 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God(L) has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’(N) 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom(O) than for that town.(P)
13 “Woe to you,(Q) Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth(R) and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”(T)
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