Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 38[a]
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(A)
2 Your arrows(B) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health(C) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones(D) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed(E) me
like a burden too heavy to bear.(F)
5 My wounds(G) fester and are loathsome(H)
because of my sinful folly.(I)
6 I am bowed down(J) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.(K)
7 My back is filled with searing pain;(L)
there is no health(M) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;(N)
I groan(O) in anguish of heart.(P)
9 All my longings(Q) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing(R) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(S) my strength fails(T) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.(U)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(V)
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(W)
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(X)
all day long they scheme and lie.(Y)
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(Z)
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(AA) for you;
you will answer,(AB) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(AC)
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(AD)
17 For I am about to fall,(AE)
and my pain(AF) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(AG)
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(AH) without cause[b];
those who hate me(AI) without reason(AJ) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(AK)
lodge accusations(AL) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
ד Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust;(A)
preserve my life(B) according to your word.(C)
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.(D)
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.(E)
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;(F)
strengthen me(G) according to your word.(H)
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;(I)
be gracious to me(J) and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen(K) the way of faithfulness;(L)
I have set my heart(M) on your laws.
31 I hold fast(N) to your statutes, Lord;
do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
ה He
33 Teach me,(O) Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.[a]
34 Give me understanding,(P) so that I may keep your law(Q)
and obey it with all my heart.(R)
35 Direct me(S) in the path of your commands,(T)
for there I find delight.(U)
36 Turn my heart(V) toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.(W)
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life(X) according to your word.[b](Y)
38 Fulfill your promise(Z) to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace(AA) I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long(AB) for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.(AC)
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love(AD) come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;(AE)
42 then I can answer(AF) anyone who taunts me,(AG)
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,(AH)
for I have put my hope(AI) in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,(AJ)
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.(AK)
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings(AL)
and will not be put to shame,(AM)
47 for I delight(AN) in your commands
because I love them.(AO)
48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,
that I may meditate(AP) on your decrees.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(D)
who spreads out the earth(E) by myself,
25 who foils(F) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(G)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(H)
and turns it into nonsense,(I)
26 who carries out the words(J) of his servants
and fulfills(K) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(L) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(M) ‘I will restore them,’(N)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(O) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(P) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(Q) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(R) “Let its foundations(S) be laid.”’
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(T)
to Cyrus,(U) whose right hand I take hold(V) of
to subdue nations(W) before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you(X)
and will level(Y) the mountains[a];
I will break down gates(Z) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(AA)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(AB)
riches stored in secret places,(AC)
so that you may know(AD) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(AE)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(AF)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(AG) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(AH)
apart from me there is no God.(AI)
I will strengthen you,(AJ)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(AK)
people may know(AL) there is none besides me.(AM)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(AN)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(AO)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
5 1 Follow God’s example,(A) therefore, as dearly loved children(B) 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us(C) and gave himself up for us(D) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(E)
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,(F) or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,(G) because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk(H) or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.(I) 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater(J)—has any inheritance(K) in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a](L) 6 Let no one deceive you(M) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath(N) comes on those who are disobedient.(O) 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once(P) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(Q) 9 (for the fruit(R) of the light consists in all goodness,(S) righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.(T) 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,(U) but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light(V) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(D) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(E) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(F)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(G)
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(I) everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”(J)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(K) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
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