Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
2 From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
God shines forth.(E)
3 Our God comes(F)
and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
and around him a tempest(J) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(R)
8 I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(U) from your stall
or of goats(V) from your pens,(W)
10 for every animal of the forest(X) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(Y)
11 I know every bird(Z) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(AA) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(AD) to God,
fulfill your vows(AE) to the Most High,(AF)
15 and call(AG) on me in the day of trouble;(AH)
I will deliver(AI) you, and you will honor(AJ) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(AK) on your lips?(AL)
17 You hate(AM) my instruction
and cast my words behind(AN) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(AO) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(AR)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(AS)
you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign(AT) you
and set my accusations(AU) before you.
Psalm 59[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(D)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(F) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(G) yet they are ready to attack me.(H)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(I)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(J)
rouse yourself(K) to punish all the nations;(L)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c](M)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(N)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(O)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(P)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(Q)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(R)
you scoff at all those nations.(S)
9 You are my strength,(T) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(U)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[d](V)
or my people will forget.(W)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(X)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(Y)
for the words of their lips,(Z)
let them be caught in their pride.(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AC)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AD)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AE) of your strength,(AF)
in the morning(AG) I will sing of your love;(AH)
for you are my fortress,(AI)
my refuge in times of trouble.(AJ)
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(AK)
Psalm 60[e](AL)
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[f] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[g] and Aram Zobah,[h] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(AM)
1 You have rejected us,(AN) God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry(AO)—now restore us!(AP)
2 You have shaken the land(AQ) and torn it open;
mend its fractures,(AR) for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;(AS)
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(AT)
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(AU)
to be unfurled against the bow.[i]
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,(AV)
that those you love(AW) may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(AX)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(AY)
7 Gilead(AZ) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim(BA) is my helmet,
Judah(BB) is my scepter.(BC)
8 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BD)”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?(BE)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.(BF)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.(BG)
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully(A) to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting(B) for the upright(C) to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;(D)
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(E)
3 Sing to him a new song;(F)
play skillfully, and shout for joy.(G)
4 For the word of the Lord is right(H) and true;(I)
he is faithful(J) in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(K)
the earth is full of his unfailing love.(L)
6 By the word(M) of the Lord the heavens were made,(N)
their starry host(O) by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters(P) of the sea into jars[a];(Q)
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;(R)
let all the people of the world(S) revere him.(T)
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded,(U) and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils(V) the plans(W) of the nations;(X)
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(Y) forever,
the purposes(Z) of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(AA)
the people he chose(AB) for his inheritance.(AC)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(AD)
and sees all mankind;(AE)
14 from his dwelling place(AF) he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(AG) the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.(AH)
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(AI)
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(AJ) is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(AK) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(AL)
19 to deliver them from death(AM)
and keep them alive in famine.(AN)
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev(A) in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,(B) 2 Hanani,(C) one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant(D) that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.(E)”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(F) For some days I mourned and fasted(G) and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,(H) who keeps his covenant of love(I) with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear(J) the prayer(K) your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess(L) the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly(M) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember(N) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter(O) you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather(P) them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’(Q)
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.(R) 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive(S) to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor(T) in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer(U) to the king.
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.(A) They encircled the throne and the living creatures(B) and the elders.(C) 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb,(D) who was slain,(E)
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”(F)
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth(G) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne(H) and to the Lamb(I)
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”(J)
14 The four living creatures(K) said, “Amen,”(L) and the elders(M) fell down and worshiped.(N)
The Seals
6 I watched as the Lamb(O) opened the first of the seven seals.(P) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(Q) say in a voice like thunder,(R) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(S) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(T) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(U)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(V) say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(W) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(X) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(Y) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(Z) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(AA) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](AB) and do not damage(AC) the oil and the wine!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(AD) say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(AE) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(AF) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(AG)
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(AH) the altar(AI) the souls of those who had been slain(AJ) because of the word of God(AK) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(AL) Sovereign Lord,(AM) holy and true,(AN) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(AO) and avenge our blood?”(AP) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(AQ) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.(AR)
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(A) and does not understand it, the evil one(B) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 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.(C) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(D) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(E)
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