Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s,(A) and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;(B)
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.(C)
3 Who may ascend the mountain(D) of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?(E)
4 The one who has clean hands(F) and a pure heart,(G)
who does not trust in an idol(H)
or swear by a false god.[a]
5 They will receive blessing(I) from the Lord
and vindication(J) from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face,(K) God of Jacob.[b][c]
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;(L)
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King(M) of glory(N) may come in.(O)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,(P)
the Lord mighty in battle.(Q)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty(R)—
he is the King of glory.
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord,(A) you heavenly beings,(B)
ascribe to the Lord glory(C) and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.(D)
3 The voice(E) of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory(F) thunders,(G)
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.(H)
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;(I)
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.(J)
6 He makes Lebanon leap(K) like a calf,
Sirion[b](L) like a young wild ox.(M)
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.(N)
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.(O)
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[c](P)
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”(Q)
Psalm 8[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] A psalm of David.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name(A) in all the earth!
You have set your glory(B)
in the heavens.(C)
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold(D) against your enemies,
to silence the foe(E) and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,(F)
the work of your fingers,(G)
the moon and the stars,(H)
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c](I)
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e](J)
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.(K)
6 You made them rulers(L) over the works of your hands;(M)
you put everything under their[g] feet:(N)
7 all flocks and herds,(O)
and the animals of the wild,(P)
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,(Q)
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!(R)
Psalm 84[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,(A)
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns,(B) even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.(C)
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(D)
Lord Almighty,(E) my King(F) and my God.(G)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.[c]
5 Blessed are those whose strength(H) is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(I)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;(J)
the autumn(K) rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,(L)
till each appears(M) before God in Zion.(N)
8 Hear my prayer,(O) Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[e](P) O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.(Q)
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(R) in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(S) and shield;(T)
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(U)
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,
blessed(V) is the one who trusts in you.
6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them,(A) and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.(B)
3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn(C) child is better off than he.(D) 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?(E)
7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
yet their appetite is never satisfied.(F)
8 What advantage have the wise over fools?(G)
What do the poor gain
by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
9 Better what the eye sees
than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
a chasing after the wind.(H)
10 Whatever exists has already been named,(I)
and what humanity is has been known;
no one can contend
with someone who is stronger.
11 The more the words,
the less the meaning,
and how does that profit anyone?
12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days(J) they pass through like a shadow?(K) Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
Peter’s Vision(A)
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof(B) to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.(C) 11 He saw heaven opened(D) and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!”(E) Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”(F)
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”(G)
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,(H) the men sent by Cornelius(I) found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision,(J) the Spirit said(K) to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”(L)
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,(M) who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”(N) 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers(O) from Joppa went along.(P)
32 “Do not be afraid,(A) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.(B) 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.(C) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven(D) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.(E) 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(F)
Watchfulness(G)(H)
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.(I) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.(J) 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief(K) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready,(L) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
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