Book of Common Prayer
מ Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law!(A)
I meditate(B) on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser(C) than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.(D)
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.(E)
101 I have kept my feet(F) from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.(G)
102 I have not departed from your laws,(H)
for you yourself have taught(I) me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey(J) to my mouth!(K)
104 I gain understanding(L) from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.(M)
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp(N) for my feet,
a light(O) on my path.
106 I have taken an oath(P) and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.(Q)
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life,(R) Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,(S)
and teach me your laws.(T)
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,(U)
I will not forget(V) your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare(W) for me,
but I have not strayed(X) from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.(Y)
112 My heart is set(Z) on keeping your decrees
to the very end.[a](AA)
ס Samekh
113 I hate double-minded people,(AB)
but I love your law.(AC)
114 You are my refuge and my shield;(AD)
I have put my hope(AE) in your word.
115 Away from me,(AF) you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me,(AG) my God, according to your promise,(AH) and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.(AI)
117 Uphold me,(AJ) and I will be delivered;(AK)
I will always have regard for your decrees.(AL)
118 You reject all who stray(AM) from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;(AN)
therefore I love your statutes.(AO)
120 My flesh trembles(AP) in fear of you;(AQ)
I stand in awe(AR) of your laws.
Psalm 81[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(A)
2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(B)
play the melodious harp(C) and lyre.(D)
3 Sound the ram’s horn(E) at the New Moon,(F)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(G)
5 When God went out against Egypt,(H)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(I)
6 “I removed the burden(J) from their shoulders;(K)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(L) and I rescued you,
I answered(M) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[c](N)
8 Hear me, my people,(O) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(P) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(Q)
Open(R) wide your mouth and I will fill(S) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(T)
12 So I gave them over(U) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(V)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(W) their enemies
and turn my hand against(X) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(Y) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(Z)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
2 “How long will you[d] defend the unjust
and show partiality(AC) to the wicked?[e](AD)
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;(AE)
uphold the cause of the poor(AF) and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(AG)
They walk about in darkness;(AH)
all the foundations(AI) of the earth are shaken.
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars(A) that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches(B) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword(C) for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.(D)
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded,(E) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other(F) with their swords.(G) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah(H) near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher(I) and all Manasseh were called out,(J) and they pursued the Midianites.(K) 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan(L) ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb(M). They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,(N) and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites(O) and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.(P)
Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(Q) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(R)”(S) And they challenged him vigorously.(T)
2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(U) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(V) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(W) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(X) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(Y) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(Z) the kings of Midian.”
6 But the officials of Sukkoth(AA) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(AB) to your troops?”(AC)
7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(AD) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](AE) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(AF)
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(AG) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(AH) and Jogbehah(AI) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,(A) the God of our fathers,(B) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over(C) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,(D) though he had decided to let him go.(E) 14 You disowned the Holy(F) and Righteous One(G) and asked that a murderer be released to you.(H) 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.(I) We are witnesses(J) of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus,(K) this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites,(L) I know that you acted in ignorance,(M) as did your leaders.(N) 18 But this is how God fulfilled(O) what he had foretold(P) through all the prophets,(Q) saying that his Messiah would suffer.(R) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,(S) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah,(T) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him(U) until the time comes for God to restore everything,(V) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.(W) 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.(X) 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’[a](Y)
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets(Z) who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs(AA) of the prophets and of the covenant(AB) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[b](AC) 26 When God raised up(AD) his servant, he sent him first(AE) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(A) who takes away the sin of the world!(B) 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’(C) 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.(D) 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water(E) told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’(F) 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[a](G)
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus(H)
35 The next day John(I) was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”(J)
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi”(K) (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).(L) 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called(M) Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[b]).(N)
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