Book of Common Prayer
BOOK I
Psalms 1–41
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one(A)
who does not walk(B) in step with the wicked(C)
or stand in the way(D) that sinners take(E)
or sit(F) in the company of mockers,(G)
2 but whose delight(H) is in the law of the Lord,(I)
and who meditates(J) on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree(K) planted by streams(L) of water,(M)
which yields its fruit(N) in season
and whose leaf(O) does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.(P)
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff(Q)
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand(R) in the judgment,(S)
nor sinners in the assembly(T) of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over(U) the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.(V)
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire[a]
and the peoples plot(W) in vain?
2 The kings(X) of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed,(Y) saying,
3 “Let us break their chains(Z)
and throw off their shackles.”(AA)
4 The One enthroned(AB) in heaven laughs;(AC)
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger(AD)
and terrifies them in his wrath,(AE) saying,
6 “I have installed my king(AF)
on Zion,(AG) my holy mountain.(AH)”
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;(AI)
today I have become your father.(AJ)
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations(AK) your inheritance,(AL)
the ends of the earth(AM) your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b];(AN)
you will dash them to pieces(AO) like pottery.(AP)”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;(AQ)
be warned, you rulers(AR) of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear(AS)
and celebrate his rule(AT) with trembling.(AU)
12 Kiss his son,(AV) or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath(AW) can flare up in a moment.
Blessed(AX) are all who take refuge(AY) in him.
Psalm 3[c]
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.(AZ)
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.(BA)”[d]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield(BB) around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.(BC)
4 I call out to the Lord,(BD)
and he answers me from his holy mountain.(BE)
5 I lie down and sleep;(BF)
I wake again,(BG) because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear(BH) though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.(BI)
7 Arise,(BJ) Lord!
Deliver me,(BK) my God!
Strike(BL) all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth(BM) of the wicked.
Psalm 4[e]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1 Answer me(BP) when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(BQ)
have mercy(BR) on me and hear my prayer.(BS)
2 How long will you people turn my glory(BT) into shame?(BU)
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[f]?[g](BV)
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant(BW) for himself;
the Lord hears(BX) when I call to him.
4 Tremble and[h] do not sin;(BY)
when you are on your beds,(BZ)
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.(CA)
Psalm 7[a]
A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands(G)—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
let him trample my life to the ground(J)
and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)
6 Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
8 Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
who probes minds and hearts.(V)
10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,(A)
you rulers of Sodom;(B)
listen to the instruction(C) of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!(D)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(E)
I have no pleasure(F)
in the blood of bulls(G) and lambs and goats.(H)
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,(I)
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(J)
Your incense(K) is detestable(L) to me.
New Moons,(M) Sabbaths and convocations(N)—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(O) feasts and your appointed festivals(P)
I hate with all my being.(Q)
They have become a burden to me;(R)
I am weary(S) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(T) in prayer,
I hide(U) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.(V)
16 Wash(Y) and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(Z)
stop doing wrong.(AA)
17 Learn to do right;(AB) seek justice.(AC)
Defend the oppressed.[a](AD)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(AE)
plead the case of the widow.(AF)
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(AG)
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;(AH)
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.(AI)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(AJ)
you will eat the good things of the land;(AK)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(AL)
you will be devoured by the sword.”(AM)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AN)
1 Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)
To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you.(D)
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith
2 We always thank God for all of you(E) and continually mention you in our prayers.(F) 3 We remember before our God and Father(G) your work produced by faith,(H) your labor prompted by love,(I) and your endurance inspired by hope(J) in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God,(K) that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel(L) came to you not simply with words but also with power,(M) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know(N) how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us(O) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering(P) with the joy(Q) given by the Holy Spirit.(R) 7 And so you became a model(S) to all the believers in Macedonia(T) and Achaia.(U) 8 The Lord’s message(V) rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.(W) Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned(X) to God from idols(Y) to serve the living and true God,(Z) 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven,(AA) whom he raised from the dead(AB)—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.(AC)
The Authority of Jesus Questioned(A)
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts(B) and proclaiming the good news,(C) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”(D)
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”(G)
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
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