Book of Common Prayer
God Loves Jerusalem
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
87 ·The Lord built Jerusalem [L Its foundations are] on the holy mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple].
2 ·He [L The Lord] loves ·its gates [L the gates of Zion] more than any other place in ·Israel [L Jacob].
3 City of God,
·wonderful [glorious] things are said about you [46; 48; Is. 2:2–4; 26:1–2; 60:15–22; 61:1–7]. ·
4 God says, “I will ·put Egypt and Babylonia
on the list of nations that know me [L mention Rahab and Babylonia as those who know me].
People from Philistia, Tyre, and Cush [C Ethiopia]
will be born there.”
5 They will say about ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
“This one and that one were born there.
God Most High will ·strengthen [establish] her.”
6 The Lord will keep a list of the nations.
He will note, “This person was born there.” ·
7 They will dance and sing,
“All ·good things come from Jerusalem [L my fountains are in you; 46:4; Jer. 2:13; Ezek. 47; Rev. 22:1–5].”
Book 4: Psalms 90–106
God Is Eternal, and We Are Not
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our ·home [dwelling place; Deut. 33:27]
·since the beginning [L from all generations].
2 Before the mountains were born
and before you ·created [brought forth] the earth and the world,
you are God [Prov. 8:22–31].
You have always been, and you will always be.
3 You turn people back into ·dust [L what is crushed; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 12:7].
You say, “·Go back into dust [L Return; Turn back], human beings.”
4 ·To you [L In your eyes], a thousand years
is like the passing of a day [2 Pet. 3:8],
or ·like a few hours [L a watch; C the night was divided into four watches of three hours each] in the night.
5 While people sleep, you ·take [put an end to] their lives.
They are like grass that ·grows up [is new] in the morning.
6 In the morning they ·are fresh and new [blossom and are renewed],
but by evening they ·dry up [fade] and ·die [wither].
7 We are ·destroyed [annihilated] by your anger;
we are terrified by your hot anger.
8 You have ·put [set] ·the evil we have done [our guilt/iniquity] right in front of you;
·you clearly see our secret sins [L our hidden/secret sins in the light of your face].
9 All our days pass while you are angry.
Our years end with a ·moan [sigh].
10 ·Our lifetime is [L The days of our years are] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
But ·the years are full of [L their pride are] ·hard work [toil] and ·pain [trouble; Eccl. 1:2].
They pass quickly, and then we ·are gone [L fly away].
11 Who knows the ·full power [strength] of your anger?
Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be.
12 ·Teach us [Make us know] ·how short our lives really are [L to count our days]
so that we ·may be wise [L gain a wise heart].
13 Lord, how long before you ·return [turn]
and show ·kindness [compassion] to your servants?
14 ·Fill [Satisfy] us with your ·love [loyalty] every morning.
Then we will sing and rejoice all our ·lives [L days].
15 We have seen years of ·trouble [harm; hurt].
Now give us as ·much [L many days of] joy as you gave us ·sorrow [affliction].
16 Show your servants ·the wonderful things you do [your miracles];
·show your greatness [your splendor/beauty] to their children.
17 Lord our God, ·treat us well [favor us].
·Give us success in what we do [L Establish the work of our hands for us];
·yes, give us success in what we do [L establish the work of our hands].
God’s Love Continues Forever
136 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the Lord because he is good.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
2 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the God of gods.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
3 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the Lord of lords.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
4 Only he can do ·great miracles [great and wonderful acts].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
5 With his ·wisdom [L understanding; 104:24; Prov. 3:19; Jer. 10:12] he made the ·skies [heavens; Gen. 1:6–7].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
6 He spread out the earth on the ·seas [waters; Gen. 1:9–10].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
7 He made the ·sun and the moon [L great lights; Gen. 1:14–15].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
8 He made the sun to rule the day [Gen. 1:16–18].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
9 He made the moon and stars to rule the night [Gen. 1:16–18].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
10 He ·killed [L struck] the firstborn sons of the Egyptians [Ex. 11].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
11 He brought the people of Israel out of ·Egypt [L their midst; Ex. 12:31–51].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
12 He did it with his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L outstretched arm].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
13 He parted the water of the ·Red [or Reed] Sea [78:13; Ex. 14–15].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
14 He brought the Israelites through the middle of it.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
15 But ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] and his army ·drowned in [were swept into] the ·Red [Reed] Sea [v. 13].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
16 He led his people through the ·desert [wilderness; Deut. 8:15; Jer. 2:6].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
17 He ·defeated [L struck] great kings.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
18 He killed ·powerful [mighty] kings.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
19 He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites [Num. 21:21–32].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
20 He defeated Og king of Bashan [Num. 21:32–35].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
21 He gave their land as a ·gift [inheritance].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
22 It was a ·gift [inheritance] to his servants, the Israelites.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
23 He remembered us ·when we were in trouble [L in our low condition].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
24 He ·freed us from [pulled us away from] our ·enemies [foes].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
25 He gives ·food [bread] to ·every living creature [L all flesh].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
26 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the God of heaven.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
The Thousand Years
20 I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the ·bottomless pit [Abyss; 9:1] and a ·large [great] chain in his hand. 2 The angel ·grabbed [seized] the dragon, that ·old snake [ancient serpent] who is the devil and Satan [12:9; Gen. 3:15], and ·tied him up [bound him; Mark 3:27] for a thousand years. 3 Then he threw him into the ·bottomless pit [Abyss], ·closed [or locked] it, and ·locked it [L sealed it; or placed a seal on it] over him. The angel did this so he could not ·trick [deceive; lead astray] the ·people of the earth [nations] anymore until the thousand years were ·ended [finished; completed]. After ·a thousand years [L these things] he must be set free for a short time.
4 Then I saw some thrones and people sitting on them who had been given the power to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been ·killed [L beheaded] because ·they were faithful to the message [of their testimony/witness] of Jesus and [L because of] the ·message from [word of] God. They had not worshiped the beast or his ·idol [image], and they had not received the ·mark [brand; stamp] of the beast on their foreheads or on their hands. They came back to life and ·ruled [reigned] with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The others that were dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first ·raising of the dead [resurrection]. 6 ·Blessed [Happy] and holy are those who ·share [have a part] in this first ·raising of the dead [resurrection]. The second death [C being cast in the lake of fire] has no ·power [authority] over them. They will be priests for God and for Christ and will ·rule [reign] with him for a thousand years.
Jesus Says that He Must Die(A)
21 From that time on Jesus began ·telling [showing; making it clear to] his ·followers [disciples] that he must go to Jerusalem, where the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] would make him suffer ·many things [greatly]. He told them he must be killed and then be raised from the dead on the third day.
22 Peter took Jesus aside and ·told him not to talk like that [L began to reprimand/rebuke him]. He said, “·God save you from those things [God forbid; May it never be; L (God) Be merciful], Lord! Those things ·will never [must certainly not] happen to you!”
23 Then Jesus turned and said to Peter, “·Go away from [Get behind] me, Satan! You are ·not helping [an obstacle/stumbling block to] me! You ·don’t care about [are not setting your mind on/thinking about] the things of God, but only ·about the things people think are important [on/about human concerns].”
24 Then Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “If ·people want [L anyone wants] to follow me, they must ·give up the things they want [deny themselves; turn from selfishness; set aside their own interests]. They must ·be willing even to give up their lives to [L take up their cross and] follow me. 25 Those who want to save their lives will ·give up true life [L lose their life/soul; C Greek psychē can mean “life” or “soul,” producing this play on words], and those who ·give up [lose; sacrifice] their lives for ·me [my sake] will ·have true life [find life]. 26 ·It is worthless [What good/profit/benefit is it…?] to ·have [gain] the whole world if they ·lose [forfeit] their souls. ·They could never pay enough [L Or what could they give…?] ·to buy back [in exchange for] their souls. 27 [L For] The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with his angels. At that time, he will ·reward [repay; give back; judge] them for what they have done [Ps. 62:12; Prov. 24:12]. 28 I tell you the truth, some people standing here will not ·die [L taste death] before they see the Son of Man [Dan. 7:13–14] coming with his kingdom.” [C This may refer to the Transfiguration which follows (17:1–8), Jesus’ resurrection, or the destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70.]
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