Book of Common Prayer
A Promise to Act with Integrity
Of David. A psalm.[a]
101 I will sing of loyal love and justice;
I will sing praises to you, O Yahweh.
2 I will give attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will walk in the integrity of my heart
in the midst of my house.
3 I will not set before my eyes
any wicked thing.
I hate the work of those who fall away;[b]
it will not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart will depart from me;
I will not know evil.
5 One who slanders his neighbor in secret,
him I will destroy.
One haughty of eyes and arrogant[c] of heart,
him I will not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land,
that they may live with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity,
he shall minister to me.
7 There will not live in the midst of my house
a worker of deceit.
One who speaks lies
will not remain[d] before my eyes.
8 Each morning,[e]
I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
cutting off from the city of Yahweh all evildoers.
A Prayer for Help against Enemies
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
109 O God of my praise, do not keep silent,
2 for wicked and deceitful mouths[b]
have opened against me.
They speak to me with a lying tongue.
3 They also surround me with words of hate,
and fight me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
though I am in prayer.[c]
5 So they inflicted evil against me in return for good
and hatred in return for my love.
6 Appoint over him a wicked man,
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty,
and let his prayer[d] become as sin.
8 Let his days be few;
let another take his office.
9 Let his children be orphans,
and his wife a widow,
10 and let his children wander aimlessly and beg,
and let them plead from their ruins.
11 Let the creditor seize all that is his,
and let strangers plunder his property.
12 Let there be none who extend to him loyal love,
nor any who pities his orphans.
13 Let his descendants[e] be cut off.
Let their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 Let the iniquity of his ancestors[f] be remembered before Yahweh,
and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
that he may cut off their[g] memory from the earth,
16 because he did not remember to show loyal love,
but he pursued anyone,[h] poor or needy
or brokenhearted, to slay them.
17 Because he loved cursing, let it come upon him.
Because he did not delight in blessing,
let it be far from him.
18 Because he wore a curse as his robe,
let it enter his body[i] like water,
and into his bones like oil.
19 May it be for him like a garment in which he wraps,
and a belt he continually wears.[j]
20 Let this be the punishment for my accusers from Yahweh,
even those who speak evil against my life.
21 But you, O Yahweh my Lord,
deal with me for your name’s sake.
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me,
22 for I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow I am passing away;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees buckle[k] from fasting,
and my body grows lean without fat.
25 And so I am a disgrace to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.[l]
26 Help me, O Yahweh my God;
save me according to your loyal love,
27 that they may know that this is your hand,
that you, O Yahweh, you have done it.
28 Let them curse, but you bless.
When they arise, let them be put to shame,
that your servant may be glad.
29 Let my accusers put on disgrace,
and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a robe.
30 I will give thanks to Yahweh exceedingly with my mouth,
and in the midst of many I will praise him,
ʽAyin
121 I have done justice and righteousness;[a]
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Pledge good for your servant;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long for[b] your salvation,
and your righteous word.[c]
124 Deal with your servant according to your loyal love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your statutes.
126 It is time for Yahweh to act,[d]
for they have broken your law.
127 Therefore I love your commands
more than gold, even fine gold.
128 Therefore all your precepts of everything I regard as right;
I hate every false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are miracles,
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light,
giving understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commands.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is proper for those who love your name.
133 Direct my steps in your word,[e]
and do not let any iniquity gain power over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of humankind,
that I may heed your precepts.
135 Shine your face on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 Streams of water flow down from my eyes,
because people do not heed your law.
Tsade
137 You are righteous, O Yahweh,
and your ordinances are upright.
138 You have ordained your testimonies in righteousness,
and in exceeding faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me,
because my enemies have forgotten your words.
140 Your word is very pure,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me;
your commands delight me.
144 The righteousness of your testimonies is forever;
give me understanding that I may live.
11 whoredom.[a]
Wine and new wine take away the understanding.[b]
12 My people,
consult their wooden idols,[c]
and their divining rod gives them oracles;
because a spirit of whoredom led them astray,
and they played the whore from under their God.[d]
13 On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice,
and on the hills they make offerings,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their[e] shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and all your daughters-in-law[f] commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters[g] when they play the whore,
or your daughters-in-law[h] when they commit adultery;
because they go aside with whores,
and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes,
a people that does not understand comes to ruin.
15 Even though you, O Israel, are playing the whore,
do not let Judah become guilty;
do not enter Gilgal,
or go up to Beth-aven;
and do not swear,
“As Yahweh lives!”[i]
16 Indeed, like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
Now Yahweh will feed them,
like a lamb in broad pasture.[j]
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
let him alone.
18 When their drinking has ended,
they surely indulge in sexual orgies.
They love lewdness more than their[k] glory.
19 A wind has wrapped them[l] in its wings,
and they will be ashamed because of their altars.
15 So after these days we got ready and[a] went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea also traveled together with us, bringing us[b] to a certain Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing,[c] with whom we were to be entertained as guests.
Paul Visits the Leaders of the Jerusalem Church
17 And when[d] we came to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. 18 And on the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 And after[e] greeting them, he began to relate[f] one after the other[g] the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when[h] they heard this,[i] they began to glorify[j] God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law. 21 And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles the abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their[k] children or to live according to our[l] customs. 22 What then is to be done?[m] Doubtless they will all hear that you have come! 23 Therefore do this that we tell you: we have[n] four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.[o] 24 Take these men and[p] purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses[q] so that they can shave their[r] heads, and everyone will know that the things which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter after[s] deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took along the men on the next day, and[t] after he[u] had purified himself together with them, he entered into the temple courts,[v] announcing the completion of the days of purification until the time[w] the offering would be presented on behalf of each one of them.
Levi Called to Follow Jesus
27 And after these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named[a] Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” 28 And leaving everything behind, he got up and[b] began to follow[c] him.
29 And Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining for the meal with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes began to complain[d] to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and[e] said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick.[f] 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
On Fasting
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples[g] of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!” 34 So he[h] said[i] to them, “You are not able to make the bridegroom’s attendants[j] fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, are you?[k] 35 But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and[l] puts it[m] on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins. 39 And no one after[n] drinking old wine[o] wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’”
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