Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 83
Prayer against Enemies
A song. A psalm of Asaph.(A)
1 God, do not keep silent.
Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle.(B)
2 See how Your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate You have acted arrogantly.[a](C)
3 They devise clever schemes against Your people;
they conspire against Your treasured ones.(D)
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation
so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.”(E)
5 For they have conspired with one mind;
they form an alliance[b] against You(F)—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,(G)
Moab and the Hagrites,(H)
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,(I)
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.(J)
8 Even Assyria has joined them;
they lend support[c] to the sons of Lot.[d](K)
9 Deal with them as You did with Midian,(L)
as You did with Sisera
and Jabin at the Kishon River.(M)
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
they became manure for the ground.(N)
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(O)
and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna,(P)
12 who said, “Let us seize God’s pastures for ourselves.”(Q)
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like straw before the wind.(R)
14 As fire burns a forest,
as a flame blazes through mountains,(S)
15 so pursue them with Your tempest
and terrify them with Your storm.(T)
16 Cover their faces with shame
so that they will seek Your name Yahweh.(U)
17 Let them be put to shame and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.(V)
18 May they know that You alone—
whose name is Yahweh—
are the Most High over all the earth.(W)
Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
A Davidic psalm.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;(A)
there is nothing I lack.(B)
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;(C)
He leads me beside quiet waters.(D)
3 He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths[a]
for His name’s sake.(E)
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,[b]
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;(F)
Your rod and Your staff[c]—they comfort me.(G)
Psalm 27
My Stronghold
Davidic.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?(A)
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?(B)
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,(C)
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.(D)
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart is not afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
still I am confident.(E)
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,(F)
gazing on the beauty of the Lord(G)
and seeking Him in His temple.(H)
5 For He will conceal me in His shelter
in the day of adversity;
He will hide me under the cover of His tent;
He will set me high on a rock.(I)
6 Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;(J)
I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy.(K)
I will sing and make music to the Lord.(L)
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.(M)
8 My heart says this about You,
“You[a] are to seek My face.”
Lord, I will seek Your face.(N)
9 Do not hide Your face from me;(O)
do not turn Your servant away in anger.(P)
You have been my helper;(Q)
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.(R)
Psalm 85
Restoration of Favor
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Lord, You showed favor to Your land;(A)
You restored Jacob’s prosperity.[a](B)
2 You took away Your people’s guilt;
You covered all their sin.(C)
3 You withdrew all Your fury;
You turned from Your burning anger.(D)
4 Return to us, God of our salvation,
and abandon Your displeasure with us.(E)
5 Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger for all generations?(F)
6 Will You not revive us again
so that Your people may rejoice in You?(G)
7 Show us Your faithful love, Lord,
and give us Your salvation.(H)
8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to His people, His godly ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.(I)
9 His salvation is very near those who fear Him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.(J)
10 Faithful love and truth will join together;
righteousness and peace will embrace.(K)
11 Truth will spring up from the earth,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.(L)
12 Also, the Lord will provide what is good,
and our land will yield its crops.(M)
13 Righteousness will go before Him
to prepare the way for His steps.(N)
Psalm 86
Lament and Petition
A Davidic prayer.
1 Listen, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.(O)
2 Protect my life, for I am faithful.(P)
You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.(Q)
3 Be gracious to me, Lord,
for I call to You all day long.(R)
4 Bring joy to Your servant’s life,
because I turn to You, Lord.(S)
5 For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive,(T)
rich in faithful love to all who call on You.(U)
6 Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my plea for mercy.(V)
7 I call on You in the day of my distress,
for You will answer me.(W)
8 Lord, there is no one like You among the gods,
and there are no works like Yours.(X)
9 All the nations You have made
will come and bow down before You, Lord,
and will honor Your name.(Y)
10 For You are great and perform wonders;
You alone are God.(Z)
11 Teach me Your way, Yahweh,
and I will live by Your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.(AA)
12 I will praise You with all my heart, Lord my God,
and will honor Your name forever.(AB)
13 For Your faithful love for me is great,
and You deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.(AC)
14 God, arrogant people have attacked me;
a gang of ruthless men seeks my life.
They have no regard for You.(AD)
15 But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth.(AE)
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me.
Give Your strength to Your servant;
save the son of Your female servant.(AF)
17 Show me a sign of Your goodness;
my enemies will see and be put to shame
because You, Lord, have helped and comforted me.(AG)
21 Don’t be afraid, land;(A)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done great things.(B)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,(C)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion,(D) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,(E)
because He gives you the autumn rain
for your vindication.[a](F)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain(G) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,(H)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and olive oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,(I)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
My great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.(J)
You will praise the name of Yahweh your God,(K)
who has dealt wondrously with you.(L)
My people will never again be put to shame.(M)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel(N)
and that I am Yahweh your God,
and there is no other.(O)
My people will never again be put to shame.(P)
Greeting
1 James,(A) a slave of God(B) and of the Lord Jesus Christ:
To the 12 tribes(C) in the Dispersion.[a](D)
Greetings.(E)
Trials and Maturity
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,(F) 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.(G) 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 An indecisive[b] man is unstable in all his ways.(H)
9 The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, 10 but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.(I) 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.(J)
12 A man who endures trials[c] is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown(K) of life that God[d] has promised to those who love Him.(L)
13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[e] and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.(M) 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.(N)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 He also said: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets[a] to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered(A) his estate in foolish living.(B) 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.[b] 15 Then he went to work for[c] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.(C) 16 He longed to eat his fill from[d] the carob pods[e] the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. 17 When he came to his senses,[f] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger![g] 18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned(D) against heaven(E) and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy(F) to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.(G) He ran, threw his arms around his neck,[h] and kissed(H) him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father told his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe(I) and put it on him; put a ring(J) on his finger[i] and sandals(K) on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf(L) and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again;(M) he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he summoned one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’[j]
28 “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets[k] with prostitutes,(N) you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’
31 “‘Son,’[l] he said to him, ‘you are always with me,(O) and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
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