Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 55[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.
55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore[c] my appeal for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset[d] and distressed,[e] I am beside myself,[f]
3 because of what the enemy says,[g]
and because of how the wicked[h] pressure me,[i]
for they hurl trouble[j] down upon me[k]
and angrily attack me.
4 My heart beats violently[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.[m]
5 Fear and panic overpower me;[n]
terror overwhelms[o] me.
6 I say,[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind[q] and the gale.”
9 Confuse them,[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls,[t]
while wickedness and destruction[u] are within it.
11 Disaster is within it;
violence[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
12 Indeed,[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,[x]
or else I could hide from him.
13 But it is you,[y] a man like me,[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.[aa]
14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
15 May death destroy them.[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,[ae]
and he will hear[af] me.[ag]
18 He will rescue[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,[ai]
even though[aj] they greatly outnumber me.[ak]
19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.[am]
20 He[an] attacks[ao] his friends;[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.[aq]
21 His words are as smooth as butter,[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.[at]
22 Throw your burden[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.[aw]
23 But you, O God, will bring them[ax] down to the deep Pit.[ay]
Violent and deceitful people[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 138[a]
By David.
138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly[b] I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.[c]
3 When[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.[e]
4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.[g]
5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.[i]
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles[j] the proud.
7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord avenges me.[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.[n]
Psalm 139[o]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[p] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[q]
you are aware of everything I do.[r]
4 Certainly[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[t]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[u]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[v]
8 If I were to ascend[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[x] in Sheol, there you would be.[y]
9 If I were to fly away[z] on the wings of the dawn,[aa]
and settle down on the other side[ab] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[ad]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[ae]
and the night is as bright as[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[ag]
13 Certainly[ah] you made my mind and heart;[ai]
you wove me together[aj] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;[al]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[an]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ap]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![aq]
How vast is their sum total.[ar]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[as]
19 If only[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![au]
20 They[av] rebel against you[aw] and act deceitfully;[ax]
your enemies lie.[ay]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[az]
22 I absolutely hate them;[ba]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.[bc]
Exhortation to Unity and Love
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy,[a] kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving[b] one another, if someone happens to have[c] a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.[d] 14 And to all these[e] virtues[f] add[g] love, which is the perfect bond.[h] 15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body[i] to this peace), and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ[j] dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace[k] in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18 John’s[a] disciples informed him about all these things. So[b] John called[c] two of his disciples 19 and sent them to Jesus[d] to ask,[e] “Are you the one who is to come,[f] or should we look for another?” 20 When[g] the men came to Jesus,[h] they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,[i] ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”[j] 21 At that very time[k] Jesus[l] cured many people of diseases, sicknesses,[m] and evil spirits, and granted[n] sight to many who were blind. 22 So[o] he answered them,[p] “Go tell[q] John what you have seen and heard:[r] The blind see, the lame walk, lepers[s] are cleansed, the[t] deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 23 Blessed is anyone[u] who takes no offense at me.”
24 When[v] John’s messengers had gone, Jesus[w] began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness[x] to see? A reed shaken by the wind?[y] 25 What[z] did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?[aa] Look, those who wear soft clothing and live in luxury[ab] are in the royal palaces![ac] 26 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more[ad] than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,[ae] who will prepare your way before you.’[af] 28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater[ag] than John.[ah] Yet the one who is least[ai] in the kingdom of God[aj] is greater than he is.” 29 (Now[ak] all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors,[al] acknowledged[am] God’s justice, because they had been baptized[an] with John’s baptism. 30 However, the Pharisees[ao] and the experts in religious law[ap] rejected God’s purpose[aq] for themselves, because they had not been baptized[ar] by John.[as])[at]
31 “To what then should I compare the people[au] of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace[av] and calling out to one another,[aw]
‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance;[ax]
we wailed in mourning,[ay] yet you did not weep.’
33 For John the Baptist has come[az] eating no bread and drinking no wine,[ba] and you say, ‘He has a demon!’[bb] 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him,[bc] a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’[bd] 35 But wisdom is vindicated[be] by all her children.”[bf]
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