Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
2 From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
God shines forth.(E)
3 Our God comes(F)
and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
and around him a tempest(J) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(R)
8 I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(U) from your stall
or of goats(V) from your pens,(W)
10 for every animal of the forest(X) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(Y)
11 I know every bird(Z) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(AA) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(AD) to God,
fulfill your vows(AE) to the Most High,(AF)
15 and call(AG) on me in the day of trouble;(AH)
I will deliver(AI) you, and you will honor(AJ) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(AK) on your lips?(AL)
17 You hate(AM) my instruction
and cast my words behind(AN) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(AO) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(AR)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(AS)
you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign(AT) you
and set my accusations(AU) before you.
Psalm 59[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(D)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(F) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(G) yet they are ready to attack me.(H)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(I)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(J)
rouse yourself(K) to punish all the nations;(L)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c](M)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(N)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(O)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(P)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(Q)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(R)
you scoff at all those nations.(S)
9 You are my strength,(T) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(U)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[d](V)
or my people will forget.(W)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(X)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(Y)
for the words of their lips,(Z)
let them be caught in their pride.(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AC)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AD)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AE) of your strength,(AF)
in the morning(AG) I will sing of your love;(AH)
for you are my fortress,(AI)
my refuge in times of trouble.(AJ)
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(AK)
Psalm 60[e](AL)
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[f] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[g] and Aram Zobah,[h] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(AM)
1 You have rejected us,(AN) God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry(AO)—now restore us!(AP)
2 You have shaken the land(AQ) and torn it open;
mend its fractures,(AR) for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;(AS)
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(AT)
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(AU)
to be unfurled against the bow.[i]
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,(AV)
that those you love(AW) may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(AX)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(AY)
7 Gilead(AZ) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim(BA) is my helmet,
Judah(BB) is my scepter.(BC)
8 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BD)”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?(BE)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.(BF)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.(BG)
Psalm 66
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
2 Sing the glory of his name;(B)
make his praise glorious.(C)
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
4 All the earth bows down(F) to you;
they sing praise(G) to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”[a]
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
7 He rules forever(L) by his power,
his eyes watch(M) the nations—
let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.
8 Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives(P)
and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)
16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Psalm 67[b]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—[c](AF)
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation(AG) among all nations.(AH)
Saul and the Medium at Endor
3 Now Samuel was dead,(A) and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.(B) Saul had expelled(C) the mediums and spiritists(D) from the land.
4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem,(E) while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.(F) 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror(G) filled his heart. 6 He inquired(H) of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams(I) or Urim(J) or prophets.(K) 7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,(L) so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,(M)” they said.
8 So Saul disguised(N) himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult(O) a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off(P) the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap(Q) for my life to bring about my death?”
10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”
11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?(R) You are Saul!”
13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”(S)
14 “What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe(T) is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed(U) from me. He no longer answers(V) me, either by prophets or by dreams.(W) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn(X) the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey(Y) the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath(Z) against the Amalekites,(AA) the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons(AB) will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
The Council at Jerusalem
15 Certain people(A) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:(B) “Unless you are circumcised,(C) according to the custom taught by Moses,(D) you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem(E) to see the apostles and elders(F) about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia(G) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.(H) This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.(I)
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party(J) of the Pharisees(K) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”(L)
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.(M) 8 God, who knows the heart,(N) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,(O) just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them,(P) for he purified their hearts by faith.(Q) 10 Now then, why do you try to test God(R) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke(S) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace(T) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man(A)(B)
5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat,(C) a man with an impure spirit(D) came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,(E) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(F) In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,”(G) he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion(H) of demons,(I) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them(J) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b](K) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
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