Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 40
Thanksgiving and a Cry for Help
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.(A)
2 He brought me up from a desolate[a] pit,
out of the muddy clay,(B)
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.(C)
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.(D)
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.(E)
4 How happy is anyone
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!(F)
5 Lord my God, you have done many things—
your wondrous works and your plans for us;
none can compare with you.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.(G)
6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
you open my ears to listen.[b]
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.(H)
7 Then I said, “See, I have come;
in the scroll it is written about me.(I)
8 I delight to do your will, my God,(J)
and your instruction is deep within me.”(K)
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
see, I do not keep my mouth closed[c]—
as you know, Lord.(L)
10 I did not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your constant love and truth
from the great assembly.(M)
11 Lord, you do not[d] withhold your compassion from me.
Your constant love and truth will always guard me.(N)
12 For troubles without number have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me; I am unable to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my courage leaves me.(O)
13 Lord, be pleased to rescue me;
hurry to help me, Lord.(P)
Psalm 54
Prayer for Deliverance
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (A)
1 God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might!(B)
2 God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words from my mouth.(C)
3 For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men intend to kill me.
They do not let God guide them.[a](D)Selah
Psalm 51
A Prayer for Restoration
For the choir director. A psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.(B)
2 Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.(C)
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.(D)
4 Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.(E)
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.(F)
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.(G)
6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.(H)
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(I)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.(J)
9 Turn your face away[a] from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.(K)
10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast[b] spirit within me.(L)
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.(M)
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.(N)
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.(O)
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God(P)—
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(Q)
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.(R)
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.(S)
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is[c] a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.(T)
The Death of Saul and His Sons
31 The Philistines fought against Israel,(A) and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa.(B) 2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3 When the battle intensified against Saul,(C) the archers found him and severely wounded him.[a] 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer,(D) “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men(E) will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.(F) 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. 6 So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.
7 When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.
8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news(G) in the temples of their idols(H) and among the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths(I) and hung his body(J) on the wall of Beth-shan.(K)
11 When the residents of Jabesh-gilead(L) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their brave men(M) set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.(N) 13 Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree(O) in Jabesh(P) and fasted seven days.
12 The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.(A) 13 After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon[a] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.(B) 15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16 After these things I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
I will rebuild its ruins
and set it up again,
17 so that the rest of humanity
may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles
who are called by my name—
declares the Lord
who makes these things 18 known from long ago.[b][c](C)
19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,(D) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”(E)
A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed
21 When(A) Jesus had crossed over again by boat[a] to the other side, a large crowd(B) gathered around him while he was by the sea. 22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus,(C) came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet(D) 23 and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on(E) her so that she can get well[b](F) and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.
25 Now a woman suffering from bleeding(G) for twelve years 26 had endured(H) much under many doctors.(I) She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched(J) his clothing.(K) 28 For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.”(L) 29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed(M) of her affliction.
30 Immediately Jesus realized that power(N) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd(O) and said, “Who touched my clothes?”(P)
31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he was looking around to see who had done this. 33 The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down(Q) before him, and told him the whole truth.(R) 34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith(S) has saved you.(T) Go in peace and be healed(U) from your affliction.”(V)
35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher(W) anymore?”
36 When Jesus overheard[c] what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid.(X) Only believe.” 37 He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter,(Y) James,(Z) and John,(AA) James’s brother. 38 They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?(AB) The child(AC) is not dead but asleep.”(AD) 40 They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father,(AE) mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. 41 Then he took the child(AF) by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum”[d] (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”(AG)). 42 Immediately the girl got up(AH) and began to walk.(AI) (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.(AJ) 43 Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this(AK) and told them to give her something to eat.
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