Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 19[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
19 The heavens declare the glory of God;[b]
the sky displays his handiwork.[c]
2 Day after day it speaks out;[d]
night after night it reveals his greatness.[e]
3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its[f] voice literally heard.
4 Yet its voice[g] echoes[h] throughout the earth;
its[i] words carry[j] to the distant horizon.[k]
In the sky[l] he has pitched a tent for the sun.[m]
5 Like a bridegroom it emerges[n] from its chamber;[o]
like a strong man it enjoys[p] running its course.[q]
6 It emerges from the distant horizon,[r]
and goes from one end of the sky to the other;[s]
nothing can escape[t] its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life.[u]
The rules set down by the Lord[v] are reliable[w]
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.[x]
8 The Lord’s precepts are fair[y]
and make one joyful.[z]
The Lord’s commands[aa] are pure[ab]
and give insight for life.[ac]
9 The commands to fear the Lord are right[ad]
and endure forever.[ae]
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just.[af]
10 They are of greater value[ag] than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight[ah] than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there;[ai]
those who obey them receive a rich reward.[aj]
12 Who can know all his errors?[ak]
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.[al]
13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins;[am]
do not allow such sins to control me.[an]
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant[ao] rebellion.
14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight,[ap]
O Lord, my sheltering rock[aq] and my redeemer.[ar]
18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky—
he is the true God,[a]
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order,[b]
he formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place.[c]
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’[d]
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements.[e]
20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations.
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
21 Tell me! Present the evidence![f]
Let them consult with one another.
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers;[g]
there is none but me.
22 Turn to me so you can be delivered,[h]
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
23 I solemnly make this oath[i]—
what I say is true and reliable:[j]
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm;[k]
24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’”[l]
All who are angry at him will cower before him.[m]
25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him.[n]
4 —though mine too are significant.[a] If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials,[b] I have more: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.[c] 6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. 7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung![d]—that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness[e]—a righteousness from God that is in fact[f] based on Christ’s[g] faithfulness.[h] 10 My aim is to know him,[i] to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings,[j] and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow,[k] to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
ל (Lamed)
89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven.[a]
90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations.[b]
You established the earth and it stood firm.
91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,
for all things are your servants.
92 If I had not found encouragement in your law,[c]
I would have died in my sorrow.[d]
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
95 The wicked prepare to kill me,[e]
yet I concentrate on your rules.
96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension.[f]
מ (Mem)
97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
98 Your commandments[g] make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your rules.
100 I am more discerning than those older than I,
for I observe your precepts.
101 I stay away[h] from every evil path,
so that I might keep your instructions.[i]
102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,
for you teach me.
103 Your words are sweeter
in my mouth than honey![j]
104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions.[k]
נ (Nun)
105 Your word[l] is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path.[m]
106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn
to keep your just regulations.
107 I am suffering terribly.
O Lord, revive me with your word.[n]
108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise.[o]
Teach me your regulations.
109 My life is in continual danger,[p]
but I do not forget your law.
110 The wicked lay a trap for me,
but I do not wander from your precepts.
111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy.[q]
112 I am determined to obey[r] your statutes
at all times, to the very end.
The Conversion of Saul
9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats[a] to murder[b] the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues[c] in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way,[d] either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners[e] to Jerusalem.[f] 3 As he was going along, approaching[g] Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed[h] around him. 4 He[i] fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul,[j] why are you persecuting me?”[k] 5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 6 But stand up[l] and enter the city and you will be told[m] what you must do.” 7 (Now the men[n] who were traveling with him stood there speechless,[o] because they heard the voice but saw no one.)[p] 8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open,[q] he could see nothing.[r] Leading him by the hand, his companions[s] brought him into Damascus. 9 For[t] three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything.[u]
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The[v] Lord[w] said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am,[x] Lord.” 11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’[y] and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision[z] a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 13 But Ananias replied,[aa] “Lord, I have heard from many people[ab] about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison[ac] all who call on your name!”[ad] 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument[ae] to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.[af] 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”[ag] 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed[ah] his hands on Saul[ai] and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here,[aj] has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”[ak] 18 Immediately[al] something like scales[am] fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He[an] got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.
For several days[ao] he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,[ap] saying, “This man is the Son of God.”[aq] 21 All[ar] who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not[as] the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging[at] those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners[au] to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul became more and more capable,[av] and was causing consternation[aw] among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving[ax] that Jesus[ay] is the Christ.[az]
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