Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 19
The Witness of Creation and Scripture
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse(A) proclaims the work of his hands.(B)
2 Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.[a]
3 There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard.
4 Their message[b] has gone out to the whole earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.(C)
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun.(D)
5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home;
it rejoices like an athlete running a course.
6 It rises from one end of the heavens
and circles to their other end;(E)
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
renewing one’s life;(F)
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.(G)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;(H)
the command of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.(I)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;(J)
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.(K)
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;(L)
and sweeter than honey
dripping from a honeycomb.(M)
11 In addition, your servant is warned by them,
and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.(N)
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.(O)
13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;(P)
do not let them rule me.(Q)
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.(R)
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,(S)
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.(T)
18 For this is what the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,
the God who formed the earth and made it,
the one who established it
(he did not create it to be a wasteland,
but formed it to be inhabited)(A)—
he says, “I am the Lord,
and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret,(B)
somewhere in a land of darkness.
I did not say to the descendants of Jacob:
Seek me in a wasteland.(C)
I am the Lord, who speaks righteously,(D)
who declares what is right.
20 “Come, gather together,
and approach, you fugitives of the nations.
Those who carry their wooden idols
and pray to a god who cannot save(E)
have no knowledge.(F)
21 Speak up and present your case[a](G)—
yes, let them consult each other.
Who predicted this long ago?
Who announced it from ancient times?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior;(H)
there is no one except me.(I)
22 Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth.
For I am God,
and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;(J)
truth has gone from my mouth,(K)
a word that will not be revoked:
Every knee will bow(L) to me,
every tongue will swear allegiance.
24 It will be said about me, ‘Righteousness and strength
are found only in the Lord.’”
All who are enraged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(M)
25 All the descendants of Israel
will be justified and boast in the Lord.
4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day;(A) of the nation of Israel,(B) of the tribe of Benjamin,(C) a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,(D) a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal,(E) persecuting(F) the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,(G) blameless.(H)
7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value(I) of knowing Christ(J) Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ(K) 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,(L) but one that is through faith in Christ[a]—the righteousness from God based on faith.(M) 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,(N) being conformed to his death,(O) 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
ל Lamed
89 Lord, your word is forever;(A)
it is firmly fixed in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness is for all generations;(B)
you established the earth, and it stands firm.(C)
91 Your judgments stand firm today,(D)
for all things are your servants.(E)
92 If your instruction had not been my delight,
I would have died in my affliction.(F)
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for you have given me life through them.(G)
94 I am yours; save me,(H)
for I have studied your precepts.(I)
95 The wicked hope to destroy me,(J)
but I contemplate your decrees.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your command is without limit.
מ Mem
97 How I love your instruction!(K)
It is my meditation all day long.(L)
98 Your command makes me wiser than my enemies,(M)
for it is always with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers
because your decrees are my meditation.(N)
100 I understand more than the elders(O)
because I obey your precepts.(P)
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path(Q)
to follow your word.
102 I have not turned from your judgments,(R)
for you yourself have instructed me.
103 How sweet your word is(S) to my taste—
sweeter than honey in my mouth.
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;(T)
therefore I hate every false way.(U)
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet(V)
and a light on my path.
106 I have solemnly sworn(W)
to keep your righteous judgments.
107 I am severely afflicted;
Lord, give me life according to your word.(X)
108 Lord, please accept my freewill offerings of praise,(Y)
and teach me your judgments.(Z)
109 My life is constantly in danger,[a]
yet I do not forget your instruction.(AA)
110 The wicked have set a trap for me,(AB)
but I have not wandered from your precepts.(AC)
111 I have your decrees as a heritage forever;
indeed, they are the joy of my heart.(AD)
112 I am resolved to obey your statutes
to the very end.[b](AE)
The Damascus Road
9 Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples(A) of the Lord. He went to the high priest(B) 2 and requested letters(C) from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way,(D) he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As(E) he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.
“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.(F) 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
Saul’s Baptism
10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”
“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.(G)
11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus(H) named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision[a] he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”(I)
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.(J) 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”(K)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument(L) to take my name to Gentiles,(M) kings, and Israelites.(N) 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”(O)
17 Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(P)
18 At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength.(Q)
Saul Proclaiming the Messiah
Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. 20 Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”(R)
21 All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?” (S)
22 But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.